ALBUM REVIEW: FORGIVE DURDEN'S THE SHADOW OF RAZIA: A MUSICAL

Forgive Durden's new album, Razia's Shadow: A Musical is an interesting creature. Originally envisioned as a side project for lead singer Thomas Dutton, it became his square focus when the band's three other members left the band suddenly. This rather charming and bizarre experiment is a full-on fantasy musical released solely as an album, with a multitude of strong guest singers and some very nice songwriting.

The story follows events in a fantasy world, chronicling two stories: the creation and division of the world into darkness and light, and the romance that would redeem the world and return it to its former glory. While hitting a number of typical cliches in these types of stories, the lyrical style here is very interesting, with some great work done by Dutton.

The first five tracks follow the creation and the rebellion of Ahrima (Thomas Dutton) that leads the world into darkness, and features Dutton, Casey Crescenzo of The Dear Hunter, Lizzie Huffman of Man in the Blue Van, Max Bemis of Say Anything, and Chris Conley of Saves the Day. I'm not familiar with any of the guest talent in the first half, but they all do fine work, particularly Bemis in the role of the dastardly spider Barayas, who precipitates the climax of this portion.

The last eight tracks are devoted to the bigger story, of redemption and love. This one features Dutton again in the lead role, this time as a character named Adakias. This stronger half features Danny Stevens of The Audition, Dan Young of This Providence, John Baldwin Gourley of Portugal. The Man, Kris Anaya of An Angle, Brandon Urie of Panic at the Disco, Greta Salpeter of The Hush Sound, Nic Newsham of Gatsbys American Dream, and Shawn Harris of The Matches. Again, of this half the only contributor I am familiar with is Urie, as I'm a big fan of his band.

It's in this second half where the album really takes off. Dutton's character isn't particularly memorable, considering how much he shares with most fantasy heroes, but luckily the guest cast carry this story well, though I wish all of the more memorable players had gotten more voice time. The plotting anc characterization is weak, and it relies on the singers themselves to infuse their characters with something extra, and many of the contributers do just that. Brandon Urie as the hero's devilish brother demands the role with relish, adding a swagger and making sure the character wasn't pure caricature; Shawn Harris' King is very enjoyable as the princess' bastard father; Greta Salpeter elevates the everyprincess role here with a beautiful voice with a kindness to it that would otherwise be completely lightweight; and Shawn Harris creates a fantastic voice for the bonkers doctor charged with saving the princess' life as the story moves towards its final climax. Also deserving of praise was Adam Weiss of mewithoutyou, whose narration is really the lead voice here, despite Dutton's lead role.

You can tell this was inspired by Moulin Rouge and classic Disney musical movies, as Dutton mentioned in an interview with Alternative Press. The story and production feel very much inspired, and it adds a real sense of nostalgia to the proceedings. There's something just calming about recognising much of what's here, even if it undercuts some of the drama (especially in the climax). There's a real epic feeling to the proceedings, and quite a few of the lyrical choices are just plain inspired.

An excellent album, especially anyone who loves musicals and/or old musical Disney flicks. Perhaps not for everyone, but something I can't stop listening to anyhow. Seek it out.

Forgive Durden - Meet the King (feat. Nic Newsham and Greta Salpeter) [The Shadow of Razia: A Musical, 2008]

Forgive Durden - Doctor Doctor (feat. Shawn Harris) [The Shadow of Razia: A Musical, 2008]

Forgive Durden - Holy the Sea (feat. John Gourley and Kris Anaya) [The Shadow of Razia: A Musical, 2008]

And don't forget, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

ALBUM REVIEW: EMILY WELLS' "THE SYMPHONIES: DREAMS, MEMORIES AND PARTIES"

"Another concept we must ponder: Absence of genre makes the art grow fonder."


Artist: Emily Wells
Album: The Symphonies: Dreams, Memories and Parties

TRACKLIST:

1. Symphony 1 In the Barrel of a Gun
2. Symphony 2 & the Click Boom Boom
3. Symphony 3: The Story (Featuring Count Bass D)
4. Symphony 4: America's Mercy War
5. Symphony 5 Was a Surprise
6. Symphony 6: Fair Thee Well & the Requiem Mix
7. Symphony 7: Dreams Memories & Heaven
8. Symphony 8 & the Canary's Last Take
9. Symphony 9 & the Sunshine
10. Symphony 10: Could This Really Be the End?


Emily Wells is an amazingly talented violinist and singer. Once headhunted by major record labels but striking out on her own to keep her artistic integrity, she made the right choice here: given the freedom to create the music she wants to, she's made one damn good album. LASTFM calls her music Symphonic Folktronica Fantasy, and though Wells dislikes genre titles (as do I), those words do give a great sense of what to expect on Symphonies.

Her music has so many ways to describe it. It's beautiful, mixing her gothic-but-not-exactly-dark-sounding voice with violin. It's a little dark and creepy, but also shiny and happy. It's extremely well written, but it also flows as stream-of-consciousness thoughts. It even contains elements of rap, with a one off appearance by Count Bass D actually working extremely well. It's like simultaneously floating along a ray of sunshine and wandering, lost and worried, in a dark labyrinth.

Take a little Emilie Autumn without Autumn's morbid streak, with a dash of the theatricality and instrumental skill of The Dresden Dolls and a sprinkling of the playful darkness and the harmonising vocals of The Pierces, and you're halfway there. This is one of few albums that I can sit and listen to straight through without changing artists. I'm holding back the best track off this album for this year's Top 100 Tracks list, but really all the tracks are well worth a listen.

Emily Wells - Symphony 10: Could This Really Be the End?
Emily Wells - Symphony 2 & the Click Boom Boom

IF YOU LIKE: Emilie Autumn - How Strange | The Dresden Dolls - Mrs. O | The Pierces - Secret

And don't forget, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound, and listen at LastFM.

ALBUM REVIEW: INDIECATER, VOL. ONE

"You remind me of me because you don't like me..."


Artist: Various Artists
Album: Indiecater, Vol. One

TRACKLIST:

1) Burning Codes - It's Alright (Belfast)
2) Slushco - Astronaut (Atlanta)
3) Storkboy Choons - Rockfield Symphony (Kells)
4) The E.L.F. - Cockroaches (Sydney)
5) Foreign Slippers - Packed The Car (Norrkoping)
6) Beaten Awake - You Remind Me of Me (Kent, Ohio)
7) Call To Mind - (Untitled) (Inverness)
8) Empty Rooms - We've Been Waiting for You (San Francisco)
9) Cymbals Eat Guitars - Share (New York)
10) Michael Knight - Dumbshow (Director's Cut) (Dublin)

This is a fascinating project: An internet-only compilation of small-time bands unable to get the promotion of major labels, put together by a good-hearted music blogger. This way, the bands get a bit of money and exposure, and the blog gets the attention gained from a new, exciting project being released. However, is the music any good?

Well, both yes and no. The music is quite good technically, and enjoyable to listen to, that's not debateable. Beaten Awake's "You Remind Me of Me" is very listenable; Michael Knights' puzzling "Dumbshow (Director's Cut)" manages to work (barely) despite having a lot of voices going 'ahhhhh' along with music; Storkboy Choons' "Rockfield Symphony" is a nice, shiny 80s-inspired song that I'll probably not listen to again; and Cymbals Eat Guitars' "Share" is a nice moody piece.

Foreign Slippers' "Packed the Car" is a sad, regretful piece that I rather like, with a female vocalist taking the lead. Call to Mind's untitled offering is one of the strongest, a quiet, echoing song best listened to with one's eyes closed. The E.L.F.'s "Cockroaches" is a bizarre tribute to the titular creature, but its fun to taps along to the beat. Empty Rooms' "We've Been Waiting For You" is a song that just feels massive and open, with echoing vocals and a stong beat underneath. Slushco's song, "Astronaut", is probably the warmest, most accessible song, and the one from the band I could easily see gaining greater success. And, finally, Burning Codes' "It's Alright" is a nice, simple song mostly composed of its title as lyrics sung by multiple voices, a little similar to ""Dumbshow (Director's Cut)".

In the long term, I can only see listening to maybe half the tracks on here more than once, but there's enough here to appear to a number of different tastes. One discouraging aspect is the tendency of these artists to overwhelm the vocals with haze and echoes, as it really does lessen the power of the singing. That said, it's a decent compilation, especially considering its genesis. I do hope future volumes will be stronger, though.

Slushco - Astronaut
Empty Rooms - We've Been Waiting For You

And don't forget, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound, and listen at LastFM.

ALBUM REVIEW: MUKE'S "SHUTTERSPEED LULLABIES"

"Show me the way down to Barnacle Bay...."


Artist: Muke
Album: Shutterspeed Lullabies [TBR September 2008]

TRACKLIST:

1. Dreamsicle
2. Sirens
3. Clockwork
4. Electric Skyline
5. Swingsets
6. Sunflower Circus
7. Barnacle Bay
8. Forest Chant
9. The Hamburger Waltz
10. Hanglider

Muke is a charming two-person outfit from Eugene, Oregon. Made up of college students Madeline Liebowitz and Luke Kuzava, they create airy, beautiful pop music. "Shutterspeed Lullabies" is a fantastic name for the albnm, and the second word especially fitting. Their lyrics are fluffy and happy, and their music is like a warm bath. You can just sit there floating in it, smiling. My favourite off the record is "Swingsets", a sweet little song that just makes me inexplicably happy.

Also winners are their "Clockwork" and cheeky "The Hamburger Waltz", the latter of which pokes fun at every advertising cliche known to man. My only regret is the lyric "If you don't like hamburgers you're a communist!", only because it would have been a braver and more current statement on fear-mongering to replace 'communist' with current media favourite 'terrorist' (and look, it fits perfectly in there, too!). Though, I guess 'communist' is more possessions-based, so I'll let it slide. Anyhow, the song points out exactly how manipulative advertising and media are, which makes me very happy nonetheless.

And hey, indie purists! These guys are about as indie as you can get! Get their music before they sell out, eh?

Muke - Swingsets
Muke - The Hamburger Waltz

IF YOU LIKE: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal | Lykke Li - My | The Bird and the Bee - Polite Dance Song

And don't forget, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound, and listen at LastFM.

ALBUM REVIEW ROUNDUP 1

Sometimes, though you'd like to give every review the love and care (and individual notice!) as others, you find you can't garner up the interest or time to write up a full-on album review. 'You' moreso being me. So, instead of a bunch of individual album reviews, I'll sometimes file these under an 'album review roundup'. There's a lot of music to listen to and not enough time...

The Afters' Never Going Back to OK: An alright album, but far too similar to too many other bands on the scene, almost derivative and/or cliche. The lyrics are often banal or obvious, the sound is often too loud, and it feels like every other indie emo/rock band. Some bright spots, but ultimately I think not my type. At all.

The Afters - Myspace Girl

Alan Wilkis' Babies Dream Big: Not bad music, but far from my style. Inspired by a lot of artists I'm not big on from the 60's, 70's and 80's; I'm a 00's guy and unashamed of it. Too bold and frenetic to be my style, really. Even on "Bad Mamma Jamma", my favourite track on the album, the background synths irritate.

Alan Wilkis - Bad Mamma Jamma

Amandine's Solance in Sore Hands: Nice; often pretty, though not always. The music's a bit Iron and Wine meets Sufjan Stevens, while the vocals are smooth and sometimes mixed with a nice choral sound.

Amandine - Faintest of Sparks

Disagree, agree? Sound off in the comments!

And remember, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

ALBUM REVIEW: @#%&*! SMILERS

"It's a street in a town where winning isn't sweet, and every win is the beginning of defeat..."


Artist: Aimee Mann
Album: @#%&*! Smilers

TRACKLIST:

1. "Freeway" – 3:50
2. "Stranger Into Starman" – 1:31
3. "Looking for Nothing" – 3:46
4. "Phoenix" – 3:56
5. "Borrowing Time" – 3:12
6. "It's Over" – 3:58
7. "31 Today" – 4:52
8. "The Great Beyond" – 3:12
9. "Medicine Wheel" – 4:08
10. "Columbus Avenue" – 4:06
11. "Little Tornado" – 3:23
12. "True Believer" – 3:32
13. "Ballantines" – 2:21

Though it's consistent in tone and style with Mann's output so far, there's something more to the songs on 'Smilers', an increase in beat that makes the songs snag you more easily. In the past, I've enjoyed her songs but occasionally drifted out of them by halfway through; a small beat does wonders to keep your attention while not diverting the song. However, though the beat can get you through one song, it can't quite pull you through two or three songs.

However, as a fan of Mann's I've always enjoyed her songs on their own, and I'm hoping the album will grow on me. The songs are pretty similar to her former output, maybe even a little too similar, but they work well enough. You can see some similar stuff (the opening beats of "Looking For Nothing" recalls "Ghost World", for example), as well. There doesn't seem to be any songs that pull me in properly, like Lost in Space's "Invisible Ink" or The Forgotten Arm's "Little Bombs". It's a little too laidback.

The closest is lead single "Thirty One Today", which caught my attention initially only because it was the first taste of her new album. That said, it has a little more kick to it than the rest of the album, and a little more diversity in the music. There's something very compelling in the sadness of the song, something I haven't noticed on most of the tracks either. I like the songs, and I think mixed in a shuffle they'll come off better, but it's hard to focus on them because, laid out together as an album, they seem far too similar.

Still, it's a good, solid album from a six (eleven, if you count her 'Til Tuesday work, the Magnolia OST and her Christmas album) album singer. Many artists would be washed up by now, but her music, while not evolving as much as others' seem to, is still solid. Any fan of Mann's, or of piano-driven female singer-songwriters, give it a listen.

Aimee Mann - Thirty One Today
Aimee Mann - The Great Beyond

And remember, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

ALBUM REVIEW: AARON THOMAS' "FOLLOW THE ELEPHANTS"

"I saw you sinking like a shipwreck, I heard you drowning in the fog..."


Artist: Aaron Thomas
Album: Follow the Elephants

TRACKLIST:
1. Descending
2. Any More
3. Clattering
4. Wasted Or Crazy
5. Far From Home
6. Damage Done
7. Kill This City
8. Down To Earth
9. Aw C'mon
10. We Don't Care
11. Thinking Is Unproductive
12. Finish Me

Aaron Thomas is an Australian songwriter, currently residing in Madrid, Spain. His work here is very low-key, with a quieter sound built mostly to showcase Thomas' voice and lyrics. Thomas' voice isn't bad by a long shot; it's got a quality of fogginess similar to Thom Yorke's, and he's nailed the ability to sing how he's feeling. Perhaps it's the small-time nature of his recording, but both a blessing and a curse is the style of the songs; it's charming but also, at first, comes off as a little bland or flat. Most of the songs sound a bit too much the same, and it takes some effort to really separate them.

I would not qualify this as one of 2008's best releases. But, but, there is a lot of potential here. "Aw C'Mon", posted not too long ago, is a perfect showcase for Thomas' strengths: caustic, taunting, emotion-driven vocal work; well-written ramblings of lyrics and music that enchances, rather than flattening, his vocal performance. The addition of a good beat and the division between vocals and instrumentals makes "C'Mon" stand head and shoulders above the rest. "Wasted Or Crazy" accomplishes this feat as well, and is quite enjoyable; though parts of it sometimes come off as annoyingly whiny, Thomas' vocals and lyrics are quite nice.

So, what do I think of the rest? The production seems to flatten most of the songs, but after you get over that they seem to get better. Thomas gives a good performance on opening track "Descending"; "Far From Home" is nice and sad, more affecting than many of the others and creating a nice bit of atmosphere; "Damages Done" is pretty good. On the other hand, "Kill This City" is just plain annoying, and Thomas crosses the line to downright headache inducing on "We Don't Care". However, all in all a decent, if not mindblowing, album. I'm interested to see what comes next, definitely.

Aaron Thomas - Far From Home
Aaron Thomas - Wasted Or Crazy

And remember, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

ALBUM REVIEW: ALANIS MORISSETTE'S "FLAVORS OF ENTANGLEMENT"

"I don't know who you're talking to with such fucking disrespect."


Artist: Alanis Morissette
Album: Flavors of Entanglement

TRACKLIST:

1. "Citizen of The Planet" – 4:22
2. "Underneath" – 4:10
3. "Straitjacket" – 3:08
4. "Versions of Violence" – 3:36
5. "Not As We" – 4:45
6. "In Praise of The Vulnerable Man" – 4:07
7. "Moratorium" – 5:35
8. "Torch" – 4:50
9. "Giggling Again For No Reason" – 3:48
10. "Tapes" – 4:26
11. "Incomplete" – 3:30

I've been a long time fan of Alanis, though she's run me hot and cold over the years. Sometimes she seems profoundly honest, and other times, merely whiny. But you can't say that she doesn't put all of her heart (and all of her hurt) into her songs. It's the same for this album... but something's different on Flavours of Entanglement.

And I like it.

You know why? Two words: Guy. Sigsworth. Sigsworth's an utter genius of a producer, responsible for producing much of the output from Imogen Heap (and acted as half of their duo Frou Frou), Kate Havnevik, Bjork, Madonna and even Britney Spears' new album (where the production was the most praised part, above even Spears herself). I wouldn't say that Sigsworth overtakes Alanis here; indeed, it's because he and Alanis work so well together that his part here is so treasured.

A problem with Alanis' work before was its focus on the words, with the music often a slow, sad piano-driven backdrop to Alanis' very emotive lyrics. The effect was often overpoweringly droppy and depressing, making both words and music seem overdramatic. Sisgsworth rectifies this, helping Alanis show some real fire on "Straitjacket", giving her a lush background to underscore (instead of belabour) the message of "Citizen of the Planet", give an understated sadness to "Torch", an apocalyptic landscape backing the synthed-up "Versions of Violence", and adding a sense of rolling, content joy to "Incomplete". The music is, here, just as much part of the message as the songs.

And the songs, well, they're the strongest set Alanis has had, possibly ever. Part of this is restraint; she produced almost three times as many songs as featured here, with the best getting a spot on the album. She also allows herself to properly address the shared experience as well as her own experiences. Songs from previous albums like "That Particular Time" (Under Rug Swept, 2002) were good but very specific. Many of her songs were the same way, not quite tapping into that 'everyone knows' feeling that rocketed her into fame with "You Oughta Know". In fact, her last album (So-Called Chaos, 2004) was a misstep because, though so many of the songs were of a high quality, they were also very, very personal; they didn't have that universal factor needed.

Compare that to "Straitjacket", which while clearly a song drawn from personal experience taps into the very common feeling of your partner seeing you as someone completely different, and taking aim at the hypocrisy in so many relationships. Or "Citizen of the Planet" and "Underneath", which tap more into idealism (a global community vs. nationalism and personal responsibility effecting things on a grand scale, respectively) instead of personal problems. These hark back to "Utopia" (Under Rung Swept) and b-side "Symptoms" (Hands Clean [Single], 2002). The latter I've featured before, in fact, praising its writing.

The most accessible and moving song from So-Called Chaos was its lead single "Everything", which tapped into the idea that we can only be loved when loved for everything within us, good and bad. This was even preceded by "You Owe Me Nothing in Return" (Under Rug Swept), admitting the idea of selfless, independent and unconditional love. She even explored the theme in "Still", her contribution to the Dogma Soundtrack in 1999, three years before Swept. This was an issue Morissette has struggled with as a young pop star, being constantly derided for her weight and not allowed to write her own songs, and a feeling that has followed her throughout her adult life. This is followed up on Entanglement with "Incomplete", which challenges the goal-based idea that we are constantly 'incomplete', always struggling to become better, freer, stronger and never accepting ourselves for who we are. It struggles with the dichotomy of it, realising that it both propels us through life and also disallows up from ever being truly happy with ourselves, and you feel that Alanis is finally accepting this and urging us to as well.

If "Incomplete" was a continuation of themes explored in "Everything" (and, to a lesser degree, Under Rug Swept's "Precious Illusions"), then "In Praise of the Vulnerable Man" is a direct sequel to songs such as "Knees of My Bees" (So-Called Chaos), "21 Things I Want in a Lover" (Under Rug Swept), and maybe even "Unsent" (Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, 1998). In the earliest, she praises the men she left behind; in "Lover" she illustrates the man she wants, and in "Bees" and "Vulnerable" she revels in having found him. We can tie both of the latter to beau Ryan Reynolds, who was reportedly responsible for the happy tone of Chaos - and whom Morisette split with during the writing of this album. "Vulnerable" may have been written during the relationship or after it had ended, but either way it works as a nice tribute to him and their relationship. This is not the woman scorned of Jagged Little Pill (2005), but a more mature, grown up woman.

Last record, Morissette's "This Grudge" (So-Called Chaos) declared her angst over the mystery relationship that fuelled her anger during Pill, Junkie, and Swept to be over, moving forwards into a happy relationship with Reynolds. Reynolds might be gone, but Morissette has shown here that she's ready, once and for all, to move on.

Alanis Morissette - Incomplete
Alanis Morissette - Straitjacket

BUY: Amazon | Amazon Canada

(NOTE: Thank you to 'Anonymous' for providing me with a copy of "Moratorium" when my copy was defective.)

ALBUM REVIEW: MORGAN PAGE'S "ELEVATE"

"If you prefer it all to me, then, my love, you go down the longest road to nowhere..."

DJ/Producer Morgan Page is making quite a name for himself. After releasing an unofficial group of remixes for free download called Cease and Desist (after the expected legal action), he instead received a boost in buzz and notice that has really helped his career. I myself downloaded Cease and enjoyed it, shocking considering my usual ennui toward remixes.

Now he's come up with Elevate, a mix of original material and remixes that is quite a listen. I've gotten a copy of the album before its release next week on March 25, 2008, and its pretty impressive. I don't know all of the originals of Page's remixes, but hopefully that will remove any bias for from those track reviews due to my knowing the original artists. Taking it on a track-by-track basis:

(Note: Try not to judge these songs by their first listen. I didn't like many of them after the first time, and it was only on the second listen they really clicked with me.)

Morgan Page feat. Lissie - The Longest Road
Page has called Lissie "one of the most exciting voices [he's] heard in years" and after hearing her contribution to this album, I have to say he's spot on. She does great work with this song, which infuses Lissie's native folk and Page's love of electronic music. Page happily doesn't interfere too much with Lissie's work, backing her up perfectly with a beautiful and yet danceable beat. The song, while not too conventional in its storytelling, is also quite interesting. Quite probably the best track of the album.

Morgan Page feat. Tyler James - Call My Name
Not a bad song by a long shot, but unlike "Road", here the song does grate a little. Guest singer Tyler James ranges from pretty good to unbearably annoying depending on what mood I'm in. Page's producing work here is just as good as ever, though, which works in the track's favour.

The Submarines - Peace and Hate (Morgan Page Remix)
I'm not familiar with The Submarines, but this remix is a good selection for the album. You can clearly hear Page's contributions, and it gets your feet going. There's a great feel of darkness here, which I believe was Page's intent with the song, and it works well. Page really compliments the voices of the singers, and in general has made a damn good remix here. There are some really beautiful portions as well.

Morgan Page feat. Matt Wasley - Fade Away
Wasley is a better guest singer than Tyler James on track 2, and he does a good job. I'd say this is the first time Page himself gets a bit carried away; I noted he never stepped on Lissie's toes, enhancing but not obscuring her, while here Wasley's voice is sometimes overtaken by the music. That's a shame because both the singing and the music are excellent, and in places it's much more successful than in others.

Jenny Owen Youngs - Fuck Was I (Morgan Page Remix)
After alternating between original and remixes up until this point, this track kicks off a section of purely remixes. This is a great track to do it with, as it showcases Page's especial skills in remixing. He takes a pretty folky, strings based rolling song and turns it into a great, low key electronica song that works just as well as the original. I'm familiar with the remix from Youngs' Take Off All Your Clothes EP. I liked it then and I still like it now.

Leigh Nash - Nervous in the Light of Dawn (Morgan Page Remix)
The beginning of this track is Page's second misstep, as the static accompanying the early beats of this song do the track no favours. His remixing of her voice in those parts is quite good, and once you get over the static the song is quite nice. There's an echoing quality that I always love in here, as it really enhances the singer's emotional effect. The annoying static recurs throughout the song, unfortunately, despite the rest of the remix being quite nice. I'm guessing, as you listen to it, the static eventually blends into the rest of the song.

Bitter:Sweet - Dirty Laundry (Morgan Page Remix)
A good remix, although again the vocals are a bit too obscured for a proper listen. That said, the remix is nice, but the volume of it also decreases its effectiveness, despite it sounding quite good. That said, there's a large section near the end that mostly works, as you know you don't need to hear the lyrics, but before that the song itself is compromised a little too much.

Nelly Furtado - Maneater (David Garcia & Morgan Page Remix)
I will be straight up here: I do not like club remixes. That's probably why I cannot stand much that the remix world has to offer, and one of the reasons why I don't find myself drawn to this particular song. Not only does this fact hurt the song for me, but I was long ago ruined for this song when a reviewer noted that producer Timbaland was responsible for the sexiness of the song and not Furtado herself, and I thought "... wait a second, he's right!". Ever since, both the song and specifically Furtado's performance in it have seemed lifeless to me. That all said, even this remix isn't hopeless, as I do like some of the things Garcia and Page do with it; I just care little for the remix material.

Delirium - Angelicus (Morgan Page Remix)
I'm not overly familiar with Delirium's work, but this mostly instrumental track (including opera-style vocals used purely as an instrument) is an interesting departure from Page's other choices. This does mix quite well with Page's remixing work, though it's not so much in my personal taste.

Morgan Page feat. Camila Grey - One Day
Page has a good ear for vocalists, particularly female ones. Just as Lissie was perfect for "The Longest Road", Camila Grey has a beautiful voice that works well with the music infused with bleeps and quiet static. He again showcases rather than obscures, and that allows the song to breathe properly.

Dengue Fever - Sleep Walking Through the Mekong (Morgan Page Remix)
Page takes a shot at a band who, despite hailing from Los Angeles, have decided to mix Cambodian stylings and language (Khmer, to be more precise) this time around, which combined with Delerium gives this album a nice range. Between the heavy, pounding beats and the light, glittery ones, the opening is a nice study in contrasting sounds working well together. The lyrics are in another language but their beauty is just as real as if they were in English. There's something very tribal about Page's take on the song, and it's a refreshing listen. The last few moments are especially nice and echoing.

Under - Under (Morgan Page Remix)
The closing track is a really nice, low key and echo-filled song with a wonderful female vocalist in the lead, and I have to admit I've become quite fond of it. There's something both sleepy and sexy about this song, and that intrigues. You can hear Morgans influence, and it works very much to the song's favour. A wonderful closer.

VERDICT

Definitely worth a listen. I can't say I would have bought it before having heard it, despite knowing a few of Morgan Page's unofficial remixes, but it has impressed me much more than I expected it to. I'd recommend it to anyone a fan of electronic music especially, but some (like the Jenny Owen Youngs remix) will appeal to others as well, like those who enjoy great female vocals. Give it a shot with the sample downloads below.

SAMPLE TRACKS

Morgan Page feat. Lissie - The Longest Road (Sendspace link)
Under - Under (Morgan Page Remix) (Sendspace link)

PRE-ORDER/BUY MORGAN PAGE'S "ELEVATE"

Morgan Page's Official Site - Amazon - Amazon Canada