Album Rating: 4.0

people need to call something 'indie/folk band with progressive/post rock and ambient tendencies' in order to 4.5 something



i called it post folk, not neo folk (go look up post folk/free folk) and rly this is so pedantic

also what a fucking stupid thing to say dude lol, its an accurate description of their music, and i just rly like the album ya goof

Album Rating: 3.0

i prefer typhood

Album Rating: 3.5

Not much to be gained from splitting hairs over subgenre, especially when the band in question falls under the vast, nebulous category of "modern indie with eclectic influences".



Also kind of inclined to agree with WatchItExplode on the live video, it's a great song but from a performance standpoint it's pretty underwhelming.

this album may be a bit too stripped back and somber for its own good tbh, their last three releases were super bombastic and full of life but i found them a lot more emotionally resonating than this record because of how well it worked with the lyricism and concepts in mind.

Album Rating: 4.0

How about some actual critiques of the musicians performance rather than, 'its not technical' or 'its underwhelming'. Cause I was pretty impressed.

Album Rating: 3.5

They played their instruments very well and everything but that was... kind of all? Obviously the material doesn't really lend itself especially well to very physical performances, since there are a lot of moving parts and everyone needs to be paying attention to what they're doing, but I think it's a bit disappointing when everyone just stands there and goes through the motions (though I'd still probably pay to be in that crowd tbh).



We all have different criteria for what makes a good live performance though. The fact that it wasn't energetic or visually interesting might not be an issue at all for some people. Different strokes and all that.

Album Rating: 4.0

Very true, you made me realize how differently I perceive live performances than you, so no worries.

Album Rating: 3.5

If anything I'm extremely impressed by how these guys make such minimal arrangements interesting.



The performance was as dull as is humanly possible. Everybody staring at their shoes waiting for their turn to play. As a studio video I really don't it is supposed to be a great representation of their performance in front of a crowd.



I'm more curious as to what you found particularly impressive about it Dangler?

Album Rating: 4.0

Stage presence does not matter to me. I want bands to sound as good as possible, and they don't necessarily have to stand still to do that... but when you have that many band members/instruments/cluttered stage, that intricate of a piece of music in front of you, I understand why they don't (probably have not played these live songs live that much at the time of the recording, and still now). Idk, I like the stillness on stage especially for brooding songs like this. Because I'm constantly looking at their technique, it helps when theyre still too lol. Not saying I don't like seeing some energy if its not forced.



Additionally, I am listening to make sure everyones on time, no sloppy notes/phrases, subtle instruments are remaining subtle, basically their ability to recreate what they do on the album, except live, with accuracy and precision. They threw me on the ending (changed from the album) and thought that worked very well. They seem like a cohesive unit, and dude can carry pitch fine live (girl not so much), which can commonly be an issue.

Album Rating: 3.5

stage presence doesn't matter that much listening to a live recording



actually watching a show? it matters a HELL of a lot

Album Rating: 4.0

Neurosis is one of the best bands Ive seen live and they sure as hell aren't very active on stage. Depends on the band/music, to me.

Album Rating: 3.5

i guess. the best live bands ive seen (especially glassjaw) have been able to perform technically well but absolutely killed it as far as being active onstage which made the concert much more engaging

Album Rating: 4.5

if this doesn't end up on my top 10 it'll be an incredible year indeed

Album Rating: 3.5

The this was like a studio session video. I really hope it isn't representative of a live performance because I'll stick with my headphones.



I wanna lose it at shows. I wanna feel like I'm actually connecting with the band on some level.

Album Rating: 4.0

I think this would definitely be top 3 for me last year if it was released in December.

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah this for sure would have cracked my top 10, probably even top 5.

Album Rating: 4.5

I think Kyle Morton (lead singer) has a very subtle brooding energy live that I find pretty damn enticing. As for the dynamic of the band as a whole, well, they perform songs about depression and death, and are performing a song about a dying man with dementia, I think the energy they have on stage is pretty true to them. Choreographed dancing, smashed guitars, and jumping off amps or whatever exactly you want them to do live (strum with more flourish?) seems like it'd be more than a little bizarre for them.



I find the music to be energetic and lively and raw, and that ending shows a great deal of live improvisation that puts it above its studio counterpart for me.



I don't know. I'm fine with bands just being musicians and not being entertainers. Orchestras have been pulling it off for centuries with critical acclaim. That criticism just rings hollow for me.

Album Rating: 4.0

^ glad im not alone here fishing. i know exactly what you mean about morton

Album Rating: 4.5

As for the band rocking out on two chords the entire time...



1) The band "rocking out" on any chords at all is actually a significant leap for them, so I'm sure they would appreciate the compliment.



2) Simplicity is often the sign of perfection. Not that Typhoon are by any means perfect, but I think the greater test for any composition is how do the parts lead to the whole, and not just how technical the individual parts are. I find nothing to detract from the band building a song around a simple foundation, I think it comes together with a lot of craft and mastery.



With that said, you're incredibly right. They're not a technically impressive band instrumentally. But, I don't think it's much of a knock. The band's strengths have always been built around composition and catharsis, and while Empiricist may be a song based on two chords, within those two chords are various melodies and tempo shifts (as well as emotional gut-punch after gut-punch) wrapped up in an incredible progressive non-linear structure that still manages to be accessible and cohesive. It's an accomplishment and they've pulled it off throughout their discography.

Is this album good?

It doesn't have the same hype their previous release had