Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - S/T
Hard to believe this album has been out 8 years now, eh?
What I Used to Think
This album was pretty big when it first came out, being one of the first bands to become popular off of a stellar review by Pitchfork.
Well, I think the reason I hate this band is going to sound different from the other albums I've talked about here. I actually do think these guys make good music. The reason I didn't like it? The lead vocals. I just could not enjoy a band when their vocals are as painfully squeaky as this man's general are. They make it worse by giving him melodies that require him to sing higher and really squeal, like on "Heavy Metal" and "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth". There's certainly some interesting variety to be had here, and a couple of the tracks are quite beautiful ("Blue Turning Gray"...which is coincidentally an instrumental...)
What I Think Now?
Over the years I have grown to appreciate music from other walks of life, so to speak. I have grown to recognize when something is well-written and like it on those merits rather than simply what my ears think.
Subsequently, I find that I enjoy this album more than I used to. I can look past the vocals and recognize that there's some pretty solid musicianship here to be had.
Was I Wrong?
Well, no, because his vocals still are quite bad, and I always thought that the band made good music. I just am more capable of enjoying that good music than before because I can look past those vocals!