Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly amazing, 27 Jul 2006
Its hard to know where to start here... but here goes.
Patrick Wolf is a virtuous talent, and am amazing song-writer. People speak of artists having a certain 'X Factor', and if ever an artist demonstrated this intangible virtue, its P.Wolf. Every song on here sparkles with magic and passion, rendering the entire record utterly captivating.
Its not just the songwriting but the instrumentation too that set Patrick in a world (league would be an understatement) of his own. I own many many records but I can think of few, if any, which are so imaginatively arranged and produced. I think of this record like aural art, there's so much attention to detail I'm still hearing new things after the owning the album for a couple of years now.
Patrick incorporates Casio whirrs, 8bit bleeps, harpsichords, scattered laptop beats, underground drum 'n bass , ukeleles, viloins and god knows what else to create a lush tapestry of sounds to decorate his songs. I feel this works to most astonishing effect on Paris, which starts a with a crescendo of beautiful violins before tumbling into an electronic meltdown of beats n' bleeps...
But don't be fooled, unlike a lot of other artists prone to a spot of glitchtronica (fischerspooner anyone?) Patrick's electronics never lack soul, they are completely organic, each song is alive and exciting and... well I'm gushing now. But you get the picture.
I hope his third album 'the magic position' gives Patrick some of the recognition he deserve, but if not he can rest assured he has made one of the most amazing albums of all time. Go buy!
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An absurd tapestry, 14 Feb 2006
Patrick Wolf is exactly what has been missing from British music, the use of unique and alternative sounds that delight in paradoxes. The electronic flourishes blend seamlessly with folkish and classical leanings. The way Patty unearths a medieval and futuristic sentiment is mind boggling and it works wonders under the man's creative guise. One life story anecdote in 'Paris' refers to his troubled past in school "four hundred schoolboys and a lawyer at my side". Accordian sounds layer his work with mythology, whether nightmarish or magical, he tows the line between Nine Inch Nails and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy and outstages everything in-between. While Wolf embarks on experimentation with the use of instruments like a baritone ukelele, it's his skill on violin which ignites the songwriting. 'To The Lighthouse' is underscored by soothing strings, 'Dont Say No' showcases Patrick on guitar with choirboy singing. The horror of 'The Childcatcher' adds to the slightly disturbing aura to the record. It's harrowing and more profound than music should be.
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26 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Melancholy has never been so Happy, 4 Aug 2003
This is an album destined to be forgotten by most people. Heck, I only bought it because I heard one song on NME. I'd be amazed if anyone actually read this review! I'm so glad I did buy it, as this is a wonderful debut album from this 20 year old English 'electro-folk' whizzkid. Kicked out of home at 15. He has been slowly building this album up over the last five years. In fact, the album is his life story, with storys about life in London-Pigeon Street and London- a jaunt to Paris in Paris and also an odd rather dark tale in The Childcatcher. There are also general tales of growing from a boy to a man. This gives the album an incredibly interesting point, and joins all the songs together.As for the music, well, words can't describe it. Wolf takes both very unusal instruments (many broken or played off on purpose) such as an accordian, a baritone ukelelee and violins. He mixes this with his wide ranging voice, that goes from folksy singing, to almost poetic reading, to screaming, all over the place. On top of this, on many of the tracks, he adds electro loops and beats, and on others samples, such as Big Ben on London, and other background recordings. It all gels brilliantly, and in some places it really shouln't at all. Only a few songs miss the mark. In particular Demolition, as it just goes nowhere, and nowhere fast either. But aside from this, all the songs simply hit the spot. Nothing more can be added. I can't really say that you should get this album if you like, because he is completely different. I admit it isn't for everyone, but it is worth a listen.
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