GF music review club

[ZonkoVille77]

10 hours ago, Jose Jones said:

Alright then.

I was going to pick a class double album, but might keep that one up my sleeve for next time.

Instead I’ll go with some smart dumb fun Swedish shit that I have been listening to this week.

The pick is Cave World by Viagra Boys.

https://open.spotify.com/album/2IC2TP7bnwkfl56vjabLQt?si=q_IfbUY_TD6a0n5LeL5BCA
 

 

 

Creepy Crawleys - hehehehe

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Sorry lads, been a bad arl arse on this thread recently. 

 

I can't remember where I was up to with reviews, so just jumping in on The Smile to at least contribute something.  

 

A Light For Attracting Attention.

 

1. The Same. 

 

Reminiscent of Yorke's recent solo album 'Anima' track, a slow moody, dystopian feel, sort of sets you in a false understanding of where this album is going to go, especially with the next tune. 

 

2. The Opposite 

 

Boss drums (a theme throughout the album) by Tom Skinner of 'Sons of Kemet' funky jazz. I love the way the bass and guitar work together on that riff. The way the trippy lead guitar keeping you on your toes. Funky Banger, that makes you dance with a swaying swagger.

 

3. You'll Never Work In Television Again.

 

"Fear not my love, he's a fat fucking mess" great opening line. This continues where 'The Opposite' left off, hitting that rhythm from the off. Thom is starting to sound like he is having real fun making this album.

 

4. Pana-Vision

 

Thom at his best, haunting melancholy and a piano. To give us a lovely creation that keeps you hanging on the edge of despair with the piano's haunting melody. And that small chord change 2m40s is the gorgeous.

 

5. The Smoke

 

Another boss little drum intro by Tom and Thom funky funking the funk out on the bass. I love how much jazz is in this album as well, and this track is no different. 

 

6. Speech Bubbles 

 

I'll be honest, it's nice but not my favourite tune for the first minute. However it does turn into something beautiful and more colourful. 

 

7. Thin Thing

 

Best track on the album for me. Just boss. Boss bass, boss guitar, boss drums, boss vocals. Just boss. Thom having fun again.

 

8. Open The Floodgates 

 

My personal favourite, I just think this is a beautiful tune. The chord progressions, the subtleness of the accompanying sounds, and Thom in that morose & melancholic that makes you feel all tingly.

 

9. Free In The Knowledge

 

Took me ages to appreciate this one, it's only upon repeat listenings and picking up on all the subtle sounds in the background. It's a nice tune to follow on 'Open The Floodgates'. 

 

10. Hairdryer

 

I love the drums at the start to this, and the very simplistic nursery sounding picking riff, I like how it goes mental with that drum rhythm carrying on throughout.

 

11. Waving A White Flag

 

Very, very, very much in line with 'Anima' and wouldn't be out of place on there. Another good electronic tune from Thom, with Johnny laying on the strings. Some gorgeous bits in out.

 

12. We Don't Know Tomorrow Brings

 

A decent enough tune, feels like what Joy Division would have been if they weren't miserable bastards. 

 

13. Skirting On The Surface

 

Again, decent enough, but could have left it off, which gives the impression of filler, rather than killer.

Overall, I love it. I love all the instruments, I love the production, the mixing and in particular how the dynamic worked between Yorke/Greenwood/Skinner. And this for me is more of a Thom Yorke solo album, than Thom Yorke Radiohead one.

 

It is my album of the year (just) so far, and I will give this a solid 8.94/10. Would have been a 10 if they had had 10/11 tracks on it instead of 13. 

 

 

[Carvalho Diablo]

Great review that Skids

[Guest]

I’m going for a double whammy this week with the last two records outstanding…

[Carvalho Diablo]

Review: The Viagra Boys - Cave World

 

Great band name.

 

[presses play]

 

Baby Criminal rips right in. Cave World is apt because this immediately reminds me of The Bad Seeds.

Excellent opener.

 

Cave Hole - plop plop.

 

Troglodyte - more low-fi punkiness, I like it.

The singer is good and confident, enunciates well. "You ain't no ape, you're a troglodyte".

The chorus gives me Electric Six vibes.

 

Punk Rock Loser - and now Lou Reed makes an appearance. The bass sounds big and fat. Love the effects on the guitar.

Love the lyrics on this one too.

 

Creepy Crawlers - Pureblood's manifesto, right here.

 

The Cognitive Trade-off Hypothesis - another big fat groove, great melody with this one. Really good.

 

Globe Earth - pointless.

 

Ain't No Thief thunders in like Starsky and Hutch. A great rocky dancey beat, has "single" stamped all over it this one.

Another cracking bass riff.

 

Big Boy - self-affirming low-fi, not really my favourite tbh. Filler.

 

ADD - 80's disco beat, again though it's interesting but just too long. Another filler.

 

Human Error - more bleeps and bloops. Pointless.

 

Return To Monke - Again, it seems I like the style far more than the songs here.

It's very one riff grooves, most of these tracks, little development. I'm waning here.

 

So then, interesting album is Cave World . It's fair to say that I much preferred the earlier tracks to the later ones.

I think a bit of listening fatigue set in, something I find common when I'm listening to this low-fi rock stuff.

I liked the band and the singer, just wish the album was a few tracks shorter and the song themselves, shorter too.

 

I reckon a 6.5/10 is about right. Solid.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Any more Viagra Boys reviews coming fellas? And who's next up to pick?

[Jose Jones]

Low Fi you reckon @Carvalho Diablo? That’s pretty high production values compared with other stuff I listen to. It’s got saxophones and everything!

 

[Carvalho Diablo]

7 minutes ago, Jose Jones said:

Low Fi you reckon @Carvalho Diablo? That’s pretty high production values compared with other stuff I listen to. It’s got saxophones and everything!

 

Excellent production value but it sounds thick and dirty, heavily compressed.

[ZonkoVille77]

I've to post my review.  

[Guest]

Didn't watch the Italian job last night so listened to The Smile again. Two members of Radiohead plus a jazz drummer? Interesting thoughts...

 

So the entire album really sounds like Radiohead. Just without the drummer. This is not necessarily a bad thing as Radiohead are great, but why a new band with just a different drummer? Quite unusual...

 

The Same...Bouncy sounds, Thom with his trademark vocals. Definitely quirky.

The Opposite...Drumming is fabulous to listen to on a record and the funky bass rips. Nice.

You Will Never Work in Television Again...punk rock radiohead style. Fun.

Pana-vision...drops in tempo and nice smooth flow, bit darker. Radiohead have been raided.

The Smoke...almost a hip hop beat...could imagine this being sampled. Nice and smooth. Smooth.

Speech Bubbles...nice enough...definitely not my favourite style when they drop tempo but it will do...

Thin Thing...up tempo is where they shine and they shine bright here...

Open The Floodgates...oops...

Free in the knowledge...again...

A Hairdryer...Like it, up tempo is where it's at...

Waving a white flag...1980s retro...cool...

We don't know what tomorrow brings...Again synth wave retro...definitely my bag baby...

Skrting on the surface...should have stopped at the last track.

 

8/10.

[Guest]

Still haven’t listened to Vosges boys…I’ll put that right. Next it’s either @TheHowieLama or @Carvalho Diablo

 

[Carvalho Diablo]

1 hour ago, Shooter in the Motor said:

Didn't watch the Italian job last night so listened to The Smile again. Two members of Radiohead plus a jazz drummer? Interesting thoughts...

 

So the entire album really sounds like Radiohead. Just without the drummer. This is not necessarily a bad thing as Radiohead are great, but why a new band with just a different drummer? Quite unusual...

 

The Same...Bouncy sounds, Thom with his trademark vocals. Definitely quirky.

The Opposite...Drumming is fabulous to listen to on a record and the funky bass rips. Nice.

You Will Never Work in Television Again...punk rock radiohead style. Fun.

Pana-vision...drops in tempo and nice smooth flow, bit darker. Radiohead have been raided.

The Smoke...almost a hip hop beat...could imagine this being sampled. Nice and smooth. Smooth.

Speech Bubbles...nice enough...definitely not my favourite style when they drop tempo but it will do...

Thin Thing...up tempo is where they shine and they shine bright here...

Open The Floodgates...oops...

Free in the knowledge...again...

A Hairdryer...Like it, up tempo is where it's at...

Waving a white flag...1980s retro...cool...

We don't know what tomorrow brings...Again synth wave retro...definitely my bag baby...

Skrting on the surface...should have stopped at the last track.

 

8/10.

Cracking album that.

[Carvalho Diablo]

1 hour ago, Shooter in the Motor said:

Still haven’t listened to Vosges boys…I’ll put that right. Next it’s either @TheHowieLama or @Carvalho Diablo

 

@TheHowieLamayou gonna pick something then?

[Guest]

21 hours ago, Carvalho Diablo said:

@TheHowieLamayou gonna pick something then?

I'm guessing not as there's not been too much activity from over the pond.

[Carvalho Diablo]

On 09/09/2022 at 20:40, Shooter in the Motor said:

I'm guessing not as there's not been too much activity from over the pond.

In that case, our new album of the month is Jump Rope Gazers by New Zealand quartet The Beths.

 

Think you'll all really like this one, hope so.

 

https://open.spotify.com/album/4Z1Gd51o8MYS9waOBaZYTi?si=2c7CHqqyQlaE307_owQEGQ&utm_source=copy-link

 

[ZonkoVille77]

The Viagra Boys - Cave World

 

I struggled to write a review for this album. I only really enjoyed parts of it.

 

First of all it's not really a serious piece of music is it? It's just a bunch of people having a laugh really. But it doesn't really hit the spot. In fact it only hits the spot on 3 tracks for me.

 

"Baby Criminal", "Troglodyte" and "Punk Rock Loser" are the stand-out tracks for me, where the blend of a bouncy rhythm section and oddball lyrics really work. The rest of the tracks are just filler. Some of the lyrics are good though and I can't help but smile when listening to "Creepy Crawlers".

 

I'll give it a 6/10

 

[Carvalho Diablo]

12 minutes ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

The Viagra Boys - Cave World

 

I struggled to write a review for this album. I only really enjoyed parts of it.

 

First of all it's not really a serious piece of music is it? It's just a bunch of people having a laugh really. But it doesn't really hit the spot. In fact it only hits the spot on 3 tracks for me.

 

"Baby Criminal", "Troglodyte" and "Punk Rock Loser" are the stand-out tracks for me, where the blend of a bouncy rhythm section and oddball lyrics really work. The rest of the tracks are just filler. Some of the lyrics are good though and I can't help but smile when listening to "Creepy Crawlers".

 

I'll give it a 6/10

 

Pretty much sums up my feelings too that.

[cloggypop]

Good fun live, Viagra Boys. 

[TheHowieLama]

Viagra Boys = pretty great - got a bunch of bass, Beasties and Beck for me. Nice.

Seeing above - I liked Big Boy - ring modulated guitar riff - vocals through a harp mic. Got a bit of Flo and Eddie era Zappa to it. The outro - 

[TheHowieLama]

The falsetto on the Beth's record title track is so pure. 

 

Is she singing the harmonies in the duet sections as well?

[Carvalho Diablo]

1 hour ago, TheHowieLama said:

The falsetto on the Beth's record title track is so pure. 

 

Is she singing the harmonies in the duet sections as well?

I saw them live at The Brudenel in Leeds a few months ago and the 3 blokes on bass, drums and guitar, all pitched in with backing vocals.

 

Hard to judge in a live setting but I remember being really impressed by their vocal harmonies.

[TheHowieLama]

Been listening to the Beths record posted . Like. Thumbs up - whatever the kids do these days.

 

New release in a couple of days. 

 

 

[Skidfingers McGonical]

I’ve got issues with the guitarists hair.

[cloggypop]

11 minutes ago, Skidfingers McGonical said:

I’ve got issues with the guitarists hair.

He going for early 70s Brian Eno

[Jose Jones]

7 hours ago, TheHowieLama said:

Been listening to the Beths record posted . Like. Thumbs up - whatever the kids do these days.

 

New release in a couple of days. 

 

 

I knew I'd heard of The Beths, but couldn't place them in my brain.  That's the song though - nice one Howie.