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[geogaddi]

Anja Garbarek - Smiling and Waving

I strongly recommend this album for Bjork/Goldfrapp fans. This has got to be one of my top 5 best albums of ALL TIME! No sensationalism either. I download mp3's in 2001 of "Smiling and Waving" from Anja Garbarek and I *recently* legally bought it and it has

1. Passed the test of time
2. Still shocks me to this day how awesome it is

Why I like it so much?

1. I am a big fan of its organic-souding, warm analog electronic programming mixed the the gorgeous voice of Anja Garbarek.

2. The songwriting/structure is insanely brilliant! always entertaining. Its the type of CD that you hear *new* stuff all the time. Its filled with detail and picture-esque/moody lyrics. Some lyrics are actually stories that are quite shocking!

3. Anja's voice. Beautiful. Brings a world of fantasy to your ears.
Anja's Voice >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> bjork

4. In addition to the electronic music style, some songs belong to a genre of their own for their genious, original approach! Some songs are jazzy, some songs just sound like they came straight out of a movie and some are just atmospheric but all of it has a "Anja Garbarek"-trademark sound of her own.

Amazon.com Reviews:

--- Reviews ---

Welcome to the Queen of Ice Palace, October 26, 2001
Reviewer: Sandy (see more about me) from Brussels, Belgium

This album is pure ear candy. This is a collection of sweetest than chocolate pieces, where the fairy voice flirts with ethereal harps, violins, guitars and light electronic sounds. I had the sensation a little impish elf was floating around and whispering to my ear, which can cause some agreeable shivers down the spine.

The album is perfect for meditative moods as the songs are rather slow and laid back. The music style is very difficult to describe, I think it cannot be classified in any categories. One thing is sure: it is not mainstream pop. Comparing Anja to Björk is not really fair. Their voices have nothing in common (Anja is much smoother). The music is not exactly similar. No offense, I love Björk (and recommend her latest "Vespertine", just as all her previews albums). I just believe Anja is standing on her own feet. The comparison stands because both seem to experiment with sounds and instruments.

The light as soap bubbles "Stay Tune" and the dreamy "That's all" are already worn out on my CD, I played them on repeat mode so much. "You know" must have been recorded on a cloud. "Big mouth" has a joyful beat and an impulsive character. "The diver" is atmospheric. "And then" is a perfect example of how those songs sounds at the same time old and new, which makes them timeless. Those are just quick picks, I like the entire album. It was a discovery for me, and I purchased her first release "Balloon Moods" to get more of her.

Listen and make your own opinion, she might become the secret jewel of your collection.

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I am in Her Room..., January 2, 2004
Reviewer: hadrian (see more about me) from virginia, usa

Anja has an innovative and haunting style. Her voice is beautiful, and sometimes eerie. The album begins quietly, very tranquil, with "Her Room," with weaving voices, lush harmony, and plenty of clicks and abstract rhythms. Then it descends into "The Gown," drawing more experimentation with piano, beats, and sounds. The album's best are "Her Room," "The Gown," "Stay Tuned," (with her chilling chorus), "Big Mouth," and "That's All." All the songs are amazing, some more memorable than others. Yet, nothing denies the fact that Anja should be better recognized for her original and mezmerizing music. It's a rarity to find talent under the mainstream music, these days.

"stay tuned..there is more to come.."

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challenging modern jazz, October 2, 2003
Reviewer: Brede Trollsås (see more about me) from Oslo, Norway

first time I listened through Anja Garbarek's second album, it was a mixed experience. Instrumentals were minimalistic, largely leaving it up to Anja's frail voice to carry and structure the songs, and although I was impressed enough to buy the album after hearing the first three songs, I was far less impressed with what followed. but playing the CD a couple of more times gave me time to adjust and discover the beautiful neuances that lay close beneath the surface of little gems such as "big mouth", "stay tuned", and "the diver". also, some of the tunes are directly addictive, such as the astonishing and original "I won't hurt you". "Smiling and Waving" is challenging music, and not for the easy listener, but if you're a true music fan, you'll be likely to love this album in time.

In a scale from 1-10, 10 being the best, I give this CD a fat 10.

 

[Jill Sandwich]

I'll give this a listen, I'm a fan of both. Are we talking pre-Homogenic Bjork or later?

 

[ZootedGranny]

For the comparison, I've heard this album, and while it had some good songs, I found her voice to be too traditional, and you can see where she is going in the song. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, unless you're a fan of Bjork for her unique verse structure and vocal style.

As far as comparing voices, Anja's is very beautiful, but I prefer Bjork's because I find it more ethereal and she can project her voice like I've never heard live.

Getting away from the comparisons, this album does stand on its own, and its pretty good.

 

[Baron Aloha]

Bjork has fans? I heard a song by her once and it sounded completely incoherent.... like the sounds of a dying animal mixed with baby talk.

Do all of her songs sound like that? Is she saying real words or is it gibberish? I'm not trying to be funny or anything. I am quite serious.

 

[thomaser]

"Smiling And Waving" is great. "I Won't Hurt You" is the best song IMO... sooo hypnotic and addictive.

But if you're interested in Anja, check out her second album, "Balloon Mood", instead (her first album is REALLY bad, and only in Norwegian). "Balloon Mood" is the biggest, weirdest audio-trip ever! I used to think it was the best album of all time, and it's still one of my favourites. Every song is totally unique and fabulous, and everything is filled to the brimming point with little details you'll need 70 listenings to discover. Some of the texts can be a tad corny, but most are brilliant. Compared to "Smiling And Waving", it's far more in your face and experimental. And exciting

The Amazon-page for it is here.

She's obviously greatly influenced by the jazzy sound of her father, Jan Garbarek, who is one of the best-known sax-players in the world.

 

[geogaddi]

I'll give this a listen, I'm a fan of both. Are we talking pre-Homogenic Bjork or later?

Mostly, post-homogenic. Specifically when Matmos (programmers of Bjork's music) began producing Mouse on Mars-IDM-style music.

Bjork has fans? I heard a song by her once and it sounded completely incoherent.... like the sounds of a dying animal mixed with baby talk.

Do all of her songs sound like that? Is she saying real words or is it gibberish? I'm not trying to be funny or anything. I am quite serious.

Her producers get quite experimental sometimes but most of the time they sound "coherent". Check out the album "Vespertine", its mostly electronic-orchestral and not just noise.