Personality (One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird)

• Artist: The Sleepy Jackson
• Rating:
• Release Date: July 25, 2006
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

Unlike the Sleepy Jackson's dazzling but scattered debut album, Lovers, which offered so many different sounds and ideas that it threatened to cross the fine line between eclectic and schizophrenic, Luke Steele and company's second album, Personality, focuses the band's ambitions -- to an extent. On Personality, Steele replaces Lovers' wide-ranging musical flights of fancy with a sound that concentrates on his devotion to George Harrison's Technicolor, spiritual pop (which is kind of cool in itself; after decades of musicians inspired by the Beatles, relatively few have modeled themselves after Harrison's work), and fuses it with the soft rock and symphonic pop fetishes he's also displayed in his earlier work. The album's sound is nothing if not huge. Nearly every track on the album sounds like a cross between Harrison's "My Sweet Lord," the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows," and some lost album of easy listening orchestral pop from the early '70s. Personality's ambitions to make big-sounding music about big issues (song titles like "Higher Than Hell" and "God Knows" hint at where Steele is coming from) are admirable, but too often, they're just too much. While some songs, such as "You Needed More," "Devil Was in My Yard," and "I Understand What You Want But I Just Don't Agree," are well written enough to avoid drowning in the album's lavish arrangements, the lush strings, horns, backing vocals, and sound effects that Personality is swathed in don't give its tracks room to breathe (or listeners a break to prepare for the next rush of sound). The album is impressive, especially in small doses or when Steele reigns it in a bit, as on the pretty, bossa nova-tinged "Miles Away." As a whole, it's a sometimes exhausting listen. After all, it's great to have lots of personality, but it's important not to overwhelm people with it, too. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
You Needed More	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(3:09)
Devil Was in My Yard	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(3:21)
God Lead Your Soul	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(3:29)
Work Alone	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(3:03)
God Knows	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(2:58)
I Understand What You Want But I Just Don't Agree	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(3:20)
Miles Away	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(2:36)
Higher Than Hell	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(2:55)
Play a Little Bit for Love	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(4:30)
Don't Say	Andrew Klippel, Luke Steele, Lisa Origliasso	The Sleepy Jackson	(3:06)
You Won't Bring People Down in My Town	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(3:17)
Dream On	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(2:58)
How Was I Supposed to Know?	Luke Steele	The Sleepy Jackson	(4:04)

Credits

Jim Moginie (Guitar), Greg Ford (Viola), Rob Woolf (Bass), Rob Woolf (Keyboards), Daniel Kelly (Violin), 20 (Performer), Anthony Kable (Trombone), Veronique Serret (Violin), Scott Horscroft (Synthesizer), Scott Horscroft (Guitar), Scott Horscroft (Producer), Scott Horscroft (Engineer), Scott Horscroft (Mixing), Malcolm Clark (Percussion), Malcolm Clark (Drums), Malcolm Clark (Marimba), Luke Steele (Guitar), Luke Steele (Vocals), Luke Steele (Producer), Luke Steele (Liner Notes), Luke Steele (Artwork), Sophie Cole (Violin), Kim Moyes (Percussion), Kim Moyes (Vibraphone), Pierre Emery (Cello), Ben Gurton (French Horn), Gina Henery (Violin), Simon Cowling (Photography), Craig Hawker (A&R), James Bellesini (Artwork), Claire Gill (Cello), Julian Hamilton (Synthesizer), Julian Hamilton (Piano), Julian Hamilton (Keyboards), Julian Hamilton (Producer), Julian Hamilton (Orchestral Arrangements), Peter Farley (Assistant), Juanita Tippins (Vocals (Background)), Cameron Blanch (Assistant), Luke Blonde (Artwork), Felix Bloxsom (Percussion), Lauren Bridgen (Viola), Rudolf Crivici (Viola), Nikkie Dobasi (Cello)