Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Product Description
Review
Given the preeminence of Danger Mouse's position as the producer with the midas touch and one half of Gnarls Barkley, it would be entirely understandable if singer and multi-instrumentalist, Helena Costas were to be somewhat overawed or perhaps, overshadowed by his considerable presence.
Yet far from being an uneven contest this is in fact a partnership of equals delivering an engagingly lavish set replete with quirky, off-centre atmospheres.
Whilst her lyrics frequently invoke a kooky magical realist vibe involving fairies, goblins, hooded men and walking trees, songs of real substance loom out of this fantastical ephemera.
Go Walking (arguably the best song ever written about Hadrian's Wall) and the poignant Nothing Is Ever What It Seems enthrall and inspire goosebumps. Like many of the current crop of breathy singer-songwriters, her voice wavers and swoons alarmingly, like a canary in a coal mine at times.
This quietly intense singing is often wreathed in exquisite string arrangements by Danger Mouse regular, Daniele Luppi, reminiscent in places of the way Robert Kirby's scores framed Nick Drake's introspective tones.
The album is dripping with the subdued, trippy pastoralism you find on albums by The Incredible String Band, Amazing Blondel or Trees. However, this rests comfortably alongside the squalls of day-glo 21st Century electronica that leech into The Last Laugh's sonic landscape.
However, the real star is not the production values but Costas herself, leaping from one improbable song to another, emanating a strange, alien grace and a beguiling dream-logic all its own. --Sid Smith
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organise and find favourite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quirkly female folk-pop given a Danger Mouse twist,
By Mr. Stuart Bruce "DonQuibeats" (Cardiff, UK) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: The Last Laugh (Audio CD)
Helena Costas is the star of this album. She has quite a thin voice but what it lacks in 'oomph' is made up for with a quirky, wispy performance quality that has elements of Björk, and an accent that seems to wander across Europe while she sings and which occasionally sounds like Kirsty Hawkshaw.
Danger Mouse takes a bit of a production back seat on this one. Don't expect Gnarls Barkley or Gorillaz beats (with the slight exceptions of "Under The Influence Of Jaffa Cakes" and "The Bull Bites Back"). The twists Danger Mouse brings can mainly be heard in the atmospheres, strings and electronic noises that make some tracks a lovely sonic wash. Tracks like "The Last Laugh" are heavily layered and rich, while others like "Cake And July" leave the simpler acoustic female-singer-songwriter tune in the foreground. In Gnarls Barkley fashion it's not a long album- 14 tracks last just under 41 minutes. You'll have to be fond of that female-singer-songwriter format to enjoy this album- it ain't hip-hop. But if you are happy with that and you want a fun little album, this is a great one to pick up. If you would find silly lyrics like "I'm still waiting for my yellow teapot and my flying carpet, and the little people living with the old lady in her giant shoe" a bit embarrassing, you might want to steer clear though.
5.0 out of 5 stars
play your joker,
This review is from: The Last Laugh (Audio CD)
This is a very special listen. Imagine the kind of unreleased femme folk masterpieces people like Andy Votel uncover - only produced by Dangermouse.
But don't expect Gorrilaz style jeeps and beats. This a very succesful marriage of strings, space and a siren's voice. The siren is called Helen Costas and she sounds world weary and naiive at the same time. "Jessie The Goat" sounds like its sung in Northumbrian or Cornish or something. There are hints of Francois Hardy, Vasshti Bunyan and Beth Orton. But equally there are the same modern kind of brush strokes that Radiohead put on In Rainbows. This will be the sound of the summer if we have one. Perfect for the drive down to Green Man or Bestival.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews) 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Robin Hood & the Princess of tunes...,
By Nse Ette - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Last Laugh (Audio CD)
Imagine Maid Marian, pretty and fair, and a Hip Hop-loving Robin Hood. Well, that's the image I conjure in my mind listening to this CD. Joker's Daughter is Helen Costas, a British Folk singer and on "The last laugh", she teams up with producer du jour Danger Mouse (Gorillaz, Gnarls Barkley, Beck, The Good The Bad & The Queen, Black Keys) to create an album of beautiful other-worldly music. The delicate guitars and orchestral flourishes deftly sprinkled with some electro almost Hip Hop effects, act as the perfect backdrop to her mellifluous vocals.
Interspersed among beautiful acoustic songs like the upbeat "Worm's head", the elfin-sounding "Jesse the goat" (sung in Cypriot Greek) and "Go walking" are atmospheric instrumentals like "The last laugh" (with a choir-like intro and some eerie-sounding piano), and "Chasing ticking crocodile". Other standouts are the brief "JD Folk Blues" (with a fleeting Xylophone break), the lightly bouncy "Under the influence of Jaffa cakes" (Folk/Pop similar to Suzanne Vega's "Luka"), "Cake and July", and the dreamy "Nothing is ever what it seems" (ghostly harmonies against delicately plucked guitars), but the absolute highlight has got to be the sunny sounding "Lucid", again ghostly harmonies and ethereal spacey effects, with gently pulsing beats coming in the final minute. Danger Mouse must be commended for not over playing his hand and letting the artist take center stage, while carefully and sensitively providing support (Check out the brilliant "Dark night of the soul" by Dangermouse & Sparklehorse). An outstanding debut. Gorgeous. Quirky. Ethereal. And simply stunning.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Vinyl,
By Steve - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Last Laugh [VINYL] (Vinyl)
Not going to review the actual album content here, it was a gift for my girlfriend. Sounds good, she loves it, and the free digital copy that you get with it is nice too.
5.0 out of 5 stars
You'll love it,
By Andrey Krampuls - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Last Laugh (Audio CD)
Review by my dearest wife:
I liked this album very much. Wonderful, enchanting voice of the singer, melodic songs, interesting lyrics. I had to replay it several times. |
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
