The Album Review Club - Week #194 (page 1303) - Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Wet Leg and The Last Donner Party (preferably) have cleverly kept the momentum by releasing 2nd albums and I wonder how much pressure English Teacher will be under to do the same.
I'll put this forward as to who it will be this year and I reckon will get a nomination at the Mercury's
Heartworms. She meets the quirky niche audience thing

Something quite scary but alluring about that Wet Leg lead singer!

 

[Out on blue 6]

Something quite scary but alluring about that Wet Leg lead singer!

Admit it it's the hot pants!!??
I'll put on record now she will do a solo album within 2 years

 

[Coatigan]

No grit ;-)

Grit and spite, will do you right!

So dig, dig on down..

 

[Saddleworth2]

Just landed in the Black Isle...lovely drive through the Cairngorms. Had this on for the last 5 or so miles.

Wife said...Florence/ PJ Harvey. Why are you playing this, it's not your usual thing. Oh...album club. After 2 songs she said...that's enough thank you.

Are you off to Dolphin watch at Chanonry Point? We stayed in Cromarty for a few days and they were worth the trip alone. Big buggers playing only a few yards from the beach.

 

[BlueHammer85]

 

[journolud]

Well I for one will be giving this the full week and I expect more than three spins. I've already said it might be too long and there is a sense of them trying too hard at times but those criticisms, which may be tempered over the week do not outweigh the good points.

Not the week for me to do my usual quick 3 listens and response. I like her voice to be honest and I think I have heard Stronger somewhere on TV or a movie or something. I don't mind a wailing woman probably because I live with a very calm one so it's still novel

Are we reviewing the original 11 track album or the extended deluxe version?

Original.

Hmm, I've been listening to the extended version which will explain my "too long" comment although some of the tracks that come after the cut off sit betterthan some of the first 11. I'll probably still carry on listening to it all but will try and temper my review to the first 11 tracks.

 

[BimboBob]

Are you off to Dolphin watch at Chanonry Point? We stayed in Cromarty for a few days and they were worth the trip alone. Big buggers playing only a few yards from the beach.

We are in Cromarty at the mo...having a pint in the pub. Off to Dores in a bit so no Dolphin trips. Nice bakery, lovely village as long as you are east looking out to the sea, west is full of rigs.

 

[Saddleworth2]

We are in Cromarty at the mo...having a pint in the pub. Off to Dores in a bit so no Dolphin trips. Nice bakery, lovely village as long as you are east looking out to the sea, west is full of rigs.

Good enough pub and brilliant bakery. Have fun mate.

 

[threespires]

I will admit there was nothing I have heard so far that's anything like the brilliant PJ Harvey.

Agree. My issue with PJ Harvey in relation to this thread is which album / 'version' do you nominate and for what reasons. Different albums would go down well with different constituents. I'd probably go with SFTC,SFTS not because I think it's necessarily the best but because imo it's a brilliant example of how to make a blatantly commercial album without 'selling out'. But tomorrow I'd probably pick something else.

 

[Out on blue 6]

Agree. My issue with PJ Harvey in relation to this thread is which album / 'version' do you nominate and for what reasons. Different albums would go down well with different constituents. I'd probably go with SFTC,SFTS not because I think it's necessarily the best but because imo it's a brilliant example of how to make a blatantly commercial album without 'selling out'. But tomorrow I'd probably pick something else.

What makes her so good and in my opinion which will be controversial the greatest female artist certainly of this century is her range of styles.
From Rid Of Me to Let England Shake
I think many of her peers think the same

 

[threespires]

What makes her so good and in my opinion which will be controversial the greatest female artist certainly of this century is her range of styles.
From Rid Of Me to Let England Shake
I think many of her peers think the same

Irrespective of whether she's the greatest or not I'd say she's the most criminally underrated - though she's hardly gone under the radar she should be much more feted than she is. Though as you say the esteem she's held in by her peers tell you a lot.

 

[bennyboy]

Is it just me but does this weeks pick take samey to another.level.

 

[BimboBob]

Is it just me but does this weeks pick take samey to another.level.

Just you.

 

[mrbelfry]

If You Wait by London Grammar demonstrates that you can have too much of a good thing. @Southamptonblues discovery of the album makes perfect sense as this does feel like a band making instrumentals for YouTube which are elevated by a good vocal performance.

Hey Now starts off by asking the question - what if Roads by Portishead was substantially worse. Luckily for London Grammar that is a banger, solid classic so being substantially worse still results in a fairly decent song. Unfortunately once you've heard Hey Now you've pretty much heard the rest of the album.

Stay Awake has a pretty annoying breakbeat but the opening lyrics suggests that English Teacher had heard this when writing Mastermind Specialism and does contain some nice lines. In particular enjoyed "I don't have a skin like you do, to keep it all in like you do. I don't have a soul like you. The only one I have is the one I stole from you". This makes me feel warmer towards the band - if someone I like likes them then that counts for something.

This album though is not warm. Is emotionally a glaciar reminiscent of Vienna by Ultravox but without the drama and dirt. It's cold ice water which any thing more than a plunge of requires training and a mastery of the mind to deny your own physical reaction that I cannot sustain across the album. The initial visceral reaction and gasp as you hit the water is quickly replaced by hypothermia and a numbness so heavy you can't go back over your previous sentence and make it make sense so i become nothing. in a good way. kind of

Shyer turns up the YouTube full force. It's that heavy reverb guitar and drums which is just doing this band no favours. I appreciate that this album was released before people started making videos for YouTube but I'm listening to it now so that's what comes to mind. Except the vocals are something. Not warm but enticing. I often wonder what it would be like to be stung by a really well dressed scorpion with great hair.

Strong and Nightcall are a great combo together which almost pulls the album out of the mid but they are good versions of what you already know. It's the same text but in a different font. Flickers tries for a 5% difference and breaks down in a pleasant way and the album should end there.

It's interesting to me why bands chose to name their albums after songs. Are they highlighting the song that they think is their best or most significant. London Grammar seemed to decide that they'd just own their worse song. The vocals and instrumentation are just not on the same page here - Reid letting lose is not followed by the band which is a shame as it's a nice track that just isn't as cohesive as the others. Although it's not on the original album the following track, Help, does a better job at keeping up with the vocals.

In some respects this is an album that to get the best of you need to listen to in a dark room whilst wearing an eye mask. It needs to be listened to without distraction because there is little that will instantly captivate you and sustain your interest. In 10 minute snatches it's great but you'll quickly fall asleep and there will be no really loud noises to wake you from your slumber. This is I suspect by design and intent so for 10 minutes (except where the guitar and percussion are super verby) it's close to an 8 but as an entire album experience it falls to a 6. So let's split the difference and land on 7

 

[LGWIO]

the album makes perfect sense as this does feel like a band making instrumentals for YouTube which are ruined by a good vocal performance.

just corrected there

In some respects this is an album that to get the best of you need to listen to in a dark room whilst wearing an eye mask. It needs to be listened to without distraction because there is little that will instantly captivate you and sustain your interest.

I would have actually enjoyed that had it not been for the vocals.

 

[mrbelfry]

just corrected there

I would have actually enjoyed that had it not been for the vocals.

I guess ultimately that is going to be the dividing line with this album as the vocals are so front and centre

 

[bennyboy]

Not for me.
The vocals spoil the record for me.Especially the first 7 songs with it seems like the high falseto's on the 7 songs.
The actual music was decent enough but a bit more variety would have been appreciated..5

 

[threespires]

If You Wait by London Grammar demonstrates that you can have too much of a good thing. @Southamptonblues discovery of the album makes perfect sense as this does feel like a band making instrumentals for YouTube which are elevated by a good vocal performance.

Hey Now starts off by asking the question - what if Roads by Portishead was substantially worse. Luckily for London Grammar that is a banger, solid classic so being substantially worse still results in a fairly decent song. Unfortunately once you've heard Hey Now you've pretty much heard the rest of the album.

Stay Awake has a pretty annoying breakbeat but the opening lyrics suggests that English Teacher had heard this when writing Mastermind Specialism and does contain some nice lines. In particular enjoyed "I don't have a skin like you do, to keep it all in like you do. I don't have a soul like you. The only one I have is the one I stole from you". This makes me feel warmer towards the band - if someone I like likes them then that counts for something.

This album is emotionally a glaciar reminiscent of Vienna by Ultravox but without the drama and dirt. It's cold ice water which any thing more than a plunge of requires training and a mastery of the mind to deny your own physical reaction that I cannot sustain across the album. The initial visceral reaction and gasp as you hit the water is quickly replaced by hypothermia and a numbness so heavy you can't go back over your previous sentence and make it make sense so i become nothing. in a good way. kind of

Shyer turns up the YouTube full force. It's that heavy reverb guitar and drums which is just doing this band no favours. I appreciate that this album was released before people started making videos for YouTube but I'm listening to it now so that's what comes to mind. Except the vocals are something. Not warm but enticing. I often wonder what it would be like to be stung by a really well dressed scorpion with great hair.

Strong and Nightcall are a great combo together which almost pulls the album out of the mid but they are good versions of what you already know. It's the same text but in a different font. Flickers tries for a 5% difference and breaks down in a pleasant way and the album should end there.

It's interesting to me why bands chose to name their albums after songs. Are they highlighting the song that they think is their best or most significant. London Grammar seemed to decide that they'd just own their worse song. The vocals and instrumentation are just not on the same page here - Reid letting lose is not followed by the band which is a shame as it's a nice track that just isn't as cohesive as the others. Although it's not on the original album the following track Help does a better job at keeping up with the vocals.

In some respects this is an album that to get the best of you need to listen to in a dark room whilst wearing an eye mask. It needs to be listened to without distraction because there is little that will instantly captivate you and sustain your interest. In 10 minute snatches it's great but you'll quickly fall asleep and there will be no really loud noises to wake you from your slumber. This is I suspect by design and intent so for 10 minutes (except where the guitar and percussion are super verby) it's close to an 8 but as an entire album experience it falls to a 6. So let's split the difference and land on 7

As ever an entertaining well considered review. I agree with some but not all of it but the bits I would disagree with I would accept I have no rational basis for disagreeing.

Except the vocals are something. Not warm but enticing. I often wonder what it would be like to be stung by a really well dressed scorpion with great hair.

I'm not convinced you actually spend that much time thinking about the venomous implications of sartorially focused arachnids. However I will be nicking this line for my review and taking it further, no doubt to the point of incoherence in my case.

It's the same text but in a different font.

I will be nicking this line more broadly for a variety of things.

 

[mrbelfry]

I'm not convinced you actually spend that much time thinking about the venomous implications of sartorially focused arachnids. However I will be nicking this line for my review and taking it further, no doubt to the point of incoherence in my case.

You are of course correct and I was just trying to come up with a line. However just because something isn't real doesn't make it less true. I look forward to you putting a hat on the hat and making my idea more ridiculous.

I will be nicking this line more broadly for a variety of things.

This is a pretty common line amongst the youth of the day

 

[threespires]

This is a pretty common line amongst the youth of the day

I presumed it was modern aphorism just not one I've ever encountered before, so happy to be educated. I love a well concieved font too so it's one I'll be able to remember even in my increasing decrepitude.