HiRez Poll Vidaic, Steven - HEARTS LOOK TWICE [SACD]

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Rate the SACD of Vidaic, Steven - HEARTS LOOK TWICE

  • 9 -

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  • 1 - Bad Fidelity, Bad Surround Bad Content

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  • Total voters
    5

LizardKing

2K Club - QQ Super Nova
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(With apologies to 'LizardKing' for hijacking his post from the open forum)

Please post your thoughts and comments on this 5.1 SACD from Steven Vidiac "Hearts Look Twice".

The previous discussion thread can be found HERE.

This disc is currently available for $25 from bandcamp:
http://stevenvidaic.bandcamp.com/

Details on the release (from bandcamp):

1. Tula's Song 04:08
2. Changes 04:33
3. Taste The Ghost 04:50
4. Hearts Look Twice 04:01
5. Wrecking Ball 03:54
6. New Side Of You 05:14
7. Turning On Me 04:38
8. The Strummer 02:54
9. Back To The Sea 03:27
10. Sabotage 02:50

On May 1st 2012 Immersive Records releases its debut album Hearts Look Twice by Steven Vidaic (Citizen Cope, Goodbye Champion). The album is also Vidaic’s debut solo release bearing his own name. Known most prominently as Citizen Cope’s keyboard player, Vidaic is featured here as songwriter, singer, and rhythm guitarist.

In the tradition of 60’s and 70’s rock albums, Hearts Look Twice was recorded with the band playing live in a room together, capturing a sound no longer common to record making. The record was recorded to DSD and mixed to analog tape, and is being released on 12” vinyl, SACD, CD and digitally.

credits

released 01 May 2012
Written and Produced by: Steven Vidaic
Executive Producer: Joe Shepard
Recorded and Mixed by: Steven Vidaic and Mike Yach at Immersive Studios Boulder CO 2010
Additional Engineering: Tyler Bender, Jorma Kucsmas
Mastered by: Jim Wilson

Album and art design by: Quinn Alison @ FireTornado
Cover photo by Lisa Siciliano


This album was recorded live, in a room, to DSD on a Sonoma recording system with very little isolation, overdubbing, editing, or processing.

Steven Vidaic: Vocals, rhythm guitars, Hammond Organ, piano
Erik Deutsch: Piano and Wurlitzer
Jefferson Hamer: Lead Guitar
Paul McDaniel: Electric Bass
Garrett Sayers: Acoustic Bass (tracks 4,9,10)
Zack Littlefield: Drums and percussion
Jessica DeNicola: Vocals

tags rock acoustic alternative ambient rock folk indie indie folk rockroots Boulder
 

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My copy of the Hearts Look Twice album by Steven Vidaic arrived on Friday on Hybrid Multichannel SACD disc.

I agree with QQ Member noffour and the review on www.sa-cd.net. The album features adult oriented rock with a variety of songs, all written by Vidaic.

The Surround Mix, by the artist and Immersive Studios engineer Mike Yach, uses all of your speakers and often starts a song with instruments in one of the surround channels.
If you like the music (check the MP3 samples on the artist's web site or Amazon), you'll enjoy this one in SACD Surround Sound.

(The full discussion thread on this Surround SACD is in the forum's SACD section at https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...7906-Has-anyone-heard-this-Steven-Vidaic-SACD )
 
Short take: "A" for effort

Just gave this another play to be able to comment here. I had listened to it once before and did not recall being impressed. The second play fared a little better.

I kept trying to figure out why I was so underwhelmed by the first play. The surround mix is active, and often well used. Definite discrete elements. I particularly liked the start of Track 6: New Side Of You. I guess I was just under-inspired by the songwriting. That and perhaps the presentation of the vocal. Much of the disc has a feel of melancholy - similar in feel to Sea Change. But the writing and music do not elevate the experience the way that the Beck disc does. You can check out one of his complete tracks here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfK8Jpz0uoE

Mind you, I am not asserting this music is unlikable. It is just not particularly my cup of tea. If you are considering this disc I would suggest checking song samples. If the music appeals to you, the mix will probably not disappoint. My only other reservation is that the disc seems to feel slightly flat sonically. Definitely not over-compressed, but missing the sparkle of sonic clarity one hears on some recordings. Promo material suggests the material was "recorded with the band playing live in a room together, and set-up in a circle so a true surround experience was captured." So perhaps the instruments were not close mic'ed and this has a leveling effect on the sound. Again, check the stereo samples.

http://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Look-T...orr&keywords=Steven+Vidaic:+Hearts+Look+Twice

This is an indie singer-songwriter who has gone to the trouble to mix his material in surround sound, and I believe he deserves a listen. Perhaps you will find more appeal here than I found. I would not want my tepid review to put you off.

The well done surround mix elevates it to a 7 for me.
 
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