Search - The Cinematic Orchestra :: Ma Fleur

Different but stunning.

emily | Orlando, FL United States | 06/28/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are expecting the 'old' TCO, this release may not deliver on that front as the last reviewer stated. However if you are a fan of singer/songwriter, torchsong and soundscape/soundtrack genres, you'll find these beautiful melodies, amazing vocals and sometime sparse arrangments stunning and worthy of repeated infinite listenings."

Well developed

lokey | Chicago, IL United States | 09/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After having heard all previous albums, I was surprised to hear the vocals - but they mesh so well with the Cinematic sound. Each song flows well from one to the next, and from the last to song back around to the first... if put on repeat...it's a fabulous concept album; a short story or perhaps a novel put to music. Listen to it forward and over again. If you like their previous outputs, and you can get into both the pop/ethereal and RnB/hip hop vocals you get here, you just may get into this.... a la Fila Brazillia's jump leads or Jazzanova's latest series of Secret Love compilations. And I love the photos included with the CD - must buy for fans."

Divinely Inspired

Christopher P. Dotson | Long Beach, CA USA | 04/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was out shopping for music and was looking for something new when I ran across this album. The cover of the album caught my eye. I'd never heard of The Cinematic Orchestra (...or I should say, that I can't ever recall hearing of them.)but I decided to take a chance on this album based on... well nothing really. (...but the cover I guess. Which is rather strange, because something with a cover that serene would not usually make me take a second glance.) I felt drawn to "Ma Fleur". I felt that there was perhaps something special about this album and I was correct.



This album is inspired, almost as if it was channeled! You get the sense that "Ma Fleur" was out there, somewhere in the vastness of time and space, waiting for someone to come along and discover it! As a concept album, it feels complete. Every song seems to seamlessly flow into the next like water through a tranquil stream.



At no point does "Ma Fleur" ever demand your attention... well at least not in the typical sense. It never tries to dazzle you with it's arrangement or production aesthetics. "Ma Fleur" feels like it was made for the pure satisfaction of the musical creation, and not necessarily for the entertainment of an audience. (...or album sales for that matter.)



That being said, I found the album hypnotic and the music seductive. The music lulled me into a place of vulnerability and openess, which made it difficult to passively listen. I wanted to approach it with a present state of mind and really absorb it all. I didn't want to miss a single moment.



"Ma Fleur" never feels forced. Every moment of the album feels like it has a purpose and the use of silence contributes to this. The silence of "Ma Fleur" is it's strength! If this album were Michelangelo's "Statue of David", the silence would certainly be the marble from which it is made.



Although I am happy to have discovered "TCO", I am grateful that this album was my first experience because I have been allowed the opportunity to listen without prejudice. I am appreciative that I was able to come to this album without presumptions or expectations. Among my favorite albums I have often wished that I could explore them for the first time all over again... with time I'm sure that this album will be in that same category.



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