Search - Black Box Recorder :: Facts of Life

Definitely not disposable

Little Old Me | 05/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...I describe it as the album Clinic would release once they have Cia Soro as their leadsinger. @ any rate, it is truly a magical album that improves on the sombre debut England Made Me to create a sound & mood that is both indulgent (But nowhere near selfindulgent) & sardonic. Luke Haines & John Moore's lyrics work either as subdued Jarvis Cockeresque narratives ("May Queen", "The Deverell Twins") or as simple, axiomatic observations ("The Art Of Driving", "Weekend", "The English Motorway System", "The Facts Of Life", "Straight Life"):-Combining this with Sarah Nixey's glossy, breathy voice & a minimalist yet chilling electroacoustic backdrop & you have a winner. Make sure you also check out the sleeve where excerpted lyrics from all of the songs (But the titletrack) are displayed as seriocomic balloons in awkward situations:- Very much in the style of Pulp.Oh, & my personal favourite is "Sex Life", thanks for asking."

Lovely

William E. May | New York, NY United States | 10/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent, excellent music.... As lots of folks have said already, this indeed sounds like a slightly sinister St. Etienne, with perhaps a bit of Trembling Blue Stars thrown in...but with a pretty distinctive personality of its own, too. Has anyone else noticed how much Sarah Nixey can sound like Olivia Newton John, by the way (particularly on "The Art of Driving")? A-OK with me. On the mildly negative side, there's the occasional embarrassing lyric here and there, but on the whole they're lovely and a big leap forward from the still awfully good first album."

Heroic acts in Teenage Sex

Little Old Me | 09/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The Facts of Life", Black Box Recorder's second album, follows suite in their amazing debut of twisted nursery rhymns, "England Made Me". This is certainly an album to be cherished in one's cd collection - the lyrics are clever and provocative, the music is soothing and intelligent and the mixture can leave the listener awe struck.In this album, the band has matured a bit. Their storytelling can deliver a much appreciated sense of nostalgia for one's own teenage years - after all, who doesn't remember their boyfriend/girlfriend pushing the relationship one step further than you were ready to go, that almost too-cozy encounter with your highschool best friend or the introspective of a child trying to live as an adult.Lead singer, Nixey's voice sounds almost like a submissive siren, as she faintly sings anthemns about teenage sexuality and desire. Haines and Moore push their music writing even further, keeping the low tones of instruments and mixing in small beats and rythmns that add a certain liveliness to their melodies. Some of the radio-worthy songs, "Art of Driving" and "Facts of Life", have a good combonation of indie rock/folk with a touch of pop, at the same time expelling the requirements of any particular genre. For those who appreciate rock/pop and alternative music, this will fit in easy to your music collection, though there is enough to interest electronica and folk fans alike. Out of all the one hit wonders I'm subjected to each morning of my commute - its really nice to have a cd that one can appreciate all the way through."