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Track Listings
| 1. Skies Don't Lie |
| 2. Stay Awake |
| 3. Changed The Way You Kiss Me |
| 4. The Way |
| 5. Natural Disaster (Extended Album Version) - Laidback Luke VS Example |
| 6. Never Had A Day |
| 7. Microphone |
| 8. Playing In The Shadows |
| 9. Midnight Run |
| 10. Under The Influence |
| 11. Wrong In The Head |
| 12. Anything |
| 13. Lying To Yourself - exclusive CD bonus track |
Product Description
Review
With Tinchy Stryder, Tinie Tempah, Professor Green and Dizzee Rascal all managing to bridge the gap between street and chart without losing face or sales, British hip hop has never been in a stronger position. On his third album, West London's Elliot 'Example' Gleave takes things a step further.
In 2010, his second album, Won't Go Quietly, peaked at four on the UK albums chart, and its mix of thunderous backdrops and flag-waving choruses suggested that Example might just be a potential boundary pusher. So it proves. As ambitious as it is accessible, the widescreen Playing in the Shadows builds on previously noted potential. With a decent tailwind, it might just be the one to establish him as major force.
At 29, Gleave is more man than boy and, unlike many of his peers, he's experienced the world - he lived in Australia for a period, and has dabbled in both stand-up comedy and voiceovers. As a result he can see - and paint - the big picture, from the Depeche Mode-isms of the brooding, Chase & Status-produced title-track (which opens with, of all things, acoustic guitar), to the affecting piano ballad Lying To Yourself, via the clatter of Skies Don't Lie and the irresistible heady swirl of Changed the Way You Kissed Me.
That musical maturity seeps through to his lyrics. To be sure, apart from the cautionary cocaine tale Under the Influence ("playtime's over") he's writing about relationships rather than penning typical love songs. But that's no sin, lyrically at least, and Changed the Way You Kissed Me is quite possibly a You've Lost That Loving Feeling for this century.
Remarkably, for an album which uses a different production team for almost every track, it's a surprisingly cohesive affair, held together by Gleave's foghorn voice: deep-throated with an undertow of paranoia on the Faithless-produced The Way. But the more chances he takes, the more successful he is, and in one magical instant on Natural Disaster he veers wildly from claustrophobic edge ("need some space / need some air") to no-holds-barred, anthemic stadium house that owes as much to Pendulum as Calvin Harris. At moments like this, he sounds untouchable.
He's not wholly immune to plodding, most soul-sappingly on the dreary Microphone which waddles where it should stride boldly. But there's enough here to suggest Example is in it for the long haul.
--John Aizlewood
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
CD Description
"Changed The Way You Kiss Me" held the No.1 position in the UK charts for two weeks beating rock giants Coldplay to the top and ranked as one of the biggest selling singles of 2011. Earlier in 2011 he featured on the Wretch 32 No.2 smash "Unorthodox" and Giggs’s "Look Over Your Shoulder". He also bagged one of the biggest hyped tracks of 2011 with the demon Skream collaboration "Shot Yourself in the Foot Again". His single "Stay Awake" is produced by dubstep lords Nero and is set to be another huge dance anthem. Example’s third studio album Playing In The Shadows features production from the biggest and most credible names in dance music today--Chase & Status, Nero, Michael Woods, Skream and Faithless.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Love his released stuff,
This review is from: Playing in the Shadows - The Album (Audio CD)
I do like Example, especially after seeing him perform live (immense)...but I have to say I'm not a fan of the unreleased tracks on this album. I'd suggest downloading Stay Awake, Changed The Way You Kiss Me and Midnight Run and leaving the rest of the album alone.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fantastic Example of an album,
This review is from: Playing In The Shadows [Explicit] (MP3 Download)
I liked Example before, and bought this album on the strength of "Changed The Way You Kiss Me". What a fantastic surprise of an album - there's not a duff track on it. My new fave tracks currently are "Midnight Run" and "Natural Disaster". Each track seems to have its own story to tell, and I'm a sucker for sad breakup stories.... Just love this album, and it's going to be playing in my car for a long time yet.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Example at his best.,
By
This review is from: Playing in the Shadows - The Album (Audio CD)
Brilliant album. Has his two recent singles plus a load of equally brilliant tracks. This is example at his best
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