02 August 08 - 15:49A really awesome review from a dear friend and fan "Bungle Grind" aka" Mike Meroney
CRYSTAL SUNSHINE "NEPHILIM BLOOD" CD REVIEW
CRYSTAL SUNSHINE "NEPHILIM BLOOD" CD REVIEW BY BUNGLE GRIND
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU FELT LIKE THE FIRST TIME YOU HEARD CRYSTAL SUNSHINE? I DO.I STILL HAVEN'T RECOVERED.IT WAS LIKE GETTING HIT BY A REALLY SEXY BOLT OF LIGHTNING.I RAN ACROSS HER PAGE ON HERE AND WAS GREETED WITH THE ABSOLUTELY MESMERIZING SOUNDS OF HER SONG "THE HAUNTING." I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS HEARING.MAN, I WILL SIT HERE ,SOMETIMES FOR HOURS, AND CRUISE MUSIC PAGES HOPING TO FIND SOMETHING EVEN REMOTELY INTERESTING AND ORIGINAL.BOY, DID I GET WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR AND MORE.
ANYONE WHO REALLY KNOWS ME KNOWS THAT I AM THE MUSIC GUY.YOU KNOW THAT ONE GUY IN THE GROUP WHO IS ALWAYS CARRYING AROUND NEW SHIT THAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD YET.THE GUY WHO IS ALWAYS TRYING TO GET YOU TO CHECK OUT THIS AMAZING NEW BAND.OF COURSE, MANY YEARS AND TOO MANY UNINSPIRING BANDS LATER I HAVE BEEN LEFT QUITE JADED TOWARD THE MUSIC SCENE.IT TAKES A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT TO IMPRESS ME AND THAT DAY "HAUNTS" ME STILL.SO, ALMOST A YEAR LATER HERE I AM LISTENING TO CRYSTAL'S VERY FIRST CD.
FIRST OFF, I MUST POINT OUT THAT THE ACTUAL CD IS NOT OFFICIALLY RELEASED IN STORES UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1ST.BUT, YOU CAN GO TO CRYSTAL'S PAGE AND BUY ALL THE TRACKS FROM ONE OF THOSE SNO-CAP JUKEBOX THINGIES IF YOU OPEN UP A ACCOUNT.SINCE I AM SUCH A MUSIC FAN I WILL STILL BUY THE CD ON SEPTEMBER 1ST BUT I WANTED TO HEAR WHAT I HAVE BEEN DYING TO HEAR ALL THIS TIME.THE COMPLETE UN-CUT SOUNDS OF SUNSHINE.
WHEN I REVIEW A CD I USUALLY HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT FOR ABOUT A WEEK OR SO TO REALLY FEEL WHAT I AM TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND AND START CHOOSING MY WORDS TO SHARE THAT EXPERIENCE WITH THE READER OVER A PERIOD OF DAYS.THE FACT THAT I STARTED WRITING THIS REVIEW ABOUT MID-WAY THROUGH MY SECOND LISTEN SAYS MANY THINGS.
CRYSTAL SUNSHINE HAS CREATED A MUSICAL MASTERPEACE FOR ALL TIME.YOU WILL NEVER HEAR ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN YOUR LIFE.HER GLOOMY AND SEXY MIX OF GOTHIC POP MIXED WITH A TINGE OF JAZZ IS UN-LIKE ANYTHING MY EARS HAVE EVER RAN ACROSS.LAYERS UPON LAYERS OF KEYBOARDS AND VOCALS AWASH YOUR EARS AND YOUR SENSES IN A GLORIOUS BATH OF SENSUOUS RHYTHMS AND EERIELY EVOKED MELODIES THAT PRACTICALLY FLOW OUT YOUR SPEAKERS AND CARESS YOUR VERY SOUL.
SOME OF THE SONGS WILL ALREADY BE FAMILIAR TO HER FANS."OH SEYMOUR", "SO SORRY" AND "THE HAUNTING" SOUND VERY MUCH LIKE THE VERSIONS THAT HAVE BEEN FLOATING AROUND FOR A WHILE.SURELY THEY HAVE BEEN TWEAKED A BIT BUT THESE SONGS WERE ALREADY AS NEAR TO MUSICAL PERFECTION AS IT CAN GET."ROAD KILL" AND "SWEET GOODBYE" ARE TOTALLY REWORKED FROM EARLIER DEMO VERSIONS.BOTH OF THESE SONGS SOUND MORE AMAZING THAN EVER.CRYSTAL DID ALL HER BACKGROUND VOCALS AND SHE REALLY PUSHED THE LIMITS AND SOUNDS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.HER VOCAL TALENTS ARE ESPECIALLY KIND TO ONE'S EARS WHILE LISTENING WITH HEADPHONES.IN FACT, WHAT SHE HAS MANAGED TO ULTIMATELY DO IS BRING BACK A LONG MISSED RELIC OF THE EARLY MUSIC DAYS.THE HEADPHONE ALBUM.I MEAN, I COULD CERTAINLY ENJOY THIS CD ANYTIME,ANY PLACE,ANY WHERE ....LISTENED TO UPON ANY MEDIUM.BUT, IF ONE TAKES THIS MUSICAL JOURNEY WHILE LISTENING TO IT WITH HEADPHONES CRYSTAL HAS CREATED AN ABSOLUTE GEM OF AURAL ECSTACY THAT WILL MAKE YOUR EARDRUMS FLUTTER AND YOUR SENSES TINGLE.
OF THE OLD SONGS THE ONE THAT REALLY GETS THE SPECIAL TREATEMENT IS THE TITLE TRACK"NEPHILIM BLOOD." I HAVE LONG CONFESSED TO CRYSTAL THIS IS SURELY THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND CAPTIVATING PIECE OF MUSIC I HAVE EVER HEARD IN ALL OF MY EXISTANCE.THIS SONG REALLY GETS RE-DONE AND ALL THE VOCALS ARE BEYOND ANYTHING EVER COMMITTED TO TAPE.ABSOLUTE PERFECTION.
THERE IS NOT A DULL MOMENT TO BE FOUND ANYWHERE ON THIS ENTIRE DISC AS ITS 40 MINUTE DURATION LITERALLY RACES BY YOU IN NO TIME AND BEGS TO BE STARTED ALL OVER AND PLAYED AGAIN AND AGAIN.THE ALBUM CLOSER IS PARTICULARLY WONDERFUL."SCENT OF A MAN" IS A ROLLICKING AND JAZZY NUMBER THAT COULD ONLY BE DELIVERED THE WAY CRYSTAL SUNSHINE DELIVERS EVERYTHING ELSE.SHE BELTS OUT EVERY SONG AS IF IT WILL BE HER LAST AND HER VOCAL DELIVERY AND ABILITIES CAN BE BEAUTIFULLY CALMING YET AT THE SAME TIME HAVE THE FEROCITY OF A LION TEARING INTO YOUR ASS CAVITY.
THERE IS NOBODY ELSE IN THIS WORLD OR ON THIS MUSIC SCENE QUITE LIKE CRYSTAL SUNSHINE.SHE TAKES THE WHOLE PIANO PLAYING CHICK THING TO ANOTHER LEVEL.SHE SINGS MORE BEAUTIFULLY THAN A CHOIR OF ANGELS.SHE IS A TRULY GIFTED AND GENIUS SONG WRITER.THIS CD IS JUST THE FIRST CHAPTER IN WHAT I HOPE TO BE A LONG AND CAPTIVATING MUSICAL JOURNEY FROM A VERY SPECIAL LADY.CRYSTAL FUCKING SUNSHINE.THIS IS HER WORLD.WE JUST LIVE IN IT.
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