Customer Reviews
Insanely surprising 
2008-09-29
Right...so we've all heard Almost Lover, right? I'm assuming you liked that song, if not loved it to death as I did, but i've got news for you...it's not her best. I'm totally blown away by this album. AFF is a lyrical genius. I'll admit her stuff can be wuite depressing, but it is so real and moving...that it may bring you to tears. Seriously. Think of You, Ashes and Wine, Last of Days and Near To You are sure to make your eyes swell. Then Lifesize, Minnow and the Trout, Rangers and You Picked Me are happier and mostly easy listening. I recommend this to the highest regard.
Beautiful music by an equally beautiful and talented musican. 2008-09-28
A Fine Frenzy is fronted by singer/songwriter Alison Sudol. The perfect words to describe her music is beautiful and hypnotic. The piano harmonies and her voice seem to fit together perfectly into emotional and peaceful sounding music. I love listening to her music if I've had a bad day at work or school, or if I just need something comforting to listen to. I'd recommend her to any music lover. Her music is absolutely amazing. I can't wait for her next album and I'll definitely be buying it. Favorites include You Picked Me, Rangers, Almost Lover, and Come On, Come Out.
Just What I Dreamed of... 2008-09-24
... and just what I needed.
Growing increasingly tired of the new music that countless bands put out, I was dying to hear something new. And beautiful.
This is it. The most beautiful piano ballads I've ever heard... it's surprising that such beautiful piano ballads can exist after Coldplay already garnered rights over the simplest & most incredible piano chord progressions in existence.
The songs are stunning. You'll find something to identify with in the lyrics of any of these melodies. The intimacy of her voice makes the experience that much more 'close to home', after you already find yourself identifying with the heartfelt words that she imbues with such character with her exquisite voice & lips.
I was lucky enough to hear her live at a small venue in Seattle, from up close. She tears up at her own tunes & lyrics... if that is not heartfelt music, I don't know what is.
Give it a try... close your eyes... enjoy the beauties that life has to offer.
P.S. When's the last time you absolutely loved 10/14 songs on an album?
Alison Sudol Has The Potential To Be A True Star 
2008-09-22
Alison Sudol, a.k.a A Fine Frenzy, has created a very nice debut CD in One Cell In The Sea. While Sudol's lyrics, vocals, and piano playing are the centerpieces of the CD, they do not account for the entire story. This CD packs a fair amount of variety although some of it is subtle.
Lyrically, you will find familiar topics while Sudol also takes the road less traveled in some cases. This is most clearly evident on "The Minnow & The Trout" where Sudol makes a plea for people to put their differences aside using a metaphor of animals based on evolution. This is where the "one cell in the sea" reference comes in. However, there are also the typical songs of love and loss such as "Almost Lover" and "Ashes and Wine". Overall, One Cell In The Sea has a balance of concrete and abstract lyrics.
Vocally, Sudol is very strong as a pure singer. Her voice is very full even in the higher register as displayed on "The Minnow & The Trout" and "Whisper". I also thought that she gave good variety in her delivery. "You Picked Me" and "Rangers" have a more rhythmic pace on the chorus whereas "Ashes and Wine" is more straight ahead. She also uses dynamics well conveying earnestness on "Almost Lover" while using a much lower volume on the invitatory "Come On, Come Out". Among all of these variations, though, none of the songs lose continuity.
Instrumentally, One Cell In The Sea offers a fair amount of variety. "Come On, Come Out" and "The Minnow & The Trout" center on Sudol's piano playing while "Whisper" and "Ashes and Wine" make great use of strings. The strings on "Ashes and Wine" especially help create the melancholy mood for the song. "Borrowed Time" is an interesting piece as it has much more of a folk sound to it with the acoustic guitar. You will even find some electronics and synthesizers that work to varying degrees. While it works well on "Think of You", it winds up just being annoying on "Last of Days".
Overall, One Cell In The Sea is a solid debut effort for A Fine Frenzy. There is a lot of variety, but it is not always obvious. Two songs may sound similar, but the lyrics may have very different messages (see "Come On, Come Out" and "The Minnow & The Trout"). Other times the subject of the song might be the same, but the style is different (see "Almost Lover" and "Ashes and Wine"). It will be interesting to see on future releases if Alison Sudol keeps this level of variety, or if she gravitates toward one of the specific styles that she uses here. I think that "Borrowed Time" shows that she has very strong potential in the folk genre, and I would like to hear more songs from her along these lines.
Download this: "Borrowed Time"
One Cell In The Sea - Great Album 2008-09-04
One Cell In the Sea is probably my favorite album released in the last two years. For a guy who buys hundreds of CDs a year and listens to every genre under the sun, that's saying something. Every track on the album is incredible. This is probably the best debut album since Third Eye Blind's debut masterpiece.
Even though I loved the album from the start, some of the songs didn't hit me at first. I was not a big fan of "You Picked Me," because starting your song off with "One, Two, Three" just isn't the way to win me over. Still, this song has grown on me too. I can forgive the counting off.
Alison's voice is amazing, and unlike a lot of the pseudo piano player musicians of today she can actually play. But most importantly, this is just well written music in every way, lyrics and accompaniment. If you haven't checked this out yet, you owe it to yourself. I can't wait for the next album.
I hope you give this album a try.
Enjoy!
Bluesy voice with intriguing lyrics 2008-08-16
A Fine Frenzy Photos
Enchanting 2008-08-13
It has been a long time since I bought an album and loved every song. She is one talented young woman, both in voice and songwriting.
'I Talk to the Trees' 2008-08-02
There seems to be a surfeit of these earnest female singer-songwriters out there in the flux and fluctuating pop arena. Most are quite bad, but sifting through the rubble left on the battlefield, you can occasionally rescue small gems like A Fine Frenzy, hiding in potholes after the big guns (and we all know who they are!) have long finished discharging their infertile loads.
'One Cell in the Sea' is a tiny, slightly miraculous pop album. I'm sure supporters of Vanessa Carlton, Kate Nash and Colbie Callait et al can instantly tell their heroines apart and could fervently point to the varying merits of each, but for yours truly it needs something grabbing and different to raise the heckles and 'OCITS' has that special something.
'That special something' isn't anything mystical or other-worldly, it's simply well thought out words and ideas, presented straight and true in satisfyingly low-key but busy treatments. Nothing revolutionary or incendiary here pop-kids.
A Fine Frenzy (aka Alison Sudol) is a tiny, waif-like presence with a killer line in powerful melody and thoughtful wordplay. She's mainly piano-driven with layers of strings and acoustic guitar, and she's just dropped lucky - it all comes together for her (and fortunately - for us!). Even the lyric booklet is good. It's hippy woodland nonsense to a degree, with various colourful etchings of song-birds, (the only instance of vanity Ms. A Fine Frenzy indulges in) but in it's one-trip dream and romance world view, it finds this particular easily distracted commentator in sympathetic mode. It's merely an extension of 'OCITS's earthy lush-pop. A symbolic branch of it's mini-engine of creativity and mission.
Unsurprisingly, she's a quietly understated and beautifully stylish lady. She reminds very much of Madeline Smith, the fetching 70's Hammer actress, particularly in one gorgeous shot, where she's wearing a long, pleated, blood-crimson dress and is looking worriedly over her shoulder, as if the forest around her has just come alive, and is stealthily revealing it's sinister intentions.....
High points? Many, but the 'You Picked Me'/'Rangers'/'Almost Lover' triumvirate about a quarter in take some stopping. Deft and moving scopes of sound and thought, 'Last of Days' is suitably haunting, and the exceptional 'Lifestyle', the nearest thing we get to a 'rock' song, even has a "Yeaahh!" at one stage. Woah girl, deep breaths.
The album's not perfect. (although Alison probably is..) It goes on too long, there's a slight lack of diversity as it turns the last bend, and it sounds a bit one paced after repeated listens, but nothing that affects the effect of the many essentials. AFF will iron this out for her next album, importantly making sure she leaves in all the sleights and subtleties that make 'OCITS' one of the best of it's kind.
At the moment she's (deservedly) head and shoulders above the opposition, we'll wait see if she finishes there....
A 3 star album 
2008-07-28
...got a bit suprise at first, but fall's in to bore in the few last songs!Alison Sudol's did make some good songs in the first few track, maybe a little bit more effort on her next record.
a gift to myself 2008-07-21
i had never heard of this group but took an amazon recomendation and ordered it..it has been in my car cd player ..on my zune and on my computer so i have a copy wherever i happen to be..i love every song on it and hope there is a new one soon, then i happened to see her on csi or criminal minds and found out she can act too...love the lyrics...love everything about this cd..thanks for the recommendation amazon
