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| reviews of "Digital Flowers" by matthew geanes from sub:marine records the sound: remember when lulu sent in their first demo? well, they read the review and took some other feedback and apparently went back into the studio to better their sound. A for effort, seriously. it wasn't THAT long ago that I got their first demo which sounded underproduced and sloppy, but had some sincerity behind it. the new demo is certainly a marked improvement in a lot of ways. still, lulu is mining the grey space between 'trip hop' and 'weird female-fronted electronica' and they pull it off with varying degrees of success. the production: better. the bass sounds better to me, the drums are certainly more interesting and border on being cut up a la idm releases of late. during the first track with weird drums, i thought- "wow, that high hat sounds like an aluminum pan being smacked on a flagpole, that's cool" but after about 5 or 6 more songs where the high end percussion sounds screeched, i began to feel like this was a case of "we found the high end eq knob" moreso than "let's design wacked out cymbal sounds". in places, it sounds great, but in songs that have an otherwise more mellow approach, the grating sound of the high hats and other cymbals is too much to take. the vocal production is a bit improved. i don't really take to the vocals. vocals are a personal thing though- after all, i like the way melanie c from the spice girls sings better than the woman from mono, so it's a taste issue at some point. these vocals don't grab me, but they don't make me wince. the sax is much more underplayed here, which was a good move. the verdict: all in all, this is headed in a good direction. it's weirder, 'edgier' (did i really just use that word?) and more interesting than the previous work. i think it's going somewhere. couple more years of defining that sound, the way all the elements come together, and some live experience and this could be something to get pretty excited about. read the first review |
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| Lulu In Hollywood "bedlams" from March issue of "New Times" Phoenix trip-hop gurus Lulu in Hollywood lay down a tempting vibe when they're not subconsciously attempting to turn their music into math equations on Bedlams, their second album. Dark lyrics grace jazz veteran Syl's loungey saxophone lines and Michael Wheeler's space-age hip-hop keys, which are sifted through the break beat strainer and spit back out by DJ Organic. The combo works especially well with the sampled drums holding down the time, leaving the saxophone and keyboards to paint musical sketches on top. Too often, though, the band takes a "how many sounds can we sample and layer at once?" approach. They're guilty of said trick on songs such as on "Reside Below" and "Everything," with misplaced, incoherent vocals and a multitude of bells and whistles where a back beat is supposed to live. To her credit, vocalist Lena Baisden still manages to do mad atmospheric justice on tunes that have a groove pocket for her smoky alto voice to dip and tumble into, especially on sexy tunes of relationship insanity such as "12 Drinks" and "Stray Cats." Lines like, "you don't think that you and I have something worth my time," from Stray Cats," sound as if they're lifted straight from the diary of Portishead's Beth Gibbons. Occasionally, Baisden's mates cooperate. "Bena," a heartbreaking saxophone ballad woven tight with sparse drum beats, shows the band's ability to weave deliberately within a reasonable framework. Here they leave out the unnecessary sparkle, and just ebb and flow together like abunch of old pros. Lulu in Hollywood align themselves with trip-hop's elite, but only when- or if- they get their heads out of the way and just play on instinct. Groove, after all, thrives best on instinct. -Jessica Nelson |
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Lulu In Hollywood "bedlams" from the April issue of PUB magazine One of my favorite singers is Beth Gibbons from Portishead. To me she's like a British, spacey reincarnation of Billie Holiday. Her band blends beats with lush, jazzy arrangements that compliment her voice and longing lyrics. I love what she does. Locals Lulu In Hollywood draw obvious comparisons. With the recent recruiting of local turntable wiz DJ Organic, they mix a very hypnotic blend of modern jazz. Lena, the singer and main lyricist in Lulu, sings with a style that hints more at the literary than the traditional jazz songwriting that I hear from Gibbons. I asked Lena and she confirmed her admiration for writers like Charles Bukowski and Tom Robbins. She reflects their sense of real human emotions through a gorgeous, compelling voice and often bittersweet lyrics. Syl Primous, one of Phoenix's finest sax virtuosos, is making modern, hypnotic jazz with a bunch of prodigies. They have something really special going and if you let them they will make you feel good. The band, led by keyboardist Michael Wheeler, is very excited to have DJ Organic aboard and it shows on record. There is groovy, constant energy and buzz to this record. Songs like "Bena" and "12 Drinks Ago" really put a spell on you. They have synthesized sounds from hip hop and jazz and spaces in between into a passionate cocktail. -By IMPROV |