Swing Out Sister - Beautiful Mess
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Free Music Notes for Beautiful Mess
Free Music Review: Disappointed
Hit: 1 Stars
Like the other reviewers here, I have been a collector & fan since "Breakout" over 20 years ago. I consider Kaleidoscope World, Shapes & Patterns, & Get In Touch With Yourself to be melodic, and timeless works of musical art. I was excited to hear of this new release.
Andy likes his sound effects, beat box & Bacharach style melodies. Bottom line, I found this CD to be downright boring. There is nothing uptempo (can anything top "You On My Mind", "We Could Make It Happen", "Breakout" etc.?).
I have just outraged fellow SOS fans, but I am honest with my opinion. Nothing grabbed me. This is a fairly low key, mellow CD. Sure, the performance is top notch (what isn't done by programming), but it is background music at best, or something to fall asleep to. It isn't the fun, or catchy SOS power pop with catchy melodies that I am still hearing in malls today. Perhaps they haven't had many chart hits, but their music will remain a shopping center staple for years to come. I doubt if any of this material will make it that far. With each track I waited for the next one to make me say "wow", but it never happened. I found some of the mastering on a few tracks to be poor also.
This is a long overdue & welcome release, but it fell vastly short of my expectations & I don't think I'll be spinning it much. Their creativity & talent is astounding, but I'll stick with their past releases for enjoyment. Indeed, beautiful...but also a mess.
Free Music Review: The Swing Out Sister fans are waiting for or some good to start with
Hit: 5 Stars
If you are a Swing Out Sister fan (not just a casual "yeah I remember the Brakout song") you will be able to tell how the band has developed and refined the sound they have shown through 20-something years, and which we love. Excellent record!
If you are new to them, you may be surprised how the catchy tunes will grow into your taste, and then you'll discover the fine arrangements, and the details that will make you want more. In that case, you are lucky: there are more than 9 studio records from the past to choose from.
Free Music Review: They've done it again!
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm almost speechless in describing Swing Out Sister. This CD is so wonderful. Every single song. Extremely balanced. If you love pop, R&B
Soul, Jazz and Soundtrack music from the 60's & 70's I'm positive you will
love this CD. I would refer you to Donald Lindsey's review for a more articulate and detailed review of this CD.......
Free Music Review: Fantastic Album - shows their staying power
Hit: 5 Stars
They continue to produce fantastic music. It seems they get better with time. I'm always impressed.Free Music Review: More beauty uncovered with every spin
Hit: 4 Stars
SOS fans know that Corinne and the crew change musical flavors every so often, while not losing their distinctive sound. That's one of things we like about them and what makes their music consistently fresh.
Beautiful Mess is indeed beauty, but it's not "dressed up" beauty like Where Our Love Grows was. That was a masterpiece in its own right. But Beautiful Mess won't hit you right away. As other reviewers have indicated, the soundscape is more stark along the lines of The Living Return and Filth And Dreams. (It's not nearly as dark as Filth And Dreams, though.)
I also agree with at least one of the other reviewers that the airy, spatial sound we've been accustomed to from SOS is not present. It's closer to mono. It works with this material since the arrangements are not as dense. But this, combined with the sometimes too-loud background vocals, rate this release a semi-notch below other SOS releases for mixing.
That said, the overall sonics are great and while I love every aspect of Corinne's voice, I especially love her lower range (a la Sade). It's back on this release. Those same warm, sexy rich tones really will take you back to their first two amazing albums of the 80's -- right along with her retro haircut, lol.
I think I'm in the minority of SOS fans who love their instrumentals. I never consider them as filler. So I was a little saddened that there's only one non-lyrical track present. But it is a good one. I disagree that it is too repetitive.
Speaking of filler: there is none here. Every once in a while SOS will toss out a track that makes you think they were just tired. Nothing like that is present here on Beautiful Mess. "Secret Love" may be a bit out of place, but it's not filler: it just doesn't flow as well with the rest of the set.
Beautiful Mess is modern enough that it's a good place for new fans to become acquainted with the group, yet classic enough to please most loyalists. That unique mixture is probably why the vets aren't warming up to it right away. (The Living Return and Filth and Dreams polarized many fans, too.) But ask those same people a few months from now what they think of Beautiful Mess and I'll bet they will have changed their tune. Swing Out Sister are masters at what they do, and really are in a class of one.
Is this their best album? No.
Is it more good and/or great music from this fantastic and brilliant band of artists? Yes.
Here's one more piece of genuinely good music which is proof that beautiful soul is alive and flourishing in 2008. Thank you, Swing Out Sister, for remaining true to your vision.