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Product Description
Product Description
Debut album by the New Zealand pop rock artist. The record includes the singles 'Back of the Van', 'Paris Is Burning', 'Dusk Till Dawn' and 'My Delirium'.
Review
Amidst the increasingly yawnsome frenzy for 80s sonic references amongst new bands, Ladyhawke has quietly produced the Breakfast Club of her generation. Just like the John Hughes movie classic, her debut album blends love, anxiety and youthful bashfulness. Any scenester with a Casiotone can Xerox the 'sound' of the 80s; Ladyhawke's genius lays in her ability to distill the *spirit* of Brat Pack-era America - its innocence, its wide-eyed euphoria, its unshakeable faith in happy endings.
Ladyhawke - a.k.a Pip Brown - is an enthralling pop star. Peering through a shamble of blonde hair she is a Kiwi Stevie Nicks, channeling both that singer's enigmatic allure and mesmerising, fragile vocal. Underwriting such promise is Brown's studied reverence for musicianship, fed by endless nights prowling Fleetwood Mac web forums to discuss guitar riffs. Within this auspicious tangle of synths and intrigue, a charmingly naive, slightly awkward persona shines through. Like a coming-of-age movie, her musings despair at the psychological warfare that one must endure in pursuit of love. Tracks like Manipulating Woman confront the pain of being hooked on a duplicitous game-player, while the utterly uplifting Back Of The Van is a tribute to just saying how you feel. As Ladyhawke reaches nervously for her new lover's hand it's impossible not to join in her sweet, unvarnished declaration, ''You set me on fire''.
Such lyrical lack of guile is matched by an endearingly untutored choice of influences. Professional Suicide channels both the screwy synth pop of Gary Numan and early Depeche Mode, while Another Runaway is the most heart-swelling FM pop anthem Belinda Carlisle never wrote. This is to say nothing of Crazy World, which conjures a bittersweet closing-credits soundtrack, where our unlikely heroes ride off into a new dawn having learnt that nothing ever turns out how it seems.
Such unwitting independence from pretension and abundant
self-consciousness is Ladyhawke's star quality, and should rightfully make her the next great indie hit. Indeed, she is the musical embodiment of Ally Sheedy's character in the Breakfast Club - a shy outsider and creative misfit who reveals quirks that enthrall the mainstream. --Elvissia Williams
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
We banged on Ladyhawke's - Pip Brown's - van window after her gig at Kerrang! radio Birmingham. She opened the door, chatted about New Zealand, her musical influences, and what it was like playing with an acoustic band (which she'd just done) compared to the album and to her electric band. What an amazingly nice lady! It must be the New Zealand background.
Anyway, this is an album that keeps suggesting a particular '80s influence to you at the beginning of a track, and then going off somewhere completely different. Crazy World, for example, always makes me think Cyndi Lauper is about to kick in, but only for a moment, while Professional Suicide makes me think straight away of Soft Cell. Once you get into the songs, though, more than anything, it reminds me of Suzanne Vega's 99.9 F° industrial album, especially on Paris is Burning. Ladyhawke brings a particular intensity to the music by playing all the instruments herself.
What's especially interesting to me is that although the tracks on this album sound very much like the synth-pop of the 80s, especially Morning Dreams and Better Than Sunday, the influences she told me about at the van were all rock: David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, ELO, among others. Live, with an acoustic band, you can really hear that. "You should do an album with that band" I said. "Yeah", she replied, "maybe I should." I hope she does. She strikes me as someone who will really blossom in the creative tension of a recording band, which will take her away from the occasionally over-rhythmic drum-machine sound.
Anyway, this is a superb album, and one that's worth owning just to be able to say 'I was there at the beginning'. Ladyhawke is certain to go on to bigger and better things. Don't get me wrong -- this one is good. But the next one is going to explode with more.
Anyway, this is an album that keeps suggesting a particular '80s influence to you at the beginning of a track, and then going off somewhere completely different. Crazy World, for example, always makes me think Cyndi Lauper is about to kick in, but only for a moment, while Professional Suicide makes me think straight away of Soft Cell. Once you get into the songs, though, more than anything, it reminds me of Suzanne Vega's 99.9 F° industrial album, especially on Paris is Burning. Ladyhawke brings a particular intensity to the music by playing all the instruments herself.
What's especially interesting to me is that although the tracks on this album sound very much like the synth-pop of the 80s, especially Morning Dreams and Better Than Sunday, the influences she told me about at the van were all rock: David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, ELO, among others. Live, with an acoustic band, you can really hear that. "You should do an album with that band" I said. "Yeah", she replied, "maybe I should." I hope she does. She strikes me as someone who will really blossom in the creative tension of a recording band, which will take her away from the occasionally over-rhythmic drum-machine sound.
Anyway, this is a superb album, and one that's worth owning just to be able to say 'I was there at the beginning'. Ladyhawke is certain to go on to bigger and better things. Don't get me wrong -- this one is good. But the next one is going to explode with more.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By D. Carvill
Format:Audio CD
My initial impressions of Ladyhawke was a manufactured bandwagon jumper, with a few hit singles propping up an album of dodgy 80's influenced pop songs. Whereas this is an album firmly influenced by 80's synth pop, it certainly isn't dodgy.
This album has probably surprised me a lot more than any other I bought in 2008. A friend recommended I buy it after I told him that I enjoyed Robyn's album and that I wasn't offended by pop music. How right he was!
The weaker songs on this album are mainly noticeable due to the sheer hook-laden quality of the others. Manipulating Woman, My Delirium, Back of the Van and Crazy World, alongside the singles Paris is Burning and Disk Till Dawn are brilliantly catchy electro pop songs. Ladyhawke's voice is not the most distinctive, however it works well through the album's perfect melodies and on top of excellent production by a number of different producers.
It's not often that something this good comes out of New Zealand that you can't eat, so I implore you to give it a listen. If you're enjoying the 80's revival and fondly remember Madonna (before she got veiny), Robin Beck, Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper, etc. then you'll like this even more.
This album has probably surprised me a lot more than any other I bought in 2008. A friend recommended I buy it after I told him that I enjoyed Robyn's album and that I wasn't offended by pop music. How right he was!
The weaker songs on this album are mainly noticeable due to the sheer hook-laden quality of the others. Manipulating Woman, My Delirium, Back of the Van and Crazy World, alongside the singles Paris is Burning and Disk Till Dawn are brilliantly catchy electro pop songs. Ladyhawke's voice is not the most distinctive, however it works well through the album's perfect melodies and on top of excellent production by a number of different producers.
It's not often that something this good comes out of New Zealand that you can't eat, so I implore you to give it a listen. If you're enjoying the 80's revival and fondly remember Madonna (before she got veiny), Robin Beck, Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper, etc. then you'll like this even more.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A. Faulkner
Format:Audio CD
I bought the album on the premise of the fine underrated songs My Delirium and Paris is Burning and I wasn't disappointed, this is coming from somebody who has prefered the likes of Muse, Kaiser Chiefs, Green Day, Franz Ferdinand over the past half decade.
The stand out songs on her Eponymous album are Magic that has one hell of a powerful Synth riff and Michael Hutchence style delivery, My Delirum with it's memorable chrous, Paris is Burning with an fine bass hooks that meet Bananarama Synth, Professonal Suicide with a cheeky dig at reforming groups with synth's that Gary Numan would have been proud to produce and Crazy World that has The Bangle's meeting 80's Fleetwood Mac.
The influences here are from Cyndi Lauper, 80's Fleetwood Mac, Kim Wilde, INXS and Bruce Springsteen to synth sounds that are familiar with Gary Numan and Val Halen during the 1980's and cult brat-pack film's of that time.
The presence of synth and guitar in every track makes for an ideal crossover for rock lovers and pop passionista's as 'Pip' Brown's delivery is spot on with an ode to Stevie Nicks, Kim Wilde, Cyndi Lauper and Michael Hutchence.
5 Stars for a flashback to 80's youth with a modern twist that would grace the soundtrack to the Brat-Pack Movies perfectly. Ladyhawke is going places.
The stand out songs on her Eponymous album are Magic that has one hell of a powerful Synth riff and Michael Hutchence style delivery, My Delirum with it's memorable chrous, Paris is Burning with an fine bass hooks that meet Bananarama Synth, Professonal Suicide with a cheeky dig at reforming groups with synth's that Gary Numan would have been proud to produce and Crazy World that has The Bangle's meeting 80's Fleetwood Mac.
The influences here are from Cyndi Lauper, 80's Fleetwood Mac, Kim Wilde, INXS and Bruce Springsteen to synth sounds that are familiar with Gary Numan and Val Halen during the 1980's and cult brat-pack film's of that time.
The presence of synth and guitar in every track makes for an ideal crossover for rock lovers and pop passionista's as 'Pip' Brown's delivery is spot on with an ode to Stevie Nicks, Kim Wilde, Cyndi Lauper and Michael Hutchence.
5 Stars for a flashback to 80's youth with a modern twist that would grace the soundtrack to the Brat-Pack Movies perfectly. Ladyhawke is going places.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oh my!
Instant classic. If you like upbeat synthy pop sung with intensity, 80s style, you will love this! Want to give it six stars loool
Published 1 month ago by Suzy Geeson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best album I've ever heard
This was sold to me as an album where the tracks had been designed to love at first hear. It didn't disappoint. I have never heard anything else this good.
Published 9 months ago by ShesSuchALurker
4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly Good Synth Rock
I first heard this album by accident to be honest- I'd initially dismissed Ladyhawke as an artist tailor made soley for female undergraduate listening i.e. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Zip Domingo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb Album
This is a very electronic sounding album but with some guitar oomph. I'm not a Gary Newman fan but the sound's not a million miles away it but is far far more human and... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Hagrid's Umbrella
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good listen
Love the initial songs in the album, full of energy and sincerity, however whilst this theme continues throughout some of the later songs feel a bit like poor copies of her other... Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2011 by joegaze
1.0 out of 5 stars
Dead and lifeless. Don't buy.
I like '80s-type electronica e.g I like La Roux's album which is lively, tuneful and original.
Unfortunately I bought this one believing the reviews. Read more
Unfortunately I bought this one believing the reviews. Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2010 by Toncho
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great as expected
This is such a great album, there's about 4 songs that I kind of already knew so they are great to turn up loud to sing along to in the car - kids are lovin them too. Read more
Published on 3 Nov 2009 by Amanda Doherty
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure Synth Magic
You will have read this anywhere but it's true. This is a retro, trip back to the 80s. And I was born in the 90s... Read more
Published on 15 Oct 2009 by L. Bartleet
4.0 out of 5 stars
better than expected
it`s a very very good album, much better than I expected, even though my expectations were already high. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2009 by Vlad
5.0 out of 5 stars
Electro fabulous!
I bought this album because I'd heard good things about it and heard the single. Also I like to buy an album every now and then that I don't much about as a kind of... Read more
Published on 4 Aug 2009 by Gem's gems
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