Emilie Simon - Vegetal

This is my first album review, how exciting! Anyways, I've chosen to review a lesser known album that is not on iTunes (all the best seem to have been missed by them, anyways..) I'm going to try a track by track review for this one.


1. Alicia - This track sets the tone for the rest of the album. With it's
odd beats reminiscent of Bjork's Homogenic and the violins that add a layer of lightness to the dark, this track is the perfect song to showcase the album.

2. Fleur De Saison - Oddly upbeat, this song is a lot of fun. It is easily one of the singles off of the album. The guitars and handclapping make this a song that really makes you want to move. It keeps steady right up until the end, where it slows down to prepare you for the next track.

3. Le Vieil Amant - This is a dark song, and it's really quite somber. Though it's in french, the lyrics talk about a dead lover, and her getting caught up in the emotions of it all. The mechanical beats add something that makes this song quite ominous. And when the strings come in, all the emotions meld together to form this dark masterpiece.

4. Sweet Blossom - The first track to appear in English, it starts off with strings leading up to the usual mechanical beats. Simon's voice on this track gives this piece a very ghostlike feel. For me, this track almost feels Burtonesque.. if that makes sense.

5. Opium - Opium is a very serene track, and quite soothing. Her vocals make this song a darkly romantic lullaby. It's definitely one of the highlights that many people might overlook.

6. Dame De Lotus - This is most people's favorite track off the album. It's not my favorite, but it's good. It's very mainstream, and I could imagine this song in a commercial. It still has the strings and a strange beat, but it just seems to miss the mark for me. Give it a chance though, since you'll most likely enjoy it.

7. Swimming - Starting off with splashes of water that become the backing beat in the song, Swimming starts off slow but crescendos to a longing chorus. This may take a few listenings to get the beauty of it, but it's one of the best tracks on here once you find it's magic.

8. In The Lake - Swimming leads directly to In the Lake. This song is extremely beautiful, but it almost seems too happy for this album. Nevertheless, it's still a wonderful love song, and the second track to appear in English. The flutes sound amazing, the beats sound like birds, and her backing vocals meld together to form this song. I'd check this one out for sure.

9. Rose Hybride De Thé - Less singing than talking, this track shouldn't work, but the background and overall experimentation make this a ssong you can't pass up. The relentless beat, and soothing vocals are such an odd combination, but they seem to work perfectly.

10. Never Fall In Love - The third track in English, this song is absolutely wonderful. The beat is very fast and fun, while the guitar/bell chords in the song are ominous, yet beautiful. The backing vocals may turn some people off, but I think it adds to this incredibly odd song.

11. Annie - This track prepares you for the next two songs. It's slow and beautiful with a wonderful beat. The guitar is what adds a lot to this song, though obviously Simon's vocals are what pulls it through.

12. My Old Friend - The brooding track of a friend from the past. This song starts off slow, and never really picks up. But that's exactly why this song works so well, it's one of the best on here, and the last song in English. Words can't describe this song, so I'd just listen to it. There are few songs like it, and passing it up would be a mistake.

13. En Cendres - The perfect ending to this album begins with the sounds of a fire. The beat is foreboding, and you just know an ending is in sight. The backing vocals add to this mood, along with her singing and guitar. This is my favorite song for a reason, and when the choir comes in, it elevates this song to a whole new level. The song and album ends with the sound of the fire slowly diminishing, until there's nothing left.

Final Thoughts - This is my favorite album, it's not upbeat, it's not going to make you dance, but there's something about it that takes its hold on me. I've listened to this album over 10 times the past week, and hasn't lost any of it's power. It is one of the only albums where I love every song (Dame de Lotus included, it's just not my favorite). There are missteps, but they're so few and far between, that I have to give this album:

9.5/10

I hope you enjoyed my review, like I said, it's my first and it's not that well written, but hopefully I will get better.

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joanna sheen

Clutch - Strange Cousins from the West



this marks the bands first release on their own label 'Weathermaker Music'. i had high hopes for this disc, especially with the creative freedom they provided for themselves. instead, they ditch the organist that added nice textures to their sound on their last discs, strip down the guitars even more and basically release a meandering platform of watered down blues metal for a paranoid preacher / freeman / black's law activist.

conspiracy theorists worldwide will love this album, anyone with a clue will get a headache from rolling their eyes so much.

i'm left horribly disappointed.

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