Jump to content

What Are You Listening To? Part VIII: It's Not Noise, It's Music!

Durckad

By Durckad,
in Entertainment

Recommended Posts

Hereward Council Member

Hereward

Posted
Posted

I also meant to say that I may have been hasty with my damning verdict on Frank Turner's Tapedeck Heart. It's growing on me, though I recognise that I'm not the target audience. I'm too old and married to connect completely to tales of failed romance and the single life, unlike previous albums which examined lost idealism and Englishness. Though I maintain there are some real stinkers mixed up with the good stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
HyacinthGirl Council Member

HyacinthGirl

Posted
Posted

Have had the National's new one on repeat pretty much for the last few days. It's glorious, though I expected nothing less. I'd say it's definitely as accomplished as High Violet (though Boxer remains my personal favourite). One of the things about Trouble Will Find Me that's caught my attention it the submarine theme (for lack of a better word). Almost all of the songs refer to slipping under water, drowning, sinking, being "under the brine". I think water is mentioned or alluded to in every song, and this contrasts nicely with HV, which is almost aerial. E.g. comparing lyrics: "I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees" on HV with "Do my crying underwater, I can't get down any farther" on TWFM. So while HV is almost transcendent, TWFM descends. In terms of quality I'd say they're both at first place in the National's album ranking, if we're making lists. But like I said, Boxer's my favourite..

Songs that stand out to me are 'Fireproof', 'This Is The Last Time', 'I Need My Girl', 'Pink Rabbits' and 'Hard to Find', though as per usual there isn't a weak link on the record. Wish 'Rylan' had made the cut, though.

It's been a great year for albums. This from the National, Bowie's The Next Day and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds with Push The Sky Away... I'm a happy music fan right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Durckad Council Member

Durckad

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Decided to give the new Daft Punk album a listen at work today on Spotify. I've never listened to them before but decided I might give it a shot considering all the accolades it's been getting.

Holy crap, what a good album. I might have to just go and buy a copy for myself, but man, what a nice surprise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Myshkin Council Member

Myshkin

Posted
Posted

I have been listening since I got off of work over on the west coast of the US. I'm liking it quite a bit as a pretty big fan, but it's hard to see it competing w/ the top spot for them in the early going. I think The State and Dark Horse are neck-and-neck for their best record, and I think Silver Side Up is a better 3rd album than most bands could ever boast. The new one is very solid...nothing on it is bad at all. But it is also lacking songs that really jump out for me so far. But they get the luxury of multiple listens.

I do really like the 2nd to last track, Everything I Wanna Do. Trying Not to Love You and Bottoms Up are other standouts in addition to the first single, When We Stand Together.

Had to look this up to see what you were talking about. You are an awful person with awful taste.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Myshkin Council Member

Myshkin

Posted
Posted

I have reviewed my post, thanks to you. I will kill myself, as is appropriate, within the next 24 hours. The method is the only remaining question. What is the preferred Canadian method?

I am not an expert on Canada, but I would imagine the preferred Canadian method of suicide is to smoke a shitload of maple syrup coated crack while listening to

and watching Jeopardy.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Opisthokont Noble

Opisthokont

Posted
Posted

I feel the opposite of that, I thought Homework was great but haven't really liked anything they have released since then, including the latest stuff.

On the other hand, apparently some of my other 90s heroes have recorded a new album recently:

(from The Golden Sun of the Great East). I haven't really listened to them since Bible of Dreams, but this is pretty interesting. There's also a new Shpongle album coming soon. This may be a good year to get reaquainted with electronic psychedelia.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
HyacinthGirl Council Member

HyacinthGirl

Posted
Posted

Thanks for this. Great vid!

It pissed off some catholics, who described Bowie as a "bisexual senior citizen from London." I think they meant it contemptuously, but I don't quite see how that's an insult. :dunno:

I think it's really good in the sense that there's nothing bad on it. Every song is solid. But it doesn't contain some of the highs I'm used to with them. If I had to pick a favorite song thus far, it would be between I Should Live in Salt, Demons, Don't Swallow The Cap, Graceless, and Pink Rabbits. But I don't feel like any of those would compare with my favorites from Alligator or HIgh Violet (the two albums that switch places as my favorite of theirs) or even Boxer (which I absolutely love but put at #3).

...

So disappointment in that my expectations were high. Satisfaction in that it's more very solid music from The National.

I have faith that it'll grow on you. It's more sombre and subtle, but no less brilliant, IMO. I can't say that it exceeded my expectations, but it certainly didn't disappoint. And if you're ranking their albums, they're all so brilliant it's not such a big deal if it takes the #4 spot :)

I'm going to reflect on their albums now, feel free to ignore. None of my friends/family are as obsessed with them as I am so I get all of my National ravings out of the way on the internet:

I always feel that Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers never quite gets enough attention. My four favourites from that would be 'Lucky You', 'Murder Me Rachel', 'It Never Happened', and '90 Mile Water Wall'. As an album, it's patchier, but there are moments of real beauty.

For Alligator - 'Lit Up', 'Abel', 'City Middle' and 'Mr November.' I love this album's energy. It's difficult to pick favourites from this one, I also love 'Karen' and 'Daughters of the Soho Riots.'

For Boxer - 'Fake Empire', 'Green Gloves', 'Ada' and 'Apartment Story'. This is my favourite album of theirs although I acknowledge it's not necessarily their best, I just personally connect with almost all of the lyrics.

High Violet- 'Terrible Love', 'England', 'Sorrow' and 'Bloodbuzz Ohio'. You see what I mean about this album's soaring atmosphere though, in contrast to TWFM's sinking?

Trouble Will Find Me - 'Fireproof', 'This Is The Last Time', 'I Need My Girl' and 'Pink Rabbits', but I've only been listening to it for a few days and this selection will probably change.

I just love this band. Can't make their UK dates this year, very sad :frown5:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ravenhair Council Member

Ravenhair

Posted
Posted

Finally getting to do some more listening to Trouble will Find Me. I already enjoyed Don't Swalllow the Cap, but Pink Rabbits is really excellent.

Eta: I need to do a more thorough listen before I can give the "full monkey summary" on it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SnowStorm Sellsword

SnowStorm

Posted
Posted

I've been listening to the National's latest too. It's a great listen, but I too think it will take some time to grow on me. The first five songs stood out to me, probably because I had already listened to three of them on youtube before, but after "Sea of Love" it's all still a big blur for me. Of that blur, "I Need My Girl" is probably the one that stood out the most to me.

I've also been listening to Vampire Weekend's "Modern Vampires of the City". It's really good. I fell in love immediately with "Ya Hey". "Step" and "Diane Young" also stand out, though again, probably because they had already been released on youtube. From the rest, I'm finding "Hannah Hunt" to be growing on me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...