Using the nom de rock Aqualung, singer/songwriter Matt Hales merges material from his two U.K. discs on Strange and Beautiful, his appealing U.S. debut. Vocally reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright and Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Hales' musical approach will likely win converts from fans of the aforementioned. The title track, which gained significant attention after it was used in a U.K Volkswagen commercial, is a compelling piano allad with enough experimental touches to put it in the company of Coldplay and Keane, but there are equally good offerings like "Brighter Than Sunshine" and "Left Behind." With the former, Hales finds love by surprise ("I didn't believe in destiny") with a Beatles' allad pace, but it's not all optimism. Devotion turns to devastation on "Falling Out of Love," a jazzy number with a heartfelt delivery. On rare occasion, the material feels sluggish (as with "Tongue-Tied") but by and large, Aqualung's U.S. entry is a breath of fresh air.
The loop button on my ipod is such a dangerous thing, cradled in the "Rock It IPod DJ" its a little ironic (and incredibly cliched) to see the robot DJ spinning tight beats like he's playing Grandmaster Flash or M.I.A. when what he's really doing is supplying me with my heroin, which is tragic love songs..."Strange and Beautiful" by Aqualung (which was originally downloaded as "OC Sex Song off ...
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The loop button on my ipod is such a dangerous thing, cradled in the "Rock It IPod DJ" its a little ironic (and incredibly cliched) to see the robot DJ spinning tight beats like he's playing Grandmaster Flash or M.I.A. when what he's really doing is supplying me with my heroin, which is tragic love songs..."Strange and Beautiful" by Aqualung (which was originally downloaded as "OC Sex Song off ...
More >
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 "Strange and Beautiful")
