Album Rating: 2.5
See I love when they get thick and slow as in "I Was a Lover. " When they try to be upbeat, it's not that they are doing it because they feel it and are elevating the song, but it usually feels forced. For me the most important instrument(s) are the vocals. Listen to a song like "Young Liars." The arc of that song is made by the fact that the vocals are varied through. Their contours gradually ascend. They start off with little flatted blues note figures and ultimately open up into larger intervals and registers. It gives the song that x-factor. That is present on some songs on this album and woefully absent on others.
Also, I hope nobody takes this the wrong way, but I find this series of events highly ironic. Rock is the white man's take on blues is it not? And indie is a further whitening of the mix so to speak. It's practiced mostly by young white urbanites and makes a point of ironically invoking rock and roll of the past. Then a band that is mostly black, and stands out as being so completely beats these whiteys at their own game by writing not only more compelling forward-thinking versions of what they are doing, but by elevating it by using blues vocals tendencies, bringing us full circle to the original unjust thefting by whitey. It seems like unbelievable poetic justice. I also wouldn't attribute this to just TVotR as well. Look at Bad Brains. They were just so much better than all of the imitative hardcore bands of the early 80s and they did it by making the music a little "blacker" for lack of a better term (funk, reggae influences). Whitey is always messing up music.
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Album Rating: 4.5
still generic.
How? Name five bands that sound like them.
DFelon, I do agree that there aren't as many "whoa" moments with the harmonies and melodies but the album is consistently a lot better than anything they've ever done. I can always go back to "Mr. Grieves" if I want anyways. Man, that song rules. Shits and pisses and bleeds allover the original and it's a pretty good song originally.
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Album Rating: 4.0
"Red Dress," "Dancing Choose," and even "Golden Age" are just not good songs.
add "halfway home" and you have my favorites off the album!
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Album Rating: 3.5
doesn't quite do it for me
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Album Rating: 2.5
EC, I just don't get you then. Or maybe you're the dude in this picture, a doucher and loving it: http://images.quickblogcast.com/95082-87795/amerapparel.jpg
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Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Hey dfelon, you're in this flowchart:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/2888500826_cbd670c7ea_o.jpg
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Album Rating: 2.5
lol. im curious about the no, no route. if i haven't reviewed it, you referring to the
current album at hand, and not the previous album right?
also where do my morning jacket, alien ant farm, and xiu xiu fit into that flow chart?
i think it's needs a few more branches for "purposefully contrarian opinions to throw
people off of the obvious design off decision-tree"This
Message Edited On 09.25.08
last edit: yes, no, no, no how would rating me n/a if i reviewed it?This Message Edited On 09.25.08
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Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Like when I reviewed Maps & Atlases 2nd album is a prime example
EDIT: i see what you mean. I'm saying that never happens. It usually falls under the mediocre column
My Morning Jacket, etc. fits into 'the is it mediocre?' This Message Edited On 09.25.08
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Album Rating: 2.5
I love My Morning Jacket.
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Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
mediocre by my standards
edit: talk to me in the forums any further
DLZ is my favorite track on this album after further review even though Family Tree is pretty closeThis Message Edited On 09.25.08
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Album Rating: 4.0
Hey dfelon, you're in this flowchart:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/2888500826_cbd670c7ea_o.jpg
beautiful. Dfel, I can somewhat understand your issues with "Red Dress" and "Dancing Choose." Those songs will probably be the ones I love the first couple times then get sick of. But I don't get your issue with "Golden Age." That song is gold.
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Album Rating: 2.5
It's a golden turd. Shiny and pretty but artificial. I don't like most of their overly upbeat tracks. They feel forced.
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i'm glad i got name dropped in the flow chart.
this is a great album, but not as good as Cookie Mountain. better than Desperate Babes
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Album Rating: 3.5
flow chart is hilarious
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Album Rating: 3.5
no way, desperate youth is way better than this
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Album Rating: 4.5
I think they're about equal for me.
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Desperate Youth doesn't even sound like an album. It sounds like Young Lairs with a few extra tracks.
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Album Rating: 5.0
Nice review. I liked the comment on Return to Cookie Mtn., that album gets far more hate than it deserves. I can't wait for this.
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Album Rating: 4.5
Well it kind of is but since Young Liars is awesome I don't mind.
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I heard some of this today and it's pretty interesting.
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