To Survive

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Customer reviews

review by: The better you look the more you see date: 2008-12-09 rating:
I Might Survive or I Might Fall Asleep
Upon hearing Joan's debut album "Real Life" I, instantly, feel in love with her voice, lyrics and music; the songs are sweetly haunting, her voice, at times, almost ethereal and even when I play it today it still sounds so fresh, I love it and know every word to every song. br /When I heard of her new release I became very excited; couldn't wait hear her new songs, and it seem like everyone in the world was saying that this is the best album ever, almost every review I've read gives it five stars or their top rating br /...but I have to say that I find To Survive really dull, don't get me wrong, I love mellow music of all kinds, but I keep listening to this album and every time I do I just end up real board and frustrated that it's not as good as Real Life, I think the main reason is that there is little to no hooks in any of the songs, very little vocal hooks anyway, and as a result I never remember any of the songs, I must have played it through ten times and I couldn't sing you a note from any of them. br /The musicianship is very good and everything sounds amazing, but my main gripe is that it's just too middle of the road...it's almost telephone-hold-music; it's the kind of music you'd expect to hear whilst picking out vegetables in Summerfield, amazing sounding but hook-less, bland mumblings of a woman resting her head atop her own buttocks. br /

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review by: date: 2008-10-03 rating:
Wonderful
For once an Amazon recommendation (based on my Blue Nile purchases so quite a tenuous connection) that was correct. I agree with other reviewer's comments about it not being immediate, but I had a sense from the first listen through that this was going to be a 'grower' - to me always a sign of quality. br /The music's subtle simplicity hides a wonderful complexity you only get with subsequent - and if you can - quite detailed listening. I was lucky to get this just before a trip to Japan so immersed myself in it on both out and inbound flights. A pure joy. br /

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review by: date: 2008-07-19 rating:
The Survival Instinct
There's something enormously powerful here: this woman's voice, the spare arrangements, the apparently simple yet complex songs. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm smitten. She's capable of an emotional depth I've heard nowhere else, from any artist, from any other music. She did it with 'Real Life' and she does it again here on 'To Survive'. And I was ready to be disappointed when I bought this album. It overwhelms me.

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review by: date: 2008-07-14 rating:
The Survival Instinct
There's something enormously powerful here: this woman's voice, the spare arrangements, the apparently simple yet complex songs. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm smitten. She's capable of an emotional depth I've heard nowhere else, from any artist, from any other music. She did it with 'Real Life' and she does it again here on 'To Survive'. And I was ready to be disappointed when I bought this album. It overwhelms me.


review by: JonnyMacReady date: 2008-07-06 rating:
Thank you Joan Wasser. You so belong.
Words cannot express how much of a rare thing of beauty this album is, but I simply have to write SOMETHING. As a musician alone, this artist is impressive, playing with class many of the instruments on here. As a songwriter she is staggering: such command of effortlessly engaging lyrics, melody and mood. And the arrangement is skilful and seamless; each component compliments the others. The balance is spot-on throughout. Add to this a voice so exquisite, so rich, expressive, moving and delightful, and you a work of a quality many times greater than the sum of its already outstanding parts. br /The range, depth and subtlety in these songs makes them all the more powerful; they demand attention, but there is no clamouring for it here. You listen because you've no choice - you're rapt. This sharing of a gift is priceless. br /I got this album three weeks ago and I've fell deeply in love with it, the songs drifting in and out like welcome friends. Successive plays reveal more and more layers, further enhancing the appreciation and pleasure. All other music has faded somewhat. br /This is an accomplished, highly talented artist at her peak. It is clear she is maturing, learning something about the futility of control and resistance, and the wisdom of surrendering to fear and pain. Though, like us all, she's on the journey. Her vulnerability is exposed, as is her aching, longing sadness (I've cried my eyes out several times to the title track alone; such is the sheer power of the self-doubt and despair conveyed here - this, despite what she's learnt). The spectrum of feelings realized is spellbinding. At the other end: a contagious glee, the joy of love, of life, and of finding someone special to share it all with. You cannot help but warm to this. br /To Survive is the most magical, wondrous thing I've heard in a long time - a new friend :) br /This review may appear gushing (then disregard the superlatives), but please, listen to this music.

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