Customer Reviews:
 Needs a bit more work... August 14, 2006
Duckbus (London)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
There's no denying that Sophie has a great voice which was a beautifully captured on her Zero 7 projects, but what lets her down on this album is a sense of undeveloped ideas. The vocal quality on this album is more dreamy & breathy so she actually sounds quite different which is what some might find most disappointing. No-one should expect that someone's solo projects sound exactly like their other projects, if that were the case then what would be the point of going solo, it would be rather boring. But I am disappointed because I can see that there are some really original, heartfelt ideas that she has, but somehow they just sound a bit all over the place and I can't help but feel uncertain the whole time - uncertain where she's trying to go with it and that makes for a distracting listening experience.
Very Dissapointing April 25, 2006
Geff Daley (UK)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
Ok...so the songs are not awful but they are pretty un-inspiring, the whole album is just very "washy" and not a single song comes up and bites. The lyrics I have to say are also pretty bad like GCSE poetry. But the thing that lets this album down the most for me is the recording quality: There seems to be not enough compression on the bass and it booms out and sounds really woolly. I appreciate the previous comments that this albums intention is to be a more "raw" sound compared to zero 7. However, it may not have had the use of aural exciters but the vocals are overlaced with way to much reverb which really spoils her otherwise very beautful voice, there are several points where there is vocal clipping which distorts and you can hear the "click track" at the start of the first song.
Dont get me wrong there are many albums that can get away with the raw "recorded in ya bedroom" sound like Damien Rice where the songs are the powerful part that shines through the rough but this album is not one of them.
If your into Zero 7 dont buy this you will be dissapointed. As previously mentioned go buy the solo albums from Sia and Tina Dico although not in the same style as Zero 7 their albums are great.
 Heartfelt stuff August 2, 2005
4 out of 9 found this review helpful
Oh man... I feel embarrassed for the 'critic' below. No great offence to Zero 7 (I like a couple of their tracks) but if you're looking for pedestrian, inoffensive dross - find more Zero 7. But if you're interested in something deeper, then this is worthwhile.And the vocals probably don't sound as 'good' as Zero 7's production because from what I hear on the recording it is more accurate and natural (i.e. no aural exciters to make it sound unrealistically breathy.)
Heartfelt stuff August 2, 2005
6 out of 12 found this review helpful
Oh man... I feel embarrassed for the 'critic' below. No great offence to Zero 7 (I like a couple of their tracks) but if you're looking for pedestrian, inoffensive dross - find more Zero 7. But if you're interested in something deeper, then this is worthwhile.And the vocals probably don't sound as 'good' as Zero 7's production because from what I hear on the recording it is more accurate and natural (i.e. no aural exciters to make it sound unrealistically breathy.)
Disappointing follow up from Zero 7 July 28, 2005
E. Park (UK)
5 out of 16 found this review helpful
Zero 7 are my favourite artists of all time, so I decided to start listening to the individual artists, such as Sophie Barker, Sia Furler and Tina Dico. Sophie was the one who sang 'In Time' and 'Destiny' among others. These are two of my favourite songs by Zero 7.
However, I am extremely disappointed by Sophie's solo CD. It's not the same style or sound, it has no songs that I would pick out as a really good piece of music, and her voice doesn't sound nearly half as impressive as it did in the Zero 7 songs.
Overall I regret buying this CD and would tell people to forget Sophie and stick to Tina Dico and Sia - both their individual albums are good, and show that they work well both alone and in a group.
Earthbound is a good title only because that's what the music is like, very earthy and almost like she's been living in the woods all her life trying to be like a fairy or something.
Yeah... I just don't like it.
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