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As the seventh installment of the BEST music ever, Something Beautiful is literally Something Beautiful!!! This CD is great...very upbeat and addictive, as the last six albums were. Seriously, any band that can bust out a song about 'beating a drum', 'seagulls' and 'donkey riding' and make you want to get up, sing along and dance any time of the day is ok in my books.

I can only give you the "clearest indication" that on this "ordinary day", you should buy this album (and the 6 others - cuz they are all worth it!) and throw your troubles into the "sea of no cares" and sit back with your friend "Sally Ann" and enjoy the "consequence free" music of Great Big Sea!

Oh Yeah! :)


Something close to beautiful   June 13, 2004
"These days I feel a change/All the patterns rearranged." These lines could easily describe the rocky mainstream path that Canadian Celt-rockers Great Big Sea have followed. In "Something Beautiful," the guys return to the robustly fun acoustic rock that got them to where they were.

Starting off on the right foot is "Shines Right Through Me," followed by rounds of deliciously bouncy rockers like the catchy "When I Am King," the thumping "Beat the Drum," and trite but amusing "Love." But a quieter sensibility shines through in the gentle "Something Beautiful" and sweetly romantic "Summer," and their pub-crawler humor bounces out in the rollicking "Helmethead." The album finishes off on a traditional note with the danceable instrumental "Chafe's Celidh."

Great Big Sea strayed from their old sound in their last release, "Sea of No Cares," going more toward a typical electric-guitar sound than their usual blend of rock and fun Celtic music. Here they're back in fine form, presenting the sort of songs that you'd expect to hear on a Saturday night, as pubcrawlers dance on the tables.

The music is well-rounded, and polished with long experience. The guys effortlessly juggle the guitar, fiddle, accordian, and banjo with slightly more exotic instruments like the bodhran, the bouzouki, the mandola, and little whistles and pipes. It's mostly acoustic, although it is tainted with a few electric riffs and flourishes that sound out of place, like the harder-edged opener of "Shine Right Through Me."

Alan Doyle's voice is a little rough, but full and lively. He can wistfully murmur ballads and roar out hilarious songs about falling in love with all the wrong girls. The songs have their bad moments -- "Love" is effective as an anti-war anthem, except for the "la la la love" part -- but overall they have the same bouncy, vibrant quality as the music itself. "Goodbye! Fare thee well!" the guys roar without an ounce of levity. "Don't ever trust a fella with a helmet on his head." Words to live by.

"Something" isn't entirely beautiful, but it is a solid return to the lovable pub-rock sound that made Great Big Sea so popular in Canada and the U.S. A satisfying dose of Celt-rock.


Less Celtic pub, more quirky arena rock   June 1, 2004
The seventh album from this Newfoundland band, the second for the U.S. based Zoe/Rounder, rocks more heavily than their earlier releases. The songs are still hugely melodic, with well executed harmonies and backing vocals, but the bass and drums exert themselves more fully, and even the singing has some extra punch. The band's Celtic influences often move more to the edges, influencing the melodies and arrangements (such as the rhythmic backing vocal of "Beat the Drum") in more subtle shades.

On the surface, these songs sound like the sort of rousing arena rockers turned out by Bare Naked Ladies and Dave Matthews, but at their core are the sort of progressions brought to rock 'n' roll by Black 47 and The Pogues. The traditional instruments come to the fore now and again, such as for the quick spinning hockey reel, "Helmethead" the sea-faring waltz, "Lucky Me," and the accordion-and-whistle polka, "Chafe's Ceilidh."

Longtime fans will decry the band's growing affinity for the mainstream, manifested most notably in their employ of Bare Naked Ladies producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda to helm these sessions. But they're a really good mainstream band, weaving threads of their native Newfoundland into music whose appeal is broadened without being denuded. These songs may not resound throughout North American pubs, but they'll please mainstream rock fans looking for something with a bit of a twist.


Give it a second listen!   May 12, 2004
I originally rated this one 3/5 and tossed it aside as "Helmethead" and a bunch of non-traditional songs. But after listening to it several more times, I've fallen for this CD and changed my rating to 5/5. It has a great mix of upbeat, happy songs (When I'm King, Beat The Drum, Helmethead) and some great songs that are more mellow (Let It Go and John Barbour are my personal favs). Pick up this CD and listen...and if they're ever within 100 miles of you GO SEE THEM, CDs do not do their music justice!


Awesome CD!!!!!   April 30, 2004
This is the only Great Big Sea album that I have right now, but I do plan to get more. I waited a while for this CD, and I got what I wanted. I heard "When I Am King" on the radio a whole bunch and when I listened to that song, I knew I had to get this CD. When I listened to it, I realized none of the songs are as energetic as "When i Am King", but were almost just as good. Here's my song rating (Songs marked with a * were released as a single):

1) Shines Right Through - 5/5
2) When I Am King* - 5/5
3) Beat The Drum - 5/5
4) Somthing Beautiful - 5/5
5) Helmethead - 5/5
6) Summer - 3/5
7) Sally Ann - 5/5
8) Somedays - 4/5
9) Let It Go - 5/5
10) John Barbour - 5/5
11) Lucky Me - 5/5
12) Love - 4/5
13) Chafe's Celidh - 4/5