Album of the Year Thread - 2022 - Winner - For the Sake of Bethel Woods - Midlake

[journolud]

Thought you might be adding that one. I'll add it to my listening list for the next week.

There's an album released today that I'm looking forward to, but I'll wait until I've listened before declaring it.

Also, I have been giving the Midlake album a few more listens this week and I think I'll upgrade it to a hit.
It's definitely one of those that repays repeat listens and some of the intricate little synth melodies (like on "Meanwhile") and the crafty bass parts are now locking into my brain.

I’m playing the Midlake loads as well as their back catalogue. Liked it to start with and yes hearing more in it on repeated plays. Had it on in the car yesterday and when it finished Apple started on the “similar music” plays with Woods, War on Drugs, both good shouts and Other Lives, the comparison I’ve already made.

A great new find for me and have my tickets for them at the Albert Hall after the dippers game

 

[Deleted member 77198]

NOMINATE

The Asteroid No.4 - Tones Of The Sparrow




“Stalwarts of the modern 'psych' scene, California-based psychedelic-rock legends The Asteroid No.4 release new album 'Tones of the Sparrow' via Club AC30. Heavily inspired by the UK shoegaze scene including My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride and early Verve, the band takes its name from Vesta, the brightest asteroid in our solar system, and a nod to psychedelic space rock band Spacemen 3…”

Page not found from Piccadilly Records

Page not found from Piccadilly Records

www.piccadillyrecords.com

 

[Barcon]

I’m playing the Midlake loads as well as their back catalogue. Liked it to start with and yes hearing more in it on repeated plays. Had it on in the car yesterday and when it finished Apple started on the “similar music” plays with Woods, War on Drugs, both good shouts and Other Lives, the comparison I’ve already made.

A great new find for me and have my tickets for them at the Albert Hall after the dippers game

Ex lead singer from War on Drugs (Kurt Vile) has an album coming out mid April.

 

[RobMCFC]

Ex lead singer from War on Drugs (Kurt Vile) has an album coming out mid April.

Ex-lead guitarist. His 2015 album “B’lieve I’m Going Down” was superb, but I didn’t think the follow-up was that great. I’ll be interested to listen to this one, though.

 

[Barcon]

Ex-lead guitarist. His 2015 album “B’lieve I’m Going Down” was superb, but I didn’t think the follow-up was that great. I’ll be interested to listen to this one, though.

Sorry, yes, lead guitarist.
I liked bottle it in (loading zones, check baby and bassackwards particularly good) and the one with Courtney Barnett was excellent.
Three tracks from his new album have been released. A new one today.
Like exploding stones is a great song (if you like that Kurt Vile kinda thing)
; )

 

[journolud]

NOMINATE

The Asteroid No.4 - Tones Of The Sparrow

View attachment 39151


“Stalwarts of the modern 'psych' scene, California-based psychedelic-rock legends The Asteroid No.4 release new album 'Tones of the Sparrow' via Club AC30. Heavily inspired by the UK shoegaze scene including My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride and early Verve, the band takes its name from Vesta, the brightest asteroid in our solar system, and a nod to psychedelic space rock band Spacemen 3…”

Page not found from Piccadilly Records

Page not found from Piccadilly Records

www.piccadillyrecords.com

Sounded intriguing so made it my first album of the day. Not all the way through yet but heard enough to say this is a hit. Another band to explore further I think.

All the influences you mention I can hear but on the current track, A Castle Built for Two am getting a Byrds vibe as well

 

[Coatigan]

So far the albums I was really looking forward to coming out this year have mostly been a disappointment/miss. A few more to come hopefully change that

The ones I was mildly intrigued by were decent enough.

Good to have new discoveries on here.

As an aside I think how we, or at least I, listen to things has changed. I think we used to give albums a lot more time and 'learn' to like them. Can't think of any of my favourite albums that were an instant love at first listen.

 

[stonerblue]

Ex lead singer from War on Drugs (Kurt Vile) has an album coming out mid April.

Which will, alongside the new Fontaines DC album, piss the album of the year.

 

[RobMCFC]

So far the albums I was really looking forward to coming out this year have mostly been a disappointment/miss. A few more to come hopefully change that

The ones I was mildly intrigued by were decent enough.

Good to have new discoveries on here.

As an aside I think how we, or at least I, listen to things has changed. I think we used to give albums a lot more time and 'learn' to like them. Can't think of any of my favourite albums that were an instant love at first listen.

Oh yeah, definitely changed how we listed to albums.

Like you say, when you bought 3 or 4 CDs and knew that would have to keep you going for the next couple of months, you really gave them a good listen. Now you get the chance to listen to 4 or 5 new albums every week (possibly more?), and there's definitely a certain amount of instant dismissal.

However, I do enjoy the process - it's more like panning for gold these days. There are some you can chuck out because you know that you'll never like them, whereas others (like the new Midlake album for me) you can give a few spins because you sense there might be something there that you will grow to love.

Thanks to everybody who's contributed so far - I think we've got some very good albums already and we are only a quarter of the way through the year.

 

[Coatigan]

Oh yeah, definitely changed how we listed to albums.

Like you say, when you bought 3 or 4 CDs and knew that would have to keep you going for the next couple of months, you really gave them a good listen. Now you get the chance to listen to 4 or 5 new albums every week (possibly more?), and there's definitely a certain amount of instant dismissal.

However, I do enjoy the process - it's more like panning for gold these days. There are some you can chuck out because you know that you'll never like them, whereas others (like the new Midlake album for me) you can give a few spins because you sense there might be something there that you will grow to love.

Thanks to everybody who's contributed so far - I think we've got some very good albums already and we are only a quarter of the way through the year.

That is certainly part of it. There is so much choice at your fingertips that you can give something a quick try and just move on in search for the next thing. Ironically, with so much stuff available I probably still end up listening to things ive listened to thousands of times over.

The other thing is how easy it is to skip. It is just there, with your finger hovering over it, a simple tap and gone. Wven while you have it on, there are other icons and graphics of other available songs to tempt you away. With a vinyl, casette, cd (skipped minidisc) etc, once you put them on it was just that little bit less tempting to instinctively skip.

The last thing I think is the change in now incrementally releasing albums, almost song by song. I've made a conscious effort not to do so, but in the last few years i found that by the time an album comes out, i'd heard 70% of it, as songs are added on to spotify weekly as soon as they come out. Which again affects how you take in the whole thing.

It isn't a hark back to the old days, i love having access to so much. It is more an effort not to lose sight of why we listen to things and that sometimes it takes time which we don't give it. Particularly anything with any level of depth to it. My own favourite albums that still stand the test of time tend to be ones that didnt click instantly.