Search - Luminous :: Luminous

Beats, drama, and the finest voice...

p-51 | CO United States | 05/01/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Here, save yourself some time: don't read my review, just purchase this CD. You will like it.Being a longtime fan of 'trip hop' and the like, it took me 5 seconds to fall in love with this set of songs. It has a nearly perfect blend of creative songwriting, hook-laden melodies, intriguing use of instruments (both electric and acoustic), and the strongest, most bewitching lead vocalist I've heard in years."Los Angeles" kicks things off with a hard, pounding, dramatic beat interspersed with snippets of classical instruments and just the right amounts of electric guitar. And did I mention how wonderful the vocalist is?"Portlandtown" packs an emotional charge and somehow manages to make you feel the pain, loss, and firm resolve of the protagonist. The song chugs along toward the dramatic conclusion, and you're carried along to the end."Hummingbird" is the track that utterly floored me. Orbital lends their talents to the songwriting/mixing side of things here, which results in a fine musical pastiche. But when the singer cuts loose with her soaring vocals... I got chills."Marigold" is another chill-inducing song, slower in tempo, with heartfelt vocals that grab your attention first, then your emotions. It's a heart-rending love song, sung in such a way that you BELIEVE what she's saying."Motorcade," "Salem," and "In Love With Pain" round out the absolutely amazing set of tunes.Seriously, this is some of the most creative, melodic music you could find in this genre. The lead singer is just so good. Her voice has a depth and maturity that are completely lacking in many other groups. Like another reviewer here stated, she could sing the phone book and I'd be enthralled.Try it! You won't be disappointed!"

In Love With Pain

Erica Anderson | Minneapolis, MN | 04/13/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Luminous was a happy accident that I stumbled upon. The album cover intrigued me. It had a gothic feel to it. What sold me was that there was a track on the album that the group collaborated with legendary act Orbital ("Hummingbird"). Plus there was a brief description on the wrapping that this was an electronica album with hypnotic melodies. Before I listened to the cd itself, I automatically knew that this was going to have a trip hop edge to the music. After listening to the album, I can't say that the music is completely trip hop music but there is obvious trip hop influences in it. Barbara Cohen's voice is warm and inviting. She has a gorgeous voice and it fits perfectly with the music. She could sing the telephone book and I would find it fascinating to listen . Barbara also plays the mandolin and guitar. The sampled, synthesized electronic beats provided by Paul Robb is enchanting. Their self-titled album is an eclectic collection of music that blends live instrumentation with samples and synthesized electronic beats which you don't hear very often on a lot of albums nowadays. There were moments when I was almost able to recognized the samples used in the songs but unfortunately having the rotten memory that I have, I couldn't place the samples to the song but I know that I sworn I heard a Madonna sample used on this album. The more I have listened to this album, the more I have fallen in love with the haunting vocals of Barbara Cohen and the sampled, synthesized beats provided by Paul Robb. Simply an enchanting album."

A genre-defying, aurally dense album that stays with you

Michael D. Bauer | St. Paul, MN USA | 04/12/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, there's Barbara Cohen: she is a singer of remarkable credibility, range, maturity, and charisma. (Her voice is simply gorgeous; I'd listen to her sing nearly anything.) Next, Paul Robb complements her voice perfectly with his eclectic and beautiful sampled and synthesized instrumentation. Finally, the two of them together write songs that are thoughtful, original, and danceable.I really, really, really like this album, and allow myself to listen to it only once or twice a day so I don't start taking it for granted. And all of this, by the way, applies equally to this album's predecessor, "The Great Game" (which Ms. Cohen & Mr. Robb released under the band-name "Brother Sun Sister Moon")."