Getting to hear Tim's final compositions at last is an incredibly cathartic experience. I've been playing LSD over and over for the last few days, absorbing every chord change, every weird melody, guitar solo and brass section, crawling into the spaces between notes and letting them wash over me. It really feels like Jim, Kavus, Mike and co. were letting the spirit of their departed leader play vicariously through their bodies on this one. Every so often you hear an old recording of Tim's voice poking through the whirlwind of guitar, choirs and brass (Some great brass on this album, props to Craig Fortnam), like he's taunting you from beyond the grave. Just lovely. So far I've learned Woodeneye, Spelled All Wrong and Downup on the piano. The one thing keeping me from 5'ing it is the new arrangement of "Made all Up", which feels a little more staccato and a bit less ethereally epic, despite the additional vocals. I really fell in love with the piano-forward arrangement from the Ditzy Scene EP, though I admit this is a highly subjective thing that not every fan will agree with. This will almost certainly end up being my album of the year. I have so much to say about Cardiacs, I might end up just writing a full review of this album tbhrEDIT: Fuck it, 5. No new album has given me this much enjoyment in a very long time.
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