Rating: -
i was a little unnerved when i had read earlier reviews, could E have slipped so far? well, as soon as i had the cd in my player i knew the negative reviews were totally off base. she is back with a vengeance, sounding more mature and sonically honed than ever. her voice has only improved over the years, as well as her ability to manipulate it. additionally, her stories are all the more relevant and impacting. complex, emotional and mature. granted, each song on the ep is drastically juxtaposed against the others, but such is the purpose of an ep, an opportunity to showcase strong songs that might not fit within an album's theme. she shows she is powerful across several musical genres, and provides a beautiful and intriguing prelude of what's to come.
Rating: -
I'm a fan who just discovered Esthero last year. I originally heard from her on the "Country Livin" remix she did with Goodie Mob a few years back. I finally got a hold of Esthero's album last spring and boy was I impressed. Every track was incredible. I've been waiting for her new release and, for now, this EP satisfies my appetite. Every song on the EP is excellent in my opinon. Some people my not like the eclectic sound of the EP, but I typical prefer artist who mix it up and explorer different styles and themes in thier music. (Outkast is my favorite group. I found Esthero by listening to Goodie Mob, which is part of the same Dungeon Family collective as Kast) Anyway, "I Drive Alone" should appease old fans that are looking for a similar sound... however, I think it's obvious that Esthero is exploring new genres and new ideas. (C'mon, the trip-hop scene died years ago!). "Everyday is a Holiday" is possibly one of the happiest song's I've ever heard in my life. It's something that has a beautiful, yet simple musical arrangment, but it is something that will put a smile on your face every time you hear it. "Gone" is a great R&B ballad with great acoustic guitar work and great lyrics. Cee-Lo Green does a great job on backup vocals and rapping over the track. (You might want to check out Cee-Lo's solo material as well). "This Lullaby" is purely Brasilian samba music. I just got back from a trip to Brasil Nov. 2004 and hearing this come from Esthero really impressed me. It has an excellent melody and E's voice has never sounded better. "We R in Need" is a great rock track with an even better message. And "Amber and Tiger's Eye" might remind you of some old skool Kate Bush or Bjork. It's just a track that showcases E's voice over a string arrangment. It's far from mainstream, and I think Esthero likes to keep it that way. Anyway, this is a great EP and I'm sure her album will blow many people away. This EP is HIGHLY recommended.
Rating: -
I'm a fan who just discovered Esthero last year. I originally heard from her on the "Country Livin" remix she did with Goodie Mob a few years back. I finally got a hold of Esthero's album last spring and boy was I impressed. Every track was incredible. I've been waiting for her new release and, for now, this EP satisfies my appetite. Every song on the EP is excellent in my opinon. Some people my not like the eclectic sound of the EP, but I typical prefer artist who mix it up and explorer different styles and themes in thier music. (Outkast is my favorite group. I found Esthero by listening to Goodie Mob, which is part of the same Dungeon Family collective as Kast) Anyway, "I Drive Alone" should appease old fans that are looking for a similar sound... however, I think it's obvious that Esthero is exploring new genres and new ideas. (C'mon, the trip-hop scene died years ago!). "Everyday is a Holiday" is possibly one of the happiest song's I've ever heard in my life. It's something that has a beautiful, yet simple musical arrangment, but it is something that will put a smile on your face every time you hear it. "Gone" is a great R&B ballad with great acoustic guitar work and great lyrics. Cee-Lo Green does a great job on backup vocals and rapping over the track. (You might want to check out Cee-Lo's solo material as well). "This Lullaby" is purely Brasilian samba music. I just got back from a trip to Brasil Nov. 2004 and hearing this come from Esthero really impressed me. It has an excellent melody and E's voice has never sounded better. "We R in Need" is a great rock track with an even better message. And "Amber and Tiger's Eye" might remind you of some old skool Kate Bush or Bjork. It's just a track that showcases E's voice over a string arrangment. It's far from mainstream, and I think Esthero likes to keep it that way. Anyway, this is a great EP and I'm sure her album will blow many people away. This EP is HIGHLY recommended.
Rating: -
I cannot seem to understand why the first couple of reviews of "Reoluvtion" are so pessimisstic, as another reviewer said. What an artist does over the years is imporve, evolve, and in this case it is amazing. Drawing from all kinds of music from Inidan, Bossa Nova, Spanish R&B and good ol' trip-hop, Esthero has concocted a beautiful potion of musical pleasure. My favorite tracks are all the songs: "I Drive Alone" (very Indian influenced, i love Indian music. and the trip-hop breakdown in the middle is killer), "This Lull-a-bye" (The Bossa Nova track, awesome), "We R in Need..." (so cool, the message is even better), "Gone" (The Spaninsh R&B song, amazing, airy guitars) "Everyday is a Holiday With You" (with Sean Lennon, smooth, poppy, happy track with fun pianoes) and "Amber and Tiger's Eye" (The Ambient, New Age track, so smooth and beautiful). In all, Esthero has departed almost completely from the sounds of "Breath From Another", but she has made something new that can be relished and admired just as much.
Rating: -
I feel some of the early reviews for this EP have been a bit too pessimistic. Granted this is a dramatic change from her last full-length, but that's by no means a bad thing.
It's true that you're not going to get a consistent mood - the EP jumps all over the place - but it's only 6 songs to begin with, so is that really a bad thing?
Everything here is amazing, especially considering that most of the songs here are B-sides. "Gone" in my opinion is probably one of the best R&B songs of the past few years - sultry singing, a brilliant guest appearance from Cee-Lo Green, vivid lyricism and rich instrumentation. It's not something to forget.
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