Cockahoop

cockahoop

Track Listings

1. Chardonnay

2. Caught in the Middle

3. Louisiana

4. Weightless Again

5. Only a Fool

6. Bague

7. Miller of Hooterville [Instrumental]

8. Ocean

9. Arglwydd Dyma Fi

10. If You're Lookin' for Love

11. Good in Goodbye

12. Gypsy Song

13. All My Trials

Cockahoop,Cerys Matthews,Rough Trade Us,Indie Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Cockahoop

Average customer rating:

not bad...
Sweet Surrender
Beauty
A gem of an album
A Christmas Surprise

Cockahoop
Cerys Matthews
Manufacturer: Sanctuary Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00064LORI
Release Date: 2004-10-26

Tracks:

Chardonnay
Caught In The Middle
Louisiana
Weightless Again
Only A Fool
La Bague
...Interlude...
Ocean
Arglwydd Dyma Fi
If You're Lookin' For Love
The Good In Goodbye
Gypsy Song
All My Trials

Customer Reviews:

not bad..........2005-11-19

Cery's Matthews possesses a truly unique voice that combines a velvet croak with a whiskey-ravaged rasp. that may sound like an insult...but it's not, i actually like her voice and it lends itself to these songs quite nicely. acoustic driven and heavy on the cowgirl accents, Cockahoop contains some nice little songs. but overall, i feel like it's missing something. maybe squaring Matthews's voice into the country rock sound is just a little too derived...in other words, it works sometimes, and sometimes it does not. but it is a nice little record. shame about the absolutely horrendous cover art. ouch.

Sweet Surrender.......2005-04-25

Known as the lead singer for Catatonia's 5 albums, Cerys Matthews' first solo set is a departure from that band's sound. She opens up with "Chardonnay" written by Roger Cook who wrote the classic hits "You've Got Your Troubles" for the Fortunes, "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) for the Hollies and "Green Grass" for Gary Lewis & the Playboys. In Matthews' hands "Chardonnay" is a delightful track complete with bassoon, oboe, cello & bazouki. [I confess I don't actually know what a "bazouki" is, but there is a great variety of sounds within the track.] On her own "Only A Fool," Matthews fashions a lovely melody filled with longing, "So I creep by your side, no great surprise, all for your sweet surrender; The morning stands still, won't let me in." On the brief "La Bague," Cerys' voice sounds quite a bit like the classic rock singer Melanie with its lusty alto, full of life. I understand that Matthews wrote the songs for this set without running water, a kitchen or a bathroom. The songs certainly have an elemental feel as on the lovely "Ocean" & "The Good In Goodbye." This is a great set with a homey country feel. Enjoy!

Beauty.......2005-03-20

Listening to this album over and over again, is like dancing till I'm tired, and drinking till I'm full.
It's beautiful, pure beauty.

A gem of an album.......2005-02-05

I bought this album because I am a huge fan of Welsh rock band Catatonia, and was hugely disappointed when they split in 2001; so, when I heard lead singer Cerys Matthews was making a solo album, I was very excited. This music is extremely different from that of Catatonia, however; it has more of a folk music feel to it. Cerys has a very unique voice and it suits this music perfectly. If you've never heard her before, she has an incredible sexy, textured, kittenish voice that I can't compare to anybody else. The album as a whole is delightful, and I don't consider myself a country music fan so don't let that label put you off.

It's a very musically accomplished album. Cerys hired a lot of very talented musicians in Nashville to help her make the record. It is too bad it didn't get more exposure, it really is a great album and I can't wait to see where this new direction takes Cerys. She really does sound a lot more fulfilled and content than she ever did in Catatonia, and the end result is an album that is very pleasant to listen to and a worthy addition to any music fan's collection.

A Christmas Surprise.......2004-12-30

I heard the song "Chardonnay" on the way home from a Christmas party. I immediately ordered it on Ebay. What a wonderful album. Listen to the samples and judge for yourself.

Average customer rating:

Cockahoop
Cerys Matthews
Manufacturer: Rough Trade Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0007M7O6O
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Tracks:

Chardonnay
Caught in the Middle
Louisiana
Weightless Again
Only a Fool
Bague
Miller of Hooterville [Instrumental]
Ocean
Arglwydd Dyma Fi
If You're Lookin' for Love
Good in Goodbye
Gypsy Song
All My Trials

Average customer rating:

Meet the muppets on first listen - but it gets better
Lovely Solo Debut

Cockahoop
Cerys Matthews
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00009EPWP
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Tracks:

Chardonnay
Caught in the Middle
Louisiana
Weightless Again
Only a Fool
Bague
Miller of Hooterville [Instrumental]
Ocean
Arglwydd Dyma Fi
If You're Lookin' for Love
Good in Goodbye
Gypsy Song
All My Trials

Album Description

'Cockahoop' is the debut solo album by the former Catatonia frontwoman, Cerys Matthews. Recorded in Nashville with help from various names in the alt. country scene, the album contains a cover version of The Handsome Family's 'Weightless Again'. Also featured is the single, 'Only A Fool'. Blanco Y Negro. 2003.

Album Details

The Former Lead Singer of Catatonia Returns all Cleaned Up in a Fresh Suit with her First Solo Album Since the Breakup of her Longtime Band. Production Chores were Handled by Ryan Adam's Steel Guitarist Bucky Baxter who Brings Out the Best in Matthews and Lets her Stretch Out Musically Shine on Material that She Never Got a Chance to Explore in the Band Context.

Customer Reviews:

Meet the muppets on first listen - but it gets better.......2003-11-12

I wasn't overtly familiar with Catatonia's output when I bought this cd - had just read a few reviews in music mags. So on first listen all I could hear was a v. spooky vocal - Cerys does sound a bit like a female muppet! I'm not talking Miss Piggy - more like Janice (it was Janice wasn't it? the muppet with the great big lube-a-lips - she featured as a nurse and I think played keys and did back-voc for the Muppet Band)!

Anyways, repeated listens did soften the vocal sound... And Cerys does have a good ear for a well-turned lyric - her cover choices "Weightless Again" and "Chardonnay" are lyrically superb! I have never seen the flick "Deliverance" - but based on the reviews I have read, I imagine the instrumentation on "Cockahoop" must emulate the soundtrack to this film - characters with names like "Uncle Dad" and "Billy Bob" makin' for a sonic hoedown!

I just wish the album was a bit longer. I have to admit I like short albums best, anything clocking in under 45 mins is a bonus to my mind - but "Cockahoop" at, from memory, 34 or so mins is just a bit too brief! Partic as some of the tracks feel a bit sketchy - the album is a bit demo-ish in parts and I wonder if the sounds needed a bit more cooking in the studio to flesh it all out a bit more.

Also, what's with the ugly cover art!?! I'm not saying Cerys needs to rope in Nick Knight or Steven Meisel and go the art-damaged route, but lordy the cover is way stinky!

Lovely Solo Debut.......2003-06-18

As a huge Catatonia fan (Cerys Matthews' first band) I was expecting to be disappointed by her solo effort. Instead, I was more than pleasantly surprised by this beautiful album. While in Catatonia, Miss Matthews seemed to often try to be something that she wasn't, pushing too hard for a brash Brit-Pop label. On "Cockahoop", Matthews has found a comfortable place to make her bed. Her warm and lilting voice wraps around the country/rock/folk songs with charming ability. Gone are the grating, fire-eaten songs spat out with venom. One definatly gets the feeling that Matthews was never really comfortable in her role of rock goddess.

Not that there is any lack of rock on this album. It's there (try Gypsy Song) simply toned down, swung out, and something that Catatonia never could acheive- Comfortable. However Matthews shows that her strength lies in her softer ballads that the listener can fall in love with on the first chord. Examples of these love-at-first sights are All My Trials, the enchanting Arglwydd Dyma Fi, and strangely enough, the 45 second blip of a tune called La Bague.

Catatonia fans will NOT want to miss this jewel. Hopefully Matthews will be able to coax some American fans as well into
this fine album. Fans of Norah Jones, Vanessa Carlton, and similar artists would do well to give this a listen. It is sure to delight.

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