Audio Cassette review:
Echobelly - Lustra

Echobelly - Lustra

Band: Echobelly Title: Lustra Rating: Release Date: 18 August, 1998 Media: Audio Cassette Tracks: 1: Bulldog Baby 2: I'm Not a Saint 3: Here Comes the Big Rush 4: Iris Art 5: World Is Flat 6: Everyone Knows Better 7: Wired On 8: O 9: Bleed 10: Paradise 11: Angel 12: Lustra 13: Heros in June 14: Mouth Almighty 15: Drive Myself Distracted 16: Falling Flame 17: Holding the Wire

Customer Reviews Much better than the reviews this album had in the press. Its more accomplished than 'On' though perhaps not as guitar pop driven. This album is still a joy to listen to. The only let down with the album was the artwork as it really doesnt reflect what a great sound this album makes. Its a pity that more bands dont have as good a singer as echobelly do. Sonia really can belt them out and make you feel inside on the lyrics, this album shows it best by far. This album deserved to do much better. Echobelly's production catches up with its songwriting The songwriting, by singer Sonya Aurora Madan and guitarist Glenn Johansson, is as strong as ever, and the arrangements and production are better than on the previous album, "On. This is Echobelly's best album, and that's saying quite a bit. " Echobelly's previous albums had more of a live band sound, guitar-based and with the guitars sounding pretty much the same on every song. This album adds keyboards and strings to the arrangements, and varies the guitar sounds, resulting in an album that's comparable in sound and appeal to the first Elastica album--both melodic '90s updates of '80s alternative rock. None of Echobelly's power is lost in the transition. Some fans didn't like this change in Echobelly's sound, but it makes for a more satisfying listen. This version of the CD includes five B-sides that weren't on the original release; four of them are better than most bands' A material. The 17 songs contain over a dozen memorable tunes, from the brooding "Bulldog Baby" with its pulsing synthesizer to the effortlessly catchy "Iris Art", from the stuttering guitar of "Here Comes the Big Rush" (Madan's night out with a cross-dressing friend) to the obsessive "Drive Myself Distracted" and the powerful strings on "Wired On". By rights, "Angel B" should have been used in a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episode somewhere along the way. Echobelly's LUSTRA is Brooding British Brilliance!!! It had an indescribable catchy verve to it. I've been a follower of Echobelly ever since their first album EVERYONE'S GOT ONE (aka EGO) hit the shelves in 1994. Quite interesting. Then in 1995, ON was released and they topped themselves with an even more self-assured and excellent album. It wasn't for about three years that they finally gave us LUSTRA. This album, I feel, is the group's crowning achievement. One has often heard that the third time is the charm; LUSTRA is no different in this respect. Though the music and lyrics are darker and more dense, the original Echobelly personality shines out in every track. On this American release, you get five additional tracks that were once the elusive B-sides on the single releases. With seventeen tracks of musical bliss, one cannot help but succumb to the spell that is spun by Echobelly. I can only hope they continue to produce such high quality music for years to come. Check it out for yourself. . You can see a complete list of all Echobelly discography, or go back to the Echobelly tabs