Search - Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter :: Like Love Lust & The Open Halls of the Soul

Intriguing

Burumin | Central Coast NSW Australia | 02/17/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When I first heard this I thought I was hearing some lost lost album with Melanie Safka jamming with Crazy Horse, and playing some long-lost songs by the Kinks and Small Faces after listening to John Cale and Lou Reed. Of course that's not the case but it's been a nice surprise anyhow! I'm also surprised nobody else has mentioned Melanie as hers is the first voice that sprang to mind - check out Candles in the rain and you'll hear what I mean. Very enjoyable album compentently played with feeling."

A Pleasent Suprise

Samuel A. Maston | Florida USA | 08/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow, I wasn't expecting this. Sometimes surprises are better than expectations anyway. I first heard Jesse Sykes on the Sunn O))) and Boris "Altar" album and instantly loved her voice. I mostly listen to metal, hard rock and music most people would describe as "weird". Certainly NOT country or (gasp!) folk. This reminds me of a female Bob Dylan. The lyrics aren't necessarily complex, but they knock you upside your head when you least expect it. Sykes' voice is unique and stunning. She can be forceful and wounded, often in the same verse. The music ranges from country-ish rock to slow acoustic with great production and a warm guitar tone. If all country music was this intelligent and meaningful, I just might trade in my bullet belt for cowboy boots."

Nice Title

S. Finefrock | Raleigh, NC | 10/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Having been a fan of Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter's (gotta love that name for a band) two previous efforts, I was little put off on hearing their latest CD. They seemed to have created a narcoleptic vibe on their first two albums that they seemed destined to run with like AC/DC or the Ramones had with their signature sounds, so the initial take on the expanded pallet of LLL came as a bit of a shock.



EISNEHOWER MOON opens the CD on a bit of flat note. Not a bad song, but it may have been better suited to be camouflaged further into the program. Tunes like the mesmerizing ballad THE AIR IS THIN and the guitar workout LLL seem to revisit the old vibe of RECKLESS BURNING and OH, MY GIRL, but more upbeat tunes like HOW WILL WE KNOW and I LIKE THE SOUND are a tad jarring at first. Once you get over the shock of the unexpected upbeat tempos though, you recognize them as great pop tunes and as welcome new avenues for the band to explore.



As usual Phil Wandscher delivers his neo-guitar hero pyrotechnics and Sykes invests each tune with her unique smoky, evocative vocals The band has a knack of investing each tune with a covert tension that brings you back for listen after listen.



I strongly recommend this release for existing fans or for neophytes. Listeners who enjoy artists like Neko Case, Ryan Adams and Lucinda Williams who are unfamiliar with the work of Jesse Sykes and TSH should definitely investigate this if not all their albums. It's a big change for the artist and band and makes me eager to see where they take this on their next release.

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