Track Listing

1. All We Go To Hell
2. Amor
3. Eyes For You
4. Badly Broken Butterflies
5. Follow Me Home
6. Were You Thinking Of Me
7. People Always Talk About The Weather
8. Love Hides
9. Motor
10. Trains In The Night
11. Soulbitch
12. Before You Snap
13. Even If You Are Victorious

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37991 in Music
• Released on: 2007-03-05
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Multi-Layered Feast
This is a fabulous and exciting aduio treat - something to return to again and again.

I first heard Yonderboi because I was addicted to the Mole Listerning Pearls record label - and in my opinion Yonderboi is the best signing to a rather wonderful label. I was soon addicted, and have been chomping at the bit for a new release.

This does not disappoint. I agree with previous reviewers who say that it doesn't fit the typical electronica/lounge stereotype where you can forget it's on and go about your business. You get hooked by the tunes and the perfect execution.

I would happily recommend this to anybody and everybody. Most people I introduced to Shallow and Profound adored it.

even more profound
Oh, yeah, Shallow And Profound is a great downtempo album. Splendid Isolation is a great album as well - maybe even better - and who cares if it's downtempo or anything else.

It has already started growing on me - something that never has happened before with anything that could be labelled "downtempo / lounge / nu whatever", simply because those tags are usually attached to background music that may sound really great but don't require much attention. This LP, however, does. It's packed with emotions and, horribile dictu, songs which you will keep whistling or humming to yourself. The reason why you'll place it again into the CD player is not because you want something cool to be playing while you're sipping your coffee, but because you enjoyed it, it soothed and upset you at the same time, it brought you down and lifted you up, blahblahblah, in one word: you'll find yourself wanting to listen to it again. That's why.

From this point on, it's not a good "xxxxxxxxxxx (=any style you like) album", it's a good Yonderboi album. And this, I hope, tells it all.

Splendid "Isolation"
Not enough people heard Yonderboi's "Shallow and Profound." That's a shame, because the Hungarian wunderkind's enchanting debut was one of the most unique, entrancing downtempo albums seen in years.

Now we see the arrival of "Splendid Isolation," which takes that eclectic sound and expands it further. Blending Eastern-European folk with downtempo, rock and some trippy beats, Yonderboi creates one of the most striking dance albums of 2005.

The album opens with crows cawing, following by a melancholy snippet of violin music and ominous piano, sounding like it's emanating from an aged radio. Then suddenly the melody expands to orchestral levels, and a chorus of angelic voices sing out, "All we go... to hell!" over swelling strings.

From there on, Yonderboi's album follows its natural course -- delicate piano melodies mixed with soft beats and synth, organ-laced pop, guitar pop, and one outright rock song, "Were You Thinking Of Me?", which is ruled by energetic riffs and a solid, driving melody. This brief rock interlude feels a bit out of place, however.

Fortunately, Yonderboi then returns to what he does best, with the whirling, heart-racing electronica of "Trains in the Night," followed by stretches of yearning whirlwind dance, before coming full circle creatively with a pair of gentler, softer songs, and the parting message: "Even if you're victorious/you've got to break the chain of evil/with love..."

You have to give Yonderboi credit: After hitting the mark to perfection in his last album, he doesn't rest on his laurels. Artistically, that is.

"Splendid Isolation" has much the same vibe of "Shallow and Profound," but the jazz'n'lounge has been toned down, in favour of a more rock-oriented sound. There are electric guitars laid over the trippy beats, almost guaranteed to speed up your pulse. The only flaw with it is that a few bits defy the synth that frames them. But in the best spots -- "Motor" and "Love Hides," for instance -- the synth adds a ghostly air to the driving melodies.

But the more familiar musical parts -- electronica and traditional instruments -- are better than ever. Yonderboi seems to have gained confidence and strength, and the expansive, polished sound of his music reflects that, along with orchestral strings that swell out into panoramic sound, and electronic flourishes that can be either quick beeps or watery sweeps.

While the flavour of "Splendid Isolation" is a bit different from Yonderboi's last album, those expecting an entrancing, elaborate experience will not be disappointed. Absolutely lovely.