Jubilee Offer: Patriotic Classics for £2.50 |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Product Description
Review
Now while their flamboyant, balaclava-donning, dance troupe-propelled shows in porn theatres, churches, parks and art galleries have been a joy to behold over the years, they have often distracted from the fact that when frontman Joel Gibb gets down to it, he can really, really write. Superb last album Awoo was testament to the band leader’s talent and ever-growing expertise, and with Origin:Orphan one can safely say he has bettered it and then some, exceeding all expectations in the process.
The fourth offering from the Canadian outfit is a glorious, heart-swelling mix of dramatic string-seeped arias, choral folk and synth-y sing-alongs. It kicks off with the epic Ratify the New, which hovers in a buzzing musical limbo for around two minutes before Gibb’s unmistakeable croon breaks the tension and the song finally bursts into life: all trotting rhythms and string flourishes. What a start.
From then on these 11 tracks comprise a pretty much perfect romp through the emotions, as exquisitely crafted and arranged ditties paint romantic pictures of tenderness, melancholy and, erm, underage sex – which coming from a man who has written about water sports (in the very adult sense of the word) in the past is tame indeed.
Less controversial these days perhaps, but there are plenty more surprises to come. Do I Belong? marks the band’s first foray into electro-pop territory and is a winning one at that, and Walk On, with its roaring guitars and horns, is by far and away the gutsiest sound The Hidden Cameras have ever committed to record. Most importantly, however, Origin:Orphan finds them finally able to out-wow the full spectacle of their magnificent shows, proving they are a serious and sophisticated musical force to be reckoned with as well as a mind-blowingly good gigging proposition The full package, at last. --Camilla Pia
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Mind you looking at the song break down on the insert notes there is still plenty that to signify that the trademark HC sound will be still be pulsing out of the speakers given that there are violins, horns, viola's French Horns double bass and even choirs. It might be serious stuff about.... well whatever it's about -alienation love and longing ( the tile track asks "Who in the world put me here to be all on my own ?) but surely it will be still set to serotonin pulsing capricious tunes with hooks so big they could land a Jurassic sea dweller?
Except that isn't the case either. .The music is still capable of being playful -"Underage " has ridiculous harmonies, scratchy funk guitar and the lyrics "I'll pretend you're seven , You'll pretend I'm eight " but mostly Origin Orphan see's the music morph into something more elegant, reflective and almost classical in composition at times.
"Ratify The New " ushers the album in on menacing droning keyboards. It sounds more like God Speed You Black Emperor than the merry pop deviants we are so familiar with. It's bit of a shock , like finding out Anthea Turner loves death metal , but once the vocals and high tension strings kick in things adjust to business as normal .....except again they don't entirely with screeches of feedback , jarring tympani and hammering percussion. GSYBE have suddenly acquired a love for Abba was the thought that sprung into my head.
Even if "In The Na " and "He Falls To Me " are more like the band of old with it's catchy insistent refrain and melodic sleight of hand songs like "Colour Of A Man," "Do I Belong" and "Kingdom Come" and the beautifully moderated ballad "Silence is A Headline " underscore a manifest shift in the bands approach. This is made even more evident by tracks like the surly magnificent "Walk On " which takes quasi -mystical meta- pop and gives it a glossy gothic twist and the title track takes inner pain and welds it to a bond theme. The daffy , undeniably enjoyable ditty , "A Little Bit " sounds woefully out of place in amongst this existential scree . It should be on one of their other albums or more conveniently left for future release. .
I would never criticise a band for taking their music in a different direction. I might criticise the end results but this album works because the Hidden Cameras have taken their irresistible ear for melody and overwrought arrangements and given it a dark judicious atonal twist. They have examined the wreckage of emotional carnage and bolted the detritus to the carapace of their songs without wholly putting aside what made them so terrific in the first place.
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
