Strange and Beautiful [Us Import] [Import]

Strange and Beautiful is lovely and melodic, overfilled with quiet piano work and brooding vocals, moody stories that seem perfect for a quiet and rainy day or a thoughtful night.

Aqualung is, essentially, Matt Hales. He hails from the U.K. and has made a name for himself there with two albums: a self-titled debut and his follow up, Still Life. For his U.S. debut, songs from both of his U.K. albums have been pulled together to form Strange and Beautiful. The album starts off with the title track, which introduced the U.K. to Aqualung when it was used in a Volkswagen commercial. Hales sings the simple refrain, "I'll put a spell on you / and when I wake you / I'll be the first thing you see / and you'll realize that you love me." It is instantly appealing and one of the most pop-oriented tracks on the album, yet manages to not be forgettable, either. It's a sorrow-tinged love song that introduces the listener to Hales' voice, which comes across throughout the album as contemplative and searching, sad and thoughtful without succumbing to outright depression.

While the album as a whole is strong, there is certainly a differing level of quality amongst the songs. The title track is great but the next two are merely decent songs, never reaching the sort of heights as the first. But the fourth track, "Brighter Than Sunshine," then comes in and picks the record back up. This is a much more positive, upbeat track that, pardon the pun, really shines. The album then moves into a mixture of strong and simply good songs before flowing into an amazing second half.

Interestingly, as "Brighter Than Sunshine" makes clear, even an upbeat song from Aqualung feels mere steps away from tumbling into dark corners of the mind. This is a strength of the album--the ability to always be within reach of the more melancholic states of mind. Combine that with the fact that this tactic never seems indulgent or tiresome and you have the perfect album for when you're in a quiet mood. Hales' voice is smooth and soothing, confident over his piano work and always imparting a sense of weariness that, nevertheless, does not overwhelm or depress the music. It's a fine line he straddles, being able to perform an upbeat track while keeping the listener aware that sorrow often comes hand in hand with happiness and joy, feeling it lurking there under his words, ready to come forward at any moment.

Aqualung is original, yet familiar. You'll hear definite strands of Coldplay throughout the album and there are moments that sound like less-eccentric Radiohead as Hales' voice takes on qualities of Thom Yorke. Thankfully, though, the songs never come across as derivative. Aqualung's music is clearly its own, building on the artistry of others rather than attempting to mimic it.

The first half of the album is solid but a bit uneven, moving through a series of songs that vary in their sound. The greatest strength comes toward the end of the album, starting with "You Turn Me Round." This is where the record's atmosphere fully kicks in. The songs become darker and more melancholic, laced with pain and too much experience. The vocals are gorgeous and the piano work encompassing. "If I Fall" is soft and subdued, plaintively asking for safety and comfort. The following song, "Easier To Lie," is a strong and subversively up-tempo track.

Strange and Beautiful's final two songs are magnificent, offering a wonderful cap to the album. "Extra Ordinary Thing" is a haunting lullaby, with Hales' voice sounding consistently on the verge of being overwhelmed with emotion. The piano is perfect, building on and accentuating the lyrics to create a pervading sense of beauty and unease. The final track, "Another Little Hole," perfectly sums up the album, continuing the quiet and haunting tone of "Extra Ordinary Thing." Hales bookends the opening song's tale of putting a spell on his love by singing, "The day is breaking / and time is taking / the love we're making away. / The gods have spoken / the spell is broken / and love will tear us apart." It's a sorrowful song and not particularly hopeful, but it is beautiful. And that, perhaps, is how best this album--and Hales' expressive lyrics--can be described: beautiful. Sorrowful and lilting, yes, and haunting and thoughtful, without a doubt, but first and foremost beautiful. How appropriate the album's title turns out to be.

I bought this CD yesterday having not known much about it. I heard Aqualung a year or so ago on a "Best of British Acoustic" album. I hadn't really thought to much about looking into them until yesterday. I saw this CD and listened to it and was blown away at how beautiful the music was. The sticker on the outside said the best band since Coldplay. I agree.In fact they are right up there with Athlete and Feeder who I feel are the closest to as good as Coldplay.
The CD is full of laid back piano rock. The lead singer(which also is pretty much the whole band) also has a great voice. Lyrics are very moving. I just can't seem to get enough of the sad love songs. This CD is what Keane should have done. Don't get me wrong I like Keane, but their lack of guitars makes them get old after a few listens.
Aqualung however is just as strong with piano but there are some nice guitar licks in there. I also love some of the drum beats and little Radiohead-ish atmosphere.
Overall I absoulutely love this CD. If you've read my review on the band "Kaiser Chiefs" then you know I'm not a fan of the new wave Franz Ferdinand throw back 80's scene. I personally love good solid rock like Aqualung. If you love bands like Coldplay and Travis and Keane, then PLEASE check these guys out.

Aqualung's "Strange And Beautiful" is actually a pretty likable piano-driven pop rock album. Singer Matt Hales has a pretty pleasant voice, even though it kind've sounds produced at times. Every song here is good, though I wouldn't call any of them "great" per se. He definitely knows how to craft a great hook and write some somewhat interesting lyrics (though they're mostly just to make the songs catchier). The musicianship is pretty good and slightly unique, although you'll probably get Coldplay or Ben Folds images in your head when you're listening to this (he sounds a bit like Ben Folds in a couple spots). Also, every song here is good. A lot of people have been panning this album as it's "mainstream", but the fact is is that it's actually pretty good! It's not a classic (this is arguable though - I wouldn't call it one because it seems pretty produced and not entirely original - the singer is also a little annoying in a couple spots), but you'll definitely be satisfied. Highly recommended!

Highlights include:
the entire album!

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