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Amazon.co.uk Review
Erin McKeown's third album is to be commended for its sense of adventure. There are 14 tracks on Grand and they encompass at least that number of musical styles, among them winsome indie-pop, gentle country-rock, lushly orchestrated barrel-organ stompery and pretty electronica that verges on trip-hop. When trying to frame McKeown in terms of other artists, you end up with an equally impressively diverse peer group: Tanya Donelly, Rickie Lee Jones, Bjork, Liquorice and Shivaree (with whom McKeown shares a drummer, George Javori).
An album this stylistically promiscuous needs a fairly imposing central personality to hold it all together, and McKeown just about manages on this score, as well. Her voice, while somewhat cutesy and cloying, never becomes overbearingly so--it's at its best on a lovely version of the Judy Garland standard "Lucky Day"--and she's an engaging narrator of her tales. There aren't enough songwriters to whom it would occur to write a song in the form of a letter from Igor Stravinsky, holed up in Hollywood in the 1940s while he waited in vain for Dylan Thomas to recover from tuberculosis so the pair could write an opera together. --Andrew Mueller
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I first came accross Erin McKeown on Jools Holland's BBC TV show and was immediately bowled over by her beautiful and unique voice. Grand has everything, from the subtle jangly pop of opener 'Slung-Lo' to the jazz influenced 'The Taste Of You'. Cinematic explains the performance of fame and femininty and really sets the tone for the rest of the record. Album closer Vera is a beautiful piano ballad in which Mckeown sings to an old friend. Grand leaves you feeling a great sense of fulfillment yet at the same time wanting more. A great record for any Bob Dylan/Ryan Admas fans who enjoy upbeat pop songs and hartachingly beautiful songs, with catchy melodies and perfect lyrics to match.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This was one of the best albums I have heard this year, and certainly one of the most unique. Erin's 'distinct' musical styling is omnipresent on this recording, regardless of which predefined genre she chooses to present each track in.
This is certainly not a recording that I would recommend to everyone, however, anyone who enjoys music from groups like the Be Good Tanyas will love Erin. This is also true for anyone who enjoyed her UK debut: Distillation.
Revel in the strangeness that is Erin...
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
What a lady. After the miraculous Distillation, Erin has upped the ante. Atrue classic as good as any non scene album of the last 10 years concoctedof every non crap genre known to man. Having the fortune to see her livein Byker (!) but misfortune to spend the evening in a drunken haze, I canonly beg Ms Mckeown to tour again immediately and promise my sobriety inexchange.
The greatest album of 2003 despite releases from Smog, Yo LaTengo, Cat Power, Luna, Bright Eyes, Gillian Welch etc.
The greatest album of 2003 despite releases from Smog, Yo LaTengo, Cat Power, Luna, Bright Eyes, Gillian Welch etc.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
twee singer stays on the right side of irritating
If The Sundays had provided the soundtrack to Friends it might have sounded like this. How much you enjoy this CD will depend on your predilection for twee singer songwriters. Read more
Published on 22 July 2004 by S. P. Moses
Not that grand for me
This was bought on a whim, having never heard any of her other music before. Having now listened to it a few times, I've decided that it is not really my type of music. Read more
Published on 5 Oct 2003
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