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1993's Mouth by Mouth marks a high point in His Name Is Alive's career, consolidating the band's musical elements -- sweet vocals, technicolor production, evocative guitar work, and arty arrangements -- into 16 songs that are as diverse as they are cohesive. Memories of Michigan summertimes, Theodore Roethke's poetry, and sensuality collide, creating the fractured sugar-pop of "Baby Fish Mouth" and "Lip," which sit comfortably beside the stark, cello-driven "Cornfield." The band's sinister side pops up on "Ear," a deadpan retelling of Vincent van Gogh's self-amputation. Mouth by Mouth "rocks" more than any of the band's previous work, thanks to the continued involvement of the Dirt Eaters; they are credited with the album's louder songs, such as the fuzzed-out "Drink, Dress and Ink" and "The Torso." An electrified version of "The Dirt Eaters" rounds out Mouth by Mouth, hinting at the group's increasing pop tendencies. His Name Is Alive's spooky, ethereal side is here too, evident on songs like the spiritually inclined "Lord, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace" and the gamelan-pop of "Sort Of." "Can't Go Wrong Without You" manages to be creepy, catchy, and beautiful all at once (surreal stop-motion filmmakers The Brothers Quay made a fittingly eerie video for this song). The blissed-out cover of Big Star's "Blue Moon" and the Roethke-inspired "Where Knock Is Open Wide" add a dreamy, folky feel to Mouth by Mouth's stylistic mix. A transitional work for a group whose very style is change, Mouth by Mouth begins His Name Is Alive's embrace of more traditional pop styles (for their own purposes, of course) and the departure from their overtly ethereal sound. It's a fresh, fascinating album that improves with repeated listening.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
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His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate Your Heart Music Bmi, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate Your Heart Music Bmi, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist - Melissa Elliot, ComposerLyricist, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Abrakopoicus Music BMI, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician - Chelle Marie Ehlers, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician - Chelle Marie Ehlers, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist - Melissa Elliot, ComposerLyricist, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Abrakopoicus Music BMI, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist - Alex Chilton, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Ardent Production, MusicPublisher - Ardent Music LLC, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Melissa Elliot, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist - Melissa Elliot, ComposerLyricist, StudioMusician - TREY MANY, AssociatedPerformer - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Abrakopoicus Music BMI, MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher - Karen Neal, StudioMusician - Damian Lang, StudioMusician - Denise James, StudioMusician
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
His Name Is Alive, MainArtist - Harry Fox Agency, MusicPublisher - Warren Defever, AssociatedPerformer - Warn Defever, ComposerLyricist - Karin Oliver, AssociatedPerformer - Perforate My Heart Music (BMI), MusicPublisher - CMRRA, MusicPublisher
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
Album review
1993's Mouth by Mouth marks a high point in His Name Is Alive's career, consolidating the band's musical elements -- sweet vocals, technicolor production, evocative guitar work, and arty arrangements -- into 16 songs that are as diverse as they are cohesive. Memories of Michigan summertimes, Theodore Roethke's poetry, and sensuality collide, creating the fractured sugar-pop of "Baby Fish Mouth" and "Lip," which sit comfortably beside the stark, cello-driven "Cornfield." The band's sinister side pops up on "Ear," a deadpan retelling of Vincent van Gogh's self-amputation. Mouth by Mouth "rocks" more than any of the band's previous work, thanks to the continued involvement of the Dirt Eaters; they are credited with the album's louder songs, such as the fuzzed-out "Drink, Dress and Ink" and "The Torso." An electrified version of "The Dirt Eaters" rounds out Mouth by Mouth, hinting at the group's increasing pop tendencies. His Name Is Alive's spooky, ethereal side is here too, evident on songs like the spiritually inclined "Lord, Make Me a Channel of Your Peace" and the gamelan-pop of "Sort Of." "Can't Go Wrong Without You" manages to be creepy, catchy, and beautiful all at once (surreal stop-motion filmmakers The Brothers Quay made a fittingly eerie video for this song). The blissed-out cover of Big Star's "Blue Moon" and the Roethke-inspired "Where Knock Is Open Wide" add a dreamy, folky feel to Mouth by Mouth's stylistic mix. A transitional work for a group whose very style is change, Mouth by Mouth begins His Name Is Alive's embrace of more traditional pop styles (for their own purposes, of course) and the departure from their overtly ethereal sound. It's a fresh, fascinating album that improves with repeated listening.
© Heather Phares /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 00:49:43
- Main artists: His Name Is Alive
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: 4AD
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock Alternative & Indie
1993 4AD Ltd 1993 4AD Ltd
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