Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
First song does pack that emotional wallop for sure. The last album was full of that, it really hit me hard. The rest of this album is an "easier" listen than Deeper Understanding
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Album Rating: 4.5
Deeper Understanding just sounded like one decent song throughout for me
I can see this is sort of a mix of Slave Ambient and A Deeper Understanding
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Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Oh man Clean Living wiped me out, I listened to that song a billion times, it got a bit embarrassing
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Album Rating: 4.5
I dunno, the melodies on the last album never connected for me - it was an album of bombast and atmosphere only for me really.
Didn’t hate it but didn’t really get it.
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Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
I was going through a very difficult time when it dropped and I think I could relate to that album in a way that hadn't happened to me for a long time. So probably I can't see it objectively tbqh
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Album Rating: 4.5
Fair enough, I mean this band have tweaked the same formula four times in a row now - everyone can be picky over which of those small variations connect the most with them
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Album Rating: 4.0
Deeper Understanding was an emotional wallop, a few songs on it are “merely” great but stuff like “Thinking of a Place”, “Strangest Thing”, “Pain”, and “Holding On” is just absolutely perfect music to my ears.
Lost in the Dream is still better as it is a bit more consistent and while it’s a 5 for me overall and has several classic songs on it, it doesn’t peak as high as Deeper Understanding.
Slave Ambient again is great, but I find that one actually a bit more samey than the follow ups, especially in its back half. Still, many amazing songs and as Doof points out it’s more “pop” than later stuff.
Poor Wagonwheel Blues I guess nobody particularly cares about, it’s a good album if much less memorable than their others.
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Album Rating: 4.0
Deeper Understanding was it for me yeah, interested what I'll think of this
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Album Rating: 4.0 | Sound Off
Wagonwheel is a pretty good album though, I don't think they've had a truly weak release yet
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Album Rating: 4.5
I guess I was fine with Slave Ambient falling away a bit (other than Baby Missiles) because...WoD are always a band I only want to listen to about six songs in a sitting and then if I press on I zone out a bit.
The fact the first six songs on this are pretty flawless and flow well means I'll like this a lot.
Deeper Understanding there was definitely a 'slog factor' - a couple early I'd drift on. Even 'Lost in the Dream' has 'Suffering' at track three that I'm always 50/50 if I'm in the mood for every spin.
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Album Rating: 4.0
First half of Slave is indeed some of their best (and yeah Baby Missiles is kinda the only one propping up the back half). You assessment makes sense though, much as I adore this band they are great to just zone out to and that’s not a bad thing.
Finishing my second spin of this at the moment and it is expectedly great, but still hasn’t set too many hooks in. Check schedule after listen 5 when I’ll probably 5 it. 😅
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Album Rating: 4.5
If it is their best there'll even be doof 5 potential but we have a way to go
I think 'lost in the dream' will probably stay my fave
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Album Rating: 4.0
To me there's a pretty wide gap between Lost in the Dream and A Deeper Understanding. The latter, to me, felt like an exercise rather than a statement. It was a technically impressive exercise, but I didn't feel the heart.
Interestingly, I might end up preferring this to A Deeper Understanding despite the clear drop off in technical precision and guitar solos. The songwriting here is simply more enjoyable.
Lost in the Dream remains the classic of their discography though; don't see this one having even an outside chance of dethroning it.
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Album Rating: 4.5
I’m with you 100% on this one Sowing
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Album Rating: 4.5
2021 heartland rock/pop albums…
War on Drugs —> Sam Fender —> The Killers
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Album Rating: 4.0
Haven't heard the Sam Fender one but I will have to make a point of it before I fashion my 2021 list.
Does Wild Pink count in the same breath? Their new one was a far cry from 2018's Yolk in the Fur, but it was still kind of pleasant.
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Album Rating: 3.5
The second half of Slave Ambient is almost as strong as the first. Not just Baby Missiles, but It's Your Destiny and Black Water Falls are two of the best on there too.
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Album Rating: 4.5
Not so much the quality of the music, more SA loses momentum in the second half for me. Maybe a second tune with pace on Side B was needed
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Album Rating: 3.5
After track 4 I remember almost every other song is basically an instrumental ambient or shoegaze interlude lasting 1-4 minutes each, which is an odd choice. I prefer this band on shuffle anyway; I don't really find any of their albums that engaging from beginning to end because of the sameyness.
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Album Rating: 4.5
I have a sneaky feeling that given familiarity this will become their best attempt at an engaging start to finish listen - I like the fact tracks 5 and 6 are the peak and bang in the middle of the track list
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