Self Help Serenade

Artist: Marjorie Fair
Label: EMI
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 766487483445
EAN: 0724357812726
ASIN: B0001XQ6EK

Release Date: 2004-05-17

Self Help Serenade

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Tracks:

Don't Believe
Halfway House
Empty Room
Stare
How Can You Laugh
Waves
Please Don't
Cracks in the Wall
Stand in the World
Hold on to You
Silver Gun
My Sun Is Setting Over Her Magic

Album Description

Hailing from Los Angeles the four piece, have created an album that is as rich as it is beautiful, packed full of slow burning melodies & soul-inspiring songs. Tapping into the same vein as Mercury Rev, Grandaddy, Coldplay & Doves whilst drawing inspiration from Neil Young, John Lennon & Brian Wilson, they present a glorious vision of West Coast pop that deals as much with gentle melancholy as wide-eyed wonder.

Customer Reviews:

Benjamin Paint.......2005-08-01

If you buy one album this year, it should be Marjorie Fair's "Self Help Serenade." If Capitol records had any sense they would be pushing this record more vigorously. Fortunately for Capitol and the band, this album is an instant classic that will thrive with or without the marketing machine.
Simply put, this album will put you in a Trance. Like the title suggests, if you allow the album to run its course in your CD player, you should find some moments of needed introspection. Alas it's refreshing to hear a singer who can actually sing! Even Coldplay's Chris Martin does not stand a chance. Moreover, singer / songwriter Evan Slamka offers melodies that are memorable, haunting and classic though without pointing to familiar melodies from the collective pop subconscious to trigger memories from the listener's melodic comfort zone. Rather, Slamka carves out a style of his own that features heart-on-the-sleeve lyric honesty and a knack for guiding classic melodies through interesting chord changes. One could compare his writing to that of the Beatles, yet only in structure and form, not in style and production. That is to say that Slamka is like the Beatles for his ORIGINALITY, which stands on its own without campy songwriting / production tricks, like those used by Eliot Smith and the Jellyfish (to name a few), aimed at FORCING comparisons with the great songwriting duo.
There is no point in doing a song by song analysis, though I have my favorites (Don't Believe, Empty Room, Stare, How can you laugh, Halfway House). Each song is a classic if you have the patience to let the whole album sink in. If you don't have the patience for this album you likely don't have the patience for many worthwhile things in life. If you think this record is too melancholy it is only that you are not comfortable confronting the underlying feelings this album will stir within you.

Serenade us.......2005-05-16

If Mercury Rev had a more intimate sound, and had a more melodious lead singer, they might sound something like Marjorie Fair. And this is only their debut. One can only imagine how beautiful their music will be in ten years' time.

The Los Angeles quartet creates a dazzling first impression in "Self Help Serenade," a polished indie pop album that combines slow, eerie melodies with panoramic sound. Like a strange dream full of stars and rainy spring forests, this album sticks to your mind even when you wake up... I mean, when it's over. Why did this languish in limbo for three years?

Faint sound effects and a guitar melody kick off "Don't Believe," a dreamy pop song that starts the album off on a dark note. "Don't believe a word they say/they're only there to take you away... don't believe a word they say/they're only trying to scare you away..." Evan Slamka sings in the opener, sounding like a cynical, sad young boy.

Things don't get much more cheerful as the album goes on, using the same kind of epic pop sound that Mercury Rev and the Doves made famous. But in addition to that, Marjorie Fair dips into catchier art-pop, murky ballads, and acoustic laments that are colored by ghostly keyboard.

The songwriting is even more tragic, with Slamka singing, "They found her in a plastic veil/with blood stained boots and glass in her hair." But it ends on a startlingly mellow note, with Slamka resigning himself to his girlfriend leaving. He sounds peaceful as he sings, "My sun is setting over her magic/equal parts caring and tragic/I'll be burning for awhile..."

Marjorie Fair is not just a talented bands. It's also one of the few bands where the musical influences aren't worn on its sleeve -- there are hints of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Flaming Lips, and others woven into these songs. But they aren't blatant hints, nor does "Self Help Serenade" ever harken back to other musical eras.

Nor does it succumb to trends, like stripped-down garage-rock. Its fours members manage to create unusually lush sounds. Usually the combined sound is uniformly smooth and sweet, but for example, "Halfway House" has a rich, gritty solo by bassist Scott Lord. "Waves" lets drummer Mike Delisa get to shine. Dain Luscombe' panoramic keyboard is a ruling influence in almost every song. Slamka plays guitar as well, adding a grounding acoustic note to the swirling music. He also sings each song, lending extra poignancy to the already sad songs. This guy has a beautiful voice, and he smears it all over the dismal words ("staring at junkies and cracks in the wall")

Originally recorded in 2002, "Self Help Serenade" was an album definitely worth waiting for. As smooth, rich and eerie as a dream, this may well be a future hit in the world of indie rock.

Great album -- "Stare" and "Waves" are really awesome.......2004-10-21

Like many others, I've been waiting for this album to come out for a long time. But the wait has been worth it. This is a truly great album to chill out to. My favorite songs by far are "Waves" and "Stare." But the other songs are good as well. The songs are subtle and musically subversive. You listen to them and it's not until later in the day that you realize you've been humming or whistling the riffs and the melodies all damned day long. I mark that as the sign of truly good songwriting.
-Andy Napoli

This is a record that will become legendary.......2004-08-20

Finally, solid music with classic influences. There is much going on here, you hear it more and more with each listening.
From the Beatles to Pink Floyd - it's there and it's deep and it's one of those bands you can't wait to hear more from.
You need to give it a chance. You might not get hooked first listening if you are one of those commercial listeners, but you will be soon enough.

Music Album:

Music Album

Music Album

Music CD

Trio in Tokyo ~ Michael Petrucciani, Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson

Tribute to Benny Goodman with the BBC Big Band ~ Ken Peplowski & The BBC Big Band

Jaws in Orbit ~ Eddie %22Lockjaw%22 Davis With Shirley Scott

Looking Back ~ Henry Young

Cloth ~ Oliver Lake Big Band

Winds of Devotion: Earthsea Healing Series ~ Carlos Nakai & Nawang Khechog

Rote Wangen ~ Herman Van Veen

Les Indispensables ~ Claude Fran%C3%A7ois

Proceso ~ Luis Di Matteo

Just a Punky Dish V.5 ~ Various Artists