Search - Tear Garden :: Crystal Mass

Melody is the king: and good melody, btw

D. M. MATALLIN | Valencia, Spain | 03/12/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I think Cevin Key and Edward Ka-spel are very talented musicians. Together or separately, they have made very good songs and albums, experimenting with everyting imaginable: experimental electronics, fussion of wind instruments with cold electronics, danceable melody, undanceable melody, etc etc. Now this 'Crystal mass' is maybe their most accessible piece of work Key has ever been invloved in. Once said this, and once said that Skinny Puppy is my fav band and Legendary Pink Dots are starting to be one of my top favourites, I must say: Crystal mass is a good album.
But mind this: don't expect a Puppy influenced album, 'cos you won't get it. You better expect a somewhat melodic industrial (is this industrial? does industrial mean sth? those questions are opened to you, and I won't answer them) with a very good voice, very open-minded. In fact, Tear Garden is a very opened-minded project, don't u think so? they add lots and lots of influences, tastes, styles, such as, for instance, industrial, pop, rock, reggae (it's undeniable, to me, the reggae beat in some songs of this project as well as in some later Download's songs.
The lyrics are good, very good, since Ka-spel is a poet, just as Ogre is, so unlke other composers such as Bill Leeb who, even though I love his music, I must admit he's a very poor writer, and anyway he down't seem to want to be a good one.
Now, the songs, since many people say the order of the titles doesn't correspond with the order of the actual songs, I'll comment them as track 1, track 2, etc.Track 1: after an electronic intro which makes us clear that this album isn't going to be innovative regarding sound, we get a very melodic song, which reminds me of... New Order, without a shadow of doubt, a sort of darker New Order, but the influence is there for me to see it, at least. Good lyrics, sad atmosphere, melancholy everywhere. Track 2: it begins alright, again with that blend of retro electronics and 80's beats, but here I seem to find some echoes of indie music from the 90's. With no chorus, the same sentence is repeated at last once and again. It's not one of my fav.Track 3: in the same vein of track 1, this song has a very good chorus "this is your life...", a very catchy melody, nothing groundbreaking of course, but good.Track 4: This is the least electronic song in all the album, reminds me once more of New Order, good melody but my leats fav.Track 5: here we have some reggae influence. A good song, anyway, curious lyrics, reggae chorus.Track 6: A very melancholy song, Ka-spel sings superbly, he makes me wanna die. Track 7: maybe the most original song, again reggae influence, as well as trip-hop intonation. Maybe my fav together with the first one. The most experimental song, it seems as if Key wants to remind us at times that he is the man behind the Download experimental project.Track 8: over a more electronic background, Ka-spel recites couples of verses in which melancholy presides all over.Track 9: another melodic piece, sad, with slight touches of Download electronics, but all with the accostumed sad melodic touch.To sum up, i want to say that this is not my favourite type of music, 'cos I prefer more electronic , darker and experimental projects such as Download, Skinny puppy, or Tear Garden's 'Tired eyes slowly burning', but sometimes......sometimes I want some good, sad, melancholy, melody: then this is the album."

Whats wrong with the reviews that have gone before..

Paul C. Defenbaugh | Champaign, Illinois USA | 12/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is very much a high point in Tear Gardens work. Despite former claims of starting out happy, the opening song Lament even in title let alone its lyrics, hides a dark meloncholy within it about hope dashed to pieces. As well all know though, lyrics are not the music only a part or it would be poetry alone. Tear Garden implements more of its unique sound clips, and wonderful blues guitar influences. I have to wonder what an albumn would sound like if they worked with David Gilmore from Pink Floyd. I have found that certain track of Crystal Mass have a tendancy to STICK in your head, playing over and over, such catchy melodies they carry with just the right tint of sadness and regret behind them. If only modern radio would recognize that music such as this should be played and not the Generation Loss clones of the current trends.For those who were wondering why there are 8 titles and 7 track listings.. Hopeful-Castaway is one 10 minute track not two seperates.Every track on this albumn should cater to prior fans of Tear Gardens work, and on my shelf its moved past Last Man to Fly as my Favorite work by them to this date. Rumor had it at the time of impending release that there was over 2 hours of music recorded in LA in one sitting, we can only hope that there will be a release of much more of this session."

Easy listening

losingsoul | south carolina | 11/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Other Tear Garden CD's have had certain "pop" type songs..like "You and Me and Rainbows", "Romulus and Venus" and "In Search of My Rose". This entire offering is full of them, the most obvious being "Hopeful". I mean it's so clean and catchy it could be a Buzz Clip.(the horror!). It's also the most like a Legendary Pink Dots CD, I can barely tell Cevin Key is here at all except for certain moments of drum programming. There is also an alt-country thing going on here at times. Very strange but supremely sugar honey yellowjacket catchy. The weirdness does kick in on the two most obviously LPD type songs "His Majesty's Trusted Food Taster" and "To Mourn the Death of Colour".Hallucinogenic sweetness.Edward KaSpel's voice is in fine form (as usual). These guys now have more than enough material to grace us with a two and a half hour show.Please TOUR! and have no fear, listener. The Tear Garden hasn't gone commercial, they're just kind of saying "we could if we wanted"."