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| | EP | | | Music Artist : | | Rachael Yamagata | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | RCA Victor | | Release Date : | | 2003-10-07 | | Store Price : | | $9.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $9.98 | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Collide
2. Known For Years
3. Worn Me Down
4. The Reason Why
5. Would You Please
6. These Girls (hidden track)
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 The fact that I hear no one talk about her is depressing...
Submitted on: 2009-10-12 |
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I just lauded her work on `Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart', so this rave shouldn't come as a shock. With this short EP, aptly entitled `EP', Rachel Yamagata burst onto the scene (but sadly without a deserved household name status) and proved that she has what it takes to make a real name for herself. I'm saddened by the fact that I stumbled onto this brilliant artist. I mean, it's always nice to feel as though you discovered a hidden gem that not many people know about and so you can feel somewhat special, but that always comes with the pangs of knowing that the artist isn't getting the commercial success they deserve. Rachel Yamagata has more talent in one singular vocal note than half the teeny-bop cash cows making millions today, and yet she is an artist you are lucky if you discover.
Please, buy her music and support REAL artists!
The album opens with the infectious `Collide', a marvelously tapered energetic piece that makes good use of Rachel's vocals while giving her a catchy vibe. `Worn Me Down' is similar in style yet completely it's own. It reminds me a tad of a U2 song in it's composition, but Rachel's lyrical content and rich voice elevate the track and make it unique and instantly lovable (thus a fan favorite).
`The Reason Why' is a comfortable fit for Rachel, a song that relies on her haunting vocals and the simple yet profound piano riffs. It's a beautiful song and a wonderful example of why this talented young woman needs to be on everyone's iPod right now. `Known for Year's has a down and out country vibe to it, reminiscent of Julie Roberts (a nice vocal comparison to be honest). The albums closing song `Would You Please' has a raw blues vibe to it that suits Yamagata perfectly.
What is even better than that cunning closing track is the hidden track that comes shortly after; `These Girls'. A stunning offering, both lyrically and vocally, `These Girls' is one of her finest moments. The delicate way her voice milks the backing arrangements is startling and just slides over the listener with a sensual chemistry that will rest easy on your ears and mind.
So, like I said, Rachel Yamagata deserves all the respect and adoration we can give her and she really deserves to make millions off her gift. So spread the word, help increase her fan base and just shout her praises from the rooftops.
She deserves it. |
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Track List With Times...
Submitted on: 2009-09-24 |
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Collide (5:02)
Known for Years (4:16)
Worn Me Down (4:34)
The Reason Why (5:09)
Would You Please/These Girls (12:37) |
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Raw talent
Submitted on: 2008-10-18 |
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Rachael Yamagata is an astonishing performer -- raw, vulnerable, powerful, and heartbreaking. You can see it when you see her sing live on a stage, and you can hear it in every song. Listening to the 6 songs on her 'EP' is like looking at the early paintings of the masters, the emotion and the talent are clearly in evidence, while the technique is still developing.
The production of all six songs is pretty minimal, without much of the refinement of her more recent songs. This lack of polish works in many ways though, as the lyrics lend themselves to this raw and simple presentation. 'Collide' and 'Known for Years', the first two tracks, are smoky and moody, featuring Rachael's voice in all its sultry, sexy glory.
The next two songs, 'Worn Me Down' and 'The Reason Why', also appear on her first full album release, 'Happenstance'. On 'EP', though, they are different, especially 'Worn Me Down'. These versions have their own dimensions to explore and their own perspectives to offer on the broken relationships they describe. It's almost as though Rachael is covering her own songs here, showing a different take on them.
'Would You Please' describes a letter in fragments, something written to a former lover about a breakup. It feels like something sung in a darkened bar and might be the hardest song to listen to on the whole album, harsh and rending in its honesty and the way it weaves back and forth over what the letter says.
Of all the six songs, 'These Girls' (a "hidden track") is my favorite. Slow and thick and warm, it flows like blood, steadily pulsing, sometimes surging, sometimes spilling out in a red rush. A 6-minute treatise on the intricacies of tortured love, played with a bluesy sensibility and unmatched passion...it really doesn't get much better.
This is the music I love Rachael Yamagata for, this intense and intimate look into the human heart in all its complexity. All 6 songs are unique, and all are a look at a raw, impassioned talent, well worth the price of admission. |
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 The first three say "I love you"...
Submitted on: 2008-02-01 |
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Good things come to those who skim through the bargain bins at indie stores. One example would be Rachael Yamagata's debut EP, which I snatched up for a few dollars, a few months before her debut album came out.
And it was worth a lot more than I paid. A smoky voice and lovelorn songs are the heart of this album, with a promising mix of vulnerable jazzy-pop with a hint of blues. Yamagata may be compared to established singers like Norah Jones or Fiona Apple, but the flavor of her songs is all its own.
Yamagata starts off on a strong note with the sad, cello-laden "Collide," before shifting to the catchier "Known For Years" and the fast-paced "Worn Me Down" ("Worn me down to my knees/I did anything to please/But you can't stop thinking about her"). Rounding it off is the melancholy "Reason Why" and slow-moving "Would You Please." (There's also a hidden track, the meditative "These Girls")
Love lost, love worn out or love that doesn't work seem to be the themes of "EP." Yamagata describes the feelings that lead to a breakup, being replaced in her lover's affections, and finally parting itself ("We can hang our heads down as we skip the goodbyes"). No angry-angsty-grrl stuff here, but a mature respect and reflection.
As well as unusual, Yamagata has a pretty eclectic style of music -- she seamlessly blends blues and pop, with a bit of good funk and a touch of classical. And the instrumentation is no less eclectic, with your basic quiet bass and drums being blended with keyboard and mellow sweeps of cello.
The plaintive lyrics stir your emotions without being whiny or self-pitying. Don't expect her to bash or blame -- instead she sings "Would you please let me slide a few words/under your door/the first three say 'I love you'/the last five 'but I can't no more.'" Her throaty, smoky voice is the centerpiece of the album, and she can carry the emotion as well as the notes.
Slow and meditative, "EP" explores the lingering emotions after love has gone -- and Yamagata does it with a truly exquisite style. Definitely a keeper. |
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 PDA (Pretty D@mn Awful)
Submitted on: 2007-02-18 |
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| Only 1 good song. Rest were not worth it. Plus, only a few songs for the cost. Better off downloading or buying singles |
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