Sky Is Too High

Wow, what can I say about the sky is too high? well I could start by telling you how wonderful it is but hey that would be boring and seemingly typical and expected from someone whos nickname is blurgirl7. well id say this is a very raw, beautiful acoustic album, lyrically sensative with a lot to offer. I do believe I heard somewhere that this album was recored in 2 weeks but dont quoat me on that. I love how raw it is. vmost of the album is acoustic, I everytime I put it on and lie on my bed I am all of a sudden made jump by the punkisk Who the F*%K (which would fit in well with his second album the Golden D) but the album wouldnt be the same without it. In a nutshell this IS a wonderful album and id recommend it to anyone hoping to buy a good acoustic album

I'm not quite sure why people have a problem with this album, unless, of course, they're expecting it to sound like the average Blur record (which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it's considerably different). Being from the U.S., where this album didn't make a dent commercially and was barely acknowledged by critics (Blur is more or less unknown here, with the limited exceptions of "Song 2" and "Girls & Boys"), I had no idea that Graham's first solo record was received with any degree of hostility until I saw the negative comments posted about it in reviews of his other albums. To this reviewer, who is admittedly a pretty huge fan of lo-fi acoustic music, it's far and away his best solo album and one of my favorite records from the second half of the '90s. I think it's important to keep in mind the fact that when Graham recorded this album, it was very much a side project that doubled as a bit of a musical exorcism for him. Others have mentioned his "off-key" singing here, but I don't think they understand that the tossed-off nature of the vocals (as well as the jaggedness of both the guitars and the [non-]production) are part of the point. The key to this record's appeal lies in its direct honesty and its rough-hewn popcraft. The fractured Barrett-esque beauty of songs like "R U Lonely?" (which features Graham harmonizing with himself) and "A Day is Far Too Long" never fails to send shivers up my spine, and the noisy intensity of tracks like the opening guitar volley that is "That's All I Wanna Do" and the statement of purpose that is "I Wish" never fails to get my blood flowing (these are cliches, but alas, they really are the best way to express what I'm getting at). Although Graham has long been my favorite part of Blur (so much so that I don't think I'll be purchasing the new Graham-less release), I think anyone with an interest in either Blur or lo(wer)-fi acoustic music should give this record a chance. I can't imagine that anyone would be disappointed if he or she approached it from the proper perspective.

On first listen, it can be quite challenging as heavily distorted guitars kick in from no where in a blaze of feedback and white noise. This can be said of the first track and a few others, yet after this, Coxon breaks into many heartfelt alternative ballads which are a break from the norm and are given to us on acoustic guitars played astonishingly well. One of the best tracks, 'I Wish', combines these two extremes to make for one hell of a song in which Coxon plays all intruments. The chugging acousic guitars give this track a sense of pace which makes it stand out from the rest. After listening to the album a lot, you start noticing more about it like the beautiful harmonies and the touching lyrics. You get used to the white noise and love every minute of it. I would also say it is definately one for blur fans even though it is not much like their music. A good album.