Search - Appleton :: Everything's Eventual

FORMER ALL SAINTS MEMBERS GO SUPER TRIPPY

Hernan Igot | Maryland, USA | 08/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've heard some stuff about "Everything Eventually" and have been wanting to check it out for a while. Getting it basically cemented my position of regarding it as a truly great (yet extremely underrated) modern pop record. I mean a lotta times people (especially those nasty critics) tend to question the lyrics on the tracks, but you know, the whole album isn't really as pretentious as it seems. I think the girls of Appleton (1/2 of All Saints) just wanted to continue on in a more chilled out, relaxed pace, which is super obvious with the album's more laid-back atmosphere. Appleton's "Everything Eventually" most directly picks up from All Saints' "Pure Shores" and "Black Coffee" tracks. Here's a track-by-track overview of it:



1. "Fantasy" - The first single, but not necessarily the best track in the album. It's definitely a standout though because it's a bit rock-ish, but trippy at the same time.



2. "Don't Worry" - Very dramatic with the strings, yet subtle and graceful at the same time. Beautifully slow, moody, and atmospheric.



3. "Hallelujah" - Sounds like church, but you know, its preachiness fits. The track's like "Don't Worry" before it, but it's got a bit more beat to it. Nice vocals.



4. "Everything Eventually" - The track just glides at a pace and that beat sticks to you. It's mid-tempo and has a chilled out groove as well. I think it's a good meditation track to relax to, but not those slow ones.



5. "M.W.A." - Probably channels All Saints and their previous material the most, but it's like a hybrid of pop, electronica, and hip-hop. The rapping seems awkward, but the layered vocals are great (I still don't get the attempt to be super spiritual or have this notion of higher learning).



6. "Ring-A-Ding-Ding" - One of the most epic tracks of the album: very Middle Eastern, yet slow and full of strings. Heavy track!



7. "Supernaturally" - Accents the album's wholesome trip-hop/pop sound nicely. The beat's reminiscent of "Black Coffee."



8. "All Grown Up" - Very Beatlesque-meets-trip/hop. Slow track with piano and it's gorgeous and moody.



9. "Waiting For Your Love" - Funky pop track with an electro bassline. Very modern Madonna-esque like a lotta the tracks here.



10. "5am" - Sounds very nostalgic, yet with a modern feel to it. I dunno, it starts off like those folky songs. Very campfire-like.



11. "Long Long Road" - Chilled out alternative track much like a lotta others, and it's got a cool constant beat. Another chill out song that doesn't demand too much attention.



12. "Anyone" - Probably the least electronic track. Very piano-laden though with an orchestra to back up. Has a lotta great classical moments. Dramatic.



13. "Blow My Mind" (UK Bonus Track) - One of the better tracks of the album is unfortunately a bonus track. It's like "Fantasy" with its rockishness, but it also borrows from the heavier trip-hop appeal of a lotta the other pop tracks on the album. Great way to truly end it!



So in conclusion, the album seems to show the Appleton sisters channelling the spirit of electronica Madonna with a little bit of alternative, indie, etc. in the side too. Extremely worthy debut and is full of great production. I dunno why they seem like a bunch of hated socialites in the UK, but this is how albums should be made. Really great! Highly recommended pop album and is absolutely great for chilling out. Almost sublime!"

ALBUM OF 2003

S. Foster | Moira, Co Armagh United Kingdom | 10/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was never a fan of All Saints, so when I heard the pretty Appleton singers were to release a single (Fantasy), I thought little of it. How wrong was I to be........I loved the rock-pop fusion of the first single which charted at Number 2 in the UK and was pleasantly surprised at the qualty of the bonus tracks on the single. And then along came Don't Worry, a gorgeous Beatles-esque type ballad which showcased the girlz' crystal vocals, with an epic guitar hook and mesmerisingly gorgeous chorus. I was HOOKED. Top 5 hit in Britain too! The remainder of the album does not fail to disappoint, and is an eclectic mix of pop, rock, indie and epic status tunes which not only force you to re-evaluate your perception of these singing siblings, but make you appreciate that some artists out there can really put together musically and lyrically diverse and satisfying songs onto one melt-down. Top trax are definitely M.W.A. with killer layered harmonies and Ring-A-Ding, a chilling Bond-type theme song which I cannot help but loving. Then there's Waiting For Your Love...this is just a brilliant pop song that defies you not to like it. If it's a single it will be mammoth. Uplifting and summery, a perfect piece of pop craftmanship. The top track is a brooding chill-out ballad called 5AM which I wish would be released as a single....haunting, soaring and deliciously sung, it's a tragic ballad which just stuns. Add to that a series of other finely performed tunes, all of which are listenable in their own right, the fact that the girls contributed a lot to the writing of this cd indicates to this discerning music fan that the Appleton sisters were held in the background for far too long. I can't get enough of this cd, I tell all my friends about it and I play it LOUD. My hat goes off to these girls and I for one look forward to their next release....a worhtwhile investment....even if you've never heard their songs before, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!!"