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List Price: $7.99 | | Label: RCA Victor
Salesrank: 821
Released: November 1, 2005 |
| Our Price: $5.13 |
| Used Price: $3.98 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Speak for Yourself Track Listing:
1. Headlock
2. Goodnight and Go
3. Have You Got It In You?
4. Loose Ends
5. Hide and Seek
6. Clear The Area
7. Daylight Robbery
8. The Walk
9. Just For Now
10. I Am In Love With You
11. Closing In
12. The Moment I Said It
Editorial Review:
Whether partnered with Guy Sigsworth as Frou Frou, or on her own, Imogen Heap is an enormously gifted singer, songwriter, producer, keyboardist, and programmer. She does it all here on her second solo CD which showcases her remarkable talents. The stunning track 'Hide and Seek' offers the electronic equivalent of a cappella, with only Imogen's expressive voice heard via vocoder -- an early favorite that shot right to #1 on iTunes Electronic Chart in June 2005. The song was also featured on the season finale of THE O.C., and earlier in the season, THE O.C. previewed another track from this album called 'Goodnight and Go', a bittersweet ballad about the secret admiring of a neighbor. Comparison's have been made to Bjork, Alanis Morrisette, Joni Mitchell and Annie Lennox, among others, but no one can hold a candle to Imogen Heap. Her electronic programming and keyboarding are so textured and layered, you will hear something new with each and every listening. Her canvas is cinematic, operatic, visionary, and always surprising with twists, turns, tangents and breaks that keep the listener on a journey of the unexpected. Whether evoking a hundred piece orchestra, an electric slide guitar, or a simple vocoder, Heap weaves her magic spell. As a lyricist, Heap has a wicked sense of humor, yet can drive a knife right through your heart when you least expect it. Don't miss out on one of the very best albums of the year. No domestic release date scheduled. Megaphonic. 2005.
Description of Speak for Yourself:
If the voice sounds familiar, that may be because a couple of tracks have been featured on The O.C., while Frou Frou's "Let Go" appeared in Garden State. (Frou Frou is a collaboration between Heap and producer Guy Sigsworth.) Her sophomore release, after a UK-only debut, is a fine showcase for the singer/songwriter's swooping vocals. Her style, which incorporates layers of multi-tracking, lies somewhere between Sinead O'Connor's banshee howl and Jem's more delicate musings. There's more of a groove to her ouvre, however. At times, she almost sounds like Norway's Annie--by way of Kate Bush. The overall effect is plush and luxurious, if occasionally generic (a more stripped-down approach would really allow that instrument to shine). The one song that doesn't quite fit the electro-pop pattern is the vocoder-saturated "Hide and Seek," in which Heap enters Laurie Anderson territory (specifically 1982's "O Superman"). It's a risk that pays off, although its placement midway through the recording threatens to throw the balance off. (It would have made more sense at the end.) Aside from writing and singing, the multi-talented musician also recorded and produced Speak for Yourself. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Speak for Yourself Reviews:
Very Interesting Work 
2009-12-16 - My Daughter-in-Law gave me this a couple of years ago. Like all music I haven't chosen myself, I was a little reluctant to pick it up and listen to it. Maybe I burned out recently, or maybe I just wanted something new to listen to. Regardless, I started listening to this recording.
What I found surprised me. Heap's music is interesting, inventive, and emotional. The careful mix of electronica and vocals is executed such that the vocals are not lost, but remain in focus. This is good because I find the vocal work talented and the lyrics are emotive and well-written.
I listen to most recordings as a unit, with only few exceptions. I like to hear what the artist and producer assembled instead of a collection of singles. (That's OK if it's your deal.) Speak for Yourself holds together as a unit.
This is the only recording by Heap that I own. My opinion is that it's an excellent introduction to this artist and I'll be picking up other recordings by Heap. If you're not a fan of Imogen Heap, you will do well to give this recording a listen.
Excellent and Chill
2009-11-02 - Bought this CD after having heard a few songs from it and loving them. The CD did not disappoint. The lyrics are poignant and clever and the music is chill but interesting. I love to play this CD at work or when I'm driving.
Complex original music that pulls you in. 
2009-09-20 - Never heard of Imogen Heap until rented movie "Garden State". While going thru the music credits, found a cool song by "Frou Frou", which led to Imogen Heap, then further internet search. When I heard this CD, was asounded. Who is this? and how did she do it?
This music is complex, rich, textured, layered, very original. Interesting evocative rhythms, arrangements, melodies, crystal clear vocals. It stays with you, pulls you in, grows on you. Her style is vaguely reminiscent of some of my favorite independent artists from the 80's, but she goes well beyond them into her own original territory. You can feel some influence by Peter Gabriel, Laurie Anderson, Kate Bush, Jane Siberry. But this is no cheap copy of anyone. This lays down real new ground. Imogen is a great artist. This is timeless music.
She apparently(?) did the sound production too, very tight, clear, excellent. How can 1 person be so talented? May have been inspired by Peter Gabriel's dictum to "Do It Yourself". Anyway, take a listen to the samples. If you like original music, this will not disappoint.
Best!
2009-09-19 - This is beyond one of the best CDs I have bought in a while. I love every song, and I'm pretty sure you might too. :)
Mostly what I expected. 
2009-08-17 - "Speak for Yourself" is a solidly produced, enjoyable album. I was impressed and pleased enough with a few songs on the album, such as "The Walk" (which is the song that drove me to buy the album), to feel that I made a good purchase. It's a real pleasure to listen to the vocalist sing. Existing fans of Imogen Heap may appreciate and enjoy "Speak for Yourself" more than I did; I see lots of glowing remarks from other reviewers here. Personally I found some of the songs to be lyrically lacking, and some of the tracks are somewhat forgettable and uninteresting. Production is very high-quality and I never noticed anything poorly recorded or implemented. If you're already a fan of Imogen Heap or Frou Frou, I would certainly recommend you purchase this as well.
