The Album Review Club - Week #138 - (page 1790) - 1956 - Soul-Junk

[mrbelfry]

Listening again this morning and still enjoying it but really struggling to see why people are having such an emotional reaction to it. I guess sometimes the stars align.

 

[Coatigan]

Listening again this morning and still enjoying it but really struggling to see why people are having such an emotional reaction to it. I guess sometimes the stars align.

I wouldn't say there is anything emotional about my reaction. It is just an initial observation. If anyone knows about albums needing time to settle, I am one of those.

 

[mrbelfry]

I wouldn't say there is anything emotional about my reaction. It is just an initial observation. If anyone knows about albums needing time to settle, I am one of those.

Sorry I meant the general audience reaction. Go read comments under her YouTube videos or watch the first 90 seconds of Anthony Fantanos review from last month.

 

[GornikDaze]

Listening again this morning and still enjoying it but really struggling to see why people are having such an emotional reaction to it. I guess sometimes the stars align.

I think my reaction was more akin to cold water shock!

 

[Coatigan]

Hiding?

Don't think there is a much of a Rise and a Fall to it.

The Misguided Meander of a Midwest Princess isn't as cachy though, I suppose.

 

[Coatigan]

Some good and quite broad discussion already. I'm liking that this pick is getting people talking to younger members of their families etc.

Going to give Foggy the benefit of the doubt that he knew all along that would be the case and actually there was never any malice aforethought in the selection!

It is great to have such a recent/current pick. While the classics are great to revisit or unearth, I find (for me) the age disconnect to old missed out on age appropriate albums, more pronounced than on new albums that might not be might thing. Maybe because I often feel the need to transpose myself to that context, as opposed to just being in this one.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

I wouldn't say there is anything emotional about my reaction. It is just an initial observation. If anyone knows about albums needing time to settle, I am one of those.

Nothing emotional about mine either.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I am sensitised to this type of music being bombarded by Billie and Swifty. I know I should be able to tell the difference but when I started listening to this it's just another of that genre. Bit like me listening to Van Halen/Guns n Roses and all that malarkey ;-)
The lyrics are more explicit than most but of one thing I am certain - we are not her target audience. Is it any worse than Bobby P asking for his lemon to be squeezed? I'm not sure.

One thing I will say, if this type of music - Swifty/Billie etc etc makes young adult female teenagers feel more empowered and stronger in their opinions and attitudes then all is good. One of the reasons I like Raye is her attitude and her example to her kindred spirit. If only all of them grow up as 'fucking strong women'.

 

[Coatigan]

One thing that this album has in common with a lot of modern artists is that on many songs, you hear the voice and a sound – what sound? I don’t always know, but some sound – more than I hear the instruments. I mean, I’m sure there are individual instruments there, but the overall sound is a digital, sanitised slurry, which is ironic given some of the lyrics. Maybe if she combined those lyrics with a razor’s edge guitar and throbbing bass even more people would sit up and take notice (but probably not the young audience she is after). To be fair, there’s some nice piano on “Kaleidoscope” and a short-lived outbreak of acoustic picking on “Guilty Pleasure” but these moments are few and far between...

listen to a Taylor Swift album at some point. Whilst her growing legion of fans would no doubt point you to her most recent efforts, I feel they also suffer from the “digital slurry” effect in parts and instead, I’d direct you backwards to when her sound was more basic, and she had a proper band sound that combined with her brilliant bridges and choruses.

I would like to put this to a minor test. For my own curiosity, if you have the time.

Listen to Haerts' song Your Love (Acoustic). - that's how it is titled on Spotify.

Then listen to the same song in its original synthed slurry sanitised digital version. Same title, without the (acoustic).

And tell me what you think, and if one moves you any more than the other.

Not trying to prove any point at all, just interested.

Open to everyone, obviously.

 

[Coatigan]

I am sensitised to this type of music being bombarded by Billie and Swifty. I know I should be able to tell the difference but when I started listening to this it's just another of that genre. Bit like me listening to Van Halen/Guns n Roses and all that malarkey ;-)
The lyrics are more explicit than most but of one thing I am certain - we are not her target audience. Is it any worse than Bobby P asking for his lemon to be squeezed? I'm not sure.

One thing I will say, if this type of music - Swifty/Billie etc etc makes young adult female teenagers feel more empowered and stronger in their opinions and attitudes then all is good. One of the reasons I like Raye is her attitude and her example to her kindred spirit. If only all of them grow up as 'fucking strong women'.

There is a (probaly a very low level) discussion on 'the message' here, or in such music in general. Which I may come back to. Or may not.

I would prefer my women (and men) to grow up grounded and balanced, rather than fucking strong. Where do I find an album for that ;) ?