Word in Your Ear

Word in Your Ear Artist: Alfie
Label: Xl Recordings
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 634904015725
EAN: 0634904015725
ASIN: B000063ITX


Release Date: 2002-04-23

Word in Your Ear


Related Categories:

Britpop Britpop
Categories | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General General
Categories | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock Pop Rock
Categories | Pop | Styles | Music

Tracks:

  1. A Word In Your Ear
  2. Cloudy Lemonade
  3. Bends For 72 Miles
  4. Halfway Home
  5. Not Half
  6. The Reverse Midas Touch
  7. Summer Lanes
  8. Me And Mine
  9. Rain, Heaven, Hail
  10. The Lighthouse Keeper

Similar Items:

  1. If You Happy with You Need Do Nothing
  2. Crying at Teatime
  3. If You Happy With, You Need Do Nothing
  4. Do You Imagine Things?

Amazon.com

The debut album from these British acoustic troubadours comprises 10 snug, cozy tracks of fluffy folksy ramble that wouldn't say boo to the proverbial goose, but somehow manages to blow all your preconceptions about winsome indie-pop out of the window. Ambling in on the heels of 2001's fine EP <I>If You Happy with, You Need Do Nothing</I>, <I>A Word in Your Ear</I> is certainly no radical update of the Alfie agenda. Let your ears relax around the florid "Cloudy Lemonade" and the gently rapped "The Reverse Midas Touch," which blend sleepy hip-hop shuffle into bluesy campfire strum, and you'll hear everything from the rural poetry of Nick Drake to the gutsy swagger of the Stone Roses standing proud at the heart of Alfie's design. Meanwhile, singer Lee Gordon's laconic drawl still sounds uncannily like Tim Burgess at three-quarters speed. For anyone awaiting the continuing adventures of Badly Drawn Boy with bated breath, <I>A Word in Your Ear</I>--with its beautiful subtlety, lack of bombast, and knowledge that sometimes less is more--is a must-have. <I>--Louis Pattison</I>

Album Description

2002 release on Twisted Nerve is a fusion of everything from baggy to folk to psychedelia. Alfie has shared the stage with Sigur Ros, Stereolab, Sonic Youth and Mogwai.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Different in Approach to the first album, but no less worthy.......2004-03-29

Those looking at this review will most likely have sampled the first `Alife' album and are curious to investigate more of the Psychedic pop/rock band, that push their blend of Stylish, whimsical pop, with the catchiness of the best pop songs have to offer. But it should be noted that although the quality contained, is of a incredibly similar high standard as their debut album ("If You Happy With You Need Do Nothing"), the band have taken a different (although not a radical) approach to the second album and largely dispensed with the sound that prompted comparisons with `Baldy Drawn Boy/The Flaming lips/Mercury Rev', and handed in something akin to peak ear `Beach Boys' and `Gorky's Zygotic Mynci', with a little of the subtle intricacy of "Belle & Sebastian", insofar as these collection of admittedly great songs are far more radio friendly in approach to the previous album, and focus less on the playful freewheeling sound of before, and seemingly have more a produced sound to them, the feel more ambitious (and while I'm being honest, more accessible) then before. If this is sounding slightly negative, then please don't make this review think that this is any less worth than the previous album, as "A Word in You Ear", "The Reverse Midas Touch" & "Summer Lanes" are a worthy as anything the band have previously done, with less of the wacky style that ear marked the first album, but more of a consistently strong indie pop approach throughout, that doesn't shift as dynamically as the first album, but smoothes off the rough edges and makes for a more coherent listen throughout. And so to sum up.....this album is more than worth your time and money if you're a "Alfie" fan. It's more sun kissed than the previous album, and shows a band following up their astonishing debut with something different enough to avoid accusations of the second album being more of the same. If your new to Alife, then pick up the first album, and if it manages to win you over.....leads beautifully onto this second helping of British Psychedelic pop.

5 out of 5 stars Very good.......2003-03-20

Bands along the same vein (in my musical taste):
Elliott Smith
Badly Drawn Boy (Hour of the Bewilderbeast)

If you like them, you'll probably dig alfie. If you like alfie and haven't heard of them - go check them out! I tend to prefer alfie over other Britpop bands like Coldplay and The Doves because their music is a little more complex (not just chord strumming in 4/4 over and over). Their chord progressions are pretty creative. Give them a shot!

5 out of 5 stars

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