THE GOLDEN PALOMINOS

THIS IS HOW IT FEELS

  1/  Sleepwalk                                  (Carson,Fier,Laswell)         5.11
  2/  Prison of the Rhythm                       (Carson,Fier,Laswell)         4.52
  3/  I'm Not Sorry                              (Carson,Fier,Laswell)         5.06
  4/  This Is How It Feels                       (Carson,Fier,Laswell)         4.42
  5/  To A Stranger                              (Kavanagh,Fier,Laswell)       5.38
  6/  The Wonder                                 (Carson,Fier,Laswell)         5.38
  7/  Breakdown                                  (Carson,Fier,Laswell)         4.59
  8/  These Days                                 (J. Browne)                   4.08
  9/  Rain Holds                                 (Carson,Fier,Laswell)         5.50
  10/ Twist the Knife                            (Carson,Fier,Laswell)         5.19
  11/ Bird Flying                                (Carson,Fier,Laswell)         5.52
  12/ A Divine Kiss                              (Kavanagh,Fier,Laswell,Stein) 3.15

          Recorded and mixed at Greenpoint Studio January-June, 1993
          Recorded by Bruce Calder, Matt Stein and Oz Fritz
          Mixed by Bruce Calder and Matt Stein
          Produced by Anton Fier
          Mastered by Nimbus
Anton Fier: drums, programming, percussion, beats, loops; Bill Laswell: bass; Lori Carson: voices; Lydia Kavanagh: voices (5,8,12); Bootsy Collins: guitar; Nicky Skopelitis: guitar; Bernie Worrell : Hammond organ; Matt Stein: programming, loops, effects; Amanda Kramer: keyboards, string arrangement (8); Jeff Bova (8): keyboards, additional programming.

          1993 - Restless (USA), 7 72735-2 (CD)
          1993 - Shock (Australia), SHOCKCD1022 (CD)
          2023 - Bill Laswell Bandcamp (Bassmatter Bandcamp Exclusive)

REVIEWS :

With vocalist Lori Carson on board and revolving more primarily around Anton Fier and Bill Laswell, the Golden Palominos entered a phase of trip-hop, remarkably free from derivative and mindless connotation. The three found a unique formula that allowed for both a semi-danceable rhythm loop to breathe with smart instrumentation and vocals over top. Lori Carson uses her breathy voice on some of the tracks and speaks her way through the majority. Her plaintative voice on those tracks, especially "To a Stranger" and "Prison of the Rhythm", are compelling. This is How I Feel also benefits from a more fluid sound throughout since Carson, Laswell and Fier appear on every track. The Golden Palominos again do us the favor of taking on a familiar sound, running it through a creative blender and showing us how it sounds when done right. Memorable dance music. Now that's a twist!

John Chedsey (courtesy of Satan Stole My Teddybear website)

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Lori Carson comes aboard for the sixth album from Anton Fier's Golden Palominos. Her writing and singing provides the emotional backbone of This Is How It Feels, while a usual collection of stellar musicians ranging from bassist Bill Laswell to guitarists Bootsy Collins and Nicky Skopelitis gives the record its sonic grooves. This Is How It Feels offers the same ethereal textures of its predecessor, Drunk With Passion, but the feel is rooted in chugging, hypnotic dance rhythms. "Prison of the Rhythm" is slightly funky as Carson delivers a breathy vocal on the clever word play on betrayal. "I'm Not Sorry" has a rhythmic, percussive beat and a self-confident lyric about a woman laying down the law to her lover. The strongest, most alluring cut is the mid-tempo shuffle "To a Stranger." Lydia Kavanagh gives a sultry vocal performance on this tale of a physical encounter with a stranger over a pulsating beat complete with moans. This Is How It Feels is another strong entry into the catalog of the Golden Palominos.

4 stars out of 5

Tom Demalon (courtesy of the All Music Guide website)

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Fans of sophisticated "mood music" and "trip hop" will likely go for this record (which isn't to say one would necessarily employ either of those labels to describe this music). THIS IS HOW IT FEELS grooves along to a quasi-funk/mid temp hip hop vibe. The drums often hit that extra snare beat typical of classic alternative rock (like The Breeders' "Cannonball," which isn't to say this record sounds like The Breeders). Guest vocalist Lori Carson has a sexy high-pitched croon, but just as often she "speak-sings" and employs breathy whispers and sensuous moans (there are a few other vocalists that make contributions, but I'm not sure what they do - Carson takes center stage). The lyrics are very good - they're personal and explicit, dealing in relationships, God and existentialism.

The music itself is top-notch - hypnotic and cleanly recorded, also adding loops and other sonic textures. But if I'm perfectly honest, it can become a bit "same-y" and I don't always want to hear the whole album at once. The songs are clearly repetitive, which is a normal asset for music, especially music that employs dance beats. But after a while the repetition can get ever-so-slightly tiring and the songs start to sound too similar. It also isn't really the sexiest music I've ever heard either. For example, I find Tricky with Martina Topely-Bird singing to be a lot sexier, especially on the phenomenal MAXINEQUAYE (highly recommended). Still, THIS IS HOW IT FEELS is well worth having, and the many well-known musicians (Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Nicky Skopelitis, Bootsy Collins and also Anton Fier, the core member of this revolving-door artists' collective) all make excellent contributions that live up to their reputations. Recommended.

4 out of 5 stars

Rich Latta (courtesy of the Amazon.com website)