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

Coatigan said:
Consider this part one of a two part review, with live reaction commentary.

The totally unnecessary countryfication of a perfectly good indie/alt album didn't bother me that much at first listen, but with repeated goes is becoming a bit of an effort. You are Australian ffs, just why!
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That's an interesting take on the "countryfication" because I'm usually listening to vocal accents on those to ID, and this one certainly doesn't fit the bill. Maybe the "End Of the Line" musically most sounds like what you are thinking with the organ and jangly guitar, but even when I hear that, it is still more alt/indie than country for me. I could hear R.E.M. or MMJ doing that song easy, so that's where I sit on this with the hints of banjo.

Coatigan said:
Elements of Wintersleep, Manchester Orchestra and other stuff I like.
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I already mentioned two bands, and I'd throw in Band of Horses as well, and all 4 of the bands we've talked about, save Wintersleep, all hail from the southeastern US. MO is a good shout, which is probably why when hearing this I couldn't just put up a Playlist Track.
Coatigan said:
But there is one very specific, possibly a bit niche album it reminds me of. That I kinda like more because I really want to than I do by default, but a few here would probably like more than I do. For a bit of fun, if anyone happens to coincidentally guess it in one try they can have my next turn! (Willing to offer a round of clues if anyone fancies a shot).
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Sounds like absent clues, I'll just leave this to spires as I'm not getting it. Plus, I want you to have your turn as from recent data and similar leanings, I'm sure to enjoy it.

I will take a guess and think extra hard if it is IDLES or the like, however.
 
As a side point, I obviously know it is not, given when it was released - but how A.I. generated does the cover now look? What has it done to this world!
 
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I'd never heard of these and I decided not to read any of the comments before listening to it.

When it started, I quite liked the first few seconds and I thought we might be in for something quirky and for some reason I was getting a Gomez/Whippin Piccadilly vibe. I was looking forward to hearing more!

But then then it changed and went into a genre that I don't like - a bit of that 'wishy/washy' country kind of vibe. I was a bit disappointed really as I find that type of music just isn't for me. However, I've been really busy with work this week and I just left it on - it wasn't unpleasant, just a bit of background music.

However, after a few listens I really started to quite like this album. I kind of got more of a 'country Coldplay' sound from it and after a few more listens I thought this was a good album. In fact I think I've played it about 5 times this week and the more I listen, the more it's grown on me. I really liked that laid back country-ish/retro sound and I thought it was just full of well written, well produced songs.

This album has really surprised me, it's definitely not one I'd ever have picked to listen to but the more I've listened the more I've liked what I've heard. It's definitely one of those albums that this thread throws up that really surprise you - Boy and Bear will be a band I spend a fair bit of time with these next few weeks! Thanks @Black&White&BlueMoon Town for introducing me to a new album and band that I've really enjoyed listening to!

9/10
 
I think I agree that Rob may have gone "countrydeaf" as there is certainly a little bit of it in there, although not a huge amount...otherwise it would have completely turned me off.
However, on first couple of listens I am really enjoying this. I found it quite warm and inviting, almost unassuming.
Even Mrs IO thought it pretty good with the comment, "that's alot better then the recent rubbish you have listened to".
 
LGWIO said:
I think I agree that Rob may have gone "countrydeaf" as there is certainly a little bit of it in there, although not a huge amount...otherwise it would have completely turned me off.
However, on first couple of listens I am really enjoying this. I found it quite warm and inviting, almost unassuming.
Even Mrs IO thought it pretty good with the comment, "that's alot better then the recent rubbish you have listened to".
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Country music:
    • a form of popular music originating in the rural southern US. It is a mixture of ballads and dance tunes played characteristically on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and pedal steel guitar.
There’s banjo on one track - that’s it as far as I could tell. There are no ballads and no dance tunes. That’s not to say it isn’t a decent album, just that it is not country and is not even close. It’s indie/pop with a little folk at best.

Outside of that rather stuffy academic definition, it’s not even got any twang, it’s too smooth for that.
 
Haha we all have different ears but quite a few on the album are a country/pop rock I thought. I think it would (to my ears) be filed as country rock overall!!

Strangely I never seem able to pick out any country in Taylor Swift though!
 
RobMCFC said:
Country music:
    • a form of popular music originating in the rural southern US. It is a mixture of ballads and dance tunes played characteristically on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and pedal steel guitar.
There’s banjo on one track - that’s it as far as I could tell. There are no ballads and no dance tunes. That’s not to say it isn’t a decent album, just that it is not country and is not even close. It’s indie/pop with a little folk at best.

Outside of that rather stuffy academic definition, it’s not even got any twang, it’s too smooth for that.
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I think part of the issue is that what you quote there, let's call it 'proper' country, is only a small proportion of what Nashville and beyond now markets as country. For commercial reasons much of 'country music' now is a pop,rock,folk hybrid that has only a limited relationship to it's origins.

So both you and Coatigan are right in your views, just in different ways!
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
Haha we all have different ears but quite a few on the album are a country/pop rock I thought. I think it would (to my ears) be filed as country rock overall!!

Strangely I never seem able to pick out any country in Taylor Swift though!
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I'm with you, I find this more country feel than the Taylor album.

It's not an academic or technical thing. There is no real drawl, yet the vocal delivery is 'southern'. Same with the instrumental delivery.
 
journolud said:
I'm enjoying the album but didn't think much of that cover when I played it
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In fact I'm thinking covers aren't really their thing after Wicked Game came up on Spotify. Both these covers sound like they are pitching for whatever the Aussie version of the John Lewis Christmas advert is. I've no problem with any of their originals.

I had to Google Wicked Game just to make doubly sure it was a cover and was interested to see London Grammar have also covered it. I haven't listened to that yet but can imagine they will do it justice
 
journolud said:
In fact I'm thinking covers aren't really their thing after Wicked Game came up on Spotify. Both these covers sound like they are pitching for whatever the Aussie version of the John Lewis Christmas advert is. I've no problem with any of their originals.
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I agree, and I found both covers AFTER hearing this album. While I didn't mind them much, those covers aren't things I'm going to go out of my way to highlight to anyone trying to see if they like this band - I'm going straight to this album.

Of the covers, I enjoyed "Fall At Your Feet" more and again, neither are better than the originals, but the Crowded House one on that tribute album was a good rendition.
 
GoatersLeftShin said:
I'd never heard of these and I decided not to read any of the comments before listening to it.
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I try and do that from time to time too. The past two weeks, I didn't need to read about DSOTM here, but I did see the comments on Prisoner, but I had my own take there and as they still say, "I know what I like".

GoatersLeftShin said:
When it started, I quite liked the first few seconds and I thought we might be in for something quirky and for some reason I was getting a Gomez/Whippin Piccadilly vibe. I was looking forward to hearing more!

But then then it changed and went into a genre that I don't like - a bit of that 'wishy/washy' country kind of vibe. I was a bit disappointed really as I find that type of music just isn't for me. However, I've been really busy with work this week and I just left it on - it wasn't unpleasant, just a bit of background music.
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I feel Rob has since on "A Month Of Sundays" here of comments on the country debate on this band has well captured my same view on them here. To liberally borrow and rephrase what Senator Lloyd Bentsen once said: "I know Country Music. Sometimes, Country Music can a friend of mine. Boy & Bear, you're no Country Music."

GoatersLeftShin said:
However, after a few listens I really started to quite like this album. I kind of got more of a 'country Coldplay' sound from it and after a few more listens I thought this was a good album. In fact I think I've played it about 5 times this week and the more I listen, the more it's grown on me. I really liked that laid back country-ish/retro sound and I thought it was just full of well written, well produced songs.
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I wanted more time with this after my initial listens in April to see if I still felt I was going to nominate this. I will say when Spotify gives me my EOY stats in early Dec, this band is going to far exceed anything else I have listened to in 2025, so I share your feeling about the more you listen, the more it can grow on you. That also harkens back to Coatigan's recent note about how many albums that are in your top # are ones that had to grow? While this one initially hooked me in, I have found it has raised in overall stature after repeated listens.

And on the Coldplay comparison, that wasn't a band I was consciously thinking about initially. However, if you are going to provide a comparison, I'm going to hopefully request you are thinking of the X&Y (read: best) period of the band, not the current version that I hardly recognize.

There is another band they somewhat remind me of that a user here that I hope would like this might mention, and if they don't, I'll come in at the end with my thoughts. In my defense there, I didn't even hear this until yesterday when hearing an older song from that band as a somewhat feeble yellow card offense of a hint. ;-)

GoatersLeftShin said:
This album has really surprised me, it's definitely not one I'd ever have picked to listen to but the more I've listened the more I've liked what I've heard. It's definitely one of those albums that this thread throws up that really surprise you - Boy and Bear will be a band I spend a fair bit of time with these next few weeks! Thanks @Black&White&BlueMoon Town for introducing me to a new album and band that I've really enjoyed listening to!

9/10
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I'm going to admit I'm a bit surprised this one raised up to you liking it so much in just a half a week's time, but I'm very happy it did, Cheers!

And as @bennyboy noted, they will be in the UK in late Feb/early March if they are coming close to any of you while I will jealously look on.

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