Open Web Player
I love Roxette, and this album is no exception. It didn't surprise me at all, which is a good thing. It's more pop with the same two great voices, great melodies, dense production (dare I say ear candy?), and quirky lyrics.
The album opens with the upbeat "Real Sugar," with Per's even-toned, grainy voice launching into some fun lyrics: "Well, every hour I try to get somethin' done, out in the weekend when I'm just havin' some fun, I'm windin' up with none, just zeroes, no ones, just space with no air." Unfortunately, Marie's insistent high note on "I don't wanna climb the walls" later in the song gets repetitive. The combination of this with the song's energy assault is a bit much. However, this is literally the only blemish in the entire album, for me.
By the way, I'm listening with my Sennheiser HD590s :-)
Marie sings the lead on the energetic yet flowing "Centre of the Heart," which treats us to some of the trademark Marie-isms: if you're a Roxette fan, I'm sure you will agree with a smile when you hear the melody to "you wear them so well, those innocent eyes..." This song has a slowish clubbish beat, with typical strings in the background and harmonies you could chew, plus a nice hook in the chorus.
One of the nice things about Roxette is that, unlike some other groups (Collective Soul comes to mind) that are also hook-laden, one hook doesn't carry the song. There's one to get your feet tapping in the intro, there's one that comes back again and again in the synth/strings, and there's great melody in the singing, chorus and verse both. This is typical of Roxette.
"Milk and Toast and Honey" is slower and reminds me of "I Was So Lucky" from Have a Nice Day. If you're a dancer, you might like to know that it's a fantastic nightclub two... Marie takes the vocals on a nice "love works out right" song.
"Jefferson" opens with an acoustic guitar riff that lays down a beat for the rest of the song. Per sings about a boy that always got the shaft when everyone else got the mine. It's upbeat and a lot of fun, with a pulsing verse underlaid with meaty bass (think Rage Against the Machine) and a jump-and-headbang chorus.
Marie sings lead on the next three songs. "Little Girl" is not a show-stopper: it's about remembering a litle girl "I remember when she was mine." This is where the lyrics lose me; the music is good though, about the same energy level as "Milk". "Looking for Jane," the next song, is more on the energy of Jefferson, and in this one, the not-particularly-graspable lyrics aren't an issue, because the song is so singable. "Bringing Me Down To My Knees" is another great ballad, this one asking for love forever.
We then take a surprise trip to the energy zone with "Make My Head Go Bop," which should get everyone dancing. Per carries most of the vocal. The song opens with, and repeats, a dancy string hook, and the vocals make references to "Pleasant Valley Sunday," which is unexpected but works like a charm. There's a hilarious bridge in which there's an a capella poke at overly stuffy people: singing the title line in pseudo-serious "this singing is an art form" voices makes me grin.
"Try" is one of those great songs that lets Marie do her slow-dance stuff in fine form. "Fool" returns to the upbeat mode, and of course, fun lyrics: "I was alone, I told my mouth to shut up!" This is one of the really, really fun songs on the CD.
"It Takes You No Time To Get Here" is a surprise twist, opening with acoustic guitar and Per's voice singing "Why don't you take the rest of the day off / You do deserve a break / Follow that road, it ain't long..." this is the gist of the song. It's slower, with a solid backing, and Per treats us to a trip to the upper vocal registers. It's followed by "My World, My Love, My Life," which features Marie and Per both on a slower song that is pretty much a power song: slow ballad, power chords, power chord progressions. This is a great way to end the album.
Overall, a highly satisfying listening experience: upbeat enough, but enough slower material to let you settle into it very nicely. I'd recommend it to almost anyone except acoustic purists, and hey, I'm one of those too!
| | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Real Sugar | 3:16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| The Centre Of The Heart | 3:21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Milk and Toast and Honey | 4:04 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Jefferson | 3:51 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Little Girl | 3:37 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Looking for Jane | 3:18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Bringing Me Down to My Knees | 3:48 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Make My Head Go Pop | 3:22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) | 3:13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Fool | 3:52 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| It Takes You No Time to Get Here | 3:34 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| My World My Love My Life | 4:02 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Entering Your Heart | 3:59 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| The Weight of the World | 2:50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla (You Broke My Heart) | 4:36 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Customer reviews
Top reviews from other countries
trevor.barker@virgin.net
They're Back!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2001
