| | Full Review | Ratings (257) |
Give your Rating |
| 4.5 superb | North0House2 | June 24th 16 |
How can you give this album a 3 if there's only been one track released as of yet? Their new
single is awesome anyway.
EDIT:
It was worthy of my original rating. Memory is a phenomenal track. My only complaint is that I
want the album to be a little longer.
3 Bumps | Bump |
| 0.0 | Your Favorite Lurker | June 24th 16 |
How can you even rate an album before it's out based on one track???
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.0 good | TheManMachine | November 6th 16 |
Stripped of their controversial-yet-hollow appellation, the mentally afflicted brooders formerly known as Viet Cong have cut back on the dark-n-dirty in favor of pretty synth patches, drafty ambient segues, and a more subdued+by-the-numbers take on post-punk in general. Not necessarily a negative thing; they're still stewin' in shadowy depths and spewin' out some striking stuff fo sho, and arguably they're hookier this time around -- but the whole numbed new-wave thing has 'em sounding a bit stiff and slack compared to last year's effort, or as they put it: "We're all reluctantly engaged." Lines that are hard to sell when reluctantly engaged: "The persistence of monotony is blowing out the sun / This repetition's killing you, it's killing everyone", "There's nothing to do cuz we're all dead inside / All gonna die".
Bump |
| 0.0 | Black Daimon | September 19th 16 |
Preoccupations is the sound of dissecting every rotten feeling. An immediately familiar hood
hangs from its trappings and sullen, dancing monochromatic beats. From the opening drones of
'Anxiety', there's a brightly coloured ambiance that sounds as if dulled by some kind of blemish-
removing Instagram filter. I can't tell if it's triggered some kind of nostalgia, or if the album has just
tapped into some well of mundane, bare and utterly relatable ugly emotion.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | Alabaster Jones | September 18th 16 |
I'm indifferent towards the name change, but I can't really talk so... With their second album since forming from the remains of Women, the band formerly known as Viet Cong release a grower of an album. As such, Preoccupations is a much less immediate record than Viet Cong, choosing to take a more subtle route. The presence of melodic synths is the big change here, as they add a new dynamic and texture to the sound, which has been stripped a little bit since the debut. Things are decent on the first three tracks, but "Memory" is where the album really picks up. Tempo changes and a professionally done ambient soundscape to end the song show that the band's experimental nature is still alive. The songs gradually become more catchier as the album goes on, culminating in closer "Fever" which may be the catchiest song they've written short of "Continental Shelf". Putting it simply, you're in for a different experience with Preoccupations than you were with Viet Cong. If they can keep making consistently great music while changing their palette as they've done so far, they could be looked upon as one of the best post-punk bands of the decade.
Bump |
| 2.5 average | doofy | January 9th 24 |
| 3.5 great | MvdW | December 6th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | gdask | September 26th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | Jekub | June 16th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | Subaru | July 29th 20 |
| 4.0 excellent | Turns13 | November 1st 19 |
| 3.0 good | Prole | February 8th 19 |
| 3.5 great | Juanpa | October 4th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ashtiel | July 12th 18 |
| 3.0 good | ProfC | June 12th 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | Sam C. | April 25th 18 |
| 3.5 great | Skoop | March 26th 18 |
| 3.5 great | rufous | January 31st 18 |
| 4.0 excellent | aiioli | January 21st 18 |
| 4.5 superb | euro | December 12th 17 |
| 4.5 superb | tycobb | September 28th 17 |
| 3.5 great | A.R.O. STAFF | September 7th 17 |
| 3.5 great | wangz | August 31st 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | John L | April 24th 17 |
| 2.5 average | Pon EMERITUS | April 23rd 17 |
| 2.5 average | qwas | March 16th 17 |
| 3.0 good | bmelt CONTRIBUTOR | February 20th 17 |
| 3.0 good | hep | January 2nd 17 |
| 3.0 good | Runeii | December 24th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Henry | December 21st 16 |
| 2.5 average | ckssr1 | December 16th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | garlands | December 13th 16 |
| 3.5 great | Trebor. EMERITUS | November 28th 16 |
| 3.5 great | TwigTW | November 23rd 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | finnmmcd | November 21st 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | cb123 | November 18th 16 |
| 2.5 average | DANcore | November 8th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Tom R. CONTRIBUTOR | November 2nd 16 |
| 4.5 superb | bqr7 | October 29th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Spluger | October 22nd 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Brandon | October 22nd 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Zantera | October 17th 16 |
| 3.5 great | Rail | October 6th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | mallen- | October 5th 16 |
| 3.0 good | oli89 | October 2nd 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Pangea | September 30th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | ellagos | September 29th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | JamieCTA | September 27th 16 |
| 3.5 great | sevhar | September 25th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | ciregno | September 23rd 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | GMarques | September 23rd 16 |
| 3.5 great | fdrc | September 22nd 16 |
| 4.5 superb | wjmwpg | September 22nd 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Hawks | September 21st 16 |
| 2.0 poor | Jordan M. EMERITUS | September 21st 16 |
| 3.0 good | jtswope | September 21st 16 |
| 3.0 good | Trey STAFF | September 20th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Faraudo | September 20th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | jercohen | September 20th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | tyler | September 20th 16 |
| 3.0 good | Jade | September 19th 16 |
| 3.0 good | artyzmu | September 18th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | hesperus | September 17th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | julianvv | September 16th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | tancrni | September 16th 16 |
| 3.5 great | Thane | August 16th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | Greem | August 13th 16 |
| 3.0 good | adr | August 8th 16 |
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