Fumbling Towards Pies

Overall Album Score: 8.7 out of 10

Well! Here is Sarah McLachlan's huge breakthrough! This is the album that established her as a viable (and purchasable) alternative musician, and is why people today know who she is. And ... I won't go so far as to say that Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is one of rock's greatest products ... nor would I tell you that this isn't something that your music collection can do without. But I will tell you that Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is a very good album, and if you're the right type of person, this might be one of the most treasured possessions in your collection. (To be certain, if you're the type of rock fan who dislikes music without whomping guitar riffs, then this probably isn't for you. Those who enjoy quiet and thoughtful electronic music and you think you have the attention span of a cat eyeing a canary cage, on the other hand, ought to take a look.)

What really keeps Fumbling Towards Ecstasy out of the Hall of Fame (in my book) are the lacking melodies. Simply put, you're going to need more hooks in the melodies! I'm sorry, but such are the facts! McLachlan's songs are lucid and usually alluring, but they simply do not contain enough hooks for me to ever really desire giving this one another go-around. With that in mind, the music is tasteful and usually beautiful and engaging. That is why Fumbling Towards Ecstasy comes so recommended.

However, by far the biggest flaw of Fumbling Towards Ecstasy is that it gets boring. Nevertheless, this is like art-museum boring. For me, anyway, I manage to feel rewarded while sitting through it.

Overall Album Score: 8.7 out of 10 (Some of us might have a hard time becoming utterly enthusiastic about this. You'll have to be one who enjoys sitting down for an hour and just letting the good music soak in.)

Average Song Score: 8.6 (A nice, solid collection of songs! There's really not a bad one in the bunch! Plus, there are a few highlights in here.)

Album Tilt: 8.5 (Clearly, this is going to be something you'll have to enjoy as a packaged product ... more than you'll like the individual songs. Just the same, it'll take you a little bit of straining to really start enjoying this ... fortunately for me, it didn't take a whole lot of straining.)

Artist Rating: 9.0 (For the most part, I'm mesmerized by the depth of a lot of these songs. This is an art album by definition, and it's an accessible one. I guess that's why McLachlan achieved popularity after this! And there's at least one pop star that deserved some of the attention.)

Track Reviews

Possession 10/10

The album starts at certainly what's a high note! It doesn't have pop-hooks that'll hook you to death, but this is still a fine, melodic song that employs a mesmerizing beat. The instrumentation is busy and thick, and ... this one is far from being boring. I even like the lyrics! (It's not too often when I point out that I like lyrics ... McLachlan is one of those exceptions.) This track is utterly solid and entertaining.

Wait 8/10

This one misses the mark where the melody is concerned ... I have a rather hard time trying to discern it ... and it doesn't, at all, keep me hooked to the song. Just the same, this is a thoughtful song, and it was produced well. Furthermore, it has enough positive qualities about it that it remains a fine listen! (The chorus is okay ... but not really 'breathtaking' as it might have been) ... It's entertaining for the most part. I just wish the melody was better or it was more exciting.

Plenty 9/10

The production of this is still nice'n'thick'n'tasteful. The production is great! ... It makes the song sound uneasy and menacing (this song really deserves a 9 just for that quality). The melody is pretty good, too. I really doubt that I would ever be truly convinced by a McLachlan melody (...it hasn't happened here, and this is reported to be her 'artistic peak.') The instrumentation is really good ... and McLachlan does a great job singing to it ... her voice fits perfectly to it. (I guess that makes sense, 'cause she wrote it! ... She ain't no Madonna!!!! Thank goodness.)

Good Enough 9/10

Speaking of convincing melodies ... this one's pretty close, actually! (I'm not sticking my foot in my mouth, by the way ... there's no way that I'm going to be remembering this tomorrow morning ... even if I don't spend tonight getting slosh-faced.) This is a calmer, lovelier song that DOES have a well-written melody. I docked this a half-point or maybe a full point because it's not tremendously engaging or anything. I do really enjoy it, though, and I think this is song is one solid sucker! (The electric guitar in here ... hmmmm ... Technically, I'm relieved that there is an electric guitar instead of cheesy, scaling synths ... but I have never been so unexcited about the presence of an electric guitar in an art rock song before, I think.)

Mary 9/10

McLachlan basically doesn't know how to make anything suck! This is another SOLID song that, again, is not tremendously engaging or memorable. But I can certainly sit through this and be perfectly entertained (and never bored). This song works because the instrumentation, melody, atmosphere are very thoughtful, and done very tastefully. It's hard for me to deny this song a 9. (The vocal effects toward the end there are going a little bit too far, though, in my opinion ... might have been cool if they were worked on a bit longer ... it seems a bit sloppy to me.)

Elsewhere 8.5/10

This one is slower and more haunting (and more boring). The melody and the instrumentation aren't quite as interesting as the previous tracks. It picks up its pace significantly toward the end there. ... Yep, I still want to call this one a fine little number, but ... it's not quite as 'magical' as some of the previous tracks.

Circle 8/10

This is faster (and because of that it's probably less boring) ... just the same, though, this one doesn't seem to have that wonderful depth that I've come to expect from McLachlan in this album! It's still solid, though ... and it's entertaining ... that's all that I really need, you know.

Ice 8/10

Hmmm ... I think it's safe to say that we leveled out a bit for a little while in the album. This song is slower and does have some depth ... but this is getting a bit boring! It's not boring enough for me to give it anything less than an 8 (it's still done very well) ... it's just not very exciting.

Hold On 9.5/10

This is pretty good! ... It starts out nicely and then it slowly becomes more dramatic and exciting. The instrumentation helps lend this an edgy atmosphere ... which is what keeps this song dramatic and exciting, you know! Yes, I do like this one a lot! (And McLachlan's vocal performance here is particularly good ... being desperate and stuff.)

Ice Cream 7.5/10

What the @((#($$())#)??? While this doesn't deter from this album's high quality or anything so severe ... but this one seems so danged trite. It ain't too lengthy, though, so I guess it's okay. I only have to keep my teeth clenched for a little while.

Fear 9/10

Yikes! I almost don't know what to think about this! ... The experimentation here is pretty bizarre!! (Those out-of-whack synths going off in the background ... I just don't know what else to say!) With all that said, they lend this song a unique atmosphere that I just don't know how to describe it. I do know that I like this song quite a bit, though, but not at an exceeding level.

Fumbling Towards Ecstasy 8/10

Hmmm ... The instrumentation here is all right ... but the melody isn't very strong here, making this song rather dull (it picks up ever so slightly toward the end). But it's still rock solid. I might not be enjoying the living willies out of it, but I'm still able to sit through it.

(At the end, here, you'll find another version of "Possession" ... yay.)

Don't just sit there with that smirk! Send me comments about what you think of this album here!