|
|
Reviews of "Ancient Light" |
Review from Subba-Clutcha webzine (review - http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article.php?id=4241) Shout Hallelujah, come on get happy… As a person who never reads a press release unless absolutely necessary, the continuous optimism of Phil Lewis' 'Ancient Light' came as a bit of a shock upon first hearing. Having been bombarded with a flurry of fashionable cynical social commentary in recent musical times, the Welsh singer-songwriter's words of encouragement (much like an over-enthusiastic dad at his kid's first football match) stick out like a sore thumb in the current climate. Upon second listen, and having taken a look at the all essential MySpace page, all becomes clear. This is a happy album because it's a Christian album, and religious beliefs not withstanding, the sentiments contained within it are a tonic for those assaulted by the harsh reality of Arctic Monkey style pop. Collectively the songs sound like they could well have originated in the clappy, happy shoegaze days of yore, but individually Lewis has embellished the tracks with plenty of interesting, if sometimes confusing production and plenty of instrumental detail to keep those feet tapping. 'Don't Give Up, Don't Give In' is a highlight, melding an introspective start with a rousing chorus, courtesy of bass drum and twinkling guitar. The fact that his voice occasionally sounds slightly like Mark Owen gone solo is no bad thing; it's a cute touch to unashamedly happy tunes. Lewis is obviously fond of his weather analogies, with much talk of sun and rain, but this can be forgiven for the inclusion of understated bongos on 'Brand New Day'. It is beach holiday goodness without the irritating forcefulness of Jack Johnson. Indeed, this is the kind of simple, classic pop we should all be privy to, but get fobbed off with the likes of The Feeling instead. And if mushy sentimentality is your thing, the subject of this album could as easily be the object of your heart's desire as a certain man upstairs. Insert your muse here. 'Ancient Light': providing a warm counter to the January blues. |
Review from Never For Nothing CCM Newsletter (February 2007 edition) Phil has received some very positive reviews from his previous offerings, and I feel certain that this, his second full length album, will follow suit. Phil weaves a complex tapestry with his songs and arrangements and this isn't the sort of cd that will grab you on first listen, but the resultant effect is an album that will continue to be on your must listen list long after many others have been resigned to the cd rack. This is largely due to Phil's sound being quite unlike anything else available on the market, but also due to some great songs. My favourite, "No Accident" expresses an oft used theme in a different way. The uptempo number "Beautiful" demonstrates some of Phil's sixties influences whilst "Run to Win" is unmistakeably REM in their "Out of Time" days. On the negative side, a couple of solos didn't sit quite as well in the mix as they could have, particularly the guitar solo on the first track, "Is Anybody Home", which isn't quite in tune in one very noticeable place. As this is the first track, it might have paid Phil to sit it further back in the mix and move the track to a later point in the album. For everything else the musicianship is excellent with tight arrangements and exquisite harmonies. This could be an early contender for best independent release of 2007. . 8/10 |
Review from Rhythm and Booze webzine (review - http://rbfanzine.co.uk/drupal/?q=node/202) 'Ancient Light' is the latest release from Phil Lewis and genre-wise it falls somewhere between indie, nu-country and pure pop. It's full of very well written, superbly structured songs that have a lightly infectious nature, particularly those that err on the side of country. Because of the strength of writing, the songs are certainly more than just decent and 'Ancient Light' is probably more indie than pop but the album tends to have an overall lighter feel to it as the pop element breaks through! For this work, vocalist Lewis has pulled together an impressive bunch of musicians that not only give the 'main man' their all, but they sound very accomplished in their own rights. Top marks for that Mr.Lewis, you seem to know exactly what's required for your excellent songs. As I listen, I can't help but feel that Lewis struggles to bring out enough emotion in his voice; something that's always more difficult in the sterile environment of a studio with no one to react to and with! I'd like to bet that he cuts loose a bit more in front of a live audience where he can feed of their responses and emotions. And, this is where I find 'Ancient Light' a little lacking; Lewis seems to be holding back vocally! It's as if he doesn't have too much confidence in his own vocal abilities - he seems to restrict his range and vocal dynamics - more of which would bring out so much more from his songs . I'd like to hear this guy really belting out his lyrics with the emotion and sentiment that they deserve. Lewis' songs are pretty mature sounding and generally the album is extremely well crafted and presented. 'Ancient Light' from Phil Lewis shows great potential in many areas but just lacks that certain oomph in the voice department. Get that right and he could have something very much more commercially loaded. As it stands, 'Ancient Light' by Phil Lewis is an extremely competent and very pleasant piece of work - by cutting loose, it could have been excellent! I think though there's a lot more to come yet from Phil Lewis. (Rhythm & Booze rating 7) |
Review from UK Music Search website - (review - http://www.ukmusicsearch.co.uk/reviews/phil-lewis-ancient-light.html) A South Wales based singer/songwriter in possession of a voice that sounds like a more nasal version of Richard Ashcroft crossed with a more relaxed version of Johnny Ramone, Phil Lewis returns with his latest collection of songs here with ANCIENT LIGHT. These are songs that slot right into that familiar singer/songwriter mould, Phil Lewis dealing in slight indie rock by way of mature pop, think Stereophonics by way of Crowded House and latter day REM. ANCIENT LIGHT is an album of decent if unremarkable songs, the likes of opening track IS ANYBODY HOME? and DON'T GIVE UP, DON'T GIVE IN, jaunty slices of indie guitar pop that are catchy enough without becoming infectious. The kind of songs that pass the time well enough, but never leave you stunned or amazed. The similarly toned IN YOUR EMBRACE is another case in point, jangly guitars and upbeat melodicism finding Phil Lewis wearing his Crowded House and REM influences on his sleeve. NO ACCIDENT is a slick sounding affair that comes across like Echo And The Bunnymen crossed with The Gin Blossoms, solid stuff even if it does seem to run out of ideas less than halfway through. Elsewhere BRAND NEW DAY is a gospel inspired acoustic singalong, BEAUTIFUL a frenetic indie jangle fest and closing number MORE OF YOU a pleasant folk tune that brings to mind Bob Dylan. ANCIENT LIGHT is a record of decent if unspectacular sounding songs, Phil Lewis a singer/songwriter whose talent is unmistakable, even if his delivery sometimes suggests a sense of the average rather than the spectacular. ANCIENT LIGHT is an album with the right elements to see it propel Phil Lewis's career in the right forward direction. A collection of songs that have enough of that pop-rock ingredient, this is an album that while never spectacular is a solid piece of work. |
Reviews of "Whispering" |
Review from Never For Nothing CCM Newsletter (February 2005 edition) In the latter half of the 90's, I reviewed several CD's from this Welsh based singer songwriter. His raw talent gave rise to some pretty good pop dsongs but despite this, Phil disappeared from view. 5 years later, he's back, complete with a more polished sound, and a few of those rough edges finely honed. Previously, Phil did, sometimes, try and fit too many words into a song but with songs like "Hey Sha La La" and "Fragile", he's learnt to simplify things well. The former. especially, is really catchy. On "Eyes of God", he gives it a latin feel with some mellow guitar work, and this song, I'm sure, wouldmake a decent radio hit if given the right production. I've always felt that Phil's vocals were more suited to the uptempo beats, and "Come Running" does nothing to change my mind. Certainly on the laid back songs like the title track and "Back to Life", I felt that was a little conviction lacking. When you get a title like "Life Feels Good", you need a good delivery, as well as a good song. In Phil's case, he does the job and succeeds admirably with a nice foot tapping number. I think that Phil is still exprimenting with some of his songs and style, but the world of grassroots CCM is richer for his return. . 7/10 |
Review from Cross Rhythms magazine A Welsh songsmith makes a comeback of sorts and brings plenty of old fashioned values to the recording of 'Whispering'. Firstly he really has tried to create a set of intelligent songs that have something to say. Secondly he has paid attention to musicianship, particularly the guitar work and backing vocals to add substance to the songs which gives the album a little more life. The upbeat "Cruising" and "Hey Sha La La" provide a strong opening and the delicate "Fragile" works well enough but after a while it feels as though things are running out of steam. This begins to feel a little samey. It could just be that Phil's voice is a little limited. It's always in tune but just lacks the dynamic to hold my interest throughout. 6/10 |
Reviews |
Review from God Is In The TV webzine (review - http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/content/content_detail.php?id=1497&type=Demos) Phil Lewis began serious song writing about ten years ago, but hasn’t shown the consistency that is needed to get the public recognition he wanted. After a 6 year sabbatical, he recorded his first full length album “Whispering” in 2005 with producer Brook Trickett and from there he hasn’t turned back, this is his second album “Ancient Light” and is certainly an improvement on an already great 1st album. Most of his songs are very good, with a few that really stand out and show the talent that Phil evidently possesses in creating music. It's sometimes difficult to see the unique side of his songs and none of them are really - to be honest -that catchy, but that shouldn’t detach from the fact that examples such as “beautiful”, “More of you” and the opening track “Is Anybody Home” are fantastic in their own right. It doesn’t take long to see why Phil has been called “Wales' finest unsigned writer” his opening song, “Is anybody home?” melodically and rhythmically it is first-class, with some soft rock guitar and mellow lyrics; the contrast brings about a firm eye opener and is one of the best songs on the album. As you look at the track listing of the album after you've listened through it a couple of times, you begin to realise how all of his songs are enjoyable and excellent to listen to. Most of his songs produce that “feel good feeling” and give you a lift when hearing them, he doesn’t produce catchy and memorable melodies, but the combination of guitar and keyboard played by The incredible string band keyboard player Lawson Dando create some really rewarding songs. The one disappointment of the entire album really is that his lyrics seem a little repetitive, its almost as if you have heard them before, now I’m not accusing him of copying his lyrics from elsewhere, but they do seem a bit monotonous and dull in places, particularly in “Beautiful” It’s quite frustrating as its blindingly obvious that the pairing of Lewis and Dando have created some near perfect songs, apart from the lyrics. Having said that you cannot deny that Lewis has created a solid 2nd album which holds so much promise for his future in the music industry, look out for “Brand New Day” and “Beautiful” as they are brilliant, as is the edition of the almost salsa style “No accident” which breaks up the other tracks which could draw comparisons to Damien rice and Simon Webbe in places. I hope that Phil will keep this run of producing songs going because if he tweaks his lyrics slightly, I have no doubt that he will go as far as he wants to. “An engaging singer/songwriter who seems to fuse retro and contemporary” A good album which holds a lot of expectation for a writer who has the musical ability that sets him apart from others. 4/5 |
Reviews of "Just One Kiss" B/W "Let's Play" |
"Just One Kiss" rated 4.1 out of 5 by reviewers on Garageband (www.garageband.com) at 26/08/08 |
Comments for "Just One Kiss" by reviewers included: "...incredibly pleasant voice and acoustic guitar tone. This song is endearing and entirely uncynical." "...Really Special." "The singing almost reminds me of Roy Orbison....he does have a good voice." "Very melodic....This song really works." "good production. good vocals. I like your style of singing" "Nice production, good vocals. Vocals remind me of Roy Orbison, very smooth." "R.E.M feat. U2's The Edge in the solo" "...it makes you wanna ride away and forget everything. This artist is really special" |
Comments for "Let's Play" by reviewers included: "...radio friendly with catchy melodies...I like the catchy blend of elements of rock, pop and disco." "...good song...Plus, it's pretty catchy." "The chorus is engaging and the beat makes me want to dance....sounds like 80's pop to me" "Nice lyrics and vocals. The song has this soft apperance to it that fits very well. Just awesome." "The song has a fun groove to it. Reminds me a bit of The Killers (and) also has some qualities of The Cars, that is a great thing..." "..sounds like the Strokes....great job.." "a nice pop rock tune comprised of great unusual sounds" "I'm impressed. Lyrics are great. Chorus is catchy. Good guitar. Good tune." |
"Bold singer songwriter armed with an acoustic guitar and some heart breaking" - (http://www.subba-cultcha.com/singles.php) |
"Just one kiss" is beautiful, catchy and clear; Filled with alot of emotion through the great unique tones of his voice. "Let's play" is an extremely catchy rock track, and like "Just one kiss" is simply unforgettable! Both songs display his exceptional talent and creativity. Phil Lewis is destined for success! I highly recommend that you listen to him! - (http://www.totallyunsigned.co.uk/index.php?c=phil_lewis) |
Review from The Mag website (http://www.the-mag.me.uk/Articles/Phil-Lewis-Just-One-Kiss/) "He's back and asking for more and, much to Phil Lewis's delight, his new single 'Just One Kiss' has landed in my hands! After re reading my previous review of Phil's album 'Movements In Space' all the exact points that were pointed out are re-appearing in this song but no where near as offensive as before. Yes, it's The Feeling but this track has got a charm of it's own. The added moodiness to this track works extremely well against Phil's darker vocal and with The Feeling steering away from song's like this, it seems original enough to the ear. Moving on to 'Let's Play', the adding of keyboards and energy pumps some guts into the melody. As before in my previous review of Phil, the same problem occurs where his vocal just doesn't suit up beat, fast paced songs as it just remains anonymous. Phil's got it right when it comes to performing relaxed songs where his vocal goes from being flat hearted into adding a depth of power that turns it into the leading the song. Phil please stick to songs like 'Just One Kiss' because if you continue to do so, you hit the spot every time." 7/10 |
Reviews of "Sad" B/W "Shine" |
Review from Totally Unsigned website (http://www.totallyunsigned.co.uk/index.php?c=phil_lewis_-_sad_single) Despite the title this track is ironically quite upbeat! This singer songwriter will not make you "Sad" with his great composition ability! Aided by Phil's pleasant, distinctive voice, incredibly catchy melodies and overall radio friendly sound! Shine (B-side to single) - This song follows nicely after the single, "Sad", as its coherent and inkeeping with his sound but manages to sound different..This song does infact "Shine", through the great, beautiful vocals and melodies as well as the atmospheric, ambient guitars and effects, that help give Phil his signature alt rock edge. |
Reviews for "Sad" by Garageband members(www.garageband.com) Feel Good Track! I like the James Taylor, Paul Simon, happy tone this track emits. The lyrics contradict this feeling sometimes but then wrap around, giving you that "coming to understanding feeling" The production is very nice, and I hear the midi cellos loud and clear. I like it a lot. And after hearing the full production, Id love to hear a less produced version. A one man act solo live recording maybe. Overall nice job. Keep that spring weather feeling coming man. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nice hook, great strings. Sometimes a song with oft-used phrases and words can sound a little maudlin. In this song, however, although the words sound familiar there is an earnestness in the vocal that makes it sound sincere. Sincerity, of course, is the most important attribute of a song. This singer is truly hoping to convince the listener to keep slogging along and everything will be fine. The music itself, although simple, is cleanly produced in a mid-1980s sort of way. The hook between the verse and chorus is well crafted. The strings are used very well to support the melody and not drown it. The drums could use a little more complexity. I assume it is a drum machine; if so a live drummer would give it greater depth and sonic texture. The vocals were a little dry, but against the 80s-ish guitar effects that is a good thing that works well. In closing, I think this is a catchy little song with a positive message, well produced and easy to listen to. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- good job really like the acoustic intro. nice slow build leading to the chorus and good transition when you get there. I like the hooky instrument break in between the chorus and the verse and then bringing it in every once in a while is a cool idea. Interesting guitar solo ... is reminiscent to Duran Duran.Seems like this song could be very retro in that way. It has an upbeat feel and lyrics are positive and radio friendly. Overall I think it is a good song ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This sounds great! Like how the guitar opens it up with a simple line! The production is very solid and well done. I like the melody a lot! The lead voice work very nice with it... I have to say that a i found the guitar solo at minute 2.00 amazing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- unique The production is nice, the guitars are clean, the mix is generally good, the song is listenable and quite catchy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Great pop song Love the Everclear type sound of this with the Tom Cochrane style progression and vocal. Loved to listen to it. Interesting bridge and chorus. I liked it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unusual An unusual song in both arrangement and lyrics. Loved vocalist's voice and string arrangement. Song built up nicely and had some interesting chord arrangements. Didn't like the instrumental break (rather ordinary) and felt the song needed a "hook". Liked end fade just carrying on with "Xmas-feel" backing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catchy song Nice beat...catchy tune...very good arrangement. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- your review the chorus is catchy. The lyrics are pretty sweet too. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hey wow pretty kool song yo i feel the beat n the back somthing u can just chill n groove to ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good effort Great acoustic rhythm playing here. Unusual voice but works with the music. Well structured catchy pop/rock song with some interesting sonic textures throughout. Good effort! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- weird everything is weird, the vocals, music, and lyrics.. but for some reason i actually kept listening.. just very original stuff... |
Review from Toxic Pete's website (www.toxicpete.co.uk) Well, Phil Lewis shows once again that he's got a bit of a golden touch when it comes to writing songs aimed at the pop marketplace! 'Sad' finds Lewis positively overflowin' with pop sensibility and likeability whilst allowing his compositional individualism and instrumental originality to shine through. Originally recorded on the excellent 'Movements In Space' album but lovingly and expertly re-visited and re-modelled into this, slightly softer edged, possibly more instantly appealing, single, 'Sad' shows Lewis in all his poetic and compositional glory! Lewis's slightly nasal vocal intonation is delivered in typically relaxed and understated yet confident style as fx laden guitars and darkly dynamic 'strings and things' provide a blisteringly infectious backdrop. Lewis uses the 'big' sound of strings juxtaposed with soaring guitars as a kinda magnet that draws the listener in to the centre of his carefully conceived musical world. 'Sad' and its 'b' side' 'Shine' allow Lewis to show off his wonderfully 'timeless' pop music with alarming disrespect for commercial normality; Lewis doesn't really conform in the true sense, his music is as commercial as hell but never actually sounds like anything else doing the rounds. Lewis has a knack of sounding amazingly viable and 'now' whilst retaining individualism and a real spirit of musical adventure - his remarkably mature songs, as once again showed here, blur genre boundaries yet sound familiarly friendly and are easy to access being somehow gentle on the senses but infuriatingly catchy. 'Sad' by Phil Lewis has every chance of getting itself noticed - radio 'jocks' should feel wholly confident about airing Phil Lewis and maybe its radio friendliness and likeability will raise the Lewis profile and open up new doors for this impressive singer/songwriter. And why not? Phil Lewis is not only a prolific writer, he's also a totally focussed performer and recording artist that deserves a larger canvas onto which he can 'paint' his beautifully melodic poptastic wares. 'Sad' is probably the most commercial song I've, thus far, heard from Phil Lewis; it's got all the right components - hooks, singalongability, energy, heart and soul and should definitely pull in a good few punters and spread the word. Phil Lewis' 'Sad' works on in all aspects; it's commercial enough to quickly win hearts yet it's also sufficiently original to slowly win minds! Good work this - beautifully polished, sensibly embellished and professionally executed! |
Become a fan on facebook |
Become a friend on MySpace |
Review from Music Review website (http://www.musicreviewunsigned.com/34.html) Phil is an emerging christian singer songwriter from Cardiff/UK releasing his EP "Sad" in February 2009, the EP has very promising sounds i can say, both tracks on the EP are very upbeat and mainstream pop/rock.. both have catchy lyrics and some sweet guitar solo's too, I'm getting a very early 80's rock feel or early U2 guitar work in the sound, but Phil's vocals are very relaxed in parts of the EP" this is not a bad thing as it does suit the style that Phil is trying to express, I'm looking forward to see what 2009 brings for this artist. Rank: 4 out of 6 |
Review from Subba-Cultcha (http://www.subba-cultcha.com/singles.php?id=27) Imagine the current crop of singer songwriters with the perspective of progressive rock, and you’re half way to describing the futuristic tones of Phil Lewis’ music… |
Review from Cross Rhythms website (http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/products/Phil_Lewis/SAD/77183/) Search the Cross Rhythms site and you'll find plenty of positive reviews for Phil Lewis. And this reviewer agrees with his colleagues. Lewis knows just how to put together a hooky pop song with interesting chord changes, atmospheric keyboards and rocking guitar solos that owe a little bit to The Edge circa "New Year's Day" and other early/mid-'80s classics. Does that make it dated? You could say so, but good songwriting and performance are surely never out of vogue. Old styles are always present as influences in current music, and Lewis makes a virtue of that. Here he uses "SAD" (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and winter as metaphors for the Pauline teaching that we may have hope, even in dark times. B-side "Shine" is less immediate - my first reaction was that I was waiting for more of a big chorus once the title line was delivered, but none came. However, it is a grower. It's too late to help Lewis in his push for chart success with this release, because it came out in early February and I'm writing this a month later. However, it's never too late to support a classy artist. If you want to dip your toes into Phil Lewis' music, then this release is a safe bet in uncertain times. |
Review from The Mag website (http://www.the-mag.me.uk/Music/Articles/Item/Phil-Lewis-Sad/) Chilled out music that will banish away any stress and anger. It's bound to leave you feeling relaxed and ready to unwind for the day. Phil Lewis shows great potential, having written and performed both tracks. With manufactured artists on the rise, his talents are likely to score him many points in the music industry. His self-written lyrics are cleverly used to perk anyone up. Shown through first track 'Sad' Phil Lewis repeats the line "Got a good idea, it's a terrible day. Why don't we just go out and play". Well if it's that good a line, you might as well hear it a few times. Continuing with second track, 'Shine', we are presented with lyrics that will come just at the right time if you're having a bad day. Showing off his vocals to calm and steady musical beats, this is the perfect song to listen to as your worries slip away. If you find you love Phil Lewis' music you're likely to be pleased that he stays true to his sound all the way through both these tracks. However, the same can be said that if this artist doesn't appeal to you, you are unlikely to be persuaded through giving his other tracks a chance. Phil Lewis presents songs that are bound to be a hit with anyone looking to put their feet up and chill out after a day of rushing around. 3.5 out of 5 |
Singer / Songwriter |
Reviews of "Dumb & Stupid" b/w "It Never Stops" |
Review from Subba-Cultcha.com (http://www.subba-cultcha.com/singles.php) Studio-spliced pop with imagination shining through every pore... |
Review from Never For Nothing CCM Newsletter (July 2009 edition) Phil has been writing and recording songs for more than ten years. His last album, the warmly received ‘Ancient Light’ was recorded during 2006 with the Incredible String Band keyboard player, Lawson Dando. This single sees Phil concentrate on a guitar driven sound. The song itself is pretty self explanatory, and contains a “who, oh, oh” chorus that is quite catchy. The second song follows in similar musical style, only this time it looks breaking free from the everyday hum-drum life of the material world. Phil’s vocals are quite engaging, and after a couple of plays. Both tracks are difficult to leave alone! 8/10 |
Review from The Mag website (http://www.the-mag.me.uk/Music/Articles/Item/Phil-Lewis-Dumb-and-Stupid/) Having just signed to LPW Records this year, Phil Lewis is back with his new single. 'Dumb and Stupid' is one of those songs that grows on you. The over-all pop offering has hidden moments of soft rock and quirky rewind noises which add to the depth of the song. This is a brilliant track and the catchy "do do do do do doo" bit gets you "dooing" along, long after the record has ended. B-side 'It Never Stops' isn't as good as 'Dumb and Stupid', but it still gains brownie points on the guitar build up at the end. Yet again this track has a mature sound and feel and you can see Phil developing before your eyes. I wasn't such a huge fan of Phil Lewis in the [beginning], but like all cheese you have to let it ripen with age! |
Reviews for "Dumb & Stupid" by Garageband members(www.garageband.com) "it (has) an unforgettable hook." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Love the drums. They sound garage but 80's at the same time. The disco-ey guitar parts nice and 80's retro as well. The chorus has a nice Adam and the Ants hook. Very different. Mix is solid and punchy." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "this song is great... filling the track.... the vocals are wonderful, I love the verse... keep up the good work" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "singer sounds like harry nilsson to me. the band has a style fun and different. lot'sa hooks." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "It has a nice feel that is upbeat and happy. It's pop melody is right up teen girls alley. With such a strong performance and the catchy hook I can see this being huge. The track captures the sound and feel of several 60's pop bands but yet the band has their own sound. It is a high quality production with a solid arrangement and it all works well." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "i simply love everything about this song. the intrument choice. the syths. the vocals are really good and the lyrics are well written. you guys have talent in my opinion. will def listen to this song again and again." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I really like the drums in the intro! Vocals are great, I really like the lyrics and the backing vocals too. I like how the guitars totally change for the chorus, and it's a memorable melody!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Cool ideas, with the intro pumping with energy and some cool sounds." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "The more I listen to it, the catchier it gets. It kind-of has an 80's feel to it. I didn't really like it too much at first, but it won me over. It'll be stuck in my head for a while. Well done." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
This website and all sound, vision and information on it is (p) & (c) Phil Lewis |
Reviews of "Movements In Space" |
Review from Don Ignacio Music Reviews (http://donignacio.com/music/2010page.html#1) Man, the first few times I listened to this Phil Lewis album, I was utterly keyed up by it. These songs are bright and happy, and he sure knows how to write a melody. What is there not to like about that? Well, that strong first impression began to subside upon further listens when I began to notice that some of the melodies started to seem awfully cheesy. Also, it began to bug me how flat and uninteresting the orchestration of most of these songs are, in particular the rhythm sections. Usually the bass does nothing more throughout the album than mechanically play the same note over and over again, and the drum machine textures are similarly unimaginative. But as I said, this is a happy album with friendly melodies, and you'll probably like it if you want something unpretentious to put you into a good mood. It opens up with a sunny, quasi-anthemic toe-tapper called “Let's Play” with its bright guitar riff and vocal melody sweetly sung by Lewis (I presume). His vocals are hardly unique, but he can hit all his notes easily, and its tone is just as friendly as his pop melodies are. The next song, “Sad,” doesn't seem to live up to its title, because it sounds just as warm and happy if not moreso. He might have brought in a few cheesy sounding hooks in the chorus, but it soars so well that I don't really care about that. What I said about poor instrumentation doesn't necessarily apply there, since he occasionally brings up some nicely placed “Kashmir” style epic strings. “Shine” is such a solid song that I'd wager that it could have been a hit in the mid-'90s on an adult contemporary station. (I can't tell you why, but there's something that screams mid-'90s when I listen to that song.) It contains the album's only example of a solid rhythm section, featuring an involving bass-line that interacts well with this light programmed drum beats. The chorus is also excellent that not only contains strong hooks, but it seems to soar as he's singing it, like classic Duran Duran. (OK, it's not as infectious as the chorus of “Rio,” but it's in the same ballpark.) After the fifth track, the album unfortunately seems to take a small dive, and I don't enjoy it quite as much. The melodies start to seem a little less compelling, and he even abandons his warm and optimistic tones in some of them. (Not that I don't like cold, sad or bittersweet songs, but Lewis seems to thrive best when he's just being happy-go-lucky.) “Sadness So Beautiful” is Lewis' attempt at a low-key ballad, and perhaps it's a little too low-key. It just doesn't catch fire. I like that he brings in a little buzzy glam guitar for “Burn Burn Burn,” which is toe tapping for sure, but somehow it doesn't quite pick up the storm by the end like I'd think it should. “New Star” is probably the most boring moment of the album, although it starts out well giving me a warm, holiday felling with some sweet piano, crunchy strings, and twinkly acoustic guitar... But that mood just seems to be lost once an ordinary and blandly instrumented chorus pops up. A song like the closer “One Step At a Time,” probably has the least conventional instrumentation of the bunch with a complicated drum machine pattern and a somewhat interesting vocal melody. But the drum machine seems utterly disconnected to the vocals, and thus it doesn't have quite the drive that it needed to capture my attention and imagination. According to his website Phil Lewis had been around in the music biz for around 15 years, and sampling some of his other albums, the man does show that he has a consistent gift for pop melodies, and Movements in Space is no exception to that. I might wish that parts of the instrumentation were better polished or more creative, which is what the left side of my brain is telling me what to say. But I can't deny that I listen to this album without having a big ole smile implanted on my face, so I am mildly recommending this. Don't expect anything revolutionary, but do expect to have a nice time with it. 11/15 |
Review from Tasty Fanzine.org.uk (http://www.tastyfanzine.org.uk/albums94jan10.htm#PhilLewis) Again, an album cover can prove deceptive. Expecting a singer-songwriter, and I suppose Phil Lewis must've started out as a solo performer, 'Movement In Space' is in fact a proper full band album, with picture of a slightly nervous looking Phil holding up an acoustic guitar on the reverse sleeve, which does sort of give a misleading impression as to what is actually on the CD. Even more surprising is the actual music. Opener 'Let's Play' is a full-blown stadium rock anthem, eerily 80s in its structure to the point where it actually recalls a Then Jericho b-side, or Roxette without the female vocal. Hardly groundbreaking stuff but it certainly powers along. So, can determinedly recreating a world before rave and ignoring present day trendsd while doing it really result in a worthwhile listening experience? Well, those electronics do sound quite genuinely dated, and the initail kick of the retro-ish production styling does begin to lapse into something a bit workmanlike and less than fully inspired. I can't quite put a handle onto what Phil Lewis wants to achieve here. His own songwriting is only too often swamped by the large-scale overproduction on songs like 'Shine' and 'It Never Stops' and the overall effect is eventually one of thuddingly two dimensional monotony. What's really needed here is either a more committed rockout or a lot less clutter on the mixing board. You can do it, Phil, just play your own guitar more often. |
Review from Never For Nothing CCM Newsletter (February 2010 edition) This CD starts with a short 20 second track called "Intro" which is a synth track that Pink Floyd would be proud of, then we are into the album proper, which is made up of fairly straightforward pop songs, I say pop rather than rock, but it's not at all like the bland drivel served up on the radio by Cowell and his ilk. The songs on here all feature catchy guitar licks and nice keyboards. Phil's voice is quite an individual one, The only person I can think of to compare it to is Lloyd Cole. There's a certain amount of dry humour in the lyrics too, both the music and the lyrics reminded me of "James". There's not really a bad track on this album, and it will be available to download from Feb 1st from all the usual places. There's a list of these, plus some tracks from the CD that you can hear at www.phillewisuk.co.uk The only thing that lets this down, and I know it's only a minor point, but the track listing is in black lettering on a dark grey background, and it's just about impossible to read through a shiny CD jewel case. 9/10 |