Reviews (page 4 of 7)
not my thing but not bad
Meh, this was ok.
Thorougly enjoyable listen, but doesn't hit me emotionally. I like the whimsical arrangements.
Tones carrying both sorrow and cheer, with songs that can alternate between the two in a single track. Though the transition is pretty well done, it makes it hard for me to feel impacted. Whole album has a big "go with the flow" vibe (soul-ish style). Absolutely AMAZING voice.
Quite decent album
I wish I liked this more tbh. It’s an interesting listen and I actually think I do enjoy her voice but most of these songs just didn’t do it for me. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t really memorable and probably wouldn’t return.
not as boring as I thought it'd be but not blowing my mind 👍
Fun listen! But not sure it's something I'll be coming back to often. Very Joni Mitchell-esque
need to relisten
There's talent here, just not for me. I respect it but won't listen again.
I think this is a really good album, but it's just not my exact preference. I would watch this as a musical, definitely. It's intriguing. It follows an interesting story and definitely kept me entertained the whole time. I would recommend this, but probably wouldn't listen again.
Lovely, singer-songwriter late 60's pop/soul, punctuated with orchestral flourishes that aren't used much anymore. Good art and understandably influential. Some of the songs remind me of Burt Bacharach a bit with small bridge sections that move time signatures around. Laura Nyro's vocals are dramatic but not histrionic, nicely balanced between bluesy, soul, and pop. Good fun!
Favourite Songs: Sweet Blindness Eli's Comin'
Just too jazzy swingy sixties for my taste.
s'alright
This was a delight because I’d never heard of it before and I can see how it’s influenced more recent artists I like. Also not what I expected to hear based on its release date. Laura gets a five from me but the album unfortunately just gets a three. I liked it but didn’t love it.
Not bad, kind of like a late 60s version of pop music
Very dynamic. Enjoy the brass. Vocals are kinda busy.
Favorite Track: Woman's Blues
Was ok, little shrieky for me.
Outstanding vocals, and outstanding instrumental progression (especially in Eli’s Comin’). Really, I just think some songs go on for too long. Other than that, this album is very solid.
ok
I still don't really know if I actually like it or not
Easy to listen to and soulful album from '68. Worth checking out as it;s probably Nyro's best.
I liked the more upbeat tunes that are frontloaded on this album. Mostly pleasant.
This album was a little bit of a hit or miss for me, because sometimes I had trouble with the range of her voice and her way of singing, however I really liked the songs I did enjoy and I want to respect how controversial and monumental an album like this would have been from a bisexual women in the 60s openly singing about loving women.
I know this album was only around 45 minutes, but it felt like it went on forever. Laura Nyro is clearly talented, but sometimes her singing becomes too much for me. I just found myself actively cringing at times.
Pretty good, actually. Can understand why she didn't "break through", but certainly impactful in a good way
Too soprano
Приятный балладный альбом, с довольно неожиданно нежным голосом Лоры Ниро. Много про него сказать не могу, он не особо запоминается.
Sounds timeless
It's a cute mix of jazz and soul. Not much to say about it.
It’s ok
Some jazzy psychedelia that’s held back by some odd vocal decisions.
Having trouble believing this album came from the 60s
Not entirely my taste, but a decent album which feels fairly punchy with a few memorable songs
Enjoyable but very basic
On paper this should be right up my street but somehow it just doesn’t gel for m. Nothing memorable here and a bit directionless. Her voices grated at times too. I would probably prefer versions by other artist. It ain’t no Tapestry that’s for sure
Cool, distinctive jazzy voice; putting different tempos in one song—a trend across the album—was really cool
fun
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Stoned Soul Picnic I don't know if the reviews will be particularly kind to Laura Nyro. I hear raw talent, but its just that - its raw. Really raw. The opener track Luckie, Laura's voice is all over the place. There's no real tune she's trying to keep from line to line, verse to verse. That might be part of the charm of the album, but its also a little grating. I think the staying power comes from the amount of songs she wrote that ended up being covered by more famous artists, which I imagine might be both flattering and disappointing. In any event, the album is what it is. I played it, I listened to it - three times - and I didn't hate it or want to turn it off. I am home with my folks for Thanksgiving and no one asked me to turn it off, so that's a good sign.
Not the vibe I was expecting based on the album art, but fun!
This is all over the place, so many different tempos and feelings in each song! I kind of liked it but it also made me feel like I was crazy and wanted to get off the jazz-showtune rollercoaster?
Imagine my surprise when I misread the date and was expecting something from the '80s and I got something from the '60s instead
Didn’t grab me
Hmm, was okay, but not really my type
decent
3.5
3.5
Most of this reminds me of the kind I music that they'd do in 70 TV spectacular specials, very showy. But some songs I really like (7.1) ★★★½
Mostly kind of bland, but a few standout tracks, most notably "Poverty Train". 3.5 stars
This was much better than I anticipated based on the description. There's a pop soul quality reminiscent of Carole King that pops up on songs like "Lu", "Poverty Train", and "Stoned Soul Picnic", and that's pretty enjoyable stuff. There does seem to be a bit of a more showtuney, Andrew Lloyd Weber quality that surfaces from time to time, maybe most noticeable on "Eli's Comin'" and "Luckie" and that's much less enjoyable, but overall it's a pleasant album. 3.5 stars.
Apparently Todd Rundgren was influenced by Laura Nyro, that makes sense. Both have good moments, but mostly everything is too hectic and too much is going on at once to really latch onto anything.
This album exactly fine. The instrumentation was great and the vocals were good, but as a whole it was pretty forgettable.
Never heard of Laura Nyro but I like the structure of her songs and can see why she was so often covered.
Cool, unique, trying at times.
I can understand the inclusion from a songwriting perspective, but I don't think she had the vocal charisma for the songs. It makes sense that other singers/bands ended up performing them.
I had never heard of Laura Nyro before, but was immediately impressed by her voice. Some songs don't really know what they wanted to do on this, but overall I thought it was admirable.
Not my thing
Interesting album, Laura Nyro has some very good vocals and her ability to quickly change in a song is very impressive, in saying that this album didn’t catch me as I was hoping it would
Descent piano and decent singing. Not really my jam, but enjoyable
Some parts of this were great some parts of this were less than great. That’s really all there is to it. Not much of a standout.
Really strong vocals, a couple good songs, but ultimately not something I’ll come back to. Pretty much like every other three-star album I’ve rated.
First time listening A lot of things going on musically on this album. It's poppy, but there's a lot of moments it gets swingy, soulful, folky, bluesy. Every song jumps all over the place. It sounds like the soundtrack to a dramatic mid 60s TV show. She does have a great voice, but it gets somewhat cartoonishly showtoony sometimes. Most songs seem to have good moments and bad moments. It's probably more like a 2.5/5 in my book, but I rounded up because I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt with it not being something I'd normally seek out. It's not something I'd mind listening to again. Best songs: Stoned Soul Picnic, Woman's Blues
Amazing songwriter! I knew nothing about her except having grown up with hits I didn't know she wrote. Really don't like her singing, but love the take no prisoners full-on attack and crazy tempo switches, and the opening song sounded so much like Carole King's Tapestry songs (the songs, not the singing) that it felt familiar and easier to listen to. For a much better vocal experience, check her singing And When I Die.
This album had its moments. At times Lauras voice was quite beautiful and then the next second she switches to falsetto and her tone to this alternate sound which was incredibly annoying (I.e The song Timer). I think this is a clear case of less is more, and sometimes Laura, you need to quiet down, sit down and let the instrumentation speak for itself. Wellll, she did not do that, every waking inch of this album was filled to the brim with her vocals. Very overbearing and unnecessary. Favorites were Eli's Comin' and Stoned Soul Picnic (that chorus is soooo catchy). 6.5/10
112 La música estuvo ok. Hartas canciones me gustaron pero su voz a ratos tenía algo que me saturaba
60s pop with real instrument and no autotune :) Like the abrubt change in rhythm in many songs. picks: stoned soul picnic, eli's comin, luckie, woman's blues
I think I'd heard Eli's Comin' before, but I didn't know anything else. It's a good sound that mixes some blues, jazz, and folk music. It's interesting to read from her wikipedia article that Elton John idolized her, and that she did successful collaborations with various people, including Barbra Streisand. For me the album is fine.
Sort of like Carole King, but without the personal nostalgia from having it be so omnipresent in my youth. I can appreciate her talent even if ultimately none of these songs really hooked me.
50% really good 50% boring
The early songs were a bit too jazzy for me but I started to like it more as the album went on and they got more rock/experimental.
Her var det noe som jeg tror jeg vil verdsette med flere lytt.
Great voice, reminded me a bit of Kate Bush.
It was fine, but kind of faded into the background for me.
I kinda like it? But she was a little intolerable at times
Well, in the end I thought this was just ok. Too samey! I think one of these tracks on a compilation would be a delightful breath of fresh air. All the tracks together, though, was too much for me. And too shrill in places. One piece, called Parallelograms, stood out. But then I realised it was a different artist that Spotify had selected. I'd like to hear more from Linda Perhacs!
Few more listens and this could easily go higher. Not sure how Laura Nyro evaded me for so long. The songs have a weirdly chaotic energy, which I'm enjoying very much.
Didn't really like the vocals.
It’s a fun album and Laura Nyro has an amazing voice. Gives me Linda Rondstandt vibes. Nothing really knocks me out as a track though.
It’s pretty crazy to listen to an album and understand just how much it impacted music that came after it. Nyro’s style clearly paved the way for future singer-songwriters like Fiona Apple and Tori Amos, and her voice is absolutely awesome. The album itself is a little bit scattered musically for me. Best Track: Stoned Soul Picnic
Some really great high spots and some really strange low ones. Nyro's voice ranges from beautiful and angelic to screamy and just odd. Solid 3 for me.
The more upbeat, swingy bits made up for the wailing crooning.
Enjoyable enough, nothing special
More like a 3.5 -- love her voice and the bluesy elements. A smidge on the folky side for my taste, but appreciate her. Definitely there were tracks I would put on a playlist.
Like Kate Bush but 20 years earlier in a meandering maze of soul, ballads and funk.
This is an interesting album and, while it doesn't always work perfectly, is rather innovative for something released in 1968. Favorite track: probably "Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)"
This is all new to me. Judging by the cover alone I'd have guessed this was a 21st century album. Listening to the music alone... I'd guess it *could* be one those retro-leaning contemporary singers, but I'd probably have said it was released even earlier than '68. After a couple of straight-up soul numbers, though, I realised there’s some more forward-thinking stuff going on, both in terms of the lyrics and the frequent tempo/time-signature changes in the music. The slower songs didn’t grab me and Laura’s voice (which often resembles a more forceful Joni Mitchell) grated at times. But overall it was an intriguing discovery of an artist I’m surprised I’d never heard of before.
all of these songs sound the same but like... I like that One Song? so it's ok
simple and pleasant singer-songwriter from the golden era. Nothing special, but an ok listen. I'm sure some of the lyrics were punchy at the time.
Was alright, wouldn’t listen to again
It was alright. Not really my thing, but an interesting mashup of genres (jazz, soul, pop, folk) that occasionally seemed ahead of it's time.
I went in not knowing Laura Nyro at all. Surprisingly enjoyed this album. I was not expecting 60s/70s singer-songwriter with a heavy dash of Broadway. Maybe it’s just me but there’s a bit of old school Sesame Street/Electric Company vibe going on with some of the songs. It was all over the place in a very good way. 3.5⭐️
I was a bit surprised by how little I enjoyed this. I've heard of the artist but apparently never listened to any of her output. I know she's influential... but I just didn't find this very interesting.
I had never heard of this artist, so a nice discovery. Reminded me of Joni Mitchell. This was more up tempo and dynamic than I was expecting after reading the description.
Pretty good
Well this was an interesting way to start the morning, with some very bold, dramatic show music. It's certainly not meek this, it's very bold and in your face and with full-on vocals. I kind of appreciate it, despite it not being for me.
Mostly not terrible. Terrible in parts.
tremendo descubrimiento
Good voice used over some indie jazz tunes, the sort of thing you'd hear on Jools Holland and 6 music. A nice easy listen but hard to say too much more than that. You need an incredible voice to make these sort of songs stand out and so it was a bit forgettable. 2.5.
Surprising. Great vocals.
love it when this exercise gives us someone that wrote a bunch of songs you heard other people cover and you realize they messed it up. this was really nice from start to finish. made me feel like i was in the walking credits of a 70s movie.
It’s not really my style. Up until I got to Lonely Women I thought I was going to be giving this a 1. She’s got a nice voice, it’s a little repetitive and honestly grating in songs like Luckie. Idk. I’ll give it a 3.
Though the sound is squarely 60's, I can hear so much modern signer-songwriter in this. It's remarkable to listen to. I get very strong Tori Amos vibes from several of the tracks.
While the tunes did not land, I cannot deny the talent that was there. Rip
Not that good but also at least pretty interesting
Decent listen!
I can see putting this on during a dinner party to show that I'm cultured. Love her voice, but it's not for me.
I had never heard of Laura Nyro before, what an amazing voice, and there are some really good songs on the album. However, I found the overall experience a bit too messy; it shifts from calm to chaotic in a way that feels a little jarring.
This was different. Interesting. Not awful. 3
Unique voice but all songs really sounded the same.
En ollut kuullukkaan joten ei ollut ennakko-oletuksia, mutta kansikuva vihjaili johonkin paljon mystisempään. Ihan hauskaa ja vaihtelevaa musiikkia, monipuoliset soitot.Joissain lauluissa tulee vähän kate bush vibat(vähän). Välillä laulajan ääni on kuiten vähän ärsyttävä.
Only know her name, and even then I think I was wrong about who she is. Pleasant enough 60s political/personal pop, I might be missing something though. Interested to check out her other albums. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? No Owned: No. 7/1001, 7/30 (23%) Will I get? No Recommend: Sure
Fine. Like a less cloying Joni Mitchell
I want to like this but it's not sure what it wants to be keeps changing direction
It’s good, nothing crazy, pretty standard 60s singing and music.
Not sure what to make of this. Not heard of Laura Nyro before and from the cover I thought it was from within the last 20 years - so surprised that it was from 1968. She has a great views and there were some moments (the more uptempo songs) where it clicked for me in retro jazzy/ soul/pop mashup. But the moments tended to be fairly short lived as there was tendency to veer towards show tunes and the vocals tended to jump around a bit too much for me to get settled. Favourite track : Lu.
Regarded as a classic album, and influencing a whole host of piano-led singer-songwriters, Elton and others. I actually find it rather cruise-ship cabaret. 'Luckie' perfectly demonstrates the problem, kicking off with a great soul lick before descending into a Liza Minelli number. 'Sweet Blindness' not far behind - you could wear a sparkly blazer, tights and high heels, and hold a top hat over your chest while you kick about the stage to this one. The tempos are constantly flitting between the great Brill Building pop of Carol King with the Memphis soul licks of Dusty Springfield - but with an inexorable pull back to Broadway theatrics. It's that pull that undermines what otherwise would have been a jewel.
I didn’t know this one at all. Starts very strong and has great playing and production throughout. She can really sing and has some great players with her. But about 2/3 of the way thru it all sounded alike. Definitely a great project to be introduced to but I probably won’t turn back to it.
Soul/pop with some folk and jazz influences. I like the inclusion of brass, piano, guitar, drums, flute and vibraphone with her singing. A lot of songs have complex structures that make it a bit hard to follow with a first listen. It also has that Joni Mitchell style where the vocal delivery and sentence structure doesn't always match up with the music that I find hard to follow. Eli's Comin' and Once It Was Alright Now were my favourites.
For it coming out in the 60s this is amazing but that doesn’t rly change my opinion on it. There isn’t a lot to it a simple instrumentals and a great singer but it works so well on some songs. Laura has that voice that is able to make you feel something which I loved about this album. My favourite song was Emmie. Yes it wasn’t mind blowing but I still enjoyed it in giving it a solid 6.1/10 3/5
Never heard this before, it's not offensive to the ears but really not very exciting (almost feels like it could have gone somewhere more interesting on some tracks but never quite makes it), on balance white people R&B slash 6Os pop gets a ⭐⭐⭐
Loved the late 60s vibe but didn’t love the songs
Very nice.
neat
Not folky as I was expecting. Borderline 2, a bit showtuney and grating at points, but there's something unique here.
Perfectly fine folksy girl singing. Good background music but not much more than that.
5/10
Apart album waarop heel veel tempo wisselingen gebeuren! Bijna geen een nummer eindigt op het tempo of met de maat waarin het begint. Instrumentaal doet het me soms denken aan jazz of van die muziek die je in western films wel veel hoort. Het swingt in elk geval, met de stem van Laura er heel prettig overheen. Ze heeft echt een hele sterke stem! Merk wel dat ik er na een tijdje een beetje klaar mee ben. Ja Lau, je hebt een pracht stem, en tempowisselingen zijn ook heel leuk. Maar op letterlijk elk nummer? Beetje veel als je het mij vraagt. Maar goed, ik vermaak me verder wel, heb me niet geirriteerd, maar ben wel blij dat het geen 2 uur durend dubbel album is. FAVO: Lu, Eli's Comin,
This album felt like a milestone for the industry and for female artistry. It’s wildly expressive, poetic, and emotionally unfiltered. But as much as I respected it, it didn’t really land for me emotionally. Still, it’s the kind of album I’m glad to have heard once.
I can see why this was impressive for the time, but it doesn't really hit the same way today. That being said, it holds up pretty well.
Eli's Comin' Stoned Soul Picnic
The music sounds pretty, but for some reason the vocal doesn’t really for work me (it annoys me), so I am gonna go with 2.51/5
Never heard of her, but she was not bad. Solid voice, good tunes. Just not what I would normally listen to. I'd give 3.5 stars.
Маша стайл, приятный блюз, не совсем мое though
Intimate sounding vocals with tasteful 60s pop rock arrangements. Reminds me of Carole King. I guess Laura was an important influence to her style. Some of the songs felt more like jams which could have been cool but just sounded like vocal exercises to me which wasn’t very enjoyable. I’ll probably give this album more time to be listen to though.
Great voice. I liked "Lu" and "Lonely women", but the rest are a bit hit or miss for me.
beautiful voice, very sad life :( this dragged for me a bit by the end but was probably more of a 3.5. very cool to see how influential she was to so many acts in the decades to come. rest easy laura :<
Laura’s vocals seemed a bit ahead of her time. Initially it sounded like the songs were rushing a bit, but the album flowed well.
Surprisingly good! High quality on almost every front: instrumentals, vocals, mixing and arrangement. Songwriting was also agreeable, with some interesting stuff going on. However, the style is not completely up my alley. I liked it, just didn't love it, which is why I can't quite give it a 4. But i considered it!
Well written, but i found her way of singing to be a little over the top, a little too dramatic for my taste.
Was fine, didn't grab me but was enjoyable
This album would really suit being about 33mins. Too long, too many songs.
This was quite delightful - the timing and the rhythms felt very off kilter in a good way and the singing was lush. Regardless of originality, it didn't quite capture me. A strong 3.5 stars.
dont like the rhythm and pace of the songs nor the flow of how she sings that much, beautiful voice tho
Une voix polymorphe, une interprétation entière et énergique, une pop jazzée agréable
nainen laulaa.. crazy concept.. heliseee korvat osittain koska paska talleltsus ja paska kompresssio ja paskat välineet meikällä... ei reillua mutta bointsballoja otettaan pois tämän takaia koska vituttaa. unremarkable songs.. jos olisin ollut hörhö tuohon ajikaan maailmankaikkeudessa niin olisin albumin ostanut ja ok tää on kiva mutta mitä vittua meikä 57 vuotta jälkeenpäin jotain tälläsiä rupeen .. rupee.. saar giv rupeee.. eihän tässä ny mitään vikaa ollut ei ehkä täysin pakanallista kirkumista kuitenkaan ihan siedettävää mutta totasnoin ööö. mistä puhuin... mikä albumi... häh mistä nyt puhut.. petankkia nyt.. poverty train
A mostly fun ride; sometimes jazzy and soulful and other times just piano-theater narcissism. I liked the opener “Lu” and the gospel-pop energy of “Eli’s Comin’,” amongst a couple other tracks. But when her manic-poetic side showed up (“Timer,” “Woman’s Blues,” “The Confession”), I felt liked I'd just peeked into the overly-dramatic womb that spawned the chaotic mess that is Tori Amos and Ani DiFranco and for the love of singer-songwriters, nobody needs that.
Enjoyed it, didn't expect it to be from the 60s with that sound. Seems to be very underrated?? Only 60k monthly listeners for that quality of music is criminal
Reminded a little bit of Carole King, but missing just a bit of Carole's passion she puts into her songs/music. I thought this was a decent album. I mean there's nothing that made me want to dive into her library, but a nothing that made the listens difficult. Think she showed some decent range. I'll just say pretty good, but probably won't come back. 3
A couple decent kind of soulful tunes.
Pretty damn good. Not extremely memorable after the fact, but every song is really solid. Probably should be a 4, but may change in the future. 3.5/5
This was pretty nice. The one guy said it goes from annoying to pretty. That is exactly true. I think this is nowhere near Norah Jones, but still very pretty sounds. Stroooong 3
Um, how have I never heard of her? Very enjoyable experience.
Ona ima kultni status među kantautorima ali nije baš da, razumim previše zašto
Un álbum mucho más interesante de lo que esperaba. El rango vocal de Laura Nyro es súper amplio, con una voz potentísima, aunque de tan potente y aguda se hace irritante a ratos. La música es un tapiz muy heterogéneo compuesto por pop, folk, jazz, soul, y hasta gospel, y todo con una teatralidad y orquestación al más puro estilo Broadway. Lo que más me ha sorprendido es la variedad de melodías, compases y tonalidades que se van entrelazando incluso dentro de una misma canción. Un disco experimental y complejo pero sin ser demasiado exigente. Aunque, siendo sincero, tanto eclecticismo se me ha hecho pesado; hubiera agradecido algo más de cohesión. Por su lado, las letras son introspectivas y muy buenas, aunque tampoco he podido prestarles demasiada atención. Una artista infravalorada y poco conocida que, aunque no sea totalmente de mi estilo, me alegra haber descubierto.
Sweet, but not too catchy
This album started so damn good, the opening two tracks are fantastic, catchy as hell and an all round good time. Then it gets kinda eh. Not any “bad” songs but nothing particularly special to write home about, it picks up with “Stoned Soul Parade” but then it goes back to the general same level of quality. Again, nothing bad, but nothing too interesting.
Not bad. Great voice and interesting lyrics. A little to much pop for my liking.
For something from the early 60s, this felt a little before it's time. 3.5/5
She’s very talented and has a powerful voice. I enjoyed the album overall but is not a favorite. It’s a solid 3 for me. Ok but probably wouldn’t listen again
Dad- 9.5 Mom- 8.5 Mike- NA Lori- 3.5 Michael- 5 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 6.63
Lovely stuff. Heavily influential for next generation of Lady singers, namely Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse. It's okay. Wouldn't seek it out.
Didn't mind this, but I'd rather listen to Ricky Lee Jones or Carole King. Good voice.
Maybe it's just not pop enough for me, but I felt pretty neutral. The lyrics don't hit, but I guess I get what people like about them. 3 stars - jazzy. Interested - Rhythmically challenging, jarring to listen to so far. Also if you're gonna be a lyricist you have to enunciate... (enunciation got better) - Enjoying this, I think I'm going to give it a 2nd listen and focus on lyrics
Not my preferred genre (60’s jazz soul?) but more pleasing to listen to than some of the stuff I’ve tried here.
Didn't realize this was released in the late 60s, which explains the 70s sitcom theme song vibe I got from it.
After an onslaught of albums that I feel very strongly about, it's almost nice to get something that I find vaguely pleasant. There is a theatricality to these songs that I don't totally gel with, and the sound feels fairly consistent from front to back. So, consequentially, this album is kind of "in one ear, out the other" but while its on, I think it's fairly enjoyable. Laura Nyro is obviously a fantastic singer, and the performances and arrangements are clearly detailed, regardless of how I feel about them. My favorite tracks here are ones that play with a different sound palette, like December's Boudoir, they just kind of stand out. Overall, this is an enjoyable album!
Definitely one of the more interesting and dynamic pop albums from the 60s, and I do really like the prominent jazz influence. It's pretty much always the same and has very little else to offer, but at least it's good at what it does.
I had never heard of Laura Nyro before, but this was some fairly enjoyable 60s pop. Favourite track: Poverty Train, Stoned Soul Picnic, Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)
I really liked this. Especially the jazz and soul sounds. Her voice is great though it can be a little irritating at times when she's hitting the high notes. The sound and vibe of the songs change almost all the time, which keeps things interesting, but overall a very chill album to listen to. Fav tracks: Lonely Women, Emmie, and Stoned Soul Picnic. Least fav: Timer.
I'm not particularly fond of some songs on this album. However, Nyro is a good singer and songwriter. "Poverty Train" is a great track, in my opinion. I can also say that about the slower tracks. I forgot to listen to this album yesterday, so I'm listening to it now. 3 stars for "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession".
This was fine. I'd say overall pretty enjoyable. Nothing really "blew me away" here, but she is a really good singer. I don't think her voice every annoyed me like some people say, but this album was definitely repetitive. "Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)" is soooo good tho Liked Songs: "Luckie" , "Lu" , "Eli's Comin' " , "Emmie" , "Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe)" , "The Confession"
Sort of like a more show-tunesy Joni Mitchell, with a little Carole King sass, though not as distinctive as either (though this could just be because I'm listening to this 60 years later with the benefit of already knowing it hasn't passed the test of time). I enjoyed stoned soul picnic and a few others, but didn't have a strong reaction either way. Felt like she strained to hit maximum volume on her vocals a bit too often and in doing so lost texture in her tone. But definitely a dynamic and interesting songwriter.
Not a bad album, but its lacking in something... Its got that 60s joyous feel - like Dusty Springfield, but without the raspy edge. Or like Carole King, but not as heart punchy. Or Joni without the vocal range... Her style is very familiar, but not quite its own thing? I appreciated how strong the cult following is for this record (directly inspired Elton John and Todd Rundgren). I guess its an early form of a very unique kind of pop. And for that, I'll probably need to give it a 2nd or 3rd spin before calling my view on it complete. For now, it sits at 2.5 stars and Im rounding up due to its uniqueness. Eli's Comin' is worth an add to a playlist... but im not sure what fits with it...
On paper thought I would like this album - but I’m going Joni or Dusty all day for my fix. This was just a little too chaotic and rambling for my taste. Still some nice moments - maybe a 2.5.
Una voz muy agradable y fuerte, bastante antidepresivo hasta cierto punto.
3/5
Soulful record, and a very present voice that powers through the lyrics. All songs sounded great, and it is a good recommendation for future listens.
De hecho, no estuvo nada de mal. Una de las cosas que más me sorprendió fue lo moderno de las portadas y de algunas de sus canciones.
Soulful and fun, but lacks a truly dynamite track. 7.9/10
For an artist I had not heard of before, she really has a great voice. Obviously when a music group/artist goes by the lead singer’s name, they are trying to bring as much attention to the singer as possible. That’s clearly the smart choice hear cause her voice is incredible. It’s very loud and charismatic while also being subtle when it needs to be. The album also showcase a light range of music for her voice to shine on as well. Sadly they can’t all be “Eli’s Comin’”, which is a stone cold classic, but there are other songs on this album that will grow on you and leave an impression. That being said I don’t think the album was perfect. For example they could’ve expanded that range of music further and added more dynamic tone changes. Honestly even though I only saved a few songs off the album, I really enjoyed it and the album just flew by. Definitely listen to this one.
Decent.
Great voice. I couldn't really tell what era this album was from. I don't know if I'd listen to this again, but wasn't upset at all about going through it for the first time. 3/5.
-I had never heard of Laura Nyro before this. she seems like an interesting character and this was an interesting album -I can see the influence her style had on artists like Kate Bush especially her earlier work. Piano-based pop / soul adjacent music from women around this time has a really powerful feel to it -Favorites are Luckie and Eli’s Comin’
I will confess, nice voice
Very pretty singer but don’t think her writing is my style
nice one, unexpected
Just so-so for me. Repetitive.
if you told me this is from 1968 and i didn't see this, i'd heavy doubt you, as the production is so peak. nice vocals and beautiful instrumentation but it's nothing too better then good background music.
Timeless in nature, I'm impressed with how modern-sounding it is for the late 60s. Loved the jazz elements; however, it contained many mediocre songs that didn't go anywhere, sprinkled with brilliance. Not my type of music, but I can appreciate it.
Someone needs to play Eli's Coming for Drew & Katie immediately lol Enjoyable, easy listen. Solid 3.
This has been mostly in the background, but this stands out for its uniqueness. Quite jazzy and loose in structures across a number of songs -- Timer is the one I'm listening to as I'm writing this thought. This has a unique quality where it very much sounds like the 60s with its twinkling bells and vocal recording style; and yet it feels almost contemporary in its levity. Poverty Train was another that stood out as I was listening to it. Love the way that the song strips everything away in the final minute and leans into her vocals -- so smooth. Really enjoyed the whole mini-opera that was Eli's Comin'. Woman's Blues is also a jam. Liked a lot of this, but don't think I'll be back quickly. This falls into high 3 territory for me.
Nothing wrong with this one. Feels like it could be a 4 with another listen. Second half was either better than the first half, or that's when I just was paying more attention. Good voice, good groove.
Another one of those good easy listening singer-songwriter albums that are nice to have come up every so often.
Dusty in Memphis was after or before this? Sounds so similar to me, not the best selection of songs, quality singer
Good lord that's a lot of lyrics Laura in Luckie. You know you can leave bits of the song where you can hear the instruments, right? Yeah second and third track is the same. This is pretty ridiculous really. Let the music breathe, otherwise it feels like an assault. Is every song about the devil? This is such a strange record. I've never heard this name before either. I was just starting to warm to this after the very good Eli's Comin and Stoned Soul Picnic, (recognise the latter from a Julie London cover, bizarrely, not the 5th Dimension one, and what is surry anyway) but Women's Blues and Farmer Joe just annoyed me again with the excessive singing. She's got a great voice though, that's indisputable. I totally appreciate it's weirdness, just doesn't quite work as an enjoyable listen for me.
Yep that’s the 60’s! She has a lovely voice but this felt mostly like a Monkees album. And Poverty Train was terrible!
Not bad at all, but nothing about this record scream or even whispers essential. I don't understand why this is on the list. Favorite song: sweet blindness
Late 60s singer-songwriter. Jazzy. Uplifting, great energy, very jaunty. Insanely long.
it's got those jazz hits to it
Overall production of this album seems a bit trebly which accents the flinty grating nature of the vocals. Musicianship and arrangements are very good , but overall the tracks are not very memorable. I did highly enjoy “Eli’s Coming”.
Just didn’t do much for me.
Gear: ZMF Bokeh Artwork: 🔳💄👩 Production: 🎧😘🤌 Music: 🎤🎷🎹🌟😳🥺 Rating: 🕯️🕯️️🕯️(️🕯️)/5
Some really good songs, especially in terms of songwriting. 3 stars or C+.
Sounded like Minnie Riperton or something similar, it was really nice at times but there was something off about it
Much better than expected, jazzy retro cool
This has a theatrical bent that I didn’t exactly love, but there were moments for sure. The songs are definitely vibrant and really tell a story.
I tried so hard to love this and I can hear her influence in what came after but it just didn't connect with me. This album is a good example of how sometimes I wish we could give each album a week instead of a day. Then again, we might not make it to the end of this list before we die, so there's that...
Yet another artist I've never heard of heard of, and while the album isn't really to my taste, I do appreciate the exposure. At times it felt like a Bette Midler revue performance (or what I imagine one of those would sound like, since I haven't really actively listened to Midler aside from secondhand musical smoke from a rabid fan many years ago), other times like a musical soundtrack. Either way, not too much that drew me in ("Poverty" was a bit more interesting than other tracks), but I really appreciate it that she wrote the entire album. And I can see why some later critics felt she was a late-60s pop queen, although given that she was booed off stage at the Monterey Pop Festival and the lackluster sales figures, and that later bands had much more success with covering her songs, it seems like she was more of a singer's singer than a massively popular--or even appreciated--artist in her time.
I enjoyed the pop, rock, jazz, gosepl, and soul instrumental arrangements that Nyro made throughout the album, but her belting showtime approach to vocals often made her lyrics unintelligible and began to wear on me the longer the album went on. Includes the requisite 60s - 70s cocaine reference. I can hear her influence on a number of piano pop stars like Elton John, Tori Amos, and Todd Rundgren. Favorites: "Eli's Comin'" and "Stone Soul Picnic"
Seems like a gal having a good time behind a piano. Fave: Luckie, I guess.
Huh - I thought I new who Laura Nyro was, but I was expecting some British turn-of-the-millenium coffeeshop singer-songwritery biz, so evidently not. It's a bit showtunesy for my taste, though it did hold my interest, I guess. Fave track - "Eli's Comin" felt more like soul, so I enjoyed that. The intro to "Woman's Blues" was great - wish she did full tracks in that vein!
Nice, incredible vocals but stylistically in the shadow of joni mitchell and carole king, not unique enough to land a place among those big players.
This sadly didn't really connect with me. There isn't anything wrong with it. I enjoy how dynamic and ever changing these songs are. They flow nice. Laura has a beautiful voice that reminds me alot of Laura marling who i like quite a bit. I can't explain it but it just didn't hit. It is very far from bad though.
3.5, I’m surprised I’ve never heard of Laura Nyro. She’s has the same sound as Carol King and Carly Simon, maybe just not as iconic.
The range and power she has in her vocals is impressive, and the song compositions are very interesting, worth another listen probably
Just fine.
A typical, melodic and varied album of the 60s. Interesting life story of Laura Nyro.
3/5
I enjoyed this for the most part. It is thankfully under an hour.
I liked the Jazz songs much more than the rest.
Dull
The soundtrack to picturing myself in a smoky bar, contemplating the bottom of my whisky glass because I slept with my secretary but my wife found out and now she's taken the kids and moved back in with her mother who hated me all along.
I'm pleasantly surprised by this album, beautifully soulful and joyful at times.
Oh so very inconsistent. Some parts were very, very good, but when she tried hitting the high notes it's was BAD. If she toned it down a notch this would have been miles better
Gets a 3 because the production value is good. Sounds like the late 60s. I really don't like her singing style, though - at times it's good, but when it's bad, it's really bad. 3/5
Nelos album koji spaja soul, blues i nekakav folk. Medutim, niti jedna pjesma mi nije bila posebno upecatljiva. Njen glas i nacin pjevanja mi nisu u potpunosti prenijeli emociju teksta. Bez orkestralnog dijela bio bi definitivno manje zanimljiv. 5/10 = 3
Doesn’t do all that much, nice voice but goes down the theatre vocals route too much
Interesting music for the time. Good voice, if a little shouty at times.
Some Carole King in tone and phrasing. A little Rickie Lee Jones in terms of loose tunefulness and a sweetness of melody. A touch of Kate Bush in the soaring to the vocal highs with a certain warbliness. One can see how she was influential but also too cultish to be a commercial success. This just doesn’t do a ton else besides just being generally decent and likable, with lots of moments of quality, but a distinct lack of songs that hold together. The issues are an excess showiness and the relentlessly upbeat tone, which gets exhausting as things proceed. One really wants to like this more than one does, but the plus-cuts are too few ("SS Picnic" is pretty good, but less woulda been more, keeping it simpler and more elegant mighta help and the strings are just too much) and the problems too glaring. There's real vocal power here that doesn’t seem fully in her control, or she throws it around too loosely. Plus the tempo shifts and reversals are too much and too frequent. The material too all over the place, too – too thickly arranged or too cabaret-sounding, too obviously aiming for soul or jazz only to deliver tepidly. When Phoebe Snow and Janis Ian are your major influencees, maybe you're not actually all that huge a thing and maybe don't belong in this list.
Think it was pretty good, all well made n stuff Will I listen to again: 5%
Eli’s Comin and The Confession were both very good! Her voice had such a familiar sound I couldn’t place it but I enjoyed
Pretty voice. Listened to while i was at the beach at night. Nice soundtrack
Laura's vocals are confusing. She clearly has a great voice, but she goes back and forth with her tone and does this brassy broadway thing a lot. Maybe it was the fashion at the time, like an onion on your belt? Anyway, decent album. Annoying in parts, but she clearly has some chops. 3/5
Laura Nyro walked so the feminist movement could run
Not bad, fairly chill.
I’m convinced that if I had never heard this album, the three “hits” from the album (Sweet Blindness, Eli’s Coming, and Stoned Soul Picnic) would have clearly stood out as the only decent songs. Still, a solid 3. Check out Thrre Dog Night’s version of Eli’s Coming for contrast.
Enjoyable, more upbeat music from someone I never heard of
Lite, refreshing, interesting, but moving on…
I need to stop rating things as 3 but this is a 3 and some of the prior 3s are 2s.
Never heard of her before. Sounds pretty good, but I would have liked it more in a different style of music. As is it sounds a little overdone.
Great voice, but some songs missed the mark for me. Still quite good. 3.5/5
Crisp, well produced and the sound production certainly doesn't sound like it's from 1968. That said, I felt a few of the tracks wavered a little, which has marked it down from a 4* to a 3.5* (meaning on here I need to mark it as a 3!) Can we have scores out of 10, please! :-)
Ok
Style intéressant mais pas emballé. Rythmé, mode majeur, 60s
78% Best: Luckie; Eli's Comin'; Stoned Soul Picnic; Woman's Blues Must-Hear? Not quite
It was okay, I usually like this kind of music but this one was just okay
Wasn't sure what to think of this one. Pop showtunes thing not for me. I would give the most not-for-me Joni Mitchell 3 stars and this is about there.
Backstory to Nyro’s career is neat, she seems like a cool and respectable musician. Good record, too.
Not bad exactly, but the tempo just didn’t seem to match to my ear
Actually not bad. 3
Primer acercamiento a Laura Nyro. Eli And The Thirteenth Confession (1968) corresponde a su segundo álbum de estudio, y tomando el título de su primer LP, debo decir que esto sin duda fue "Más que un nuevo descubrimiento". Si bien este disco se categoriza principalmente como Pop Soul, esta calidad no debe verse como una limitación de todo lo que Nyro puede ofrecernos en este trabajo. Así, mezclando elementos del Soul, el Jazz, el Gospel e incluso el Rock, la artista nos envuelve en una frenética aventura que nunca deja apagado al oyente. En mi opinión, este es el punto más distintivo y también el más débil del disco. Por un lado, destacar que la habilidad de crear estos escenarios nos permite conocer todas las talentosas facetas de la artista. Sin embargo, también nos ofrecen una experiencia sin descansos y con puntos más débiles, donde a veces más resulta en menos (ejemplo de ello son canciones como Timer o December's Boundoir, donde pienso que la artista tomo demasiadas progresiones para un mensaje que era más sencillo siguiendo una estructura un poco más tradicional de canción). Sin embargo, esto no debe considerarse como un impedimento para escuchar esta tremenda joya de artista, la cual definitivamente recomiendo y que sin duda espero me siga siendo recomendada. FAVTRAXS: Luckie, Sweet Blindness, Poverty Train, Lonely Woman, Eli's Comin', Woman's Blues, Stone Soul Picnic LEASTFAV: December's Boundoir 3.5/5 (Con próximas escuchas podría llegar a 4)
has an interesting atmosphere but doesn't keep it quite enough for a higher rating
Good album. Great voice.
fun throwback
Pleasant vocal jazz but all songs sounded a little samey
I'm not really familiar with Laura Nyro so it was fun to dive into this album. I really liked "Lu" and "Sweet Blindness." I kinda lost steam as the album went along.
Pleasant enough
this sounds so refreshing! although it's not my favourite music, i have to admit that it aged very well!
I hadn’t heard of Laura Nyro before. I went into this hopeful as it seems that she appears on similar lists as Joni Mitchell and Carole King. I can’t really put my finger on why this didn’t click for me as much as I wanted it to. Perhaps it’s a little too jazzy for my taste. I had it on in the car, and my partner said that she found it to be fantastic, but it just didn’t hit that note for me. The vocals are great and the music isn’t afraid to get a bit weird, but the stars didn’t quite align for me. Still a good album, but didn’t blow me away.
as odd as it sounds, she comes across as a more soulful karen carpenter to me.
Nice album.
Nice voice. I was a bit surprised she has really low counts on Spotify. Nothing extraordinary, but I think she deserves the place on the list.
This varied wildy from amazing voice to God this is whiney, it's so bi-polar
Great voice but mediocre album.
There are flashes of brilliance here that would inspire multiple singers throughout the 70s, but the album doesn't really hang together. Sometimes the Broadway side takes over too much and it becomes overwrought and melodramatic
I was really feeling stress to come up with a review of this album. The issue, hitting it straight on, is that it hits me as very directly fair to middlng. Her voice is "good" the lyrics "solid" the instrumentals "professional" but I don't personally connect directly, as if it is something I would have in the background while I do other things or just sort of "yeah, I know who Laura Nyro is, she is 'good.' " I am nearly the opitome of anti-capitalist bullshit marketing hype. I am all for the "little guy" the people on the margins and their worth. But even so I think there is a reason why I had never heard of her before, and it may have to do with her placement at the banquet, she is certainly "in the room" but maybe she is down there at table number eight over there. There is nothing "wrong" with her music. There are just a lot of musicians in front of her kind of obscuring her view.
Not familiar with the late Laura Nyro's discography at all. Quite the soul voice amidst all of the musical layers heard throughout. The tempo changes quite frequently, ranging from more of an upbeat pop sound, to some slower blue-eyed soul & gospel. It was a fun listen, if not a little inconsistent as a whole.
It's fine. I wouldn't play it myself but I wouldn't complain if I heard it again. 3/5
Not all songs land equally well and the vocals are excellent but not completely my taste.
Aika leikkisää ja hyväntuulista. Vauhdikasta. Kivaa souljazzpop kamaa. Parhaat: Lu, The Confession
My first impression is that the bass playing is pretty good. Checking the roster, Chuck Rainey played on this album, so this makes sense! This is not my kind of music, but the strength of the songwriting hooks you in. There are some interesting tempo changes throughout. Nyro's voice was so powerful. Having said all of that, it's not my thing.
it's fine, has flashes of good.
It was kind of show tune-y which was fun. Her vocal style is pretty aggressive so it either hits or misses badly
I wanted to like this more than I did, but it was still pretty ok. The blurb references Tori Amos and I can definitely see the connection there. Someone in my listening group also referenced Carole King which I thought was spot on, except Carole has a much better control of her voice and a much better tone. There were times when I felt Laura was singing 'as hard and loud as she could' just because it felt good to belt it out, even when the song called for a more subtle approach. A decent vibe the whole way through but no real peak/hit.
I really enjoyed this one. She's a great singer and conjures up all the 60s vibes.
Ja opzich wel mooi, zou het nog eens moeten luisteren om goed te kunnen oordelen. Lonely woman goed
A bit quirky but a lot of soul in this.
Luckie 3.5 Lu 3.6 Sweet Blindness 3.4 Poverty Train 3 Lonely Women 3.1 Eli's Comin' 3.8 Timer 3.6 Stoned Soul Picnic 3.4 Emmie 3.2 Woman's Blues 3.6 Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe) 3.1 December's Boudoir 2.9 The Confession 3 Score: 3.323076923
qobuz seit soul funk r&b aber s isch meh sochli moderne jazz type? stimm chli am struggle aber die erste zwei songs sind etz no cuute. hoooly shit es isch 1968 hani erst jetz gseh da tönt huuere modern. aaaah chuck rainey am bass. poverty train isch seehr geil. eli zeigt wieder chli d limite vo ihrere stimm. timer hani am ahfang doof gfunde aber am schluss wos zwüsched grad und swing wechslet isch huere geeil. stoned sould picnic macht au wieder rhythmus wechsel zmitzt drin riuchtig geil. ihri stimmt isch chli de schwachpunkt. woman's blues recht funky once it was alright macht au wieder huuere sache immer wieder andere rhythmus.
hmmmm wiso het sie sich so gnennt? sie chan schön singe aber s erste lied isch bis jz eifach schön abe rjo ahh wobii sie het jz scho zweimal chli en pacewechsel gha, sehr cool aso me muess sege, für 1968 ischs sehrsehr ziitlosi musig baaaa bababa baaaa SCHO WIEDER poverty train recht cool lonely women coole uufbau und denn 3/4, sehr hard Eli's coming au rhythmisch wieder cool finds bis jz zwar sehr spannend, aber nüt packt mich würkli so emotional oder so farmer joe git ide erste 40 sekunde chli gäse und denn wieder öppis ganz anders. sehr sehr cool ja s wird wahrschindlich es 3. hans recht es churzwiiligs und spannends albbum gfunde mit funny rhythmik und iwie würkts nöd, wie wenns usem 1968i wär. aber ebe, schlussendlich hetmi doch wenig packt
I enjoyed this. I might come back to her occasionally. I'd never heard of her but what a voice!
Some of these tunes are great, her change of rhythm and how she annunciates certain things, she's different. For the most part, splendid. Drags a _little_but really good.
first listen. It's nice very pleasant
Big. Nothing calm here, nothing laid back. Not a sip but getting pretty buzzed. You'll recognize Eli's Comin' and Stoned Soul picnic, testaments to her writing skills, but also how just a step back allows you to hear them a little better. How did Farmer Joe not become a hit? Might need a step back. Oh, and I am in love with that face and the script.
She sometimes has a touch of the Carole King about her. I like Eli’s Comin’ and commend her on her vocal agility. It’s good to hear something I’ve never heard before so that was welcome but I’m not going to listen to get again.
I'll admit up front, I didn't really give this thing the proper time and attention that it—that any album, of course—deserves. Much like back when my group got COLES CORNER, for some reason I thought it'd be a good idea to try and listen to this thing in the same room where my mom was cleaning and blasting her own music from the TV. I mean, heck, even in the moment, I realized very quickly that there's only so much you can pick up on when "Houdini" and "The Real Slim Shady" are blaring right next to you, but thanks to the pure stubbornness I had for not wanting to listen to Eminem right then... The only part I remember fully picking up on (and it was only after I finally moved somewhere quieter) was the final vocal hit of the last song, and... I'unno. There was just something about the way it sounded that hit me the wrong way. Enough so that I didn't even bother giving this thing a second listen, so I'm writing this mostly based on samples and scrubbing around fan YouTube uploads. To be honest, I don't think this album's bad, really. It's a collection of soul-y late-60's tunes, very far away from the pretension I imagined I'd be in for thanks to the "folk jazz" genre label on Wikipedia. Normally, I'm very into this sorta thing. I dig Aretha Franklin, after all. And I can't say there aren't a few spots where I did find this thing kind of beautiful, even through the noise of "Mockingbird" and "What's The Difference?". On the whole, though... Look, I hate to parrot opinions, but there's just something about her voice sometimes, man. It leaves me very unenthusiastic to wanna revisit this thing. Now, I don't think I'm asking for a perfect voice here. I know I'm used to hearing voices digitally modified to be flawless, but I can recognize how much charm there is in the little human errors. That's what makes this shit alive, man. That's where the soul is! Or something like that. But Nyro here... I can tell when she wants to hit the big notes like Aretha does. She just can't manage them, though. In those moments, she sounds like Cher. I only just now realized that as I was writing this, but yeah: she sounds like Cher sometimes. And the thing is, Cher sounds like that **all the time**, so I'm at least able to let her get away with being unique. Nyro keeps fluctuating, though, and I suppose I can respect the fact that she's not trying to put on a voice, but I just wish she'd stick in one lane or the other. Now, I'd kinda feel bad about giving her a low rating. After all, from everything I've seen, she's clearly someone very influential who just didn't get her public due at the time. The album wasn't a commercial hit, but it did influence people like Elton John and Todd Rundgren, and in 2020 Rolling Stone named it one of the 500 greatest albums of all time. A more famous, well-known "greatest album"—like, I'unno, as an off-the-dome example, TALKING HEADS: 77—had to be kicked out entirely for this to be here. That's not nothing. And it's not like any of that means it should get an automatic five stars from me, but... I liked enough parts of it that I can't go lower than a 3. I don't like her voice, but again, there parts I **did** find kind of beautiful. It's just that this feels like the least enthusiastic 3 I've given since... COLES CORNER, funny enough. So I guess I didn't really miss too much when parts were drowned out by "Venom".
I’m at a 3.5 that I just don’t think I can round up to a 4. Really, the biggest thing this album has going against it is a lack of complete consistency. I’m not opposed to bucking traditionalism and having wild tempo shifts and mood shifts within individual songs, because when this album does it, it usually does it remarkably well, and tends to make sense within the lyrics of each track. It just never keeps a model of consistency in the quality of those shifts, and it stems entirely from her vocals. Her vocals, for most of this album, are usually pretty good, but there are times when, much like the compositions themselves, it just strains a little too far one way or the other to the point of either breaking, or sounding a little shaky. It’s very apparent when she tries to do those stair step vocals to pitch up or pitch down; it’s not consistent, and it’s not as clean as one would hope. Regardless, though, her vocals don’t ruin the songs at all, they’re just noticeable in a way that doesn’t vibe with my musical sensibilities. I love having vocalists blend in perfectly to the music, and she just doesn’t do it consistently enough here to overlook it. With all of that said, I think the instrumentals are great, the lyrics are a little weird at times (what in the fuck is “Decembery ice” other than a desperately needed adjective-noun pair) but mostly pretty solid, and the vibes of the album are good. I really did enjoy most of this album, and I’d honestly recommend it; someone will absolutely overlook all of these perceived flaws and just vibe out. For me, though, it’s just not consistent enough to bump up to a 4, and it certainly never gets anywhere near a 5 as a complete project. If I could keep it at a 3.5, I would, but I’m gonna leave it at a 3.
3 Stars (8/15)
Kannte ich gar nicht. Kann man sich aber anhören.
Way better than I thought it would be
Musically pretty nice, but not really fan of the vocals.
It’a pretty cool but don’t think I’ll listen to it again
I totally judged this album by it's cover and thought that this would be some early 2000's millenial singer songwriter. I appreciate the sound as being a bridge between 60's/70s singer songwriter piano pop rock and more modern iterations of that sound, like Fiona Apple and Regina Spektor. It certainly has that confident sound that isn't afraid of changing time signatures or tempos or feels to get a good lyric across. The sum of these cool ideas though is a sound that fell a little flat to me however. I consistently felt like I wanted more and more and was curious when more would come and it never really did.
My initial, very catty response is, "Mom's gotten into the wine again," but that's way too dismissive, isn't it? It's not like it's poorly performed; Laura fucking goes for it at every opportunity. Unfortunately, that leads to some ear fatigue, as the extremely lively blend of pop, jazz, and soul is, well, *extremely* lively. At the beginning of the record, it reminded me of the Motown girl groups. At the end, it's just... Very theatrical and showtune-y. Favorite track: "Lonely Women"
I wish I liked it more!
Nice. Reminded me a little of Rickie lee Jones.
I can definitely see that she is definitely a muse for some of my favorite musicians, and there are glimmers of perfection. when she starts talking about cocaine?? amazing. but I just don't particularly care for the parts that the 1970's singer/songwriters overused. Interesting but probably not anything I'd listen to.
This was good, it was kind of all over the place. I couldn't really pin down her style into one category. A decent album from an artist I had never heard of.