The Album Review Club - Week #197 (page 1330) - Levelling the Land - Levellers

FogBlueInSanFran said:
Well, that’s music! But it’s definitely true that for me vocalists are always the least important element of a band and I know I’m in a tiny minority.

Re democracy — I really meant the style changes across the song set was the democratic decision, not her lyrics nor how she sings. And I am sure there are some lyrics that will make me wince when I get to them.

Re Radiohead — I don’t know any Radiohead songs I can dance to. Also most songs here seem more personal than observational. Finally, Thom Yorke isn’t a music fan and Lily is. So there are some pretty wide distinctions :)
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You do certainly emphasise liking songs you can dance to.

Which begs the age old question.

Are you human?

Or are you a dancer!
 
ENGLISH TEACHER THIS COULD BE TEXAS



Interesting pick Mr B, not a band I’ve heard of and not one I’d normally listen to ,particularly with a female vocalist.However I found it a pleasant surprise, musically good with lots of variety in the tracks and a good liberal use of piano,Lilys got a good voice and I liked both her singing and spoken voice.At first they reminded me of Wet Leg who I don’t particularly like, but they have their own sound which I much prefer. I especially liked the first 3 tracks and the title track and most of the others were ok.

It’s a bit like the Chappell Roan nomination we had, I though I’d hate it but found it quite an entertaining and enjoyable listen.



6.5/10
 
So I believe this band has a great future. For a debut, that is a very interesting album. I loved the musical arrangement and some great piano work and guitar in songs that moved at their own pace. Lots of variety and changing dynamics. I think I have seen them on tv rather than listened to their album previously, probably Glastonbury and as part of the Mercury Prize. The album felt very familiar to me and the different tracks instantly recognisable. Strange because I usually take repeated listens to 'get' new stuff and this must have fitted like a glove into what remains of my brain cells. The lyrics are oblique but the has a nice turn of phrase about contemporary UK. I like her voice - singing and spoken. Great pick and I know I will listen to this quite a lot.

I'm going to give it a 7. I suspect that in a years time it will be at least an 8. I will look out with anticipation for their next album.
 
I can't quite get on board with this as much as I initially thought I could. The vocal delivery on multiple songs left me wanting to skip them. I do really enjoy a couple of their songs though, so I can't mark it down too harshly either. It's a 5 or a 6 for me, 5 would be average, 6 would be above average on my scale, I'll go 5.

I think there is potential for me to really like them given how much I like a couple of their songs. Nice to have some modern music.
 
Sadly with work and car sharing this week meaning that I didn't get do my normal listening whilst commuting, it has meant that I have only managed the bare 3 listens.
I think that this has meant that I haven't been able to fully appreciate this weeks choice as it is definitely one that grows and needs repeated listens.
There is alot going on across this that I think I missed but think it is one that has drawn me in as I feel a need to give it more listens in future.
For me there was something that drew me in to "Biscuits" & "Daffodils".
After Wednesday I am off for a week which sadly means I am pencilled in by Mrs IO to get some decorating done. Save for a little Union work I shall give this another couple of listens whilst painting. A worthy 6 from the Derry jury which may be improved by further listens...even better knowing Lily has such excellent taste in footall

@BlueHammer85 Oasis may have taken your mind off the impending appointment...but did you prepare a suitable playlist?
The Cutter, Don't Fear the Reaper, First Cut Is The Deepest, I Wanna Be Sedated, Losing My Religion & Ending with ACDC, I've Got Big Balls
 
This Could Be Texas - English Teacher
I have unfortunately run "out of time" to give this my usual long winded review, but I've enjoyed the ones I've read, lining up somewhere in between Coatigan/Foggy level to above LGWIO/MCD. I'm about where Sadds is on this. I also didn't get 5.5 hours waiting at the airport (ouch), but loaded up at work hasn't been fun either.

I'll hit the high points:
  1. the music - it's really good and the high mark of the band, I really enjoyed it. A LOT of songs that sounded similar to Radiohead, a very good thing
  2. the vocals - in places really good such as "The World's Biggest Paving Slab", but on others, I get the criticisms. Still, for a band's debut album, this one has a lot of promise. I also got the same Courtney Barnett vibe as Rob
  3. my top songs:
    1. "The World's Biggest Paving Slab"
    2. "Broken Biscuits"
    3. "R&B"
    4. "Nearly Daffodils"
    5. "The Best Tears Of Your Life" - Now I'm working in the south of the USA
      And no one understands what I'm saying       (don'tcha worry, I've got yer' back)
It's a 7/10 for me with an enjoyable listen and hoping for more. I think if I were at one of their concerts, I'd be watching the rest of the band for the music this group is putting out. Great choice, mrbelfry!
 
It strikes me there's a reason shitloads of competent and entertaining musicians stick to being in cover bands and that's because doing anything more is really quite difficult.

You can get round the difficulties of producing a debut album in a few ways:

'Cheat' by having the ability to bring fully formed musicians together around your vision (Fripp).

Or getting lucky with a lightning in a bottle combination (Ian Curtis's inner world meets Martin Hannet's soundscape obsession).

Or you can simply be so driven and pathologically obsessed with being famous that the actual content of your album is irrelevant to you anyway (Madonna).

For everyone else (even the posh and connected kids) it seems to me it's a much harder process and it's often just too hard. Or maybe it takes 5 years to come up with something pretty underwhelming (Rush). If you are lucky/persistent you get a second chance via new personnel (also Rush).

So to English Teacher who I imagine have had to walk a variety of fine lines in forming a band and trying to record their first music. Such as...

Portraying enough confidence that you're engaging without seeming up yourself.

Writing something interesting without it coming off as pretentious nonsense you have no experience of.

Having the instincts to edit down ideas to those you can actually execute competently. Don't undersell but don't overeach is easy to say but harder to do.

Staying together long enough to complete the process without killing each other.

I would say they've done a pretty good job of the above, much more so than many. Don't know what their dynamic as a band is as I've never seen them perform live; but this was good enough to make me think I would go and see them to find out.

Whether they'll build on this promising start who knows? But given that bands, though not an endangered species, remain much thinner on the ground than they were in their heyday it's worth celebrating when a new one comes along and makes a decent fist of it. They're no fully formed SY yet but they might be one day and they've already got further than most ever do.

7.5/10
 
threespires said:
It strikes me there's a reason shitloads of competent and entertaining musicians stick to being in cover bands and that's because doing anything more is really quite difficult.

You can get round the difficulties of producing a debut album in a few ways:

'Cheat' by having the ability to bring fully formed musicians together around your vision (Fripp).

Or getting lucky with a lightning in a bottle combination (Ian Curtis's inner world meets Martin Hannet's soundscape obsession).

Or you can simply be so driven and pathologically obsessed with being famous that the actual content of your album is irrelevant to you anyway (Madonna).

For everyone else (even the posh and connected kids) it seems to me it's a much harder process and it's often just too hard. Or maybe it takes 5 years to come up with something pretty underwhelming (Rush). If you are lucky/persistent you get a second chance via new personnel (also Rush).

So to English Teacher who I imagine have had to walk a variety of fine lines in forming a band and trying to record their first music. Such as...

Portraying enough confidence that you're engaging without seeming up yourself.

Writing something interesting without it coming off as pretentious nonsense you have no experience of.

Having the instincts to edit down ideas to those you can actually execute competently. Don't undersell but don't overeach is easy to say but harder to do.

Staying together long enough to complete the process without killing each other.

I would say they've done a pretty good job of the above, much more so than many. Don't know what their dynamic as a band is as I've never seen them perform live; but this was good enough to make me think I would go and see them to find out.

Whether they'll build on this promising start who knows? But given that bands, though not an endangered species, remain much thinner on the ground than they were in their heyday it's worth celebrating when a new one comes along and makes a decent fist of it. They're no fully formed SY yet but they might be one day and they've already got further than most ever do.

7.5/10
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Live they are standard indie good vibes. Didn't spend loads of time interacting with each other but everyone seemed happy enough. I think they'll do ok if they avoid rock star excess. I'm seeing them again in November when hopefully they'll have a couple of new songs

These guys met at music college and I think there is already a little progression in their music. They dropped some of their gentle math rock tendancies for all the album and popped it up a little. There is a good chance they used up all their ideas on the album. Check out their cover of New York I Love You if you like this
 
With a healthy 16 votes including some from new punters, This Could Be Texas by English Teacher scored an average of 6.19, and certainly provoked plenty of discussion, including more than one claim that it was a case of the emperor's new clothes. Thanks to @mrbelfry for the nomination.

This week it's the turn of @BimboBob to nominate but today he left for a one-month holiday, travelling city to city.

Don't worry though, all is in hand, with yours truly doing the honours. A big, fat clue coming up, followed by another nice BimboBob anecdote.
 
mrbelfry said:
Baker Street
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Kind of
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Gerry Rafferty City to City
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Yes
Saddleworth2 said:
Lat time I looked, no cities on Orkney and North Berwick is certainly not a city ;-)

oh, its a clue

City to City, Gerry Rafferty
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Yes (well spotted for the extra "buried" clue).

Here's what @BimboBob had to say.

City to City - Gerry Rafferty

I've written before at great lengths about my Dad's Sunday music listening sessions. To recap, the front room was for 'best'. Christmas, Birthdays and one record a week, played on his knackered but still functioning record player. He'd pick an album, play it, and ask for comments. It was our ritual from the early 70's right through to his death in the late 80's. Even if we had been relegated to the dining room by then.

The record I've picked for you lovely people this week is a bit of an oddity in as much as it's an album that I actually bought rather than relying on his collection.

It's an album that has a bone fide behemoth of a song on it, an album with hooks, smooth tunes and even smoother voices. An album whose song writing displays the love for his then Wife but also hatred for the music industry and the fame that goes with it. This was a recuring theme on subsequent albums.

The behemoth that is Baker Street has been played to death and, even though the guitar solo near the end is still one of my favourites ever, I've always preferred other songs like Right Down The Line. Rafferty has always been one of my favourite artists, producing the first Proclaimers hit aside, so this album still gets played a lot.

Ten songs, all of which pretty much hit the mark.

Hope you enjoy.
 
I've played this a couple of times recently as part of my research for the 1978 write-up on the Rock Evolution thread.
A very good album but needs a few more plays before I write a review.
 
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