DMW: Digital Music W...

My early review from back in November 2007: (I ended up unpublishing it but some servers cached it)

I don't know if this is what Mute's marketing camp meant by aggressive upfront marketing campaign. I'll have to say, for the leak to take place on Thanksgiving is somewhat a surprise. I checked my email yesterday and lo and behold I get messages containing links to sites with the entire album in unmastered format. The streams were coming at 128kbps but in an MPG4 file format.

Photo Serge Leblon

I'm listening to the album right now and I will have to say it really is unlike any of their previous releases. Some people will say, "Oh its more Felt Mountain than Supernature" but in reality its not. Its tame on electronic, more on acoustic guitar. Little to no Theramin :( . More tambourine. More flute. More piano. Steel harp. Strings. Generous on the bass. More personal. Less oblique. Its really an amazing release. You just can't believe this is the same exact band that came out about two years ago with a disco-stomping, glam-romping release. But that's why I love and follow this band to no end. I'll be really surprised if the people who discovered the band during Supernature will actually love this pop/folk/almost bluesy release.

Photo Serge Leblon

The band and label believe Seventh Tree is the kind of release that succeeds on word of mouth. I honestly believe that. The "leaked" release proved that. I can imagine a lot of bandwagon-type folks are gonna jump ship because its not sexy or decadent. I think Alison and Will deserve more than that. They deserve a smile and the sun in their pocket. This album is a complete and total reflection of everything they have experienced so far. I laugh when I listen to the lyrics of "Some People" where she sings how people ask how old she is. The song is her gentle "FU" answer to those rude bastards and hangers-on. In Alison's lyrics, the fools do suffer and Hollywood swallows itself alive and somehow craps itself out for another day.

There are two versions of the release - standard release and special edition. Actually, I woud rather have a SACD or Blu-Ray release of Seventh Tree where the band has videos already produced for this album and bonus videos from the three previous albums as well as live footage from Supernature. But that's most likely a pipe dream. But I do hope to see bonus tracks in the final mixed version.

Seventh Tree is a great release for 2008. Scratch that. It's mouth wateringly delicious and makes you stupid with excitement at the end.

I'll just drop little hints that describe each track.

1. Clowns - Beautiful. Lush strings. A bit Fleetwood Mac. More Scott Walker. My favorite track.
2. Little Bird - Psychedelic.
3. Happiness - Toe-tapping madness. Perfect for a commercial. Danceable; like ring-around-the-rosie danceable. Or Maypole dancing - like what Alison said in the press release. A bit Beach Boys. I love this song.
4. Road to Somewhere - Now this track seriously sounds like The Cardigans. Oh, clapping. There's clapping. Moody and almost (but not quite) Hooverphonic.
5. Eat Yourself - Another favorite of mine. Sounds more Kate Bush. This one just flat out grew on me badly.
6. Some People - Another fave of mine. Piano-centric. Anthem sounding. Imagine a moment at concerts where you whip out the Zippo lighter. This song is that moment. Get those Zippos ready!
7. A&E - The first single. A bit Beatles, a bit Duncan Sheik, a bit Train (- the band, not the song - I can't believe I just wrote that). Anyway, hospitals tend to come off as places of horror so the lyrics lean in that direction but as we all know now, its about a broken relationship.
8. Cologne Cerrone Houdini - Sounds a bit Serge Gainsbourg, Air, Scott Walker. I like this song. Imagine driving down the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway for those who don't know) in a car with the CA sun setting; and sitting next to someone you thought was "the one" and turns out they are not.
9. Caravan Girl - Almost The Magic Numbers but not. Very, very upbeat. Danceable.
10. Monster Love - References to Hollywood, CA, and a bit of all of the above.