Review rated by 23 Ciao members on average: very helpful
Hand Built By Robots is Newton Faulkner's debut album. He smashed onto the commercial music scene in 2007 with his hit Dream Catch Me, and the album was just as successful. He is one of a breed of singer songwriters we have seen emerge over the past five years or so inculding James Blunt, James Morrison and Paolo Nutini that seem to have the edge when it comes to writing music.
If you've heard Faulkner's music, then you'll know he is a balladier, with his husky and powerful voice and his loing ginger dreadlocks making him instantly recognisable. The album doesn;t have a lot of variety about it, I have to say, but that does not mean that he is a one-trick pony. Faulkner's music is high in quality. The predominant sounds on the album are his guitar and voice, but the backing music lends itself well to the music, and it is obviously a well thought out album. A decent mix of sounds, but all along the same lines has meant that this is a successful album. I particularly like his version of Teardrop. I am a Massive Attack fan, and was hesitant when I heard this at first, but he has iven the words to the song new gravitas, and I admire this. It takes guts to amend such a hugely popular track in such a way. Lyrically, he does well in the album, and I particularly like Ageing Superhero.
In conclusion, this is a very good debut album, commecially sound but perhaps lacking a bit in variety. Faulkner is not a one-trick pony, I'm sure he's just getting established first before letting loose on his vibe.
The tracks:
1. Intro 2. Into The Light 3. I Need Something 4. All I Got 5. Dream Catch Me 6. Feels Like Home 7. Teardrop 8. Gone In The Morning 9. Sitar-y Things 10. Uncomfortably Slow 11. Straight Towards The Sun 12. People Should Smile More 13. She's Got The Time 14. UFO 15. Face (Her) 16. Ageing Superhero 17. Lullaby
Clearly you are expecting better from Faulkner in the future so it will be interesting to see what he gets up to next. It's good of you to give him the benefit of the doubt.
t far more often than you have to-it might have made sense to expose his palatable acoustic tinkerings to those massive audiences, but that association leaves too simplis...
t far more often than you have to-it might have made sense to expose his palatable acoustic tinkerings to those massive audiences, but that association leaves too simplis...
rdrop Gone In The Morning Sitar-y Thing Uncomfortably Slow Straight Towards The Sun People Should Smile More She's Got The Time U.F.O Face (Her) Ageing Superhero Lullaby
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08.07.2008 11:56
I love this album, easy listening and songs which makes sense - rare at the moment!
24.06.2008 11:51
Reviewed well xx
24.06.2008 11:22
Clearly you are expecting better from Faulkner in the future so it will be interesting to see what he gets up to next. It's good of you to give him the benefit of the doubt.