The Album Review Club - Week #192 (page 1292) - 3ft High & Rising - De La Soul

RobMCFC said:
Predictably, the scores were all over the place this week, but 17 members cast their vote to leave Live at the Witch Trials by the Fall with an average of 5.88.

Thanks to @journolud for the nomination.

This week's offering comes courtesy of @mrbelfry - he's threatened to nominate something that I won't like for the 4th consecutive week, so whilst I prepare the cotton wool, three quarters of you can start celebrating.
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never mind Rob, both of us can always retreat to 1965 an look forward with huge anticipation to 66.
 


how did you first come across this soil by serpentwithfeet?
there was a period in my life when all I listened to was robbers & cowards by cold war kids so i had become a little bored of my musical choice. i was hunting for some new music to listen to and happened across some internet list of 2018's best albums. soil by serpentwithfeet was mentioned so i listened in the hope that it would be a palette cleanser.

you obviously hated this at first though right?
on an intial listen i found the album quite uncomfortable. josiah wise's vocals just make me feel tense. he sings with a terrifying amount of vibrato that grates. he also in some ways reminds me of a singer like sam smith - not just in his sexuality but in how the takes the pop sensibility and makes it 'trendy' by associating with 'cooler' people. I find that annoying for some reason - maybe because it feels manufactured even though all music is essentially manufactured. the album cover was also extremely irritating. the bright colours, oversized coat, earnest expression and two moons motif gets on my nerves. i also have a deep aversion to nose rings. this is probably all really irrational but it's all just an off putting aesthetic for my taste.

so why did you listen to it more than once?
there was one song which intrigued me. mourning song has a sci-fi dark atmosphere and the lyrics are so ridiculous that it just prompted repeat listens. this is the best break up song since i will survive. a lyric like "i don't want to be small small sad. i want to be big big sad" looks terrible written down but in the context of the song makes perfect emotional heart breaking sense. it was the only song i liked but the more i listened to it the more i wanted to get the rest of the album

are you gay?
i'm not gay and i found the reaction that this album produced in me quite interesting. its the challenge i like. it's essentially an album about love, sex and breakups like pretty much most music but it's gay. not really sure what's going on in opening track whisper but when wise invites the object of his song to "place your burden on my chest" i think he's talking about semen. this gives me the ick and in lots of other places where he's talking about his attractions it makes me uncomfortable and i find my reaction interesting.

when foggy nominated chappel roan and she talks about gay sex it also made me uncomfortable. i mentioned this was because i was listening to a young lady talk about sex and i was 20 years older. her gayness didnt give me the ick probably because it was two women being involved and i'm attracted to women. hearing a young man talk about gay sex makes me uncomfortable in an entirely different way

the next logical question to ask myself then is this how gay men feel when listening to the majority of music. are they excluded some of the celebration of music because it's describing hetro love and sex? is this why many gay icons are women because the object of their attraction is also male. is it also why there is some animosity between gay men and lesbian women?

wise also describes the album as being pagan gospel and his stage name also has religious themes - in genesis at the fall of man God punishes the serpent to crawl on his belly. is wise's name then making a comment on temptation and eating forbidden fruit? i can think of no other explanation. in one sense he's stands as both confirmation of romans 1 but also in opposition and defiance of it

in the genre of worship music much is made of modern church songs sound like teen pop songs with Jesus as the boyfriend. wise takes this a step further and gives his boyfriends messianic properties. the sex here is animal but also spiritual.

are you a bigot?
honestly i don't know but as wise sings with honesty and vulnerability my honest response also makes me very vulnerable. we often turn to music, even the ugly angry stuff, to make us feel good. i appreciate that this doesn't and actually makes me uncomfortable. this is maybe not the intention of the artist but once something is out there then the artist relinquishes control of the response. many of my reviews live in the space between what is said and what is heard and it is a dichotomy i enjoy.

isn't this a music review?
sure. put the challenges to my beliefs and worldview to one side and what's left? some super minimalist production and a unique voice - or at least unique in terms of what i normally listen to. there is plenty of quiet drama and plenty of flamboyant drama in the lyrics and in way the vocals layer build.

it refuses, at least in my understanding of the term, to ever turn to campiness - there's no hint of disco. in that sense it does feel authentic and allows me to take this seriously. there are moments of emotional range that i think would not be there if this was about hetro relationships and that i am forced to engage with because the production is so minimal. this may be it's biggest criticism but arguable i think it is it's greatest strength.

i encourage you to persist to the third listen and see how your opinion changes. it is difficult at first to feel the head bob or toe tap but it is in there. at the very least it should serve as a palette cleanser - when you go back to something you prefer then that will sound so much better.
 
mrbelfry said:
how did you first come across this soil by serpentwithfeet?
there was a period in my life when all I listened to was robbers & cowards by cold war kids so i had become a little bored of my musical choice. i was hunting for some new music to listen to and happened across some internet list of 2018's best albums. soil by serpentwithfeet was mentioned so i listened in the hope that it would be a palette cleanser.

you obviously hated this at first though right?
on an intial listen i found the album quite uncomfortable. josiah wise's vocals just make me feel tense. he sings with a terrifying amount of vibrato that grates. he also in some ways reminds me of a singer like sam smith - not just in his sexuality but in how the takes the pop sensibility and makes it 'trendy' by associating with 'cooler' people. I find that annoying for some reason - maybe because it feels manufactured even though all music is essentially manufactured. the album cover was also extremely irritating. the bright colours, oversized coat, earnest expression and two moons motif gets on my nerves. i also have a deep aversion to nose rings. this is probably all really irrational but it's all just an off putting aesthetic for my taste.

so why did you listen to it more than once?
there was one song which intrigued me. mourning song has a sci-fi dark atmosphere and the lyrics are so ridiculous that it just prompted repeat listens. this is the best break up song since i will survive. a lyric like "i don't want to be small small sad. i want to be big big sad" looks terrible written down but in the context of the song makes perfect emotional heart breaking sense. it was the only song i liked but the more i listened to it the more i wanted to get the rest of the album

are you gay?
i'm not gay and i found the reaction that this album produced in me quite interesting. its the challenge i like. it's essentially an album about love, sex and breakups like pretty much most music but it's gay. not really sure what's going on in opening track whisper but when wise invites the object of his song to "place your burden on my chest" i think he's talking about semen. this gives me the ick and in lots of other places where he's talking about his attractions it makes me uncomfortable and i find my reaction interesting.

when foggy nominated chappel roan and she talks about gay sex it also made me uncomfortable. i mentioned this was because i was listening to a young lady talk about sex and i was 20 years older. her gayness didnt give me the ick probably because it was two women being involved and i'm attracted to women. hearing a young man talk about gay sex makes me uncomfortable in an entirely different way

the next logical question to ask myself then is this how gay men feel when listening to the majority of music. are they excluded some of the celebration of music because it's describing hetro love and sex? is this why many gay icons are women because the object of their attraction is also male. is it also why there is some animosity between gay men and lesbian women?

wise also describes the album as being pagan gospel and his stage name also has religious themes - in genesis at the fall of man God punishes the serpent to crawl on his belly. is wise's name then making a comment on temptation and eating forbidden fruit? i can think of no other explanation. in one sense he's stands as both confirmation of romans 1 but also in opposition and defiance of it

in the genre of worship music much is made of modern church songs sound like teen pop songs with Jesus as the boyfriend. wise takes this a step further and gives his boyfriends messianic properties. the sex here is animal but also spiritual.

are you a bigot?
honestly i don't know but as wise sings with honesty and vulnerability my honest response also makes me very vulnerable. we often turn to music, even the ugly angry stuff, to make us feel good. i appreciate that this doesn't and actually makes me uncomfortable. this is maybe not the intention of the artist but once something is out there then the artist relinquishes control of the response. many of my reviews live in the space between what is said and what is heard and it is a dichotomy i enjoy.

isn't this a music review?
sure. put the challenges to my beliefs and worldview to one side and what's left? some super minimalist production and a unique voice - or at least unique in terms of what i normally listen to. there is plenty of quiet drama and plenty of flamboyant drama in the lyrics and in way the vocals layer build.

it refuses, at least in my understanding of the term, to ever turn to campiness - there's no hint of disco. in that sense it does feel authentic and allows me to take this seriously. there are moments of emotional range that i think would not be there if this was about hetro relationships and that i am forced to engage with because the production is so minimal. this may be it's biggest criticism but arguable i think it is it's greatest strength.

i encourage you to persist to the third listen and see how your opinion changes. it is difficult at first to feel the head bob or toe tap but it is in there. at the very least it should serve as a palette cleanser - when you go back to something you prefer then that will sound so much better.
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Interesting.
 
mrbelfry said:


how did you first come across this soil by serpentwithfeet?
there was a period in my life when all I listened to was robbers & cowards by cold war kids so i had become a little bored of my musical choice. i was hunting for some new music to listen to and happened across some internet list of 2018's best albums. soil by serpentwithfeet was mentioned so i listened in the hope that it would be a palette cleanser.

you obviously hated this at first though right?
on an intial listen i found the album quite uncomfortable. josiah wise's vocals just make me feel tense. he sings with a terrifying amount of vibrato that grates. he also in some ways reminds me of a singer like sam smith - not just in his sexuality but in how the takes the pop sensibility and makes it 'trendy' by associating with 'cooler' people. I find that annoying for some reason - maybe because it feels manufactured even though all music is essentially manufactured. the album cover was also extremely irritating. the bright colours, oversized coat, earnest expression and two moons motif gets on my nerves. i also have a deep aversion to nose rings. this is probably all really irrational but it's all just an off putting aesthetic for my taste.

so why did you listen to it more than once?
there was one song which intrigued me. mourning song has a sci-fi dark atmosphere and the lyrics are so ridiculous that it just prompted repeat listens. this is the best break up song since i will survive. a lyric like "i don't want to be small small sad. i want to be big big sad" looks terrible written down but in the context of the song makes perfect emotional heart breaking sense. it was the only song i liked but the more i listened to it the more i wanted to get the rest of the album

are you gay?
i'm not gay and i found the reaction that this album produced in me quite interesting. its the challenge i like. it's essentially an album about love, sex and breakups like pretty much most music but it's gay. not really sure what's going on in opening track whisper but when wise invites the object of his song to "place your burden on my chest" i think he's talking about semen. this gives me the ick and in lots of other places where he's talking about his attractions it makes me uncomfortable and i find my reaction interesting.

when foggy nominated chappel roan and she talks about gay sex it also made me uncomfortable. i mentioned this was because i was listening to a young lady talk about sex and i was 20 years older. her gayness didnt give me the ick probably because it was two women being involved and i'm attracted to women. hearing a young man talk about gay sex makes me uncomfortable in an entirely different way

the next logical question to ask myself then is this how gay men feel when listening to the majority of music. are they excluded some of the celebration of music because it's describing hetro love and sex? is this why many gay icons are women because the object of their attraction is also male. is it also why there is some animosity between gay men and lesbian women?

wise also describes the album as being pagan gospel and his stage name also has religious themes - in genesis at the fall of man God punishes the serpent to crawl on his belly. is wise's name then making a comment on temptation and eating forbidden fruit? i can think of no other explanation. in one sense he's stands as both confirmation of romans 1 but also in opposition and defiance of it

in the genre of worship music much is made of modern church songs sound like teen pop songs with Jesus as the boyfriend. wise takes this a step further and gives his boyfriends messianic properties. the sex here is animal but also spiritual.

are you a bigot?
honestly i don't know but as wise sings with honesty and vulnerability my honest response also makes me very vulnerable. we often turn to music, even the ugly angry stuff, to make us feel good. i appreciate that this doesn't and actually makes me uncomfortable. this is maybe not the intention of the artist but once something is out there then the artist relinquishes control of the response. many of my reviews live in the space between what is said and what is heard and it is a dichotomy i enjoy.

isn't this a music review?
sure. put the challenges to my beliefs and worldview to one side and what's left? some super minimalist production and a unique voice - or at least unique in terms of what i normally listen to. there is plenty of quiet drama and plenty of flamboyant drama in the lyrics and in way the vocals layer build.

it refuses, at least in my understanding of the term, to ever turn to campiness - there's no hint of disco. in that sense it does feel authentic and allows me to take this seriously. there are moments of emotional range that i think would not be there if this was about hetro relationships and that i am forced to engage with because the production is so minimal. this may be it's biggest criticism but arguable i think it is it's greatest strength.

i encourage you to persist to the third listen and see how your opinion changes. it is difficult at first to feel the head bob or toe tap but it is in there. at the very least it should serve as a palette cleanser - when you go back to something you prefer then that will sound so much better.
Click to expand...


1739980732175.png
 
Initial impression pretty favourable, much more interesting voice than Sam Smith imo. I'm generally a fan of people singing in a lower register than this, half the time I can't even be doing with tenors but I'm finding him interesting, there's something slightly odd about the voice modulation but it's not annoyong me. The production helps.
 
threespires said:
Initial impression pretty favourable, much more interesting voice than Sam Smith imo. I'm generally a fan of people singing in a lower register than this, half the time I can't even be doing with tenors but I'm finding him interesting, there's something slightly odd about the voice modulation but it's not annoyong me. The production helps.
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I think the voice modulation is all him
 
mrbelfry said:
I think the voice modulation is all him
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Sorry yes I wasn't suggesting otherwise, the way he combines his vibrato with the dynamics is interesting there's something a bit atypical about it compared to most r'n'b singers but I can't put my finger on it. My comment about the production was about the less is more approach which I like.
 
Sounds like some of the themes you mention in your review go beyond that album and are carried on in other work too. It will likely be a point of discussion, and how well he manages to balance it will I guess determine whether it is the main or a side point of discussion, and how much it defines it.

1000034146.jpg
 
threespires said:
Initial impression pretty favourable, much more interesting voice than Sam Smith imo. I'm generally a fan of people singing in a lower register than this, half the time I can't even be doing with tenors but I'm finding him interesting, there's something slightly odd about the voice modulation but it's not annoyong me. The production helps.
Click to expand...
First impession, nice voice but there is a bit of a gallimaufry to unjumble through here, musically.

Feels a bit, how would we call it, 'concepty'.
 
Mr Grumpy said:
noun

  1. a confused jumble or medley of things.
    "a glorious gallimaufry of childhood perceptions"
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Also a french stew, consisting of a concoction of stuff, that it derives from.

If the last album felt like coleslaw in tomato soup, this one might feel like kimchi, sgadan and marag-dhu chucked in for good measure.

(You are new here, but I have been known to use food in album metaphors)
 
Coatigan said:
Also a french stew, consisting of a concoction of stuff, that it derives from.

If the last album felt like coleslaw in tomato soup, this one might feel like kimchi, sgadan and marag-dhu chucked in for good measure.

(You are new here, but I have been known to use food in album metaphors)
Click to expand...
Heinz Golden syrup Pudding in a can.

A canned, low effort offering with a sticky, runny and saccharine surface melted over a hollow, fluffy, meaningless centre???



*Gets coat.
 
Coatigan said:
First impession, nice voice but there is a bit of a gallimaufry to unjumble through here, musically.

Feels a bit, how would we call it, 'concepty'.
Click to expand...

Yeah. Belfry said it made him uncomfortable but grew on him. I actually found it fairly easy to listen to at first trot whether it proves to be substantive in any way remains to seen.
 
Just had a quick ‘scan’ on Spotify. I’ve already calculated that 39 minutes x three listens is 117 minutes….
 
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