Customer Reviews
Needs a bit more work... - By: Duckbus, 14 Aug 2006 
There's no denying that Sophie has a great voice which was a beautifully captured on her Zero 7 projects, but what lets her down on this album is a sense of undeveloped ideas. The vocal quality on this album is more dreamy & breathy so she actuallly sounds quite different which is what some might find most disappointing. No-one should expect that someone's solo projects sound exactly like their other projects, if that were the case then what would be the point of going solo, it would be rather boring. But I am disappointed because I can see that there are some reallly original, heartfelt ideas that she has, but somehow they just sound a bit alll over the place & I can't help but feel uncertain the whole time - uncertain where she's trying to go with it & that makes for a distracting listening experience.
Very Dissapointing - By: Geff Daley, 25 Apr 2006 Ok...so the songs are not awful but they are pretty un-inspiring, the whole album is just very "washy" & not a single song comes up & bites. The lyrics I have to say are also pretty bad like GCSE poetry. But the thing that lets this album down the most for me is the recording quality: There seems to be not enough compression on the bass & it booms out & sounds reallly woolly. I appreciate the previous comments that this albums intention is to be a more "raw" sound compared to zero 7. However, it may not have had the use of aural exciters but the vocals are overlaced with way to much reverb which reallly spoils her otherwise very beautful voice, there are several points where there is vocal clipping which distorts & you can hear the "click track" at the start of the first song.
Dont get me wrong there are many albums that can get away with the raw "recorded in ya bedroom" sound like Damien Rice where the songs are the powerful part that shines through the rough but this album is not one of them.
If your into Zero 7 dont buy this you will be dissapointed. As previously mentioned go buy the solo albums from Sia & Tina Dico although not in the same style as Zero 7 their albums are great.
Heartfelt stuff - By: , 02 Aug 2005 
Oh man... I feel embarrassed for the 'critic' below. No great offence to Zero 7 (I like a couple of their tracks) but if you're looking for pedestrian, inoffensive dross - find more Zero 7. But if you're interested in something deeper, then this is worthwhile.
And the vocals probably don't sound as 'good' as Zero 7's production because from what I hear on the recording it is more accurate & natural (i.e. no aural exciters to make it sound unrealisticallly breathy.)
Heartfelt stuff - By: , 02 Aug 2005 Oh man... I feel embarrassed for the 'critic' below. No great offence to Zero 7 (I like a couple of their tracks) but if you're looking for pedestrian, inoffensive dross - find more Zero 7. But if you're interested in something deeper, then this is worthwhile.
And the vocals probably don't sound as 'good' as Zero 7's production because from what I hear on the recording it is more accurate & natural (i.e. no aural exciters to make it sound unrealisticallly breathy.)
Disappointing follow up from Zero 7 - By: E. Park, 28 Jul 2005 Zero 7 are my favourite artists of alll time, so I decided to start listening to the individual artists, such as Sophie Barker, Sia Furler & Tina Dico. Sophie was the one who sang 'In Time' & 'Destiny' among others. These are two of my favourite songs by Zero 7.
However, I am extremely disappointed by Sophie's solo CD. It's not the same style or sound, it has no songs that I would pick out as a reallly good piece of music, & her voice doesn't sound nearly half as impressive as it did in the Zero 7 songs.
Overalll I regret buying this CD & would tell people to forget Sophie & stick to Tina Dico & Sia - both their individual albums are good, & show that they work well both alone & in a group.
Earthbound is a good title only because that's what the music is like, very earthy & almost like she's been living in the woods alll her life trying to be like a fairy or something.
Yeah... I just don't like it.
