Way Overdone
James Carragher | New York | 07/16/2004
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Here I go, the minority again.Of The Golden State, start with the good news -- Mia Doi Todd has a great voice, smoky and silky at once. Some of the arrangements early in the CD, are fresh too, especially 88 Ways. Like a Knife is fine and Autumn, the song that sparked my interest when I heard it on a sampler CD, is simply terrific, a keeper forever, in its understated telling of the end of a season and a love. So impressive is it that I really anticipated hearing the rest of this CD...oops!Because everything else is bad news -- mannered, pretentious and overwritten, delivered as if every song were the Sermon on the Mount, without the slightest light touch or sense of humor. One reviewer compared her to T.S. Eliot, a truly absurd concept. If, however, part of your musical tastes tend toward overemoting Enya and Sarah Brightman...this is the CD for you."
Fan of Melancholy? Try Mia Doi Todd's Golden State.
S. K. Zimmerman | Issaquah, WA United States | 08/14/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's true there's not much happiness on this album, but that certainly doesn't have to be a bad thing. Some of the best Belle & Sebastian (or Tori Amos or Iron & Wine, etc.) songs are the ones that aren't bouncy and happy. Mia gives listeners intelligent lyrics with occasionally clever word-play backed by music that is often understated but effective. "Autumn" has that elusive quality that hooks a listener and stays with them long after the song is over. "Independence Day" capably connects the world's issues with battles that are more personal. Golden State clearly refers more to buddhism than sunny days so to give this album a fair listen...try an overcast Saturday afternoon in October while you're inbetween chapters of a really good book and resting comfortably in your favorite chair."
Good effort
Gregory P. Carrier | Iowa City, IA USA | 02/24/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Manzanita was the first Mia Doi Todd album I heard, and I was impressed enough to buy up her catalog. This and Manzanita are my favorites. This one is a little more polished, but probably a little more consistent in song quality than Manzanita (she remakes some songs from previous independent releases). Well worth it. She's a real talent."