NEW ALBUMS (released within last month/30 days) Worth a Listen

Arghus

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Yeah, it definitely feels more like a Knife album than a Fever Ray one. Fever Ray's debut is a contender for my favourite album of all time, so my expectations for Plunge were always going to be too high. It does have some very good moments (the instrumental title track is a highlight) and she should be commended for not releasing a rehash of the debut*, but overall it has left me a little cold. Still, it helps if I think of it as a follow-up to Shaking the Habitual rather than a follow-up to Fever Ray.

(Though I love that album so much I'd still be happy with a second version of it! )

Yup, have to concur with what you are saying.

Been listening to it solidly for a week and while it has some good, even great moments - Wanna Sip, the title track, To the moon and back, Red Trails - it isn't anywhere close to the unified experience that the earlier album was. Some of the songwriting and instrumentation is kinda forgettable and I don't think it's going to be one of those that reveal more depth as time goes on. Which is a bit of a pity, because that first album never stopped giving.

So, yeah, good album, but not a great album.

On a side but related note: I'm becoming increasingly jaundiced by review scores for albums these days. I used to base a lot of my decisions about to what to listen to next on things like metacritic scores. Anything that got higher than an aggregate score of around 85 got a listen from me, because scores that high were exceedingly rare - or at least they used to be.

Does anyone else find that new albums by established names, usually in the indie/alternative world, are increasingly overrated and given somewhat generous marks across the board?

Like right now, for instance: Converge, St. Vincent, Brand New, and Fever Ray all have albums with metacritic scores between 88 and 90 - which means critics have been raving about them across the board: really raving. None of these are bad albums - but are they really that good?

mosstin

Arghus wrote: »

Yup, have to concur with what you are saying.

Been listening to it solidly for a week and while it has some good, even great moments - Wanna Sip, the title track, To the moon and back, Red Trails - it isn't anywhere close to the unified experience that the earlier album was. Some of the songwriting and instrumentation is kinda forgettable and I don't think it's going to be one of those that reveal more depth as time goes on. Which is a bit of a pity, because that first album never stopped giving.

So, yeah, good album, but not a great album.

On a side but related note: I'm becoming increasingly jaundiced by review scores for albums these days. I used to base a lot of my decisions about to what to listen to next on things like metacritic scores. Anything that got higher than an aggregate score of around 85 got a listen from me, because scores that high were exceedingly rare - or at least they used to be.

Does anyone else find that new albums by established names, usually in the indie/alternative world, are increasingly overrated and given somewhat generous marks across the board?

Like right now, for instance: Converge, St. Vincent, Brand New, and Fever Ray all have albums with metacritic scores between 88 and 90 - which means critics have been raving about them across the board: really raving. None of these are bad albums - but are they really that good?

St. Vincent's is excellent. Too early for me to judge Fever Ray.

Pighead

They're back! Shed Seven's new album 'Instant Pleasures' out today. Going to listen to it on my way home from work. I'm expecting greatness. One of my favourite bands from my teenage years.

Most of you will probably pretend that you have absolutely zero respect for the Sheds but deep deep deep down you know you love them.

mosstin

Pighead wrote: »

They're back! Shed Seven's new album 'Instant Pleasures' out today. Going to listen to it on my way home from work. I'm expecting greatness. One of my favourite bands from my teenage years.

Most of you will probably pretend that you have absolutely zero respect for the Sheds but deep deep deep down you know you love them.

They were utterly awful then, I expect they're even worse now.

Pighead

mosstin wrote: »

They were utterly awful then, I expect they're even worse now.

:eek: Another Philistine! Chasing Rainbows and Bully Boy are stone cold classics. A Maximum High is an album that deserves to be heard by every single person living today. I pray that you will see the light before you end your days.

sweetie

mosstin wrote:

They were utterly awful then, I expect they're even worse now.

They made Space and Cast look good

Pighead

sweetie wrote: »

They made Space and Cast look good

Another music snob with his head up his backside. Listen pal, Shed 7 know how to write classic indie pop songs with wait for it.....MELODY. MELODY is king! All you indie schmindie try hards boil Pighead's piss. Listening to tuneless hogwash while at the same time throwing out pithy remarks about guys that just want to make Pighead dance. Reassess and come back to me. Space my bollox. Cast my backside. Heroes Speakeasy.

OhHiMark

Pighead wrote: »

Another music snob with his head up his backside. Listen pal, Shed 7 know how to write classic indie pop songs with wait for it.....MELODY. MELODY is king! All you indie schmindie try hards boil Pighead's piss. Listening to tuneless hogwash while at the same time throwing out pithy remarks about guys that just want to make Pighead dance. Reassess and come back to me. Space my bollox. Cast my backside. Heroes Speakeasy.

Oh this is embarrassing. I feel both second and third hand embarrassment for you. They were saying that space and cast are terrible, but this shed 7 are so bad that they make them look good.

Pighead

OhHiMark wrote: »

Oh this is embarrassing. I feel both second and third hand embarrassment for you. They were saying that space and cast are terrible, but this shed 7 are so bad that they make them look good.

I know that you absolute spanner! Where did I suggest otherwise? Shove your second and third hand embarrassment up your jacksie.

lordgoat

Pighead wrote: »

I know that you absolute spanner! Where did I suggest otherwise? Shove your second and third hand embarrassment up your jacksie.

Welcome Pighead. I've missed you about the place. The rest of you, you're amongst royalty here. This guy is one of the best things about boards. Although I never realised his SS fascination.

sweetie

Ah look, I went through the nineties too. Big fan of some of the also rans like embrace, longpigs, dawn of the replicants, delakota, boo radleys but no point in looking back at everything with rose tinted glasses. Dodgy, menswear, symposium, 60ft dolls, what was I thinking!

mosstin

sweetie wrote: »

Ah look, I went through the nineties too. Big fan of some of the also rans like embrace, longpigs, dawn of the replicants, delakota, boo radleys but no point in looking back at everything with rose tinted glasses. Dodgy, menswear, symposium, 60ft dolls, what was I thinking!

Gay Dad!

sweetie

mosstin wrote:

Gay Dad!

Oh god, they were average. Gene were another that weren't bad. Actually the more out there stuff like Mansun, SFA and Corners hop aged way less.

mosstin

sweetie wrote: »

Ah look, I went through the nineties too. Big fan of some of the also rans like embrace, longpigs, dawn of the replicants, delakota, boo radleys but no point in looking back at everything with rose tinted glasses. Dodgy, menswear, symposium, 60ft dolls, what was I thinking!

Still love these. Giant Steps is a wonderful record and C'mon Kids was brilliant also.

Irish_rat

Finally got round to Everything Everything's latest effort, a great listen.

sweetie

mosstin wrote:

Still love these. Giant Steps is a wonderful record and C'mon Kids was brilliant also.

Martin Carr's new album New Shapes of life is just out. Great band

Arghus

Bjork has a new album out.

bullpost

Arghus wrote: »

Bjork has a new album out.

Any good?

Arghus

bullpost wrote: »

Any good?

I've only listened to it once. Impossible to say. I find you need a good few listens of any of her stuff to form a sensible opinion.

Green&Red

sweetie wrote: »

Ah look, I went through the nineties too. Big fan of some of the also rans like embrace, longpigs, dawn of the replicants, delakota, boo radleys but no point in looking back at everything with rose tinted glasses. Dodgy, menswear, symposium, 60ft dolls, what was I thinking!

How are these included???
Embrace have some fantastic songs

Next thing you'll be including Supergrass

sweetie

Green&Red wrote:

How are these included??? Embrace have some fantastic songs

I said I was a fan, loved the first couple of albums. they never really got critical acclaim though. Supergrass were great, 'in it for the money' was an amazing album.

bullpost

bullpost wrote: »

Any good?

It's Björk, of course it's good! :P But it's quite a long album and there are no real catchy hooks or big choruses on it, so if you're looking for something akin to "Army of Me", "Big Time Sensuality" or even "Crystalline" then you'll probably be disappointed.

I think it's an album you need to take in bits and pieces, rather than try to "get" it all in one listen start to finish. Similar to Vulnicura in that sense. But I suspect (hope!) it will be a grower that reveals more on each listen.

UrbanSprawl

Few months old but some tasty off kilter tunes on Deerhoofs Mountain Moves..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhVITaVC4XI

seachto7

Pighead wrote: »

They're back! Shed Seven's new album 'Instant Pleasures' out today. Going to listen to it on my way home from work. I'm expecting greatness. One of my favourite bands from my teenage years.

Most of you will probably pretend that you have absolutely zero respect for the Sheds but deep deep deep down you know you love them.

Heard the new single, and it's not that bad. They did write some decent songs in te 90s. Better than half of the twee poserish indie rubbish lauded on here.

Anesthetize

seachto7 wrote: »

Better than half of the twee poserish indie rubbish lauded on here.

Belle and Sebastian? The Field Mice? Talulah Gosh?

scottmcb04

came out in august, but Gang of Youths album Go Farther in Lightness is one of my albums of the year even though i just discovered it...

sweetie

on a bit of a world music buzz at the moment and enjoying the new Khruangbin (con todo el mundo) and Penya (super liminal) albums

thomasm

Really impressed with Poni Hoax - Tropical Suite
This track is fantastic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77wfDTr1dys

Arghus

Really getting into the new album by Hookworms Microshift.

It's a big departure in their sound. It's dominated by synths and loops and a lot of the corrosive guitars are gone completely. It's also a very warm and and emotional record, which, again, is a departure from the past.

Some of the songs are unbelievable. It took me about three or four listens until I realised that this is a truly amazing tune -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xufAOZiYF6c

Ekels

https://youtu.be/qn_jePJTIRk

Maybe not everyone's cup of tea but loving Tiny Moving Parts newest record. It's emo, it's math, it's indie.. really adore their sound as it is but this fulfills that. Such a depth of emotion in there.

The new Pianos Become The Teeth album is also brilliant: https://youtu.be/VHJMklnYugQ