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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This a very hard review to write. I've been listening to BNL's new album almost constantly since I picked it up a couple of days ago, and it's not immediately obvious why.
If you're a fan of the Barenaked Ladies then you will be surprised by this album. While having the unique stylings of the band, it doesn't sound much like any of their previous releases. Indeed, some of the tracks would be unrecognisable as BNL if it wasn't for Page and Robertson's familiar voices. Moving even further away from the college/pop rock that filled their albums in the 1990's and going beyond the fairly depressing Everything to Everyone of 2004, Barenaked Ladies Are Me (BLAM) should probably be classed as Easy Listening. Most of the 13 tracks are fairly mellow and take a few listens before they start to stick in your head, unlike BNL signature tracks like One Week and If I Had A Million Dollars.
So far, so don't-you-hate-it-when-your-favourite-band-loses-it. Except, they haven't. This is a confident album - the Ladies have clearly made a conscious decision to make an album that is very different from their usual fare. Even the biggest BNL-hater couldn't accuse them of being formulaic with this studio album.
A few tracks deserve special mention however: Bank Job - a mellow track that nonetheless proves that BNL haven't lost their amazing talent for crafting songs with clever lyrics and funny premises; Wind It Up - a good old Steven Page rock track that rounds off the album and reminds you how good classic BNL is.
Finally, Peterborough and the Kawarthas - a beautiful track sung by bassist Jim Creeggan. I must admit I'm not a fan of the tracks that Creeggan and Kevin Hearn have sung on previous album, but this song....wow. It's poignant and sweet, and features the most confident singing I have heard in a song in years. Creeggan sounds like he is singing from the heart in a very frank, honest way that doesn't sound overly dramatic.
So why the 4 out of 5 stars when I clearly don't think it quite matches up the previous BNL albums? Simple - it's still a great CD. Against other releases from the band it's probably a 2.5/3, but against the stuff in the charts right now BNL always shine.
It's worth pointing out that the band actually recorded almost 30 tracks this year, and the remainder will be released on another new album some time in early 2007 - rumoured to be titled Barenaked Ladies Are Men. It's possible that the tracks on that will be more like "oldskool" BNL, but even so that shouldn't detract from this very unique album in the band's now long career.
If you're a fan of the Barenaked Ladies then you will be surprised by this album. While having the unique stylings of the band, it doesn't sound much like any of their previous releases. Indeed, some of the tracks would be unrecognisable as BNL if it wasn't for Page and Robertson's familiar voices. Moving even further away from the college/pop rock that filled their albums in the 1990's and going beyond the fairly depressing Everything to Everyone of 2004, Barenaked Ladies Are Me (BLAM) should probably be classed as Easy Listening. Most of the 13 tracks are fairly mellow and take a few listens before they start to stick in your head, unlike BNL signature tracks like One Week and If I Had A Million Dollars.
So far, so don't-you-hate-it-when-your-favourite-band-loses-it. Except, they haven't. This is a confident album - the Ladies have clearly made a conscious decision to make an album that is very different from their usual fare. Even the biggest BNL-hater couldn't accuse them of being formulaic with this studio album.
A few tracks deserve special mention however: Bank Job - a mellow track that nonetheless proves that BNL haven't lost their amazing talent for crafting songs with clever lyrics and funny premises; Wind It Up - a good old Steven Page rock track that rounds off the album and reminds you how good classic BNL is.
Finally, Peterborough and the Kawarthas - a beautiful track sung by bassist Jim Creeggan. I must admit I'm not a fan of the tracks that Creeggan and Kevin Hearn have sung on previous album, but this song....wow. It's poignant and sweet, and features the most confident singing I have heard in a song in years. Creeggan sounds like he is singing from the heart in a very frank, honest way that doesn't sound overly dramatic.
So why the 4 out of 5 stars when I clearly don't think it quite matches up the previous BNL albums? Simple - it's still a great CD. Against other releases from the band it's probably a 2.5/3, but against the stuff in the charts right now BNL always shine.
It's worth pointing out that the band actually recorded almost 30 tracks this year, and the remainder will be released on another new album some time in early 2007 - rumoured to be titled Barenaked Ladies Are Men. It's possible that the tracks on that will be more like "oldskool" BNL, but even so that shouldn't detract from this very unique album in the band's now long career.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
As a lover of BNL I was thrilled to get the new album 'Are Me' in my Xmas stocking from Santa. Unlike the other reviewers I loved 'Everything For Everyone' and thought it their best album. I have now listened to the new album twenty times and although the songs have grown on me it just seems totally uninspired. It's kind of music by numbers like an album to meet a contractual obligation rather than a labour of love. Where is all the charm a wit we normally get from BNL? Disappontingly low key and dreary.
Got tix for their tour hope they play old songs!!!
Got tix for their tour hope they play old songs!!!
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a real return to form after a disappointing last album - certainly up there with Maroon and Stunt if not the hallowed ground of Gordon. Unbelievably the CD release contains only 13 of 27 tracks available to download ... as a lover of shiny bits of plastic in CD racks I would really love to see a 2 CD special edition. Having heard the additional downloaded tracks (which are all worthy of inclusion on the main album) this really should be a double album. Amazon, can you assert your influence to get the additional tracks available for those of us who still like to own our albums?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Classy BNL tunes .. but who produced it?
I've liked pretty much everything BNL have ever produced, and this is no exception - musically it's another interesting album. Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2006 by Aud I O Phile
One of the picks of 2006
The BNL are traditionally stronger live than on record (and if you haven't seen them live then you really should). Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2006 by T. Parker
A great album, BNL back at their best!
I'd only got about halfway through the CD and was already loving this new BNL album! It continued all the way through the album. Read more
Published on 20 Sep 2006 by C. Barford
On a first listen..
Only heard it once so far. First reaction? Better than the somewhat uninspired Everything to Everyone. This seems to be laid back Ladies and a pleasant change of pace too. Read more
Published on 12 Sep 2006 by Sunrise
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