Tag: CD REVIEW

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ED HALE IMPORT ALBUM “BEAUTIFUL LOSERS” REVIEW IN BELGIUM MUSIC MAG ROOTSTIME

Belgium music magazine Roots Time CD review of the Ed Hale newly-released European Import album Beautiful Losers.
Anyone speak Belgian?

ED HALE – BEAUTIFUL LOSERS

Ed Hale werd geboren in Parijs toen zijn vader er in militaire dienst was, maar zijn echte roots liggen bij zijn Engelse vader en zijn Italiaanse moeder. Zijn eerste stappen in de muziekwereld zette hij op 17-jarige leeftijd onder de artiestennaam ‘Eddie Darling’ die op zijn debuutplaat “Eddie” werd gebruikt. Zijn fans noemen hem wat smalend ‘The Ambassador’ omdat hij graag veel reist, heel wat vreemde talen leerde en altijd met andere culturen in aanraking wil komen. Hij nam die eretitel met veel plezier over voor zijn MySpace-website.

Ed Hale woont momenteel zowel in Seattle, Washington als in New York City waar hij de leadzanger is van de populaire Britpop- en rockformatie ’Transcendence’, maar hij is ook zeer actief als vredesactivist en als singer-songwriter. In die hoedanigheid bracht hij in de recente jaren enkele soloalbums uit, zoals ook nu weer met de vierde solo-cd “Beautiful Losers”, een album dat midden vorig jaar reeds in Amerika uitkwam onder de titel “Ballad On Third Avenue” en omwille van het grote lokale succes nu ook in Europa wordt gelanceerd.

Er werden al twee singles uit deze cd getrokken: het op iets van David Bowie lijkende “I Walk Alone” en het prachtige “New Orleans Dreams”. Beide songs worden op deze Europese release trouwens een tweede keer in een ‘extended version’ aangeboden. Ook de nummers “Scene In San Francisco”, “Incompatible” en de catchy titeltrack “Ballad On Third Avenue (Beautiful Losers)” zullen als single worden gelanceerd en zijn sinds enige tijd al te downloaden op het internet.
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ED HALE’S BALLAD ON THIRD AVENUE VOTED “ONE OF BEST ALBUMS OF 2009″ BY NEW TIMES MAGAZINE

Ed Hale‘s latest solo album, the acoustic leaning ‘whisper pop’ CD entitled Ballad On Third Avenue was voted “One of Best Albums of 2009” by New Times Magazine. The end of year edition came out of the tri-county wide South Florida area where Hale first got his start in the seminal underground band Broken Spectacles along with Americana Music pioneer Matthew Sabatella when the two were in college.
Music critic Lee Zimmerman wrote,

“Bundled in sumptuous arrangements and a prog-rock posture, Ed Hale’s regular gig with Transcendence sometimes seemed to overshadow his true worth as a songwriter. Happily, Hale’s solo debut remedies that by emphasizing the songs’ emotional content rather than their window dressing. The support cast is still terrific – among the members are several Transcendence bandmates – but what truly shines are some brooding, introspective tunes informed by a sense of quiet contemplation.”
“Fact is, Hale’s always been quite the entrepreneur. His Dying Van Gogh label has fostered some of South Florida’s most talented artists, among them Dreaming in Stereo’s Fernando Perdomo and Ex Norwegian’s Roger Houdaille. It still provides him a local connection, even though he’s relocated to New York, where he now finds the muse best suited to his ambitions. Even so, Ballad on Third Avenue isn’t restricted to any particular setting — “Scene in San Francisco,” “New Orleans Dreams,” and “Thoughts of California” reference various locales while maintaining a solitary sense of longing and desire. Consequently, only “I Walk Alone” emulates the sweep and spectacle of Transcendence. However, like the songs that surround it, it maintains a lowered gaze, making this Hale’s most intimate and alluring set yet.”
– Lee Zimmerman
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“A MAGNIFICENT ALBUM THAT INSTANTLY DRAWS IN EVEN THE MOST FINICKY MUSIC AFICIONADO…”

Artist: Ed Hale
Album: Ballad on Third Avenue
http://www.edhale.com
Style: Indie/Powerpop/Acoustic
Rating: 3.5/5
By  L. Anne Carrington
How does one describe the newly released work of Ed Hale’s Ballad on Third Avenue? Perhaps one way would be a soft intimacy of acoustic and pop sounds that will make the listener feel comfortable right from the beginning of the album’s very first track. Ballad on Third Avenue may also take one back to the days of Bright Eyes, Simon and Garfunkel, and maybe a little Beatles thrown in for good measure. The lead singer of the popular Brit Pop/modern rock band Transcendence who have scored numerous hit singles and have had songs featured in films and television shows over the years, Hale made a side trip into the recording studio and made his own album. The end result was Ballad on Third Avenue, a brilliant blend of acoustic guitars, pianos, organs, xylophones, cello lines, and mellotron that may not have worked for many artists, but it certainly has paid off for Ed Hale in more ways than one. Hale is not always the easiest performer to keep up with; his style is always changing in his roles of writer, populist blogger, controversial YouTube star, outspoken political activist, or civilian diplomat. In his first solo effort, however, he can add another accomplishment to his list: creating a magnificent album that instantly draws in even the most finicky music aficionado and holds them there until the very end.
http://indiemusicstop.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/ed-hale-ballad-on-third-avenue/