Gutter and the Garden

[livbowl]

Does anyone else have this album? Compared to starlit sunken ship, I mean what happened? Even the choice in accompaniement is so harsh, and the cliche ridden lyrics, so repetitive...it made me a little sad.

[fall96]

I actually really like the gutter. There are some clichés, but other songs I thought had lyrics even better than the first record. The last song, and the Garden in particular have some really amazing, developed images. It is a little harsher than the first record, but it did not bother me. I think that sort of accompaniment is just a different way of expressing the same idea. It’s still a pretty melodic record. And I like how the record is unified by images and ideas that run throughout, and also how it is thematically tied to the first record. I saw lovers in Boston about a month ago and the show was great. It was just Carolyn and her guitar. She played a new song that is not on any record called st. jude. It’s amazing.

[allthisworld]

i agree in a way, i agree a lot actually. but i still liked the new record a lot. i didnt think the lyrics were that cliche, but i thought some of the music was, if you can call music cliche, the way its written. i just thought there was this whole musical style and sound on the first record that kind of went away now and this one sounded more basic, like something you'd hear on a hundred other records. the other thing i thought was a problem with the new one was that her lyrical pacing seemed weird, like every song she is quickly singing all the words. it was almost as if the words were already written and then forced to fit to some music that was written later. but anyway, now that i said all the negative things, i still like the record a lot and think it was one of the best of the year.. it's still beautiful. starlit sunken ship was just one of the best records of all time in my opinion, so it would be hard for anything new to compare.. it's great that gutter and garden was still close to as good. i hope she writes another record soon, she is probably my favorite songwriter that's currently writing and i keep trying to show other people what they're missing.

[livbowl]

Don't misunderstand, Carolyn Berk is an amazing writer, lyrically, and atmospherically. I also enjoyed the record, but as you have said, after starlit sunken ship, anything is gonna be a let down. However I still adhere to my previous assertion that she has potential for a glorious, beguiling record, which- gutter and the garden was not.