THE STILLEST HOUR

I couldn't sleep this morning...it's quiet, I'm sitting here by myself, hot cuppa - couldn't think of a better time to listen to The Stillest Hour for the 4th time I think, and write a review. Such a romantic album...


TENDERLY - There's something about this song I adore...the lyrics? The soft music? Gorgeous low tones? I'm a sucker for sweet, slow music and this song is just beautiful. When I first listened to it, I instantly pictured myself sitting in a dark venue with candles, swaying in my chair. Amazing...

THE STILLEST HOUR - I could sing along to this song for hours. Not to slow but there's a slight bop to it somehow. The woo hoo's at the end...I absolutely love that. Definitely the best choice for first single.

WHEN I FALL IN LOVE - When I listen to When I Fall in Love, I get that real 'jazzy' vibe with this one, especially during the trumpet solo and the piano. Gorgeous lyrics. This kind of slow song really catches the vibe of the entire album.

COME AWAY WITH ME - Oh I'll come away with you Carl hehe The instrumentals in this song are so lovely. Then Carl starts to sing again and you just melt! Once again - beautiful.

NEVER GIVE UP - Another song you can easily sing along to. The lyrics are perfect. With songs as amazing as these, how could we ever give up on Carl?!

MY FUNNY VALENTINE - Ahhh the wait is over...the song I've been waiting (not so patiently) for! Sounds just as beautiful recorded as it does live. This song always makes me feel sleepy - but in the perfect way! Slow music, soft trumpet, gorgeous low tones... This one is fighting for 'favourite song on the album' Carl always makes me smile when he sings this song...

ARMS OF A WOMAN - I tend to think of Carl under the spotlight during this song, sitting on a stool next to a piano... mmm

THE WAY YOU ARE TONIGHT - So many slow, soft songs but all unique in their own way. You can really see how far Carl's voice has come. He holds those notes beautifully...

DON'T LET ME BE LONELY TONIGHT - I'd like to see Carl do this song as a duet. Not sure who - I'm working on that

MAGNOLIA - Why does it have to end here?! A perfect song to complete the album. I'm loving the instrumentals....

THE STILLEST HOUR REPRISE - The perfect touch

Once again I am absolutely stunned, amazed, gob smacked!! hehe

The Stillest Hour - A beautiful piece of work. A lot of time, energy and heart put into this. I'm sure you got the result you were longing for Carl. This is sensational.

It's so hard to pick a favourite album...The Stillest Hour or The Rise? Two completely different albums...I'm a sucker for romance and slow ballads so I might have to go with The Stillest Hour. But it's so hard to say 'favourite'. The Rise still holds a special place as it was Carl's first masterpiece
It just goes to show that Carl will produce wonderful music time and time again. You're truly amazing.

Thank you for such an engaging and intimate album

I am naughty but good if that makes any sense. I received a Sanity gift card already for my birthday, which of course is already spent. No need to guess on what.

I will be back to tell you all what I think. Plus I will be there at Highpoint Borders on May 2 at 1.30pm.

I got the album yesterday and couldn't wait to get home to play it.

I'm certainly not disappointed. It's a beautiful album full of beautiful songs sung beautifully.

Hard to pick favourites although the title track does stand out. That song is probably the best thing that Carl has done and deserves to become a classic.

I like that Carl has chosen mostly songs that are not obvious choices. I love Magnolia and Arms Of A Woman, both songs that I hadn't heard before.

Carl's trumpet playing is quite sublime on this album and it often gives me the shivers.

Carl's voice is stronger and more in control on this album. He obviously continues to grow and develop, something that set him apart on Australian Idol. I think this is his best album yet.

haha so when i heard carl's version of in the arm's of a woman i kept feeling like it had a country type of feel to it IMO anyway for some strange and unknown reason i kept getting visions of robin hood the walt diney cartoon and couldn't work out why until i found the the song not in nottingham has the same country type feel to it.

similar but very different but even relistening to arms of a woman after hearing not in nottingham i still find it to remind me of robin hood


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSXM3Zg0eBo


what do you think or am i tripping?

Hey Guys- Just got back from Sydney and asked mum to buy me carl's album for when i get back and guess what....she didn't because all the shops were closed, grrrrr. So now I have to wait until tomorrow/monday to listen to it and I was sooooooo excited. I can't wait to hear it. Is it Amazing????

yes it is.
it is so amazing.
I love it

Got my album last night after work and had to go out and have only just got back home tonight so couldnt post anything about it!!! But oh I love it soooooo much!!!!!!!!!! It's everything I've ever wanted from Carl and more...it seems as if he's just singing the songs to me (I wish!!!!!)..it's such a personal album with a totally different feel to The Rise... His voice just makes me feel like closing my eyes and going off into a dreamlike state...it's just heavenly!!! I think my favs are Come Away with Me... oh I just love this one so much!!! *sigh* That is my absolute fav on the album. then Stillest Hour, Arms of a Woman and Never Give Up and all the others coming in at a close second!!!! It's just a beautiful album... although I was a bit upset when I went to buy it yesterday...they didn't even have it out on the shelf anywhere and she had to hunt around for it out the back!!!! Hopefully it'll be put out this week.... It had better be!!!!!

This is nice having these dedicated topics for album reviews. Good idea Kris. However, I'm not ready to post my opinions yet. Reserving them until I get a good opportunity to listen in splendid isolation. Could be few days ...

I have to say - I'm enjoying this album more than The Rise - not that I didn't love that of course.

I'm a sucker for jazz music played by small bands not so focused on big brass sections, just the guitar, piano, drums (and trumpet!!)

The album is quite soothing, and I am most impressed with how far Carl's vocal ability has come!


Favourites at this stage are Tenderly, My Funny Valentine and Arms Of A Woman.

Fair to say it's gonna get a pretty good thrashing on my iPod.


The above makes me sound like a complete goose - but there you go lol.

Haha well said Jodes, completely agree! Carl asked me today which album I liked better, and I said The Stillest Hour. I adore The Rise but the new one has a completely different feel.

it has a romantic feel thats why
i am a sucker for romance.
:)

Ohhhh yes me too

haha lol
i hope he comes to wollongong

Yeah, Amanda and I have been bugging Carl about that since Idol days! The best he gave us was Bulli. Still pestering him ;)

lol
i live in dapto but i will travel like 15-20 minutes to see him at wollongong

Just listening to the album now... LOVE IT!!!!

carl_is_my_man wrote:lol
i live in dapto but i will travel like 15-20 minutes to see him at wollongong

Same here. More convenient than traveling to Sydney

yer definitely Kris

The album is gorgeous, I told Carl on Saturday afternoon at Borders Highpoint- that I love his music so much. I also told him that it was my birthday the Wednesday before and could he sign it Happy Birthday as it was a birthday pressie- courtesy of a Sanity gift card. He also shook my hand, he is so adorable and lovely. To tell the honest truth, this music is reminding me of my lovely gorgeous friend- not just how attentive and gorgeous he is towards me, but also to do with the tough time he has endured recently in losing his mother so very suddenly at such a young age. Both Ronan's and Carl's album's remind me of these things- in different ways I guess, but the sentiments are all there, just the same. They are very romantic, sentimental, even sensual types of albums. I know both are aimed at the mum market- my mum actually remarked how much more controlled and sensual is Carl's voice now. She likes this album a lot and she thinks this will be the one to truly mark him as an artist.

Could have done with more people turning up though to the instore, instead of those who just looked and walked out of store.

My fave songs by the way are Come Away With Me, Arms of A Woman and Stillest Hour. Not that I don't love everything else, because I do.


By the way I am not comparing Ronan's album with Carl's as they are completely different artists- I am just remarking on what I can hear and feel upon listening to all the songs on both cds.

*

38

-

NEW

38

THE STILLEST HOUR

Carl Riseley

MER/UMA

the stillest hour debuts at 38 but has a bullet next to it so they must be expecting big things from Carl. waahoo!!! well done babe.

That's fantastic!! Congrats Carl!! xx

check this link out it's an undercover interveiw with carl.
i'm especially loving the part in the 2nd part of the interveiw where he says how the song the way you are tonight he's interpretation is when he looks in the crowd behind a fence or something and connects eyes with someone and then afterwards they come up and it's all lovey etc. ( i think Carl has a closet crush on some of us fans) that's my interpritation of what he's saying anyway. let me know what you guys think.

http://www.undercover.com.au/Video.aspx?channel=Music+Interviews&clipId=963167

carl has this week gone up the aria charts to 21 with a bullet, 1 behind jessica malboy but 1 position ahead of wes carr hooray!!!

21

38

2

21

THE STILLEST HOUR

Carl Riseley

MER/UMA

hey guys
i went into Sanity today.
Ronan Keating's album is number one in top 20 albums
and Carl's is number 2.

Hey amanda!! Thanks so much for finding that gorgeous interview!!! I remember the last interview he did with Undercover for his first album and I didn't really like it, but this one is sooooo good!! Carl is so much more relaxed now and so much more confident it's a super interview!!!! And did I say he looks gorgeous too!!!! I am just hoping now that he is going to sing Come Away with Me on tour.... it sounded to me as though he wasn't too keen on the song to start with and although he likes it, maybe he won't sing that one!! Mum and me love it so much...he's GOT to sing it!!!!!!!!!

And hey!!!!!!!!! Awesome that he's shot up the charts again this week!!! woooohoooo!!!!!!

amanda-renee wrote:check this link out it's an undercover interveiw with carl.
i'm especially loving the part in the 2nd part of the interveiw where he says how the song the way you are tonight he's interpretation is when he looks in the crowd behind a fence or something and connects eyes with someone and then afterwards they come up and it's all lovey etc. ( i think Carl has a closet crush on some of us fans) that's my interpritation of what he's saying anyway. let me know what you guys think.

http://www.undercover.com.au/Video.aspx?channel=Music+Interviews&clipId=963167

Love this. Thanks for posting

the stillest hour has slipped from 21 back to 29 this week AAAAHHHH!!! gonna have to buy a couple more copies this week at he's rooty hill and mounties gigs.

Yikes! But I just bought another one for a friend!

[I also bought myself Ronan's - But I couldn't help myself!!! Have you seen how good Ronan looks on the cover? don't be angry with me please!]

i can't be angry i to bought ronan's, when i pre-ordered carl's.