Nevermind. I got you and Treo5 mixed up because your names rhyme, because you were both making dumb points on the eits thread in the same spot, and because you both assumed the reviewer only listened to a stream and only a few times at most (even though both records had been available to listen to for over a month)

In respects to myself; the stream accusation; I don't actually believe. Though I doubt Balcaen owns
the album (considering they don't like it) I'm sure that an extensive listen was the case.

Still missed a lot to this album. For instance; harmonies in FF music isn't added for epic effect;
it's a trademark of the band. The choruses really, really don't sound the same, in fact very few
songs on the album have a traditional; re occurring chorus.

Then to not touch on lyrics in a folk record is pretty self explanatory. It's sort of a given when
folk music comes from the idea of folklore and music backed with stories, the least a writer could
do when reviewing a folk record is to mention them.

So excuse me if I sound harsh; my tone is farther from. =)
I'm just skipping back and forth between studying and commenting I haven't had the time to include
smilies or respond with a more sincere argument. =)

But at least I've discovered what some think of me, so cheers.

Album Rating: 4.5

Opinion does not compute, please try again

And porch stop being so harsh because I don't agree with you

steo
so many emoticons

argument's a dead horse, but it's been fun guys!

Why do you think I'm an idiot porch, just out of interest. =)

Edit: Sorry, I don't actually want to know. I enjoy talking about music too much. I don't want you to
ruin this for me, I like talking to people on Sputnik. =/

silly , you don't talk about music on sputnik

Ooooh, now I understand. Thanks tkxxx7. =)

Great review Martine. I obviously disagree but this was very well written. Pos.

Album Rating: 4.5

Yea fuck, this review is still irrefutably well written despite its shortcomings. I still think that you should mention the lyrics but oh well. What the fuck is the point of anything, negga pos

Album Rating: 4.5

Pretty well written. Personal aside: I don't like using things bands say in interviews because I usually don't give a shit what the band has to say about their own stuff.



Also, saying that these are "flat radio-friendly riffs" is kinda... well for the lack of a better term, dumb.

yeah, i know. i then realized that there is nothing wrong with being radio-friendly. gonna change that ASAP

lol@reviewer not knowing how smart Tyler Fisher is

also lol@things reviewer says are bad because they're actually good

And that's about it. It's pretty well written, but I don't like the style because YOU LIE SO MUCH. Honestly it's deceptive to tell someone this is a 2.5. It's a 3.5 even if you're being a total ass. But because you're taking a stand, I totally respect it. It is gutsy to write this review. Good job.

I didn't vote, but if I did, I'd pos. I might do it if I remember.

lol, i never said anything about tyler fisher and i can acknowledge that his review(s) kick the shit of mine.
not quite sure what you're getting at though. i'm not being a contrarian for the sake of stirring shit up, i genuinely do not like this. i think the first album was at more tasteful.

In respects to myself; the stream accusation; I don't actually believe. Though I doubt Balcaen owns
the album (considering they don't like it) I'm sure that an extensive listen was the case.

Still missed a lot to this album. For instance; harmonies in FF music isn't added for epic effect;
it's a trademark of the band. The choruses really, really don't sound the same, in fact very few
songs on the album have a traditional; re occurring chorus.

Then to not touch on lyrics in a folk record is pretty self explanatory. It's sort of a given when
folk music comes from the idea of folklore and music backed with stories, the least a writer could
do when reviewing a folk record is to mention them.

So excuse me if I sound harsh; my tone is farther from. =)
I'm just skipping back and forth between studying and commenting I haven't had the time to include
smilies or respond with a more sincere argument. =)

But at least I've discovered what some think of me, so cheers.

lol @ descendents1 not knowing what an opinion is

lol @ descendents1 not knowing how to spell "descendants"

Missed the point Deviant. Read back on the review and offer me proof that the critic did more than
listen to it on the surface. =P
She didn't dig in deep at all. The review is well written but it's all a surface opinion. In
retrospect; no mention of the lyrics in a folklore album, no mention of production (that's okay. =)
), This line

'constantly banging out identical-sounding chorus vocals for every song.'

Which isn't an opinion at all, it's just wrong. Barely any of these songs have reoccurring choruses.


'when the band understood the merit of having just one man's voice complement a song'

Which was when again? Since Sun Giant EP the band have had a heavy focus on harmonies. Another
incorrect statement, in fact the only song on their last LP to only feature a vocal performance from
Robin solo was 'Oliver James'. Further in fact; their last album was waaaay more reliant on
harmonies (See 'Ragged Wood, 'White Winter Hymnal', 'Quiet Houses' and 'Heard Them Stirring')

So please Deviant; don't belittle my opinion. It's pretty understandable why I would think this
review was made after one listen. =/

And by not 'getting it', I meant to state; it didn't click with you. For instance I didn't get Let
England Shake by PJ Harvey.

And I'm not trying to be nasty, you know? =/
I'm just picking out problems with what I believe to be a shallow review. That's just how I feel
about it. Personal opinions about the album aside, I couldn't care if she liked it or not but it
bothers me when I've heard an album and then someone tries to tell me something about it that isn't
true. =P

Album Rating: 4.0

I guess it is more like he didn't "like" it

Some skepticism is justified as the album opens most abruptly on Montezuma, and it isn't just an error in sequencing. Throughout the album, there's a general trend to skip any sort of build-up and just move onto a sauntering rhythm guitar line sailing plainly through the bulk of every track. It's one thing in folk to amble along the length of a song for a certain effect of simplicity, it's another to expect simplicity to be a driving musical factor. Let us not gloss over the fact that all but two tracks here aren't haphazardly put together, anti-climactic stretches of what we'd of considered a skip-worthy filler song on Fleet Foxes.

When the band isn't dragging the same riff over a predictable and repeated vocal pattern, they're making ungracious and ill-fitting shifts, almost as an effort made to add variety to the flaccid production of Helplessness Blues while brusquely backhanding any sort of cohesiveness the album might've had otherwise. Dual-titled tracks like The Plains/Bitter Dancer and The Shrine/An Argument, while both being highlights on the album for their throwback to when Fleet Foxes actually developed their ideas, both sound like 2-3 different tracks that weren't even meant to be heard in succession.

The vocals are a whole other bag. Don't get me wrong, Robin Pecknold boasts one of the most pleasant comforting voices recognizable, and the powerful harmonies on Fleet Foxes are part of what made it so memorable but constantly banging out identical-sounding chorus vocals for every song does not work in this band's favor. It's as if the band had run out of kitschy instrumental interjections (ie: strings on Bedouin Dress, flute on The Plains/Bitter Dancer) and there was nothing else to do but to add gratuitous amounts of background harmonies for "epic" effect. Even if the compositions were grand enough (they're not) in musical content to support these rich harmonies, Fleet Foxes would have still overstepped the amount of times we'd want to hear 4 different versions of Pecknold's voice carry the only melodic line a song has to offer. It's not as epic-sounding as it wants to allow and it really robs the listener of the demure nuances Pecknold's voice featured when the band understood the merit of having just one man's voice complement a song, instead of overpower it with harmony overkill.

The three closers are a saving grace for this album in that respect, and the switch is that they avoid sounding underwhelming by having less of the overused elements of the previous tracks, static harmonies, stagnant riffs and the same robust, pounding percussion over and over. The raw power of Pecknold as he wails "sunlight over me no matter what I do" on The Shrine/An Argument, followed by an impromptu freejazz section. The modesty of a single guitar and voice on Blue Spotted Tail. The surprisingly glorious effect of only having one voice sing Grown Ocean as the band actually contributes to the melody...