One Cell In The Sea - Great Album
One Cell In the Sea is probably my favorite album released in the last two years. For a guy who buys hundreds of CDs a year and listens to every genre under the sun, that's saying something. Every track on the album is incredible. This is probably the best debut album since Third Eye Blind's debut masterpiece.

Even though I loved the album from the start, some of the songs didn't hit me at first. I was not a big fan of "You Picked Me," because starting your song off with "One, Two, Three" just isn't the way to win me over. Still, this song has grown on me too. I can forgive the counting off.

Alison's voice is amazing, and unlike a lot of the pseudo piano player musicians of today she can actually play. But most importantly, this is just well written music in every way, lyrics and accompaniment. If you haven't checked this out yet, you owe it to yourself. I can't wait for the next album.

I hope you give this album a try.

Enjoy!

Bluesy voice with intriguing lyrics
I love this CD. Her voice is awesome. Soothing after a stressful day. Nice to listen to while you drink evening tea. Kind of sweeps you away to a simpler time and place of honesty, if you let it. rp

Enchanting
It has been a long time since I bought an album and loved every song. She is one talented young woman, both in voice and songwriting.

'I Talk to the Trees'
There seems to be a surfeit of these earnest female singer-songwriters out there in the flux and fluctuating pop arena. Most are quite bad, but sifting through the rubble left on the battlefield, you can occasionally rescue small gems like A Fine Frenzy, hiding in potholes after the big guns (and we all know who they are!) have long finished discharging their infertile loads.
'One Cell in the Sea' is a tiny, slightly miraculous pop album. I'm sure supporters of Vanessa Carlton, Kate Nash and Colbie Callait et al can instantly tell their heroines apart and could fervently point to the varying merits of each, but for yours truly it needs something grabbing and different to raise the heckles and 'OCITS' has that special something.
'That special something' isn't anything mystical or other-worldly, it's simply well thought out words and ideas, presented straight and true in satisfyingly low-key but busy treatments. Nothing revolutionary or incendiary here pop-kids.
A Fine Frenzy (aka Alison Sudol) is a tiny, waif-like presence with a killer line in powerful melody and thoughtful wordplay. She's mainly piano-driven with layers of strings and acoustic guitar, and she's just dropped lucky - it all comes together for her (and fortunately - for us!). Even the lyric booklet is good. It's hippy woodland nonsense to a degree, with various colourful etchings of song-birds, (the only instance of vanity Ms. A Fine Frenzy indulges in) but in it's one-trip dream and romance world view, it finds this particular easily distracted commentator in sympathetic mode. It's merely an extension of 'OCITS's earthy lush-pop. A symbolic branch of it's mini-engine of creativity and mission.
Unsurprisingly, she's a quietly understated and beautifully stylish lady. She reminds very much of Madeline Smith, the fetching 70's Hammer actress, particularly in one gorgeous shot, where she's wearing a long, pleated, blood-crimson dress and is looking worriedly over her shoulder, as if the forest around her has just come alive, and is stealthily revealing it's sinister intentions.....
High points? Many, but the 'You Picked Me'/'Rangers'/'Almost Lover' triumvirate about a quarter in take some stopping. Deft and moving scopes of sound and thought, 'Last of Days' is suitably haunting, and the exceptional 'Lifestyle', the nearest thing we get to a 'rock' song, even has a "Yeaahh!" at one stage. Woah girl, deep breaths.
The album's not perfect. (although Alison probably is..) It goes on too long, there's a slight lack of diversity as it turns the last bend, and it sounds a bit one paced after repeated listens, but nothing that affects the effect of the many essentials. AFF will iron this out for her next album, importantly making sure she leaves in all the sleights and subtleties that make 'OCITS' one of the best of it's kind.
At the moment she's (deservedly) head and shoulders above the opposition, we'll wait see if she finishes there....

A 3 star album
...got a bit suprise at first, but fall's in to bore in the few last songs!Alison Sudol's did make some good songs in the first few track, maybe a little bit more effort on her next record.