Search - Echobelly :: Gravity Pulls

A mellow, dreamlike album

woburnmusicfan | Woburn, MA United States | 05/10/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Echobelly's fifth album goes farther in the mellow direction of 2001's "People Are Expensive". What rock there is here is very laid-back, and tha album as a whole is dreamlike. If not for Sonya Aurora Madan's voice, this wouldn't be recognizable as the same band that made "On", and the album is likely to chase a lot of Echobelly's early fans away. The songwriting here is easily the weakest of any of Echobelly's albums; even "People Are Expensive" had at least four songs I like better than anything here. Still, the sound on this album is SO good, with excellent production by Ian Grimble, Madan's lovely voice, and Glenn Johansson's tasteful guitar playing, that I'm tempted to give the album a fourth star, and I may come back at a later date and do so. The overall listening experience here is still very worthwhile if you're in the right frame of mind for it. My favorite tracks are "To Get Me Thru the Good Times" and "What You Deserve". Songs like "You Started a Fire in the Heart of a Wasted Life" and "One in a Million" sound like they could have fit in on earlier Echobelly albums, but their rock intensity has been muted to fit in here. If you're looking for a album to kick back and relax with late at night, this could be the perfect album for you.



(1=poor 2=mediocre 3=pretty good 4=very good 5=phenomenal)"

Welcome Comeback

Lemmy Caution | USA | 01/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I hadn't checked in on Echobelly since late 1998's dandy Lustra album and frankly figured they just passed the way of other late, great bands of the same era (hello Sleeper? Louise, where are ya?). So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I leapt into Gravity Pulls. It took about 10 seconds of the first track to bring a smile to my face and realize Sonya's voice is better than ever - rich, warm, lovely and aching in all the right places. I forgot how much I missed it.



The writing is richer more mature (but don't take that to mean boring) than previous efforts. I don't hear a big poppy radio single on this, so it will likely not get much exposure, especially in the United States. That's a shame. This is a strong, assured album - check out the sampler tracks here on Amazon and decide for yourself. I for one am happy Sonya is singing again. She is one of the best vocalists out there. Hopefully, it won't take another 7 years to get the next album. If you were an Echobelly fan, check this out, I don't think you will be disapponited. If you weren't, this just might make you one."

Up there in Sonic Heaven

DJ Primate | Detroit, MI USA | 08/11/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'd been wondering what became of Echobelly, the band having been off the radar here in the states for some time, and came across this offering of sublime, ultra-melodic, ethereal dream-pop.



The album is a bit uneven, but its high points, such as the title track, "Djinn," and, perhaps best of all, "You Started A Fire..." (with its memorable keyboard hook), are very high indeed.



Sonya Madan's vocals sound as beautiful as ever, and the production has a dreamy, somewhat Sergio Leone ambience, with twangy guitars complementing the backgound wash beautifully.



Absolutely lovely."