Break Up

Pete Yorn/Scarlett Johansson, Pete Yorn, Scarlett Johansson

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 15, 2009)
• Original Release Date: September 8, 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B002AOWXO0
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,111 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Folk > Contemporary Folk > Singer-Songwriters

Track Listings

1. Relator

2. Wear And Tear

3. I Don't Know What To Do

4. Search Your Heart

5. Blackie's Dead

6. I Am The Cosmos

7. Shampoo

8. Clean

9. Someday

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

2009 collaboration between the singer/songwriter and actress/vocalist. Includes eight original compositions by Pete/Scarlett in the spirit of Serge Gainsbourg's recording with Brigitte Bardot. The album re-enacts the tempestuous course of a love affair on the rocks. The album had its genesis in the aftermath of a breakup in 2006. After Yorn was unable to sleep for a week, he finally dozed off, only to wake with a start just minutes later. What had awakened him was a dream. "I sat up in bed, and the whole thing was in my head, fully formed," Yorn says, sounding as if he still doesn't quite believe it. "I suddenly felt like I really needed to make a record in the style of Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot. Not that it had to sound like that, but it had to be a guy-and-girl conceptual thing. So then I asked myself, 'Who's Brigitte Bardot today? It's Scarlett Johansson.'" Featuring an interpretation of the classic 'I Am the Cosmos' by the late Chris Bell co-founder of Big Star.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Freaking Awesome!, October 19, 2009

By	BTrain (Pioneer Square) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Break Up (Amazon Exclusive) (MP3 Download)

Ok, admittedly this music is very mellow and is stuff you might put on a playlist with a name like "Alone in the Dark," "Struck Out at the Bar Last Night" or "Just Got Dumped." For the kind of music it is I think this CD (or whatever you call a group of songs these days) is great. The only songs I don't really like too much are the "Blackie's Dead" songs since they don't quite seem to fit with the rest of the music for some reason. Song like "I am the Cosmos" are awesome though.

When I originally bought this I had some trepidation about Scarlett Johansen and her vocals on these tracks but they blend very well with the type of music it is. Her voice is much better than I expected but she still doesn't show that she has a very powerful voice like a Broadway singer or anything but, the cool thing, is that she didn't need to on any of these songs and for what she needed to do her voice worked very well.


Check out the songs and grab it you feel like you need some new kind of mellow music and don't be afraid of an actress trying to sing in this case.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 stars... Short and quirky, October 3, 2009

By	Paul Allaer (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

2009 is proving to be a busy year for Pete Yorn, with the release of not one but two CDs in a matter of months: "Back and Fourth" was his 4th proper solo album, and now comes this duet album with none other than Scarlett Johansson. First things first: this album was recorded in 2006, yes, three years ago. No explanation has been offered why this has been sitting on the shelves for three solid years.

As to the album itself, "Break Up" (9 tracks; 29 min.) brings a collection of musical collages supposedly depicting a break up. Not that you can really pick that up from simply listening to the album. The opener "Relator" is the most mainstream-sounding song on here, with an easy upbeat rythm to it, and Pete and Scarlett truly dueting. After that charming opener, the tone of the album becomes much more introverted and reflective. I find the tracks that work best are the ones where Pete and Scarlett truly are collaborating, as opposed to the ones where you can bearly hear Scarlett (such as "Wear and Tear" and the closer "Someday"). On the other hand "I Don't Know What To Do" is a great little gem. My favorite track on this collection is "Shampoo", the perfect mix and interplay between Pete and Scarlett.

But at a mere 29 min., there is simply not enough material here to call this album fully fleshed-out. After repeated listening to the album, it simply feels like a fleeting moment, or an incomplete symphony. Much was made last year about Scarlett's singing capabilities when she released her frist solo album (recorded much later than this albu, incidentally). As then, I really find no fault with her singing. In all, for some reason I had huge expectations for this album, and I can't say theu were entirely met. There are nice enough moments on here, but just not enough of them. And did I mention that this collection lasts all of 29 minutes?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!, November 18, 2009

By	H. Fillman - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great CD! I have not been able to stop listening to it repeatedly! If you like Pete Yorn or the SHe & Him kindof sound you will love this CD