Search - Sleepy Jackson :: Personality-One Was a Spider One Was a Bird

Immense and Expansive

gonzobrarian | 10/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, take a good look at the cover of this album, and count how many times or places you find the face of The Sleepy Jackson's frontman Luke Steele. More simply, contemplate the significance of Steele standing at the forefront, carrying who else but himself. It's perfectly fitting for the title of the album, 'Personality', but slightly indicative of something else as well. In the liner notes you'll find Steele describing the music making as an "odd flourishing flower", made throughout sessions of both beauty and turbulence from which he couldn't run away without destroying the album or even the band altogether. In any case, the resulting record produced by the imaginations of Steele and company is very immense in that it's a big step forward from their previous album, Lovers. The themes are spacious and philosophical, while the expansive element of the album is provided mainly by the ethereal 20/20 Orchestra. The production and orchestration of 'Personality' is lush and grandiose, containing brilliant melodies, catchy rhythm and interesting lyrics. There are numerous songs here that deserve mainstream play, but more importantly I would describe the album as being cohesive, strange and very dreamlike. Considering the past instability of the band, I think it's slightly premature to place huge expectations on The Sleepy Jackson's future projects just yet, but this one is definitely a gem and should be savored. It's a cool and curious album.

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A pop masterwork

The Prestige | CA, USA | 10/03/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Luke Steele (aka The Sleepy Jackson) follows up his promising if scattershot debut "Lovers" with what surely ranks as one of the best records of 2006. "Personality" boasts a gaudy, overwrought cover that may scare some people off with its overstated pretensions, but the music inside the packaging proves to be as remarkably opulent, colorful and extravagant as any Baz Luhrman movie.



Backed by a full orchestra and choir, Steele creates remarkably lush, catchy and cinematic pop that mines several influences (The Beatles, Brian Wilson, The Flaming Lips, Prefab Sprout, and even gospel) and yet comes up with a sound that is truly of its own invention. The lyrical themes about man, God and the devil give the beautiful and precise pop arrangements a potent thematic edge while Steele's agile vocals lend a perfect accompaniment to the soaring and intricately crafted musical soundscapes. This is a grand, ambitious piece of work that you can listen to a hundred times over and still find something completely new and wonderful about it during each subsequent spin.



Undoubtedly, Steele's baroque and uncompromising style will not be to everyone's taste and nobody should go into this CD expecting to hear just another Beatles or Beach Boys retread. However, if you're the type of music fan who appreciates stylish and adventurous pop music that sounds like it was created by some kind of mad genius in a musical laboratory, then this CD should definitely be in your collection."