Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Let it sweep you off your feet, 9 Aug 2006
There have been some really incredible albums released this year, just check the Mercury Awards list if you don't believe me, yet what is most impressive is the vast range of musical styles that have been on offer. Muse, Editors and Thom Yorke have all been favourites, as well as this wonderfull debut album from the multi-national Guillemots.
Although based in Birmingham, the band's members have been compiled from England, Scotland, Brazil and Canada. A most ecclectic mix you'll agree, and certainly a cosmopolitan blend that adds a rich variety to the songs. The thumping 'Trains To Brazil' is a personal favourite and benefits from a thunderous, driving tomm tomm rhythm and stacatto horn section that captures the capital's carnival spirit. The album's opener 'Little Bear' on the other hand recalls the sort of string arrangements and harmonic invention that made 'Day's Of Future Past' such a timeless classic, and that's what this album deserves to become; a classic.
You see, out of all the brilliant albums I mentioned above, Muse's bombastic and thrilling 'Black Holes and Revelations'; Editor's dark and brooding 'The Back Room'; Thom Yorke's troubled and claustrophobic 'The Eraser', 'Through The Windowpane' is the only album that can possibly be described as magical. The exstatic, shimmering and at times downright chaotic orchestral arangements, Fyfe Dangerfield's swooning, soaring vocals and of course the band, keeping at all together, cannot produce an album that is anything less than magical. It is an album to get lost in, an album that will sweep you off your feet. If only you'll let it.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Go and buy this one, 15 Jul 2006
Once in a while something comes along that really grabs you. "Through the Windowpane" is one of those somethings. It is an extraordinarily beautiful album by a group of highly talented musicians. "Through the Windowpane" could well be THE sound of the summer of 2006. This is such an immediately uplifting work, yet at the same time it manages to be complex and challenging. Guillemots have managed to write some superb tunes which include a lot of muscial experimentation (but not too much to get in the way of what is a collection of beguiling songs). The tone of the album varies from the slow, beautiful, string-laden "Little Bear" to the up-tempo near Jazz of "Trains To Brazil". Other standouts are "Redwings" and the epic "Sao Paulo". It's quite difficult to see where all the influences came from for this work. There's a lot of jazz and big band influence in some of the tracks, whilst I can also hear a similarity to The Cure at their most "poppy". In fact its hard to pigeonhole exactly what kind of music this is but that doesn't matter, the diversity in style and the quality of the songwriting mean that this one will appeal across the board. This is an excellent album, the sound of summer and something listened to in the morning that will set you up for the day. Go and buy this one!
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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply Perfect..., 17 Aug 2006
Thom Yorke, Jeff Buckley, Johnny Cash, John Lennon. The list of musical legends goes on, but could another name be added to that list? Fyfe Dangerfield's music genius cannot fail to be highlighted in Guillemots' debut album, "Through The Windowpane". He organised the strings in the wonderful tracks "Little Bear" and "We're Here", and as if that wasn't enough, he adds his spellbinding vocals on every track in this album that could be seen as a masterpiece in a decade or so's time.
"Made Up Love Song" is the perfect pop hit, it defines the album. Fun, Catchy but most of all, mesmerizing. "Through The Windowpane" achieves everything an album should, it keeps the listener engaged, while making them think all the time. Even after your 30th listen, you're left asking for more. It's that kind of album.
The actual song "Through The Windowpane" is the masterpiece of the album. Keeping the rhythm of singles "Made Up Love Song" and "Trains To Brazil", it fuses classic pop, with indie rock and classical music. Dangerfield sings every note perfectly, as he sings "And I felt love come in through my windowpane", your heart melts and your soul is filled with joy and happiness.
The mercury award nomination was never questioned, people know what kind of an album this is, perfect for a mercury award, it certainly deserves to win it. Even against the likes of Thom Yorke and Muse, it should come out trumps.
Some people may question the pace of some of the songs. "If The World Ends" and "Redwings" don't seem to get going. But them you listen to how the songs are arranged. And every little part of the song blends brilliantly. "Redwings" turns into the perfect 50's movie soundtrack and "If The World Ends" turns into the perfect tearjerking ballad.
And you can't question Fyfe Dangerfield's lyrics either. Who else could make the lyrics "I love you through sparks and shining dragons, i do", sound like perfect poetry? His voice sparkles through every song like the perfect lullaby, you hear hit every note. He is the man behind Guillemots, without taking too much credit away from the other band members.
Each listen in, you enjoy it more every time. If there ever was a summer anthem, "Trains to Brazil" would be it. Dangerfield knows what he's doing, you'd think that he's had this record planned for years, waiting for the perfect time for it to be unveiled.
"Sao Paulo" is the perfect album closer. The 12 minute epic dips in and out as the piano chords are slowly build up into a string frenzy. This album messes with your emotions, your feelings and questions the way you've thought about music until this moment. It's a special, special record.
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