Alex84

@ Jurix: the Autumn rain melancholy are very nice and also quite well-known. In fact, I found them on eBay. These, on the other hand, are impossible to find even for download. What a pity, because I was immediately captivated by the cover.

Interesting. I'm studying Russian and I would like to listen to music in the language that isn't folk, and this group seems to be just what I'm looking for. Where can I find/download/buy it, if I may ask?

Phenomenal! I've never heard anything like it.

I think Merzbow is one of those artists teetering between genius and idiocy. It depends on the point of view. The amalgam of noises and scratches he offers may have a meaning, or perhaps not, like much contemporary art. However, I find it difficult to listen to.

This singer is really good because he doesn't have an overly macho voice like many of his American colleagues. And unlike them, he doesn’t come off as cloying. The melodies of his songs are pleasant but not simplistic, perfectly paired with a smooth, low-toned voice. The lyrics are also well-written. By the way, in a music world where usually only female singer-songwriters talk about their being “women,” it’s surprising how certain country singers explore their male inner dimension. I haven't noticed such a phenomenon in other genres...
By the way, why this sudden wave of reviews about country artists? I naturally thank Stablazer because these are singers that few of us know here in Italy.

I apologize for my frankness, but this Merzbow seems like a huge load of nonsense to me. What's the point of recording noise? Just take a trip downtown and listen to the traffic with its definitely more pronounced melodic lines.

About the touch-up, sometimes I think Sarah doesn’t exist and that each album features pictures of different women. Compare to believe.

This is a boudoir album, so soft and sophisticated. The wonderful extrapatinated r&b atmospheres impress, although the best tracks for me are those that stray most from the trend, namely "sanctuary" and "bedtime stories," tinged with new age and electronic sounds (a prelude to "ray of light"). The ballads are excellent, sensual, and warm. The more upbeat songs, like "human nature" and "secret," are intriguing as well. A word also for the lyrics, sprinkled with subtle references to bisexuality and a more filtered eroticism compared to that of "erotica." Except for "don't stop," which I would have replaced with one of the bonus tracks (your honesty above all, or even "let down your guard"), I consider it one of her most successful albums. The crown jewel, in my opinion, is the moving "love tried to welcome me." The videos are worth watching too, from the picturesque "take a bow" to the minimalist and extremely sensual "human nature," passing through the special effects marvel of "bedtime story."

This album is truly beautiful. It discards the techno genre without lingering on the boring lengths typical of this style and expertly incorporates electric guitars and, above all, ambient music without ever overdoing it. A magical album that manages to transition from new age atmospheres (swim) to synthetic landscapes (nothing really matters), while traversing ethereal and evocative songs (frozen, the power of goodbye). Together with bedtime stories and Confessions, I think it’s one of his most successful works.

I had been to the Nightwish concert in Milan last year and I didn't like them at all. Unmotivated and with the singer unable to overpower the instruments. And I also saw some parents accompanying their children, by the way.