Album Rating: 4.0

birdless cage is really really good yea

Birdless cage is pretty boring tbh

Album Rating: 4.0

on relisten northern orthodox is probably the worst actually. probably gonna bump this down to a 4 but its still really damn good



either the canyon or yume are the best on here

Ugh I've always felt this band is everything I've always wanted but outside of a few tracks it bores the heck outta me.

Northern Orthodox is so good, Sundials is easily the weakest song here. Birdless Cage had to grow on me a lot, I love it so much now and the ending is so amazing

Album Rating: 4.5

tbh I love Sundials hahaha. Dialogues is my favorite though

Album Rating: 5.0

Sundials is super chill and I understand why they kept it on the tracklist over one of the more aggressive b-sides. I think part of them really wants to take off and that track has single written all over it.

Album Rating: 4.5

that split second break in the solo in Worry if You Want hits me so hard every single time

Album Rating: 4.0

yume gives me strong fyod vibes for some reason

Album Rating: 4.5

why can't I stop listening to this?



The Canyon is probably still my favorite but Dialogues is getting up there. This is probably a hard 4, but I feel like I said that about Rolo Tomassi which ended up at a 4.5

Album Rating: 3.5

It's got highlights, and it's got places where it just feels passable.

Album Rating: 3.0

Not really feeling this either. Big tigers of trains fan though

Album Rating: 4.0

"Sundials is super chill and I understand why they kept it on the tracklist over one of the more aggressive b-sides. I think part of them really wants to take off and that track has single written all over it."



Yeah, but Colored Out is plenty hooky as well and is actually a good song.

Album Rating: 5.0

I think Sundials is a good song too. I dunno, none of these tracks are any worse than "above average" to me and almost all of them are 4/5 tracks or better.

Singer worships Brand New here by the two songs I've heard.

More an observation than a negative tho.

Album Rating: 4.0

Sundials is kind of like what would happen if Matchbox Twenty really got into Albert Camus.

Not feeling this one at all. I mean, talk about a complete miss.

Album Rating: 4.5

Honestly not seeing what's super 5-worthy about this. Feelin' a very light 4 on first listen, more realistically a 3.5 though I expect it to grow a little.



I'll admit a lot of that comes down to the lyrics, which aren't ever really bad per se, but there's very little here that brings to mind how clever and immersive Maggio's work on the band's other output is. I'll chalk it up to a change in direction and try appreciating it for being something different, but I've got a hunch I just won't click with it as much.



Ditto on the musical front. Album's first half is really padded out, and while it gains more character in the second half, I would happily swap any of the songs in the run from "Bask" to "Mitama" with the bonus tracks, which have much more character. The rest of the record feels uniform almost to a fault, especially since it sounds more like meticulously layered jams than crafted, catchy songs. Bands like this can make songs with evasive hooks, but when you're really good at hooks like these guys are, intentionally avoiding them doesn't always feel fulfilling. Less impressive from a technical standpoint too.



Favorite tracks were "The Canyon," "Dialogues," "Ore" (surprised at people reacting indifferent to that one) and the closer. I realize this might sound overly negative, but I'm more let down by the hype than the music itself, as tends to happen.

Album Rating: 5.0

"Not feeling this one at all. I mean, talk about a complete miss."

:-(

did this ever stand a chance, is it even your style? I'd find it hard to believe that someone who likes brand new, manchester orchestra, et al can find no redeeming qualities about this.

@ashcrash: I'm pretty much on the opposite end; if I were to swap out for b-sides it would be mostly on the back end. The first 6 tracks are all killer for me, but especially the opening 2 and birdless cage. Nothing wrong with enjoying an album and not regarding it as a stone cold classic though, so I'm just glad you gave it the time of day and enjoyed many aspects of it. Hopefully it'll grow! Sorry if my enthusiasm in this review overhyped it for you!