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Product details
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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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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Brilliant album. Has his two recent singles plus a load of equally brilliant tracks. This is example at his best
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Example...An Example of the way dance music should be
My family is from the UK but I'm Irish breed, born in USA so traveling over to UK most of my life alot of what music comes out of europe I love. Read more
Published 23 days ago by Jared P. Harrison
Amazing album!!!!!!!!
I Love this album it is brilliant and by far Examples best! I totally recomend you buy this.
There is a mixture of rap, pop, dance, trance, house and even R and B. Read more
There is a mixture of rap, pop, dance, trance, house and even R and B. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Moonlightsparkle
Just what my nephew wanted!
Bought as a gift at the request of my 12-yr-old nephew. I can't comment on the music myself, but it is obviously to his musical taste! Read more
Published 4 months ago by Avid reader
music
granson also loves this cd by example he plays it all the time driving his mum mad i havent heard this one yet either?.Playing in the Shadows - The Album
Published 4 months ago by carole
shadows
half the album is excellent half is ok i would reccomend it.midnight run is my fave and the skies dont lie.buy it now.
Published 4 months ago by carlo2000
Biggest fan, and best album!
I am Example's biggest fan. His first album was incredible, so I was slightly worried as to what the second was going to be like, incase I was disappointed, however I most... Read more
Published 4 months ago by emilyjrdn
Playing In The Shaddows
I love this album and have the MP3 version and actually brought the disk for my boyfriend as he likes Example. Read more
Published 5 months ago by A Student
Excellent CD
This is my first Example CD and I love it, was in 2 minds whether to purchase it or not but so glad I did. Love most of the songs but The Way is my favourite blasted out loud.
Published 5 months ago by Juicy Jue
yay! example
Awesome album, much more liked that his first album. I really liked every song!. The only song that people may have a problem with is the title song of the album, playing in the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by snowflakecake
Superb.
Banging beats that get better and better. This CD has spent most of the time in my car where it gets played each journey, short or long. Read more
Published 6 months ago by xercron
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