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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The perfect swansong., 7 Oct 2003
The album didn't quite reach the demand of some fans - and understandably so, it's quite a different sound to the previous albums. This difference actually makes it my favourite of the three, however.
To sum it up in a sentence, this album is a lot maturer than the band's previous attempts. It's more rugged than fluffy, the guitars are distorted instead of jangly, the beats are more complex and interesting than head-noddable.
"Another Word" is probably the only one that harks back to their earlier style, alas in a rather uninspired way. Single "The Self Same Thing" is another somewhat bland song, pottering along at a painfully slow pace. The other ten numbers, however, are top indie-rock-trip-hop-pop, or whatever you'd describe the band as. From the opening rocky notes of "Take It", the album begins on a strong start, and goes through pop ("I"), beautiful mid-tempo tracks ("Mercury"), slow ballads ("When the World Knows Your Name") and singalong silliness ("I'm Conscious of Myself"), until we come to the appropriately titled "Swan Song", what was to be the band's final released recording, a truly beautiful heartfelt ballad that fades away to nothingness.
The lyrics remain similar to before, despite the change in sound. Sarah's soft voice contrasts with the scowling words she sings. One must wonder if she's ever found a boyfriend who liked her. Some of the words here are a little more abstract than before, but certainly as clever and poetic as ever.
A very respectable final album from one of the underrated bands of the 90s Britpop scene.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FABULOUS 2000 POP, 25 Oct 2001
This is an awfully overlooked album even if I think it's formidable pop. I think it is one of the very few late pop efforts which achieves being fashioned while being elegant and still having a very eighties feeling. I would dare to say this was definetely released at the peak of Dubstar's work. Sarah's voice is spectacular all over and the production is very much in detail while remaining very modern, straight, vivid and youthful: "Take it", "Rise to the top", or the very impressive "I'm conscious of myself" are good examples of this. Any of these could have
been a huge single if they had ever been played, but to be frank I never even got to see the music clips (had to buy them) even if I use to watch hours of after midnight MTV every week.
Make it better sounds fresh, it has "something" in common with best Pet Shop Boys in parts which could be due to the way both bands craft their tunes (lyrics and musically too) and the sort of audience they aim at (eighties lovers, techno-pop fans, female/gay/eccentric male UK indie pop fans, gay people, ...), some ABBA (Arc of fire), even some Cocteau twins type of ethereal stuff as in "Stay" or the Enya-esque sort of production in the very last track Swansong. But don't get misled, this is pure Dubstar most of the time; for the very first time this CD is totally consistent and varied all the way through and most important it's very, very fashioned; I always thought the two previous albums are not that good at all though there are pop gems therein (Dubstar fans know EPs contain some of their greatest stuff).
The EP for Self same thing is also one of the most amazing CDs last year, not only for the tacky melodious single but for the two duets there (with Gary Numan and Ian Broodie of the
Lighting seeds). They produce very moody tracks for the duets about loosing someone or dumping somebody in a relationship. If you like well crafted melodious and shophisticated pop music you'll surely love both the CD and this EP. Thanks Dubstar for these fabulous stuff.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lay here in the sun, and let Sarah make it better..., 15 Nov 2000
By A Customer
Okay, 'Disgraceful' was good, but now sounds a little dated, 'Goodbye' was mature, unadulterated brilliance, now 'Make it Better' jumps onto our shop shelves and it's time to evaluate whether Dubstar have managed to sustain a firm grip on the ingredients that have always made them original and outstanding. My advice is 'give it time'. On my first listen of this album, 'I', 'Another Word' and the simple yet infectiously wonderful 'Believe in Me' slapped me in the face as much as previous tunes 'St.Swithins Day', 'Cathedral Park' and 'I will be your girlfriend'. However, the rest of the album covered no new ground. Until I listened to it again and again, and now I can't take a shower without inviting the rest of my flat, who are in earshot to join me in the arc of fire. This album is a slow burner, but well worth the wait. The wonderful, poigniant lyrics, as always, are delivered with Sarah Blackwoods forlorn, northern depression but this time harsher, with firm aggression and, along with the bands new punchier, guitar driven direction. Although not quite as good as previous efforts, Dubstar will certainly sustain their priority on my top 10 shelf, don't knock them 'till you've heard it. We are the saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame la la la....
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