Review Summary: You know that Dot Dot Curve band? Yeah, this is exactly the opposite of that.
2 of 3 thought this review was well written
And Their Refinement of the Decline is a treasure. A release that infects any and all who listen to it with love on the first listen, this album encompasses all that is great in music. Touching a listener with its utter beauty, this album never tires nor does it lose any of its impact. The instrumentation on this album is an intriguing mix of unconventional ideas designed to excite the senses and relax the listener. As tranquil as stagnant waters and as comforting as an embrace from an old friend, And Their Refinement of the Decline is a release that captivates the listener.
Case in point: “Even If You're Never Awake” begins with sustained violin notes and long pauses before planes of begin to recur. Said layers of sound act as climaxes, yet they soothe the listener with an ineffable grace, increaing the cinematic and emotional quaities of this lengthy track. “December Hunting for Vegetarian ***face” is another epic track, invoking sorrow via swells of morose instrumentation. The irony of this album is that, regardless of the somber musicianship showcased here, the album releases a rather optimistic vibe. With specific timing and beatless, instrumental soundscapes, Stars fo the Lid can tap into the emotions of their listener. Whether it be the comforting “Don't Bother They're Here” or the involving “Meaningful Moment Through A Meaningless Process”, one becomes a great, dear friend with this album. And though they say "if you love something, let it go," you will never want to let this album go. And no one should blame you, for this release is one of the most endearing, emotional, artistically releveant releases of the past decade or so. When in need of a friend, the uplifting "Tippy's Demise" will caress you. The comforting melodies of "Even If You're Never Awake" will accompany you whenever you see fit. And in your darkest hour, songs found on And Their Refinement of the Decline will let you overcome it all.
The last paragraph could be broken up a bit and it mentions "And Their Refinement of the Decline" 6 times and somehow it just stood out and bothered me a bit.
Considering it was written so quickly you make a lot of great, detailed points. I agree that the last paragraph could do with splitting up a little, but I love this record and think you've captured the essence of it perfectly.
the use of "progeny" comes off as blatant thesaurus-flaunting, even if that's not necessarily the case. it's pretty hard to agree with your little statistic in the first place. it's just facetious in nature; 'nine out of ten', really? (i know it's not supposed to be a statistic meant to be taken very literally but still). maybe say something like 'often you will find that [insert 'statistic']' or something.
"unlike the last children" does this mean 'youngest child'? it's hard to tell. switch 'last' to 'youngest' if so.
"Blame it on the parents paying more attention to their other children if you want (and feel free by the way, as you are probably correct in your assumption); however, this should not distract you from the phenomenas created via special attention and care."
this sentence just doesn't make sense very much at all. not trying to be a hater, but overall not really feelin' that first paragraph.
"and distortion aplenty" hmm, i'm not sure many people would associate 'distortion' with this record; a lot of it is very 'clean'. but maybe that's just me.
"The sound on this album is a rich mix of post-rock" oh dear, calling this 'post-rock' is quite the stretch in my opinion.
"and large gaps between them as if to slowly cradle the listener, as if it was trying to prepare him or her for the subtle climaxes ahead."
i don't like the use of the phrase 'as if' twice in a row; it's quite awkward. in fact, the whole sentence is sorta that way too. you also might want to expand on those 'subtle climaxes' you just touch upon in the sentence, because you say that the first part of the song is to 'prepare' you for them, but then you never expand on what -they- actually are, other than just calling them 'subtle climaxes'.
"“December Hunting for Vegetarian ***face” is another epic track, reeling in sorrow." you might want to expand. -how- does it 'reel in sorrow'? what does that mean? also, the transition between that sentence and this:
"The irony is that listening to this album is a very uplifting experience as shown by the subdued climaxes on “Humectes La Mourture” and “Tippy's Demise”."
is pretty awkward. you should change it up a little. it also doesn't seem very 'ironic'; try expanding on the 'balance' between the sadness of tracks like december hunting and those other tracks. i understand what you're getting at, but some readers might not, especially if they have not heard the album.
"Whether it be the comforting “Don't Bother They're Here” or the involving “Meaningful Moment Through A Meaningless Process”,"
here's another problem; you kind of rattle off song names without explaining how they pertain to your review or the point you're trying to make. -why- are they relevant?
"And though they say if you love something, let it go, you will never want to let this album go."
i suggest putting that thing (if you love something let it go) in quotes because the sentence is kind of confusing as is. i think it also might be missing a comma. also, following that sentence with this:
"And no one should blame you, for And Their Refinement of the Decline touches upon many genres with melody and modernization intact."
is a little strange, it almost seems like the latter sentence explains something that makes the album enjoyable but not 'lovable', i think that latter sentence should have something more personal about the album, which would explain why the listener wouldn't want to 'let it go'.
"Though this underground release comes late in Stars of the Lid's career, it has been paid attention to like, if not more so, a first-born child."
sentence is pretty awkward. mostly 'paid attention to like'.
"Therefore, the results are clear: And Their Refinement of the Decline is one of the most artistically divine releases in recent history."
also, this is strange. it's as if you're saying the reason this album is so great is because people pay attention to it like a first-born child.
also, i've come to the conclusion, after reading it in full, that this review doesn't tie the two paragraphs together well enough. the first paragraph feels like a non-sequitur compared to the 'review' bulk of the second paragraph. the way you tie the two together is inadequate, in my opinion.
