Julia Stone has the most amazing voice, a voice you can listen to day in and day out, and never get bored. The lyrics of her songs are amazing, my favorite is track number 2 "My Baby". The words on Track 3 "Winter on the Weekend" should be listened to by every father - it sends chills up and down your spine. An album where every number is great, you do not have to skip tracks. Amazing - thank you.I've been a fan of Angus & Julia Stone for a few years now and just recently saw them live (a must). This album lived up to the song quality I was expecting. I would also suggest taking a listen to Angus' solo album (under the name Lady of the Sunshine). If you like her other work with her brother, just buy this album. It's that simple. I really wish this was available on vinyl, though.I love Angus and Julia Stone, so I was pretty pumped to score this album. Track one carries the same rhythm as the previous duo tracks. Several of the other tracks are a bit slower, but still a great listen for a fan.The CD arrived in perfect condition. The content is absolutely sublime - have only listened to it a few times but I'm already in love with it!perfectSydney's Julia Stone might be best known for her work with brother Angus Stone, but there were certainly more than a few of us in the independent music community that were waiting for her to spread her wings and attempt a solo record. That time comes with "The Memory Machine", her debut solo record, and gone are any traces of her brothers' influence, and this does not at all sound like any of her previous albums. That in itself, is both a pro and a con, considering that critics half-expected this to be very much a Family Stone sort of affair.Julia Stone's strengths all lie in her voice and her hushed sense of melancholy. While the album cover (an inspired piece of pop-art if there ever was one) implies a more violent, enraged sort of musical sentiment, the album itself is a quiet, stripped down affair, letting Stone's voice do the talking; to such an extent that might try the patience of certain audiences. If you have no idea of the musical background of Julia Stone and are approaching this as an introduction to her work, I'm not sure this record would work for you, but as a natural progression from her regular work with her brother, this works on its' own terms.On "Maybe", which slows down the pace of the record entirely, Julia sparkles, but not in a happy way. Many of these tracks are morose. Even the poppier tracks such as `Catastrophe' are about morose things; it would be safe to say that the message of the record is sadness and the overall mood is one of doom. This is very much in keeping with some of her past work, but one would tend to agree that the record could have done with a few moments of levity to cut through the ubiquitous bleakness. The slowed down blues-bar feel of "Lights Inside this Dream" work as a one-off, and the folksy "Horse with the Wings" harken back to those acoustic Lisa Loeb days (again, this could have gone horribly wrong).Julia Stone is interesting because she can sing about depressing topics with the straightforward zeal of someone who is blissfully unaware of the inherent misery. On the flipside, she can also sing about happy things and strip them of any sense of joy or wonder. It's a miracle that one can sit through this entire record without feeling a sense of being vanquished. The closest comparison I can make is Hope Sandoval, and her last album; but there is less of a sense of happiness on this record than on anything Sandoval has ever recorded.Fans of her work with her brother might find a lot to like here, new listeners might find this a tad depressing and not very memorable, but as someone with some background on her musical output, I would say that this was a good, if uneven debut, that is great for some late night listening, especially if ponderous. As a cohesive record it does have its' highs although there are no immediate standouts. Given that this is her first attempt at something on her own, I would rate this highly, all things considered.Three and a half stars.Anyone who has been reading my reviews on a fairly regular basis might remember my shock at the brilliance of Angus & Julia Stone's album, Down the Way. At the time, I didn't quite give it the credit it deserved, but having listened to it many times since, it is truly one of my favorite albums of the year and most certainly one of the biggest non-debut surprise greats I've ever come across.Now, less than a year later, Julia Stone has released an album of solo material without the addition of her brother. Fans of her work with Angus will instantly recognize her slightly wavering, wispy vocals that haunt each track with an incredible beauty. Although drums and strings are occasionally added to the mix, the true concentration of the instrumentation is on either the acoustic guitar or piano depending on the track.Opening with "This Love," Julia introduces her solo material with the song most similar to her work with her brother. Although harmonies are still present on the chorus, her voice is manipulated very little otherwise, leaving the lyrics crisp and clear within the mix. This continues through the first three tracks until the title track, "The Memory Machine," on which Julia introduces some more reverb to her voice, adding to the dreamy state of the song.Julia's solo career potential is most clearly displayed on "Catastrophe." An upbeat blend of guitar, strings, brass, and drums transform Julia's often sad sounding vocals into something sweet and cheerful. Although the title suggests differently, the track is truly a high point in the mood of the album and falling halfway along the record, it serves as a pleasant break from the otherwise blue notes. This change proves she is clearly capable of success in more than one style. One can only hope she will carry her cheerful potential with her when she returns to work with her brother.Julia Stone is a phenomenal songwriter with or without her brother. Her voice conveys emotion with such ease that listeners may find themselves surprised at how drawn into the music they become. Although her music is beautiful, there is something special about her work with Angus Stone that is noticeably absent on The Memory Machine. The harmonies created when their two voices come together are so unique and so captivating that the lyrics, while excellent on their own, would seem beautiful even if they were pure gibberish. Julia is, understandably, unable to recreate this effect, but fans of her efforts with her brother should still give The Memory Machine a listen straight through. There's a lot to like.Similar Artists: Angus & Julia Stone, Karen OTrack Suggestion: "Catastrophe"Got this CD at the Angus and Julia Stone concert recently and have not been able to stop playing in... the first song , THIS LOVE, gets into your head and has such a catchy hook you can not stop thinking about it...the rest of the album is so varied and different you need to listening repeatedlyJulia Stone's solo album is a natural progression of her work with her brother, this album contains some beautiful and often dark tracks, such as Winter On The Weekend, which is stunning.This album comes as a beautiful digipack, the booklet contains a page for each song which has been done in the style of an old B Movie style movie poster.This is well worth purchasing.Could Julia do anything other than make beautiful musicDie Stücke auf der CD sind überwiegend langsam, aber dennoch abwechslungsreich. Mal glaubte ich Björk, mal Katie Melua, mal irgendein anderes Stimmsternchen zu hören, aber was Julia Stone einzigartig macht ist die atmosphärische Dichte ihrer Stimme. Bei manchen Liedern musste ich gebannt lauschen, das hatte was von Meditation. Ihrer zerbrechlichen Stimme scheint manchmal Brücken zu schlagen...über Abgründe, die Stille, das Nichts, es ist als würden ihre Laute etwas ein einkreisen, das unfassbar aber dennoch präsent ist.Wenn sie singt, habe ich das Gefühl entrückt zu werden, ich werde still und bin nur Musik, ihr Gefühl ist dann mein Gefühl.Eines möchte ich aber behaupten, für den Fall man durchlebt eine schwere Phase...Trennung, Krankheit, unglücklich verliebt...diese Musik verstärkt das, sie holt einen nicht raus. Darum auch ziehe ich einen Punkt ab...Die CD bräuchte eine Packungsbeilage...halten die Beschwerden länger als drei Tage an, legen sie eine andere Musik auf oder gehen zu ihrem Arzt oder Apotheker.Un bon album du début à la fin s'ecoute tranquillement et sans morceaux a zapper un bon moment de détente en perspectiveJulias Alleingang ist dennoch nah an dem vertrauten Stil, den wir schon von Angus und Julia Stone kennen.Ihre Stimme, die schaurigen Texte mit einer Gänsehaut-Musik die süchtig macht, einfach richtig gut!!Kein bisschen nervig oder aufdringlich, aber Musik ist bekanntlich geschmackssache...