SAW [Week 64 - "Home of the Strange"]

Take a walk in Tin Pan Alley, the area's most famous music district.

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Re: SAW [Week 31 - "The Golden Age"]

#1301

Post by G-Man »

MovingPictures07 wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:17 pm
nutella wrote: Sat Oct 21, 2017 3:29 am I don't understand (/am surprised/rather baffled by) the Adele comparison. Can you guys explain what you mean by that? Where's the similarity, other than that they're both very talented singers with unique voices? Does it have to do with the orchestral/"epic" sound of many of the tracks?

I find Woodkid's music to be quite unique and really beautiful, and I'm curious what you guys found boring or irritating about it.
I wouldn't even say that Adele is untalented; I just don't like her. I certainly wasn't trying to imply that about Woodkid either, just so it's clear.

The comparison doesn't arise necessarily due to the music itself or anything, just more so having a vocalist singing with somewhat similar delivery with "huge" sounding orchestration. Adele and Woodkid both have the same problem, at least in my mind -- the contrast between their vocals and the orchestration and the attempt to sound majestic sounds over the top for the sake of sounding over the top, yet comes off as incredibly contrived and substance-less.

The songs all blended together to me, and it all felt ridiculously disengaging to the point of being actively distracting. And unfortunately I really don't like his voice or delivery at all. His delivery sounded like he was trying to come across as passionate but I heard the opposite. I've found that some chamber pop and indie pop are more likely to come across to me like this than some other genres, uninteresting at best and with irritating unconvincing faux-passion at its worst. At times it was almost cringe-worthy, but not quite that irritating throughout thankfully.

That's all just me though. I only elaborate because you were curious. None of this is meant at all as a slight on anyone else enjoying it. I don't even like when I take negatively to any music; I wish I liked it. But certainly there's music out there I don't like. Hell, maybe I'm just an elitist. :p
I highlighted the parts I can agree with you on there, MP. The Adele comparison for me is strictly the sound. My views on pop create the following categories:

Conventional Pop: modern-day, overproduced music and vocals that forces as many natural and computer-generated elements in as possible

Bubblegum Pop: simple instrumentation based around an upbeat riff or beat

Traditional Pop: Michael Bublé, Harry Connick, Jr., and everyone else who patterns themselves after Sinatra, Crosby, Bennett and all the other 40s and 50s lounge lizards, and sometimes bordering on soft jazz

Dramatic Pop: Taking the classical instruments from Traditional Pop and mixing it with a dash or more of the overproduction of Conventional Pop to create a grand, sweeping, concert-hall-filling sound

My problem with Dramatic Pop, which both Adele and Woodkid fall into, is that it takes the orchestral flourishes that can take a song in almost any genre to the next level and stretches out that flourish and make it the entirety of the sound. It's all grand. It's all epic. It's all sweeping ear candy. But it's also exhausting after a while and can come across as showy and pretentious because after a while it sounds like the artist takes his or herself too seriously.

I don't agree with much of the other stuff MP posted. I can hear a love of music and a dedication to craftsmanship in Woodkid's music. I can tell it's there but Woodkid himself doesn't convey it well for me. His somber voice stays within (what my non-classically-trained ears perceive) a very narrow range. His voice is always quite even keel, which makes him sound a little flat against his lush orchestrated backdrop. He may love what he's doing but it never sounds (to me) like he digs down in and goes for it.

The singer for The Family Crest belts it out, which suits the dramatic scope of the music. I think Woodkid is too measured. He needs to belt it out at times for emphasis. He doesn't though, which is why some of the tracks feel samey and/or boring vocally.

If the point is to maintain a mood, then I would argue that the album is more successful than we give it credit for. I'm listening for what I'm listening for though, and I like a little more fun and zest than what Woodkid delivers. But I am a fan of what's one step beyond Dramatic Pop- Rock Opera, so that bias is hard to overcome.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1302

Post by nutella »

I think the Family Crest comparison is much fairer, but maybe I'm biased :p Still, not necessarily the first connection I would make, as I think they evoke very different moods and I don't think Woodkid is "over the top" in the same way TFC are. But it's interesting/insightful from my perspective that you pointed out that overlap in my taste.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1303

Post by G-Man »

I think part of it for me is that I've become too much of an optimist to enjoy somber music (or music with sustained somber qualities) for great lengths of time (aka- a whole album's worth). I need that over-the-top element or upbeat nature lately if I'm not listening to something straight out of my collection that I am intimately familiar with.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1304

Post by Tangrowth »

That's not it for me. I listen to plenty of depressing stuff (see: black metal and many other things); the mood it was attempting to create didn't bother me at all. I'm not even quite sure what it is; I love Dream Pop and when it's done right, even Chamber Pop can be bliss (see: Bjork). I just have a general aversion to certain pop artists and pop/orchestral mixes. Even my taste in jazz tends to be a lot pickier once you throw in strings; Miles Davis is one of my all-time favorite artists easily but his strings stuff doesn't excite me greatly even if I think it's incredibly well-done. Music tastes are weird.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1305

Post by Ricochet »

I think it would be of no surprise that my disposition proves to be the antithesis of G-Man's, at least the way he presented it. For instance, my top-of-the-year lists highlight each time a bias for dark ambient, as opposed to other electronic genres - not to mention,list-related, that all my yearly #1s of this decade (apart from 2015's, that found me in a "yeah I'll acknowledge this huge release" mood) portray me as either pretentiously or predisposedly picking more obscure stuff, that probably only me and 99 other people on the planet enjoyed to such extent.

That is not to say I cannot enjoy well-made upbeat music as well - see my embrace of some contemporary indie rock starting 2008-09 - but even there, my slowly-developing credo is that the most uplifting type of music is the saddest - meaning music whose composition, style, instrumentation, rhythms etc. can obviously be described in positive ways, but are a mirage to, say, deeper, subtler, more poetic lyrics. It's a form of expression that entices me without finding it self-contradictory.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1306

Post by G-Man »

Moving on to That Handsome Devil for the first listen. It's a niche product for sure but an enjoyable one. It wasn't the best first listen for me because I have a lot to do and it was a bit distracting. I get the feeling that this is an album best listened to in a certain state of mind. Right now I am not in it.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1307

Post by Tangrowth »

nutella wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 10:49 am I think the Family Crest comparison is much fairer, but maybe I'm biased :p Still, not necessarily the first connection I would make, as I think they evoke very different moods and I don't think Woodkid is "over the top" in the same way TFC are. But it's interesting/insightful from my perspective that you pointed out that overlap in my taste.
This is an interesting point. I didn't draw the parallel either, but once Jay said it, I can see the overlap for you as well. Now I'm intrigued. Diagnose me, sir! [mention]JaggedJimmyJay[/mention]

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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1308

Post by Tangrowth »

Ricochet wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 1:17 pm I think it would be of no surprise that my disposition proves to be the antithesis of G-Man's, at least the way he presented it. For instance, my top-of-the-year lists highlight each time a bias for dark ambient, as opposed to other electronic genres - not to mention,list-related, that all my yearly #1s of this decade (apart from 2015's, that found me in a "yeah I'll acknowledge this huge release" mood) portray me as either pretentiously or predisposedly picking more obscure stuff, that probably only me and 99 other people on the planet enjoyed to such extent.

That is not to say I cannot enjoy well-made upbeat music as well - see my embrace of some contemporary indie rock starting 2008-09 - but even there, my slowly-developing credo is that the most uplifting type of music is the saddest - meaning music whose composition, style, instrumentation, rhythms etc. can obviously be described in positive ways, but are a mirage to, say, deeper, subtler, more poetic lyrics. It's a form of expression that entices me without finding it self-contradictory.
I think my perspective is somewhat similar to yours, but that's not too surprising since you and I do have some overlap even if we also have some stark differences as well. It'd be really cool to conceptualize all of our tastes with like subgenre and artist diagrams. Syndicate music taste cloud or something. This needs to be accomplished somehow.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1309

Post by Tangrowth »

G-Man wrote: Tue Oct 24, 2017 2:42 pm Moving on to That Handsome Devil for the first listen. It's a niche product for sure but an enjoyable one. It wasn't the best first listen for me because I have a lot to do and it was a bit distracting. I get the feeling that this is an album best listened to in a certain state of mind. Right now I am not in it.
Yes, let's make sure we talk about this week's thing!

I'm actually familiar with That Handsome Devil; I remember some buzz around this album when it came out! I'm not even sure I ever heard the album in full though, and it's been since its release year since I've really heard any of it, so it'll be an almost brand-new listen for me, although I do remember the general aesthetic and experimentation. Should be interesting.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1310

Post by G-Man »

WOODKID: This time through I noticed a very Coldplay-esque vibe, especially on the tracks when he's singing with a piano. I can hear Chris Martin singing some of these somber tunes. Also, I think this guy could write one heck of a James Bond theme. Some of the tunes possess arrangements that are big and brassy enough to sound ominous and hit the right chords for it.

THAT HANDSOME DEVIL: Didn't make it back to this one today.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1311

Post by Tangrowth »

My thoughts on That Handsome Devil can be summarized as follows:

I'm torn on this one because I think it's cool when artists try to create something unique, but in the end I don't really think anything of it in terms of enjoyment. I strongly believe it is a very commendable experimentation and mix of sub-genres, but the songwriting is lacking, at least for me. I didn't really feel or think much of anything as a result of listening to it.

I would say it's pretty much a poor man's Mr. Bungle, if I'm feeling savage. The vocalist isn't interesting at all (in stark contrast to Mike Patton), and this album also fails to make any impression in terms of conventional melodies or unconventional experimentation, which I feel Mr. Bungle accomplish in different ways; instead, it falls in the middle of trying to be both, but doesn't accomplish either. Perhaps my feelings would change with increased familiarity, however. I know they're also doing something different than Patton and Bungle did, but the comparison kept inevitably popping in my mind as I listened.

I'm giving it a 2.5. But if I considered things like experimentation, admiration, etc., the score would definitely be higher. I think it's a cool little product. Just doesn't make any impression on me in the end, and I don't have any real desire to revisit it, despite not thinking anything remotely negative of it.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1312

Post by G-Man »

THAT HANDSOME DEVIL: Getting a weird but enjoyable Outkast meets Nick Cave fusion going on in places here. I also hear the rockabilly/swing revival influence. I'm glad the band doesn't stay too close to that last sound because I'm a firm believer that that phase, while fun in the moment, has long since passed.

WOODKID: Honing in on a final rating.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1313

Post by Tangrowth »

G-Man wrote: Thu Oct 26, 2017 1:55 pm THAT HANDSOME DEVIL: Getting a weird but enjoyable Outkast meets Nick Cave fusion going on in places here. I also hear the rockabilly/swing revival influence. I'm glad the band doesn't stay too close to that last sound because I'm a firm believer that that phase, while fun in the moment, has long since passed.

WOODKID: Honing in on a final rating.
Lol, I didn't even think of that; OutKast meets Nick Cave with some rockabilly thrown in is a very apt description.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1314

Post by speedchuck »

Welp, time to check out two more bands. XD

I love the voice, despite what MP said. It's really fun to sing with.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1315

Post by Tangrowth »

speedchuck wrote: Thu Oct 26, 2017 5:48 pm Welp, time to check out two more bands. XD

I love the voice, despite what MP said. It's really fun to sing with.

By all means, that’s awesome. Subjectivity man. Not sure why but his voice doesn’t do anything for me.

That said, despite having immense respect for Nick Cave, I’m not really into his music or voice either so maybe that’s part of it for me. I would definitely recommend his Bad Seeds era from the late 80s-early 90s though, sounds like you’ll dig his stuff.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1316

Post by Ricochet »



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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1317

Post by speedchuck »

Be watching as soon as I get home, for sure. I'm at the family's for the weekend.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1318

Post by Tangrowth »

Keep up the reviews, Rico. They're awesome!
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1319

Post by nutella »

Just finished first listen of THD. It was... interesting, but I don't really know how I feel about it beyond that yet. I'll have to absorb it a couple more times. I think my feelings might end up similar to MP's though -- I definitely appreciate it as, well, interesting, but it doesn't really do much for me in particular that I can't get somewhere else. Or it's just not really my style anyway. Idk, we'll see.

On another note, I just realized I never actually gave my own rating for Woodkid. I'll say 4.5 (some days I might even say 5 just because it's a sort of special album to me personally but not, like, one of the most important)
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1320

Post by speedchuck »

Fantastic review, Rico. You basically hit exactly what I feel about the band in there.

It's late here now, but I'll be watching your other review when I get the chance. I like your reviewing style, as it picks apart the stylings of the music, how well they are played, and points to a bunch of other musical influences that pique my interest. I think that's my favorite part of the reviews. If I like a particular song that you mention, I can go look at some of the similar sounds you mentioned.

Glad you got some enjoyment out of it!

And those are my favorite tracks too, followed by Viva Discordia and Rob the Prez-O-Dent.
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Re: SAW [Week 32 - "A City Dressed in Dynamite"]

#1321

Post by G-Man »

The Golden Age

I don't know that Woodkid's voice would work in any of the other categories of Pop that I listed before except for maybe Traditional Pop. His accent doesn't bother me but his range strikes me as limited in range and his expressiveness was lacking or limited in a number of tracks. That being said, I think the artist knows what his vocal limitations are and wrote orchestration that suits his abilities pretty well.

Track 1, "The Golden Age," tries to put its best foot forward and does for the most part. Even with my headphones on, I felt that his voice got swallowed up by the orchestra too much. Whether that's a mixing issue or just the reality of his voice vs. the music is unclear. Track 2, "Run Boy Run," hits the right combination of the two elements and has a good driving energy. Track 3, "The Great Escape," was grand in scope but the horns were a little over the top for me. I can envision a music video of a high-fantasy world, the hero gallantly riding his steed in time to the percussion. I don't know what should or even could replace the horns but it seemed a little thick for me.

That's more or less how this album played out for me. There were five solid tracks and the rest were just pretty good to my ears. Some songs feel a little too close to other music I'm familiar with (Coldplay, Michael Giacchino, James Bond music) and other tracks just felt like they were incomplete or missing one or two crucial elements that would put it over the top. When it works though, it's very enjoyable.

My three favorite tracks were "Run Boy Run," "I Love You," and "Ghost Lights." "Run Boy Run" has a great energy to it and contains more than just the singer and the orchestra. The opening of "I Love You" reminded me of Original Sin with its echoey, metallic sounds. The strings and bells were a nice touch in that song too. "Ghost Lights" might be my favorite of the tracks for the long brass notes. They provide some oomph that is either missing or not quite complete on other tracks.

Orchestral Pop seems to be full of niche artists that can't escape from the shadows of the soulful dramatic pop of Adele unless you are into the genre and go looking for indie/obscure artists. This album came in just a few points under The Family Crest, which surprised me. I went back and looked to see why (I thought Woodkid would come in well below them) and I found that while The Family Crest went all-out with their gusto and wore their passion on their sleeve, they were inconsistent. I wasn't indifferent to any of the tracks on The Golden Age while I was indifferent to a few on Beneath the Brine but Woodkid's album contained more tracks and fewer tracks that I thought were 'very good.' I'm fascinated that these two albums took very different journeys to very similar ratings.

G-Man Scale: 3.30 out of 5
Rico Scale: 3.5 out of 5
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SAW [Week 33 - "Creep On Creepin' On"]

#1322

Post by Ricochet »

Oops, forgot to change yesterday and Jay is an awful boss at having delegated me to do everything from now on.

Week 33: Timber Timbre - Creep On Creepin' On

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Submitted by [mention]insertnamehere[/mention]

Available on YouTube and surely Spotify
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Re: SAW [Week 33 - "Creep On Creepin' On"]

#1323

Post by nutella »

Ahhh yes this will be a good Halloween one. I've heard Timber Timbre before and keep meaning to actually listen to them more. Good shit
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Re: SAW [Week 33 - "Creep On Creepin' On"]

#1324

Post by G-Man »

THAT HANDSOME DEVIL:
Another attribute I've noticed is that the artists are very intentional about portraying an image through their music. Some of the little things, like a laugh here, an extra side comment to the listener there, seem like things more suited to a live show, so it's like their trying to capture some of their stage persona on the record. It's fine on this album but it might wear thin over multiple albums for me. Another analogy I came up with to describe the album is this: take every single Quentin Tarantino movie soundtrack, put it in a blender, and add a healthy dose of Tarantino's desire to be intentionally hip with everything he does, and it might sound like A City Dressed in Dynamite.

TIMBRE TIMBRE:
How is this a variant of folk music? To me it just sounds like quasi-tongue-in-cheek gothic alternative.
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Re: SAW [Week 33 - "Creep On Creepin' On"]

#1325

Post by insertnamehere »

G-Man wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 12:18 pm THAT HANDSOME DEVIL:
Another attribute I've noticed is that the artists are very intentional about portraying an image through their music. Some of the little things, like a laugh here, an extra side comment to the listener there, seem like things more suited to a live show, so it's like their trying to capture some of their stage persona on the record. It's fine on this album but it might wear thin over multiple albums for me. Another analogy I came up with to describe the album is this: take every single Quentin Tarantino movie soundtrack, put it in a blender, and add a healthy dose of Tarantino's desire to be intentionally hip with everything he does, and it might sound like A City Dressed in Dynamite.

TIMBRE TIMBRE:
How is this a variant of folk music? To me it just sounds like quasi-tongue-in-cheek gothic alternative.
I'd say Obelisk, Swamp Magic, Lonesome Hunter, and Souvenirs all qualify as "folk" on Creep On.

Timber Timbre changes their sound from album to album. Their early stuff is their folkiest, and was literally recorded in a cabin in the middle of the woods. After they signed with an indie label, they gradually added more and more instrumentation and production values, while still keeping the same general atmosphere to their music for their next couple albums (Creep On being included in that.)

After the release of this album, they went into more varied and retro territory. Hot Dreams was a tribute to California, and was made to sound like 50's film scores/the closest thing to gothic country ever concocted. Their latest album Image is kind of their arbitrary synthesizer album that seemingly every band has to do at some point, and is my least favorite of theirs. They recently released a pretty snazzy single that sounds like, yet again, a new direction for the band with dark lounge crooning and seemingly random French interjections.
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Re: SAW [Week 33 - "Creep On Creepin' On"]

#1326

Post by speedchuck »

I listened to the first 3rd of the album before bed. It's very pleasant. I like the voice.
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Re: SAW [Week 33 - "Creep On Creepin' On"]

#1327

Post by Ricochet »

Yooooooo what you guys think of Timbrrrr Tahmbrrr

Also, lmao, Fantano mispronounces them twice as Timber Timber before realizing it.

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Re: SAW [Week 33 - "Creep On Creepin' On"]

#1328

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Re: SAW [Week 33 - "Creep On Creepin' On"]

#1329

Post by insertnamehere »

"like the tingling sensation of a spider walking on your forearm"

perfect summation of this album.

Yeah, I agree with you in saying that this isn't Timber Timbre's best work, but I think it's the best possible gateway to the band and links to the rest of their discography clearly. Essentially, this is the "start here" album on the Timber Timbre flowchart, with arrows labeled "rawer and lo-fi," "more like this," and "what if instead of spooky woods, California" leading to Medicinals, their self-titled album, and Hot Dreams respectively.

Plus, this is probably their most outwardly "spoooooky" album, which seemed appropriate for the holiday.

My personal favorite is Hot Dreams, but despite being a kick-ass album, it isn't really indicative of the rest of the band's work.

You also correctly identified Beat the Dead Horse, Under Your Spell, and Lay Down In The Tall Grass as pure quality.
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Re: SAW [Week 33 - "Creep On Creepin' On"]

#1330

Post by Tangrowth »

I'll be back into this soon! Haven't really been listening to / rating stuff the past week due to everything RL happening lately.
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SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1331

Post by Ricochet »

Well, after that scintillating 7-post feedback, it's time to move on.

Week 34: Chris Squire - Fish Out of Water

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I swear, the cover always made me somehow visualise a cockroach without looking closer.
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1332

Post by nutella »

Sorry I'm so behind! I'll give That Handsome Devil a high-leaning 3.5 -- I wasn't really into them at first but then I listened to their other albums and enjoyed them a lot, and subsequently enjoyed this one more as well. Really fun stuff. Will do the same for Timber Timbre tomorrow (listen to other albums and then this one again)
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1333

Post by Ricochet »

I wish to file a formal complaint that I'm suddenly hearing A Flock of Seagulls EVERYWHERE in 80s related movies or TVs.

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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1334

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Ricochet wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2017 5:32 pm I wish to file a formal complaint that I'm suddenly hearing A Flock of Seagulls EVERYWHERE in 80s related movies or TVs.

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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1335

Post by Ricochet »

Could have bet my house on that being your reply. :p
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1336

Post by nutella »

Been really enjoying Timber Timbre's discography. Giving it a high-leaning 3.5 also.
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1337

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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1338

Post by dunya »

Re: Fish Out Of Water - 3/5

I can't say I'm the world's biggest Progressive Rock fan (well, apart from a handful of bands who rule the Progressive rock world as far as I'm concerned--King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Rush, Can and obviously Yes but to a lesser extent...), but I did appreciate this and was surprised I hadn't heard it before. I'm picky with my music and my progressive rock listening days are numbered, and not an every day occurrence, cos you gotta be in that mood. With all that said, it was pretty decent and definitely dug and appreciated the jazz fusion inside (yay jazz yay). I loved Silently Falling , but Lucky Seven was very jazzy and maybe my favorite. Great use of the bass throughout, I mean it's Chris Squire, but apart from those two tracks, can't say it really stood out for me and Squire was never a lead vocalist so I could see the vocals ruining the tracks for some people. It's probably decent to listen to as evening background music, nice ambiance, a little moody, a little chill out tempo'd. It's a warm 3.5/5 or a solid 3/5 depending on my mood I guess.
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1339

Post by JaggedJimmyJay »

Re: Timber Timbre - Creep on Creepin' On

The early portion of the album surprised me in that my first instant of an impression was "eh", probably driven most by the singer. It settled quickly into a place though where I found myself enjoying it pretty easily. The title track and "Black Water" were probably the highlights with one spin. The album did start to wear on me over the second half though, and the songs began to blend together into a continuous beige. That kind of thing can often improve with repetition so it isn't necessarily a damning problem. After one go though I'm feeling another 3 star album.
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1340

Post by JaggedJimmyJay »

Re: Chris Squire - Fish out of Water

Welp, it's definitely a prog rock album. I don't want to rehash the negatives I have already stated on that front elsewhere in this thread. Generally the album seemed to have a purpose and that's good, but it didn't connect with me anywhere and I was left trying to appreciate it purely at face value. That rarely ends well for me. I won't say the album was bad; I have definitely heard worse from prog and worse in general. I was pretty bored though. 2.5 stars.
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1341

Post by dunya »

I'm listening to Timber Timbre now. Not what I was expecting...I'm rather impressed.
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1342

Post by dunya »

Re: Timber Timbre - Creep On Creepin' On

So, the vocalist reminded me a bit of M. Ward in the first song. I dug it. I love M. Ward, I love his distorted version of love songs, and I thought I found something similar in Timber Timbre. Changed a bit as the album went on; wasn't crazy about the second track at all, but the album has some catchy tunes like Do I Have Power and Woman--and obviously Bad Ritual is an amazing opener. It's definitely a little gothic-y and dark and perhaps that just isn't my thing if it isn't implemented by PJ Harvey ala White Chalk. I don't think the band will change my life, but a 3/5 for this album for sure. Was easy to listen to, and enjoyable in some parts, but I wouldn't necessarily hurry back to listen to it again.
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1343

Post by speedchuck »

I will listen to Fish out of Water, but it will probably be next week. I like yes, and their bassist is one of the highlights of the band.

...

I guess all of the members are. Still, I didn't know this solo album existed. I'll let you know what I think.
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1344

Post by G-Man »

I’ve been a tremendous slouch lately but I wonder what’s possibly occupying my attention right now :ponder:

I should have time to finalize That Handsome Devil and Timber Timbre this weekend. THD is the kind of album that grows on me with each listen. TT not so much but it’s adequate.

Chris Squire strikes me as music made for music people. The vocals fit somewhere in the same region as Elton John and late/post-Police Sting. Not bad but not the kind of thing that reaches out and commands your attention.
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1345

Post by G-Man »

Note to self: Don't listen to soft prog-rock first thing in the morning.

Chris Squire very nearly put me to sleep at my desk this morning. That's not a firm knock against the artist/album but more so a reminder to me that I can't listen to anything too light before I'm fully awake.

At the risk of starting controversy, I pondered to myself if Fish Out of Water could be considered soft rock as well as prog. While technically, soft rock normally involves acoustic instruments, why can't it include electric? I would consider Chris Squire's sound to be soft because it lacks any edge whatsoever. It's mellow but it is still artful. Perhaps soft rock is derided because it is mellow without being artful?

It's not boring but it's also not gripping. I don't know where that leaves me.
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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1346

Post by JaggedJimmyJay »

Week 35: Joanna Newsom - Ys

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Re: SAW [Week 35 - "Ys"]

#1347

Post by JaggedJimmyJay »

A little about why I submitted Ys:

This is an album which has earned quite a lot of critical acclaim since its release 11 years ago, so there's a good chance some of the nerdier music nerds here have already been acquainted with it. Joanna Newsom has royalty status in the Cardigan Realm, particularly for people who care about shit like Pitchfork (I don't). I say this as a sort of disclaimer -- this is a hipster hub. I have always found that term and that concept to be meaningless though, and I've never struggled to enjoy this music. I consider Joanna Newsom to be the best lyricist in music, at least among those I am familiar enough with to judge. For that reason I've provided links here to the lyrics for each of the five tracks on Ys. I feel the experience of the album is greatly enriched if the lyrics are followed, so if you have the time to do that I encourage it. Many people struggle with her voice which is fair, but I never had that problem. I think her voice is very appealing.

I think there's a decent chance for this album to have broad appeal in this particular setting, wherein we have numerous people who appreciate the folk aesthetic and numerous more who appreciate the complexity of progressive rock and otherwise. This is a relatively complex album in its own right, clearly more than either of the other two albums I have submitted for SAW prior.

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Re: SAW [Week 35 - "Ys"]

#1348

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Re: SAW [Week 34 - "Fish Out of Water"]

#1349

Post by Epignosis »

G-Man wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:28 am Note to self: Don't listen to soft prog-rock first thing in the morning.

Chris Squire very nearly put me to sleep at my desk this morning. That's not a firm knock against the artist/album but more so a reminder to me that I can't listen to anything too light before I'm fully awake.

At the risk of starting controversy, I pondered to myself if Fish Out of Water could be considered soft rock as well as prog. While technically, soft rock normally involves acoustic instruments, why can't it include electric? I would consider Chris Squire's sound to be soft because it lacks any edge whatsoever. It's mellow but it is still artful. Perhaps soft rock is derided because it is mellow without being artful?

It's not boring but it's also not gripping. I don't know where that leaves me.
The album is meant to highlight Squire's gritty Rickenbacker bass work and his vocals, as the latter was always primarily featured as a harmony behind Jon Anderson's lead.

The album was called Fish Out of Water because Squire's nickname is "Fish" (because of his long baths), and this was his first go at recording outside of his main band Yes.

"Hold Out Your Hand" is my favorite track on the album. I think it kicks off the record mightily, with that bass right there front and center. The second track highlights Squire's influences, those British bands of the previous decade (like The Beatles, of course). I think the chord progressions and melodies in the first half of "Silently Falling" are incredible. "Lucky Seven" is a jazzy change of pace, with the song in 7/4 time (in case you missed that). I love the main section of the final track, with that bearing the brunt of my main criticism: The piece carries on six or seven minutes longer than it should have.

This is my favorite of the Yes men's solo albums.
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Re: SAW [Week 35 - "Ys"]

#1350

Post by Tangrowth »

I'll be back into this thing starting tomorrow and will catch up then. It's been a crazy couple of weeks between having rotating company (BWT, then Sokoth, then Annie's sister) and defending my proposal. I miss this though. Looking forward to catching up!
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