Justin Busch
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Xavier & Ophelia's debut EP hits a homerun.
As a long time fan of Dave Tough and Deanna Moore, this record stays true who they are as artists, while at the same time continues to show their evolving abilities as writers, producers, and artists. Fans of Deanna’s heartbreaking honesty and soulful voice from 2007’s “Escape” will not be disappointed, and she puts it on display right away on the first track, “Jack and Jill.” However new material like “Chateau Marmont” and “6 Billion Lonely People” shows a new level of maturity and versatility in her delivery. Not be underappreciated is the melodic innovation that Dave brings to the table. His creativity, and knack for delivering the unexpected, was first on display on 2005’s “Gravity Always Wins” and he continues to reach into his ever-growing bag of tricks on songs like “Passing Train” and “Heartbeat.” There’s something for everyone on X&O’s debut EP. Definitely take the time to give this record a few spins!
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Bill Dilugi
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Six Billion Lonely People
Good work guys, production is so cool, Vox sound great! I thnk my fave is Six Billion Lonely People. I hear a little 'Everything But The Girl", and Bjork in the phrasing,,,Super cool! I pray God blesses your efforts here!..Bill D
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Anonymous
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Ophelia could sing me the ingredient list of a breakfast cereal
I like the lyrics and think that the style/sound remind me a bit of the Sundays- a HUGE compliment- I love the swing of Chateau Marmont ! There's a killer air of European influences that range from the late 60's to the 80's
Thank you for the extremely pleasurable listen to "Chateau Marmont" and "Last recorded summer." Ophelia could sing me the ingredient list of a breakfast cereal and I'd want to buy it ! Love this chanteuse type vulnerability and emotional rawness.
Both compositions, but especially "Last summer" really lodged themselves in my consciousness.... I think my favorite song by you is "Heartbeat." That one really stops me in my tracks every time. Please keep up this fantastic and highly pro output...
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Diego Elizalde
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Xavier & Ophelia Album Review - X & O
Xavier & Ophelia album X & O approaches the unreal with a mix of excellent performances, superb engineering, and coherent overall production. Each individual track tells its own story from an artistic and effective perspective, executed with mastery and sensibility, but the true impact of its message becomes truly eloquent when you accompany the band in the journey from beginning to end. Each song remains unique, but somehow contributes to the overall flow of the record. From my perspective, notable elements are the vocal work and the production effort. Even though the record is strong at all levels, vocal and production work are worth noting, and they have both turned on my radar. I will certainly continue to follow any work from them.
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Neil Barber
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Love the album !
Love the album ! I play it in the car and have listened to it a few times now. ”Jack and Jill” is a great opener…full of hooks.” I’m alright” is dynamic and dramatic and I’m looking forward to seeing the video for it on youtube! Other songs that stand out for me are “Passing train”, Six billion lonely people” and “Heartbeat”. My favourite on the album (at this stage) is “Chateau Marmont”. It’s certainly the one I find myself singing along with most. The “everyone gets high/low” bridge is fantastic and really builds up to the chorus which delivers on all fronts..plus great guitar solo ! “Last recorded Summer” is great too of course…loving the strings you added..
It’s good to hear an album of classically good song writing with clever middle eights and fine vocals and production. Xavier & Ophelia will go down very well in the UK on the college/university scene. I’m proud to be a part of the project…well done guys !
Neil Barber
Edinburgh, Scotland
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Jack Taylor
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A breath of fresh air
A breath of fresh air with a marriage of sweet tenderness and haunting resonance. Solidly produced, this EP is a great listen and a good introduction to the potential of this duo. Most of the songs are well-crafted without trying to be and the vocals are beautiful, reminding me of great singers in the vein of Leigh Nash, Harriet Wheeler and Kate Bush. My favorite track ‘Last Recorded Summer’ is an subtle, addictive snapshot of how melodically talented the duo is. Great job. Will definitely be watching for more from XO.
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JD Wiggins
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Intelligent Pop Flavor
Upon listening to the Xavier and Ophelia recording X&O, I was struck by the quality of not only the vocals by Deanna Moore and the songs, but the production by Dave Tough. In many ways it had a very 80's feel, but with the pristine neatness of a modern digital recording (as one might expect). Everything was tucked into place, and not in a bad way. Deanna's vocals are truly appealing throughout and her handling of the very musical melodies revealed an innate sensitivity and appropriately nuanced approach to the lyrics as well. In fact, what she did in terms of taking a somewhat monochromatic albeit very pleasant vocal texture and weaving in the requisite emotion to capture the listener's attention was nothing short of quite impressive.
The songwriting was also very strong with well-conceived harmonic structure and the instrumental performances were solid. My two favorite cuts were "Last Recorded Summer" and "Six Billion Lonely People". Overall, I'd have to say that I was impressed and very pleasantly surprised to hear an indie record with this kind of intelligent pop flavor and coherent production.
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Morgan Bennett
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A million little pieces
Xavier & Ophelia's debut album is colorful, refreshing, and packed with incredible lyrical content. I love this line from the first verse of "Six Billion Lonely People": "A million little pieces, hearts are like grenades, shatter all these promises, love ain't no parade."
This project is a great marriage of solid lyrical craftsmanship and fun, creative pop melodies and hooks.The variety of the album is impressive, and Deanna Moore's ethereal vocals hold it all tightly together for a cohesive and fascinating sound. There are shades of exotic places, dark corners, and heavenly clouds throughout the album that keep the listener engaged. The subtly sexy "I'm Alright," and the lyrically gorgeous "Six Billion Lonely People," are my favorite tracks.
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Nate Strasser
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Each word counts with X&O
Xavier and Ophelia's debut album consists of a wide range of songs as addicting as they are interesting. While many singers and songwriters seem content to simply have some words where lyrics should go, one listen to this album shows that Dave Tough and DeAnna Moore deliberated on each word to make sure it does exactly what it needs to do to paint the picture they've intended. Vocally, DeAnna is strong and versatile. Combine that with Dave Tough's production and musical prowess and this album is sure to be a huge success. "
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