Lauren Hoffman
Choreography
© 2006 Lauren Hoffman/Amrit Music (3298490210758)
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
meloncholy pop, for the bruised of heart and deep in thought; "moody and gorgeous.an artist reaching an impressive musical maturity." - john schacht, allmusic.com
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"i remember when john lennon was shot: i was three years old and it was a momentous occasion in our household - a house where music was religion and bob marley, dylan, and the beatles were gods. we lived a secluded country hippie lifestyle with no tv, and music was my main link to a world beyond our boxwood hedge; i remember listening to my parents records, gazing at the pictures on the enormous colorful sleeves...
"the names of friends from my childhood fade - after my parents divorce we moved around so much it was hard to keep track of people - but the records i listened to remain: the rolling stones' some girls, sting's dream of the blue turtles, prince's purple rain, bob dylan's infidels, madonna's material girl, bruce springsteen's born in the usa
"i tried playing a lot of different instruments but nothing stuck until i was 13 and got my dad to teach me basic guitar chords. by then he had discovered a local bartender named dave matthews and was helping him hone his songwriting and put together a band. i was often hanging out while they worked on songs: dave playing a new 'jam' with half-formed lyrics for my dad, my dad giving feedback and suggesting changes. soon, i started writing my own songs.
"as a teenager i felt completely fucked-up: angry, different, depressed, outraged by the world, by societal norms and expectations; i was self-destructive and i under-achieved... but, alone in my room, i taught myself the guitar and wrote songs. it was something that seemed like it mattered. it was a release, it was a place of honesty. but i knew enough about the music business from my dad to be wary of it and i wasn't planning to pursue life as a performer - in fact i hoped to be involved, like him, behind the scenes.
"in my senior year of high school the dave matthews band was gaining success and i was interning in their merchandise/management office. one night i caught a ride up to catch dave playing a solo set (i always liked him better solo than with the band) at a place called the birchmere outside of DC. the opening act was a solo singer/songwriter, playing a telecaster guitar and singing like the devil and god were fighting a duel in his belly. his name was jeff buckley and he was on tour supporting his first release, the 'live at sin-e' EP. we met backstage and spent almost all of dave's set smoking a joint in the dressing room and talking. he talked about music and playing and singing and writing with an innocence and passion that i, ten years his junior, was too jaded to relate to... but it inspired me. he encouraged me not to sit on the sidelines, to sing if that was what my heart told me to do, to write from my gut and put myself out there no matter how difficult or scary it would turn out to be.
"that night changed my life.
"when jeff died four years later, it was one month before my debut record was to come out on virgin records. the advance copy i had mailed to him was still in transit on the day he waded into a river in memphis and never came out. i don't think i've fully recovered - i don't know if i ever will.
"but i am still inspired. perhaps now more than ever.
"you see, over the years, since that time, i've been conflicted... i had a major-label deal, then got myself out of it. i went to back to college and studied dance and fell in love and lived like a normal person for awhile. i lost my inspiration, found it, lost it, and found it again many times. i wanted a career in music, then changed my mind, then changed it back. maybe i was being a bit of a brat, but all of it has led to where i am today, finally firm in my chosen path, seeking the humility and selflessness that allows for the transcendent, honing my skills so i may be a better conduit for the muse, remembering all of that innocent passion i found in jeff's voice, and trying, with every note and every song, to honor that memory."
-- Lauren Hoffman
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"Sometimes an artist just needs to step back and take stock. Lauren Hoffman hasn't been heard from on record in seven years, and it's been nearly a decade since her sparkling debut, Megiddo, languished in Virgin Records purgatory, leading Hoffman to pull the plug on her major-label deal. All of which makes Choreography an all the more pleasant surprise. Returning to the dark, swirling atmospherics of her debut, the moody and gorgeous Choreography ups the ante with layers of textured production, sampling a potpourri of styles and handling them all with equal aplomb.
"The sum of her influences and much more, Hoffman apprenticed in fellow Virginian Shannon Worrell's underappreciated September 67 project (which Hoffman briefly joined), worked with Cracker's David Lowery (who produced her first EP and plays bass on Choreography's "Solipsist"), and took inspiration from the late Jeff Buckley, whose gut-wrenching honesty had a profound effect on her. Based on songwriting chops alone, Choreography merits favorable comparison with Aimee Mann and Fiona Apple, but it also calls to mind the overlooked chanteuse Eleni Mandell.
"Instead, Hoffman has to go to France to get a record deal. The slinky disc-opener, "Broken," should by all rights be a huge radio hit. On top of a sensuous, vaguely sinister beat, keyboard washes, synth bleats, and atmospheric guitar lines from Timo Ellis (Cibo Matto), Hoffman's opening couplet -- "You're a little bit damaged/I'm a sucker for that" -- carries the freighted promise of intimate confession, which the rest of the record delivers over and over. "As the Stars" is all sultry come-on and languid, by-the-fire lovers' fare wrapped in a soulful, baritone guitar-driven country shuffle with soaring choruses. Both songs recall some of the moody aura of Trampoline-era Joe Henry. "Another Song About the Darkness" begins in quiet, forlorn resignation until the pump organ played by Alan Weatherhead (Sparklehorse) eventually pushes the song into an up-tempo crescendo. "Ghost You Know" is stately Mann, strings and piano elevating the chorus and bridge to elegiac heights, and "Out of the Sky, into the Sea" is a waltz with a calliope feel built on the back of Chris Lancaster's sublime cello work.
"Only slightly less effective are the two more straightforward rockers that feature a retro-'80s feel, "White Sheets" and "Hiding in Plain Sight." Both are executed well, but for all their nervous energy and angst, they don't quite scale the emotional heights of Choreography's more textured fare.
"But that's just splitting critical hairs. John D'earth's lonely flügelhorn frames disc-ender "Joshua," where Hoffman lists the many things that love is not and in the process of elimination suggests what true love's really all about. Choreography may concern itself with the hard lessons learned from the dance of love, but it's also about an artist reaching an impressive musical maturity."
From AllMusic.com, by John Schacht
reviews
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Human, Beautifully im|perfect|, and Feeling
author: CallieI love this album. It is emotional and beautiful. Listening to her music, I feel like I'm really listening to a person, not just a voice floating through the air. I loved the feeling that I could relate to some of these songs, they helped me through a difficult time. To Miss Hoffman: You have a beautiful gift. I have fallen in love with your music.
- author: Nicky
I loved the CD, it is beautiful, I'm going to have to buy all of your CDs now. Just spectacular
Always remember
author: Chris AugustineYour songs are magic, you were brought to my attention by Ms, Tisdale when she briefly lived wih me in norfolk VA, but I have been a fan since. Thank you for the emotions you envoke and the memories you stir in the soul.
Deep, spiritual, soulful....
author: nadiThis album is by far her most mature work yet. You can't help but gravitate towards her soulful music. My personal favorite.
great album!
author: JonathanVery pleasant to listen to. I had no choice but to buy this great album after listening to it many times on her website's jukebox.
This cd is layered and dimensional
author: AmandaThis cd is layered and dimensional. Lauren uses varying musical styles put together to form a unique blend. Each song is collectively different, but with her smooth soulful voice. The lyrics have depth and each time I hear them, I pick something new up. Tremendous.
The cd is awesome I love it.
author: Jenny FlanaganI love the cd. The music is great. The music is meaning full. I also want to comment on cd baby. this website is awesome. You guys got the cd here so fast I couldn't believe it. I will buy from you again. Thank you
Fabulous, atmospheric, and far, far, far, from "broken"
author: clintThis is a great disk. I like the whole thing, but the slower, more ominous music make it a must-have. Atmospherically, it reminds me of Aimee Mann, without being at all derivative or the same. I got this disk recently, and have just finished buying her other two disks. If slapping an ear to "broken" and "ghost you know" (just to name two) doesn't have you reaching for your wallet, then you, sir, are clearly broke!
The Lyrics Came First
author: L. Michelle MillerIt was the lyrics of Choreography that drew me in first. And then the music. The songs mean more to me each time I listen to them. This is a cd that I will not get tired of listening to for a long time. That is the highest praise I can offer to any musician.
Beautiful music; good variety.
author: C WilsonI'm very happy with the cd; I bought it having heard "Ghost you know" on the teen drama "South of Nowhere", and was not disappointed with the rest of the music on the album. I especially like "Solipsist". I enjoy that the album is not monotonous, as many cds tend to be. Buy it; you won't be disappointed.
Lauren Hoffman is amazing.
author: EliseI've told her on myspace and I'll say it again - her music is fantastic. Buy this CD and check out her home recordings on Lauren Hoffman Bedroom Recordings on myspace.
Love To Dance To This CD!
author: Shannon H.I love this CD. I pop it in and jig around like a mad fool. Lauren's voice carries so much emotion. I can't express how much I enjoy listening to this music. You've just gotta turn on your ears and pop it in for yourself.
great cd
author: EgsThis CD is great. I can't stop playing it straight through. What a talent!
Intelligent Beautiful Music
author: Maria LuisaOne of the very few CD's I can play from start to finish. The whole CD is filled with thoughtful, intelligent and beautiful music. Her voice is hauntingly lovely and rich. This is one CD you will want to add to your collection.
Brilliant.
author: annaLovely and thought-provoking music by the returned ms. hoffman. Her voice gives me the shivers,the music's ornate and precious. A great cd.
- author: gilles
this cd is absolutly fantastic ll the songs are pleased and you listen it all day long i'm 50 and i discovered laureen and i became a great fan when could we see Laureen in France ?
Third time's a charm...
author: Craig SmithI've been a fan of Lauren's since her first album MEGIDDO. Every album has shown a maturity and I would say that this one is perfect. It's a great blend of electronic and heartfelt ballads - with a few uptempo songs thrown in. I can't recommend it enough.