Word: instrumentationã
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...working in your blood / Which you know is not the same as love / Love is only in your mind.” If one can fall in love with “Congratulations,” it’s due only to its workings on the mind; the instrumentation??generally formed of heavily overlaid guitars and piano rather than synths—refuses to settle on easy, passion-inciting hooks. The album’s appeal is based on the fascinating opacity of its lyrics and the avant-garde innovation of its songwriting...
...seamless, emotionally-bereft rhythmic accuracy and a robotic inability to feel—it’s hard to imagine human beings creating this record. This is particularly problematic seeing as “Soldier of Love” eschews pure electronica and trip-hop for more traditional instrumentation??guitar, piano, drums and bass are at the heart of the record—which would intuitively present a more natural and human presence. This lack of feeling is not helped by the fact that Sade write obvious, vacuous shells of songs and then attempt to save them through...
...album’s greatest strength is its innovative instrumentation??the original quintet met studying jazz at the University of North Texas, and their training is apparent in the skillfully layered keyboard, classical guitar, and flute arrangements. In addition, Smith’s clear and gentle voice is a pleasure to listen to, although on most tracks he unwisely sacrifices his voice to the limited range of the melodies...
This incongruity continues until the fourth track, “Fortune,” on which the band’s intentions are beautifully realized. The absence of heavy handed and uninteresting electric guitar riffs—which in previous tracks drown out otherwise intricate instrumentation??allows the acoustic guitar to shine through. Smith’s clear and tender vocals are here successfully highlighted. Liberated by the more varied melody, Smith weaves a narrative that is less mournful and more hopeful than those of the other tracks. For just over two minutes the clouds part, and Midlake...
...song the expansive, almost symphonic sound that it needs. On M. Ward’s soft folk songs, however, this recording technique can be an incredible ear-sore. One such instance occurs on the unassuming album opener “For Beginners.” All of the instrumentation??the glistening layers of beautiful acoustic guitar and the panflute—are unamplified, giving the song a very mellow and organic feel. M. Ward’s reverb-drenched vocals, unfortunately, feel as alien as bulldozers in an Oregon forest. M. Ward has a fine voice for folk...