GF music review club

[TheHowieLama]

I gave it a listen - will have another go over the holiday.

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

I gave it a listen - will have another go over the holiday.

2/10 incoming.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

If everyone is happy for me to, I will throw mine in next.

[ZonkoVille77]

On 24/11/2020 at 22:27, Jose Jones said:

What's going on here then?  Still waiting for any Banana Skin Shoes reviews?

 

In other music news I see @ZonkoVille77's mates Fontaines DC have been nominated for best rock album at the Grammies.

 

They've done well. Fair play to them, sound lads. 

[Guest]

@Skidfingers McGonical

 

Can you select your record please, suggest by tomorrow Friday, 4th December 5pm? 

[TheHowieLama]

Badly Drawn Boy

 

First song is nice, imagine this is him on his good foot -  - horn hits in the chorus is like Cold Sweat

Supersize your soul is the only lyric that I remember during this tune. 

Obligatory Seinfeld bass riff at the break. I like the delays and the Fat Boy Slim drum stuff - good use of real drums and programmed (assuming they are real.)

 

The next one is kinda anonymous for me - it's like a standard modern rock/pop song with more stuff going on and more lyric - which for an old man makes it hard to appreciate either the pure melody or the lyric unlike say a song like Pumped Up Kicks. I hear similar sounds in both those songs choruses. Of course I do not have many references for this type of music.

 

I Just Wanna Wish You Happiness - best tune so far. His voice fits it and the lyric has a better delivery so has more immediate meaning - I'm sure on the other songs if you delved into them they would too. Great late 60's string/horn outro. The song at the end of the record is similar in tone and feel compared to the others but I prefer this one.

 

You and Me -- pleasant enough - big hints to Joe Jackson Steppin Out era here for me. The break at "In the Sun" and the drum thing has a real Breaking Us In Two feel - Which is not a bad thing.

 

Colours - good chewy synth  "Take the music you can use it, have it on in the background" is apropos - nice pure trumpet break.

 

Fly on the Wall - good psuedo Motown chorus with the snare on all 4 - also again good string/synth arrangement.

I think the continued analogies are a little forced as they appear in basically every tune.

 

Never Change - like this one - probably because I prefer the more "traditional" sound of the track. Real drums, good rhythm section sound. Again this melody does not ask too much from him vocally so it works better for me. Ringo drum fill into the outro.

 

 

Not a record I would have ever listened to so that is good - maybe 6.5/10 from me.

 

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Right. Been a while since I last done this. 

 

I present to you Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther. 

 

https://open.spotify.com/album/1ZXIVGFclttkyQDLgPGckD?si=4jPbZFQLTqqJxlPKVL6vlg

[TheHowieLama]

Nice - looks like a nod to Songs From the Wood on the cover. The second tune Rabbit and Ox - sweet.

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

Nice - looks like a nod to Songs From the Wood on the cover. The second tune Rabbit and Ox - sweet.

I don't see Rabbit and Ox on my tracklist.

[TheHowieLama]

2 minutes ago, Fluter in Dakota said:

I don't see Rabbit and Ox on my tracklist.

One pill makes you shorter and one pill makes you tall.

[Jose Jones]

Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther

 

I’d heard of Midlake, but don’t reckon I’d ever heard anything by them. Definitely never listened to this album before.

 

Roscoe - absolutely boss song

 

Bandits - also good, not as good as Roscoe but this is a promising start.

 

Head Home - definite shades of Fleetwood Mac in this one. But, in a really good way. And I don’t really like Fleetwood Mac.

 

Van Occupanther - love this one. What a great name Van Occupanther is too, wonder how they came up with it?

 

Young Bride - sounds a bit like Beirut this one. That would normally be a good thing, but it goes on a bit without really going anywhere.

 

Branches - doesn’t really get me at the start, but then it picks up. “We can’t get married, because she won’t have me”. Nice.

 

In this Camp - again a bit of a slow start, but halfway through the guitar kicks in and almost Radiohead’s it up. Pretty good.

 

We Gathered in Spring - can’t actually remember this one.

 

It Covers the Hillsides - short little folky number

 

Chasing After Deer - short little folky number

 

You Never Arrived - another tuneful little folky song

 

I really liked this album. It does tail off a bit in the second half, as demonstrated by my rather waning song reviews.

The American folk rock revival of the early 21st Century was alright by me.

Bit weird really how there were suddenly loads of bands doing this kind of stuff, but this is definitely a good one.
 

Probably not quite up there with the first Fleet Foxes record, Riptide by Beirut or I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty in my favourites list from that era, but pretty good anyway. Will listen again. Good pick @Skidfingers McGonical

I’m giving it 8/10

 

 

 

[Skidfingers McGonical]

8/10 eh? Nice one Jose.

 

I think the production sound on this album is one of the best out there. Love Roscoe off this. You're right about it taking off a bit in the 2nd half compared to the first. 

 

 

 

 

[ZonkoVille77]

Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther

 

As @Jose Jones said, this period in music seemed to encompass a whole load of similar sounding bands with members wearing Beards and Flannel shirts and I don't have a bad word to say about any of them because they're all very good in their own way. Midlake are another in said group. 

 

I remember hearing this record when it first came out but didn't give it much though to be honest. Having listened back over it again I have to agree with @Skidfingers McGonical about the production. It's superb. I hadn't noticed it when I first listened. I like the prominence the bass is given throughout the entire record. I also like a little bit of panned left/right plucked/picked acoustic guitar (Young Bride) and they do it to perfection here. Piano playing is nice throughout and really suits the mood, as does the odd bit of whistle. Synths are sparse when they do appear. This is good, honest playing captured at it's best. It doesn't sound like it has much in the way of studio trickery going on here. 

 

It's a charming record that transports the listener back to days of yore. Themes like hunting, building a log/stone house, preparing for winter, hauling baskets of fruit and clothes (Bandits),etc. really do make you place your mind in a bygone era. Clear Eagles and Fleetwood Mac influence throughout but also hearing a bit of Grizzly Bear similarities too (on Young Bride, In This Camp) and a bit of Jethro Tull (also on In This Camp). 

 

I would definitely give this a listen again. I'll give it a 8/10 for now and I'm probably likely to want to bump that mark up in future. Just wish I paid more attention to it when I first heard it. Best tracks for me:

Roscoe

Head Home

Young Bride

In This Camp

 

[Skidfingers McGonical]

It's a beautiful record. 

 

Nice one Zonk. 

[Carvalho Diablo]

I'll have to catch up when I'm out of hospital fellas.

[Skidfingers McGonical]

Take your time mate. No rush. 

[Guest]

I've listened to the last record a couple of times. I need to listen to this with earphones on like CD's last selection before posting a review but it is definitely a decent album. How decent? I'll let the earphones decide...

 

If @ZonkoVille77 wants to start thinking about his next record, I'm sure our illustrious fighter/survivor will be along to post his review soon too over the coming days.

 

@Skidfingers McGonical

@ZonkoVille77 <---

@TheHowieLama

@Jose Jones 

@Carvalho Diablo 

@Fluter in Dakota

 

 

[ZonkoVille77]

I'll think of something to post up tomorrow.

[Total Longo]

Has Code thrown "The Best of Pink" in as a suggestion yet?

 

If so, it shouldn't take long to listen to.

[ZonkoVille77]

I'm going to go for something a bit different. I admire these lads for what they do and they manage to pull their concepts together throughout each of their records. One of the best live artists I've seen too. This likely won't be to everyone's liking but worth a listen.

 

Public Service Broadcasting - The Race for Space 

 

 

 

https://open.spotify.com/album/65KwtzkJXw7oT819NFWmEP?si=reyXcgH7Qo6tOhVFmVmmWA

[cloggypop]

They are indeed a fun night out. Educational as well as being very smartly dressed also. Well worth seeing. 

[TheHowieLama]

Midlake 

 

Its good - alot of this like a comedown off of something else, especially the title track and Branches.

It is another record where you have to meet the singer on his turf not expecting anything more. Great harmonies throughout really help - the instrumental supporting lines are tops - makes for a dense sound at times. My two favorites:

 

Bandits -- Really like this song - I think it has all the best instrumental/sonic qualities - the flute lines are great.

 

Young Bride -- I think he killed her. Love the trem/slicer effect sounding like old school strings.

 

 

It is pretty cool how they have real flute/horn/string lines/accompaniment at times and then throughout they echo those sounds/timbres with synth parts.

 

 

[TheHowieLama]

@ZonkoVille77

Alright ten minutes in - is the voice track entirely sourced throughout?

[Bruce Spanner]

10 hours ago, ZonkoVille77 said:

I'm going to go for something a bit different. I admire these lads for what they do and they manage to pull their concepts together throughout each of their records. One of the best live artists I've seen too. This likely won't be to everyone's liking but worth a listen.

 

Public Service Broadcasting - The Race for Space 

 

 

 

https://open.spotify.com/album/65KwtzkJXw7oT819NFWmEP?si=reyXcgH7Qo6tOhVFmVmmWA

Listened to that earlier, heard the name before, but for whatever reason I’ve never listened to it.

 

That’s a brilliant album, thank you for bringing it to my attention! 

[ZonkoVille77]

4 minutes ago, TheHowieLama said:

@ZonkoVille77

Alright ten minutes in - is the voice track entirely sourced throughout?

 

Yes that's their gig. They take old broadcast recordings or events and wrap an album around them.