Bring Me The Workhorse

Rate It! Avg: 4.0 (206 ratings)
Sample Album
ALBUM INFORMATION

Total Tracks: 11   Total Length: 45:56

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Phenomenal

ottoblue

What “hype?” it's just damn good if you like imaginative music! If you like the SOS that's on the radio, then don't buy this breathtaking music.

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Eye opening

Euphoros

I remember first hearing the track Golden Star while sifting through some massive sampler of many up and coming 2006 releases. The list was so extensive I could only give each song about 10 seconds to make an impression. The minute Shana Worden opened her mouth I was immediately transfixed. She has a definite ethereal, classical quality to her voice yet also a definite gritty rock sensibility; almost like a fallen angel learning how to cope with life in a big, bustling city. It was love at first listen. This is definitely one of my favorite albums but predominately for the first half of the CD. I feel some of the later tracks aren't as strong and as a result I don't always make it through the whole CD on a listen. If this were an EP with some of the weaker songs plucked, I'd give this almost 5 stars in a heartbeat.

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i believed the hype

kajman

and downloaded this. my mistake. i don't think i was able to make it through the whole thing more than twice

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Tremendous talent

CRM114

I was exposed to this band (Shana Worden) after her guest status on the newest Decemberists album and tour. Her songs and her voice really shine on this record. Get it.

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They Say All Media Guide

After releasing a couple of albums as Awry and joining Sufjan Stevens’ troupe of Illinoisemakers (as cheer captain, to be exact), Shana Worden returns from her hiatus as My Brightest Diamond. As with Awry, My Brightest Diamond’s debut Bring Me the Workhorse unites elements of rock, classical, and cabaret, showcasing Worden’s skills as a classically-trained vocalist and gifted arranger. Her formal training makes itself known in the range and restraint of her songs: operatic vocals and strings are inherently dramatic, but Worden doesn’t overdo them. Instead, she uses them just enough to make her modern fairy tales even more evocative. Her shivery singing makes “Golden Star” a standout, while the journey from intensity to serenity on “Something of an End” and “The Robin’s Jar” reflect the suite-like movement of many of her songs. While the influences of Björk, Kate Bush, Jeff Buckley, and — in the case of the languid torch song “Gone Away” — Nina Simone, can still be heard very clearly in My Brightest Diamond’s music, Worden uses them artfully enough that almost anyone who enjoys those artists will like her work too. However, Bring Me the Workhorse also shows an impressive range of moods and feelings, ensuring that Worden never sounds derivative. “Dragonfly” has all the warmth and weightlessness of a summer breeze, the aptly-named “We Were Sparkling” twinkles like an icicle; and the spooky, late-night rock of “Freak Out” adds a witchy edge. Though the second half of Bring Me the Workhorse doesn’t have quite as many memorable songs as the first half does, Worden’s way with arrangements, and her sweet-but-powerful voice, make the entire album an eerily beautiful experience. – Heather Phares

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  • 01.14.12 True! Tighten the bolts. Lighten the load. Synch our belts. Hold our heads high. Keep goin straight."@juddgreenstein: we are ALL the hope."
  • 01.13.12 PJ Harvey "The whole world seems to be being steered toward economic gain being the only goal of worth." #ontheabsenceofmusicinschools
  • 01.13.12 My Detroit neighbors practice that by bartering n helping one another. They give cause they know its hard here 2 go it solo @appleandcustard
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  • 01.12.12 ...that creation is about giving, not about commerce. It also reminds you of all that you have been generously given. #thot4theday
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