Her best album yet!
Sean Cook | State College, PA | 04/02/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Danielle Howle's 6th full-length effort. 3rd with the Tantrums. Extremely radio-friendly, no matter what format you listen to most. A little country ("Karaoke"), some scorching thrash-rock (most notably "Camaro Power") and several radio-friendly folk-rock/college rock cuts ("Could Be Here", "Sneaky AM," "Let the Angels Commit" and "Cut a Rug")This will be her 6th critically acclaimed album (out of 6). Maybe the evil music industry will finally give her some cred and play her on the radio in some major markets.But you can't count on the music industry to do the right thing, so buy this album for yourself or a friend."
Sad Good-byes and Frustrated Anger
Blue Jean Online | Boston, Mass. | 04/28/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"from BlueJeanOnline.comby Truc Doan, Teen EditorA mixture of rock, country and something unearthly, Danielle Howle and the Tantrums' CD Skorborealis gives you a feeling of relaxation and deep sadness. The instrumental rhythm of the different songs makes for a perfect addition to Howle's languid voice. The drumbeats to "Sneaky A.M." are the perfect and necessary background to the song's hopeful and strong lyrics. Howle and the Tantrums have created a great compilation of sad good-byes and frustrated anger. The song that touched me the most was "Big Puffy Girl Handwriting" where the lines: "...Go on and have your weddings/Of big lettered invitations/Don't forget to invite Barbie/And all of your best creations..." made me smile and turn the song louder. It was the sarcastic, dry words of an almost-cynic that hit close to home for me.Skorborealis is an album to put on when you need a good variety of music that isn't really that different at all. Being snapshots of everyday life, the songs are not meant to be huge political or social statements. They are just descriptions of an ordinary life, but the descriptions are so eloquent and elegant, that the songs in themselves are not ordinary at all. While the song "Swamp Song" grows slowly like grass overnight, "Subclassic" jumps right in with a wicked guitar rip. The slow tunes of "Soft White China Patterns" sent chills up my spine while "Hello Kitty" made me want to get up and grab a microphone to jam along. There's something mystical about the songs that made me think of summer and fireflies. What does that mean?Let's just say that summer and fireflies are a good combination. copyright 2003 BlueJeanOnline.com"
Subclassic
Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 10/10/2006
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Only one track on this CD really grabs me, but it's one that sticks to the ribs. "Subclassic" rocks furiously with great riffs and pulsing energy. Howle's sneer-vocals, "Is he done with that girl?" reverberate. "Hello Kitty" musically works the same vein with some great thunder-rock, but the lyrics aren't memorable, "You might be into something." Some of the other tracks are truly bad like the country-flavored "Let the Angels Commit" that sounds like the remains of several country throwaways. "Cut a Rug" sounds like an 80s band from Australia. "Karaoke" is so trite that it sounds like a comedy song that isn't funny. I wouldn't spend a lot to get this CD unless Danielle's a personal friend, but "Subclassic" warrants a search for die-hard rock n' rollers. Enjoy!"
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1