The Everlasting Blink

1. King Wisp

2. Ordinary Day

3. Strictly Bongo

4. Beautiful Otherness

5. Moonbeams

6. So Long Without You

7. Exercise 3

8. Stay the Same

9. Magic Love

10. Everlastering Blink

11. Thick Ear

Tracks:

King Wisp
An Ordinary Day
Strictly Bongo
Beautiful Otherness
Moonbeams
So Long Without You
Exercise 3
Stay The Same
Magic Love
The Everlasting Blink
Thick Ear

Amazon.com

Nottingham's Bent are like the funny uncle of the chill-out world--scruffy, eccentric, often embarrassing, but lovable all the same. The Everlasting Blink, the duo's second album, is like a similarly oddball relative; interestingly strange, but not the kind of thing you'd want to live with for any length of time. It's every bit as beautiful as the likes of Lemon Jelly and Zero 7, but with a roughness and fuzziness that makes it impossible to dislike.

In Bent's world, smooth grooves and multicolored soundscapes are replaced by dodgy samples from cheesy thrift-store records, crisp beats, and cheap ambient synth sounds. Their debut album, 2001's Programmed to Love, took this spiky cut-and-paste approach to extremes, with intensely laidback cuts next to odd electronic work-outs. On the other hand, The Everlasting Blink is a much smoother proposition--just as silly and cheesy, but with altogether better production and less freaky weird-outs. It's full of glimmering trinkets of sonic loveliness; gems such as the poppy "Beautiful Otherness" (featuring the Beloved's Jon Marsh on vocals); lead single "Magic Love"; semi-acoustic country sing-a-longs and quirky electronic interludes. For those who've already fallen in love with Bent, this is nothing new; for those yet to convert, it should be a revelation. --Matt Anniss

Customer Reviews:

Hoping for more: more of the same..........2005-05-02

After having loved their debut "Programmed to Love", I was somewhat dissapointed at Bent's "Everlasting Blink". While not a bad album, I found it to be more of the same. Still, had it not been for the self-indulgent 22-minute long closing track, which consisted of one LOOOOOONG and unnecessary 9-minute-some long chunk of nothing more than silence, this could have been a four-star album. I just simply lost interest in it a halfway through it.

Great CD!.......2004-04-16

I really like Bent although I don't know much history about them. The first song I ever heard of theirs was a cut called "Good Bloke" back in 2000 on a compilation called "The Chillout Room vol. 2". Then in 2001, MOS released tons of chillout comps and featured remixes and originals from Bent's "Programmed to Love" which I also really enjoyed. Finally in 2003, they came out with this one.

I don't really want to say which is better - they both have a unique sort of style. Bent focuses on electrical chords and in some ways, old school rythms. This one to me is a very suitable pick-up from where the first cd left off and moves the band a notch forward with their sound. You pop in "Strictly Bongo", and let it play and you're taken to the early 80's, late 70's until the end loop... a pure English vibe... and it's so nostalgic to me. Probably my favorite small loop in a song. And what's a Bent CD without some strange head-scratching "huh?" moments... like when the vocals for "So Long Without You" kicks up a notch? Oddly, it's acceptable because the group is Bent! And for anyone that's a Keen Eddie fan, there's a scene where Detective Pepin (the dude that was in the movie "The Saint" as a student) sits alone in a bar contemplating if not being "tied down" is so great after all. The music playing is from this cd - "Beautiful Otherness" is the song.

I highly recommend this. I've enjoyed it a great deal and it gets regular play in my collection. It won't make you forget Programmed to Love, it just sort of continues on with a more modern sound and different influences. It's got a tripped out feel that'll take you to another place and interesting electronic touches and great sounds in the ways that are typical "Bent". They manage to stay fresh without going too far away from what makes them who they are. And if you enjoy this, I would recommend music from lemonjelly.ky, Kinobe, The Dining Rooms, Leftfield and FC Kahuna.

Worthy follow-up.......2004-02-05

While "Programmed" had a retro feel, "Blink" is decidedly more modern, eclectic, post-techno, or whatever the terminology is. Electronica is wonderfully suited for blending with R&B/soul (think Zero 7 or Royksopp), and Bent has one nailed with "Strictly Bongo". This is followed by "Beautiful Otherness" which is a classic, and has one of the most catchy baselines ever. The next 7 tracks vary in style enormously. Hard to believe a man with a mullet could produce such artsy music.

Bent is one of the most original bands on the planet, to be placed on Olympus alongside the Pixies, Boards of Canada, and Lemon Jelly.

'thick ear' - the irony!.......2004-02-03

while i agree with most of the comments others made about this album, the near-universal dislike of the circus-like atmosphere of the closer, "thick ear," strikes me as quite hilarious. perhaps the tune is aptly named, as doctors bent likely understood, while brilliant as the track is, that genius would more times than not fall of deaf ears. seems to me that some folks need to visit the "music therapy" wing of "the bent home for the tediously sane," as advertised on their website.

Better than I thought, nine minute silence is forgiven!!.......2004-01-09

This is a good album that is almost as good as their first FIVE STAR rating album: It is more upbeat than their first album "Programmed to Love" which is excellent, although it does have a more 'canned' sound. That is to say the beat boxes and other tape-looped sounds are out front and obvious. Granted, one knows this is the output of a duet and recognizes that not all instruments on the album will be, well, instruments, but these sound effects don't work quite as well as they did on the first. 2) The music while perhaps as multi-layered as on the first album is not as full on and has a sound more like something from an eurovision contest or at times from something out of an episode of Dr. Who albeit not often. It is more upbeat, light and airy too, Okay, okay, it's fey, but good fey. For instance, I think I heard a theramin on one track and there is definitely a pedal steel/slack guitar sound on another or two. Bent have also seem to have pulled samples from their previous album and incorporated them into new songs, usually as opening lines. This is cute and playful, and even inventive, but can be cloying because it causes one to wonder if one is listening to a parody. Which brings me to issue 3) The 9 minute silence that occurs 3 minutes into the song 'Thick Ear' (which itself is reference to a one minute silence on the early album) is an faux pas excusable only because it warns one to stop the play before the last few minutes of truly obnoxious 'play' (raucous phone ring from different speakers, chatter and intermitent sound bits, etc.). Having got that off my chest, there is some really good stuff on this album and a buyer of this CD will not regret it. Listen to the samples and if they sound right, the album will probably get you off. In my opinion, this particular album doesn't deserve the five stars their first major label effort 'Programmed To Love' does. This'll stay on the play list for a couple of weeks (months?) and then one of you lot will be buying it here on amazon but then again as I listen to it more and more, perhaps it is a keeper thus the 4 stars.

Average customer rating:

'I bent my wookie'
Bent Defines Genres - It is the original "ultra chill"
Bent and Pleased

The Everlasting Blink
Bent
Manufacturer: Sport
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00008DI1M
Release Date: 2003-03-03

Tracks:

King Wisp
Ordinary Day
Strictly Bongo
Beautiful Otherness
Moonbeams
So Long Without You
Exercise 3
Stay the Same
Magic Love
Everlastering Blink
Thick Ear

Customer Reviews:

'I bent my wookie'.......2003-06-21

...
imported. Am I dissapointed? Naw...

I'm a huge, huge, huge fan of their
last CD, Programmed To Love. Their
debut is completely delicious. If
you're expecting to hear a few more
such as 'swollen', don't let your
expectations ruin it for ya.

It's hard to describe bent's sound,
as they can make a country song into
a beautiful, vocally driven chill out
track with a large side of electronic.

The CD is different than Programmed
to love, but in a good way. The music
is still top notch - and all kinds of
happywarmfuzzy. Much more laid back
than programmed to love, but with
smooth and well delivered accuracy.
Not a single song isn't a treat to
listen to. I've only listened to the
CD once, but I'd say track 8 - Stay
the Same is my favorite.

They're still off-kilter and strange,
but homogenous and warm at the same
time. Everything fits perfectly and
the CD flows better than Programmed
to Love. I read how they mentioned

this to be more of an album effort,
whereas Programmed to Love was more
of a collection of songs. I can most
definitely see that here.

Excellent original chill out - I'd
expect nothing less from Bent. Many
beautiful soaring strings, flowing
basslines, ambient mmmmm and vocal
treats - with well programmed drums
and production. If you've heard PTL,
you know what I mean.

Excellent

Bent Defines Genres - It is the original "ultra chill".......2003-06-18

This is a fantastic album! The Bent boys have really decided to start perfecting their form. It's a great mix of styles and moods: ethereal hooks in "Beautiful Otherness", country wang & twang of "Moonbeams", the edgy 80's loops in "Nothing is the Same" and the ultra pop anthem "Magic Love". It's all magically tied together in a CD that gets better and better with each listen. It doesn't have as many tracks as their original breakout classic "Programmed to Love", but each track on here is priceless. There is something for your every mood. If you like Lemon Jelly, The Avalanches and other electronica dubs, you will absolutely LOVE this album!

Bent and Pleased.......2003-04-10

There is nothing better than a couple of English blokes making some [great] music that stands out. This album is the best thing I've heard all year. It doesn't get any better than sampling an old Captain and Tenille track and make it sound the way they do on the track Magic Love. This is brilliance! The songs are so diverse and each is lovingly crafted. This album has ... ambient tracks like Beautiful Otherness, then they throw in something crazy like So Long Without You. A fabulous country twang number over a ... bossa rythm, this is amazing stuff.
It's too bad www.Amazon.com doesn't let you sample some of the tracks here but trust me mates this is the fines England has to offer. Move over Moby, ...! These Bent boys are [great], and their remixes are usually just as pheomenal. That is how I originally heard abou these blokes.
So, take my advice and snatch this one up. No matter what kind of music you like, when you're friends hear this they'll be green. It appeals to so many and they cross so many genres that its irresistable.

Average customer rating:

Everlasting Blink

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00009VGGS
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Album Description

Bent are the quintessential English sonic pirates. 'The Everlasting Blink' can be seen as an evolution of, rather than a departure from, their lush, advert-friendly album 'Programmed To Love' This time featuring surprising but ultimately genius collaborations with David Essex on 'Stay The Same', fleeting Seventies pop icons Captain & Tenille on the Balearic beauty 'Magic Love', The Beloved's Jon Marsh singing sweet as a bird on 'Beautiful Otherness', & Billie Jo Spears on the country hoedown of 'So Long Without You', not to mention BJ Cole's legendary pedal steel guitar twangs & Nail's newfound talent on the drums. Humorous & creatively strong, Bent draw obvious comparisons to Lemon Jelly. Could this be the year 'chill-out' goes 'wig-out'? Get excited. Get Bent. 11 tracks in Digipak. Sport Recordings. 2003.