 | Tracklist:
1. Welcome Back
2. Explore, Be Curious
3. The Word Water
4. You And Yours
5. One, Many
6. It's Inside Me, And I'm Inside It
7. This Isn't
8. Let Yourself Be Huge
| Ranking: #87 for 2011 | |
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On 44 Lists
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| Summary: Ben Sharp matures. |
16 of 16 thought this review was well written
Ben Sharp is a bit of an enigma. He avoids any sort of spotlight the music world threatens to cast on him for privacy and solitude, and he prefers to work completely alone. He constantly turns down interviews, offering his words only to a select few individuals over the years. From what I gather, however, it’s nothing to do with his ego at all; the man just doesn’t seem to like a lot of exposure. Though last year’s release of Beacons was Sharp’s breakthrough into the underground metal scene, he has decided to try something completely different: abandoning the technically impressive sections of Beacons for an acoustic, organic feel on these eight tracks. The result is an excellent addition to Sharp’s already impressive catalogue, but it’s also one that might take some getting used to along the way.
Cloudkicker has always been known for its massive sound and progressive metal/post-rock influences, but you won’t find anything of that sort here. Instead, ambient acoustic passages and minimalistic approaches dominate the near half-hour of music. The gorgeous cover art sets the tone for the album perfectly, featuring a silhouette of a woman over a vibrant pink sunset. While the atmosphere of Beacons was full of panic and furious action with tons of highs and lows, Let Yourself Be Huge meanders about and maintains a constant pace that seems almost timid when compared to its predecessor. Though this doesn’t allow for dramatic build-ups and awe-inspiring technical pieces, the songs still each contain their own respective identities and that stops any bothersome lulls from taking place.
What this album lacks in technical prowess is made up for by the fact that Sharp’s melodies have never sounded better. He is still fantastic at fitting riffs that would seem contrasting to the average composer over one another without missing a beat. Such a dramatic change in style would definitely prove challenging to most artists, but Sharp handles the switch very nicely. The only song that wouldn’t seem out of place on Beacons is “You and Yours” because of the slightly heavier riffing, and even that is a stretch. It’s nice to see from an outsider’s perspective that Sharp fully committed to the style change before writing this album, as it could have really turned out to be a mess if some of more technical aspects of Beacons were found mixed in with the rest of the songs. The inclusion of vocals on the title track is nothing short of jaw-dropping, as Sharp previously stated that he would never consider using them on any of his albums. He has apparently changed his tune.
On Let Yourself Be Huge, Sharp has taken a big risk and come away with something that he can be proud of. While some fans will be taken aback by the sudden change of pacing, others will embrace it for what it is and what it stands for: a brief but powerful statement that he is maturing as an artist and is capable of doing more than most people thought. Even more impressive is the fact that he offers this and the rest of his music for free on his website, with the option to donate whatever the downloader likes. Sharp maintains that Cloudkicker is just a hobby that he works on his spare time, but I have a feeling that he is destined for much greater things as his career unfolds before him.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 4
rules
Digging: Janus - Nox Aeris | | |
And 5 minutes later....
Digging: Amon Tobin - Amon Tobin
| | | Album Rating: 4
what does the time have to do with anything?
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Pos'd
Digging: Reflections - The Fantasy Effect
| | | Album Rating: 4
comparing these to his previous albums shouldn't be done, this is more of a b.m. sharp album if
anything
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what does the time have to do with anything?
I'm just saying that there's no prizes for being the first person to drop the review. In saying that though, what's written here isn't bad but it does read as someone who has just had the time to listen to this at face value, and hasn't given ample time to sink in. Sure, it's (for the most part) instrumental so there probably isn't a great deal to be written but yeah....
| | | Album Rating: 4
people write reviews differently. i like to just write and see what comes up, and i happened to be comfortable with submitting this early.
different strokes for different folks.
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"While some fans will be taken aback at the sudden change of pacing"
I probably fall in this category..
Tbh the discovery is the only other ck album I've checked out. And I loved it. Hearing this... Idk what to think about it, maybe I just need more listens to let it sink in..
| | | Album Rating: 5
Wow that was fast. Album is amazing, will 5 like always to bump the score.
| | | Album Rating: 4
it's how i write. wouldn't give it a 5 and it's not quite as good as beacons, but an excellent album all the same.
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I do not know Cloudkicker or how early this review is, but this is a great write-up. It gives the necessary information and piques the reader's interest. Will probably check it.
| | | Album Rating: 4
thanks, it is rather early. album just leaked today.
| | | Album Rating: 4
This sounds very interesting. Will check out
Digging: T.R.A.M. - Lingua Franca Digging: T.R.A.M. - Lingua Franca | | | Album Rating: 4
this was not at all what I was expecting and it is amazing
Digging: Old Man Gloom - NO Digging: Old Man Gloom - NO | | | Album Rating: 4
When I heard untitled on beacons I knew it was a small hint to the new album and I was fucking right :D
Digging: Touche Amore - ...To the Beat of a Dead Horse | | | Album Rating: 3
substandard compared to beacons
Digging: Anomalous - Ohmnivalent Digging: Anomalous - Ohmnivalent | | |
this sounds like my cup 'o tea
Digging: Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal Digging: Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal
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you can write just as much about instrumental music, just need to know how to write and what to listen for.
and i think this album is still technical. it sounds like a cloudkicker album to me, just with less distortion.
Digging: Caribou - Up in Flames Digging: Caribou - Up in Flames
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The Discovery was meh. Beacons was pretty good though, and so was ]]][[[.
I'll check this and the other new one out.
Also: leaked? Shit is available for "name your own price" (free) on Cloudkicker's bandcamp.
Digging: Aerodyne Flex - Transmissions Digging: Aerodyne Flex - Transmissions
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downloading now
Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
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