Love or Hate Reborn

Trollheart · 10-29-2019, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I keep having to go back to the OP to figure out what the colors mean cause they're arbitrary.

You're arbitrary.

**Frownland** · 10-29-2019, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Title: The Invisible Comes to Us
Artist: Anna & Elizabeth
Genre: Folk/World/Country
Artist Reaction: Never heard of them so neutral
Genre Reaction: No problems here
Familiarity: Zero
Suggested by: Frownland
A Little Background: Anna Roberts-Gevalt and Elizabeth Laprelle are an American duo who specialise in integrating traditional folk music, Americana and especially Appalachian music with experimental techniques. Anna plays banjo while Elizabeth sings and is a multi-instrumentalist.
Expectations: The word “experimental” always worries me, but I don’t fear too much that I’ll hate this. I’m going for a hopefully pretty strong Like.
Overview: This is their second album, and no, I have no idea what the title means, though it sounds vaguely spiritual or religious.

Jeano: Starts acapella, very haunting, reminds me a little of Suzanne Vega, then deep organ sighs in, and Anna and Elizabeth begin to harmonise, which is very nice indeed. Can’t find much in the way of details on the album but it sounds like maybe horns and some sort of bells being added in, which gives an extra layer to the music. Fading out now on sort of oriental-style chimes. Very nice start.
Black Eyed Susan: Darker and more brooding this time, with heavy, sullen drumbeats and the banjo leading the tune, organ in the background kind of, then that all fades out and we’re left with the vocal, solo this time, and banjo, sort of a distant rolling percussion which also fades out. One of the longer songs on the album, this runs for just over five minutes. Nice sort of stuttering effect, which sounds like someone crumpling up tinfoil or static on the radio. Fits in well.
Ripest of Apples: Led by banjo again this time, a softer vocal with a kind of more upbeat tone that the last two tracks, sort of a country feel to this. Drums get very insistent and powerful here near the end.
Irish Patriot: First time since the opener we hear the two ladies sing together. They should do this more. Another droning organ complementing them, not a carbon copy by any means of “Jeano” but quite close in structure. Some sort of taped speech now, getting a little confused, with a swirling keyboard line and now alto sax, which pulls it back on track.
John of Hazelgreen: And more vocal harmonies, almost acapella but accompanied by soft tripping banjo, and sounds like there might be flute in there too. Nice.
Woman is Walking: Pure acapella as the two girls harmonise. It’s short, so I hope it stays like - no, there’s organ and some small percussion coming in now. Well it’s still really nice; I just would have preferred, for such a short track, them to perform it acapella.
Virginia Rambler: Basically acapella again but just one voice this time, with some sporadic percussion behind her. If I assume that to be Anna singing, then Elizabeth has now joined her, and there’s a droning organ adding its effect too.
By the Shore: Sounds like Waits does folk for a few moments, then the organ slides in (oo-****ing-er!), the vocal fast and sort of echoed in delay (not sure if it’s the same voice, probably not). I’d say this is the first one I haven’t really liked. Reprises the chorus from “Woman is Walking” for some reason. I guess this is where they use the experimental technique, lots of odd and discordant effects, doesn’t really work for me personally.
Farewell to Erin: I read recently that Appalachian music originated when settlers arrived from Ireland, Scotland and England, so it’s not such a surprise to hear them singing about Ireland again. Kind of adds an extra dimension to the album for me, I guess. I can’t say I’m mad about the vocal here though, which seems to almost mirror the drone synth, itself at times sounding like badly-tuned bagpipes. Very discordant and therefore not music to my ears. This also happens to be the longest on the album, almost six and a half minutes. Just my luck.
Mother in the Graveyard: Like this one a lot better. Sort of a slow, bouncy banjo with the two ladies harmonising, which is really nice.
Margaret: Starts out with an annoying announcement. Not sure about the point in that, then some crackly recording of an old song with I think the girls adding some of their own musical accompaniment to the old recording. Clever, but perhaps too much so. Doesn’t do anything for me. At least it’s short. Bad end to a decent album.

Conclusion: Certainly don’t hate it, but it’s probably not something I would come back to, and I wouldn’t be searching out any more of their material. There’s nothing necessarily bad about it, but the combination of kind of weird electronic effects, recordings and voices over folk music doesn’t really work for me. Two lovely voices, two very accomplished musicians, but even without the experimental stuff I’d probably still be saying, nice but that’s about it.

So, Love or Hate? I’ll give this a Like. It’s not a strong one though. Whatever that means.

Nice. It's always a crapshoot so I'm glad I landed on the positive side of things this time. I agree that their harmonizing makes the album.

My next rec is Discipline by King Crimson, doesn't look like you've heard it based on a forum search.

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I keep having to go back to the OP to figure out what the colors mean cause they're arbitrary.

Same.

Neapolitan · 10-29-2019, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I keep having to go back to the OP to figure out what the colors mean cause they're arbitrary.

They have a meaning? Does the colours he uses for the songs correlate to the emotional colour index of mood rings?

Trollheart · 10-30-2019, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

They have a meaning? Does the colours he uses for the songs correlate to the emotional colour index of mood rings?

I have to apologise to you. I just realised you were the first to suggest an album, so you were well within your rights to post your second one. Sorry about that.

**Marie Monday** · 10-30-2019, 02:08 PM

Oooh that's my favourite lpd album so far (and not even because it carries my name)

Trollheart · 10-30-2019, 02:13 PM

Title: The Woods
Artist: Sleater-Kinney
Genre: Alt-Rock
Artist Reaction: I’ve heard them before. I don’t think I liked them but I don’t think I hated them.
Genre Reaction: Alt-Rock covers such a wide selection. Can be really good, can be really bad. What is “alt” anyway?
Familiarity: Heard one album, possibly for the original of this thread
Suggested by: MarieMarie
A Little Background:Sleater-Kinney are a two-man, or I should say woman, band who have been around since 1994. Seems they went through a pretty major change this year when longtime drummer Janet Weiss left. Perhaps they were a trio before that? I guess Marie can fill everyone in if they need to be told. Sleater-Kinney have been referred to as “the greatest rock band of the last two decades.” I don’t know about that. What I do know is that in the Wiki picture, one of the girls looks spookily like someone I used to work with. This is bad, because she was a right bitch. But anyway...

Expectations: I doubt I’ll hate it, so probably a strong Like or above?
Overview: Their seventh album, this is one on which Weiss was still with the band, and so it’s a three-piece. Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and Village Voice all creamed their pants over it. Make of that what you will. Let’s see what I think.

The Fox: Certainly a riotous opening, very powerful and chaotic, find the vocal kind of Hazel O’Connorish, punkish overtones certainly and the guitars are loud and in your face. Definitely not my thing, at least not on this track. The tremelo in the voice of the singer annoys me, and I have to be honest, I don’t think she sings well, but then, this genre (riot grrrl?) ain’t never been for me. There’s a certain catchiness in the guitar riff, but that’s about it.
Wilderness: A somewhat more restrained guitar, jangly with some nice riffs, still hate the singing. Not my type of vocalist at all, and let’s be honest, I’ve come to appreciate black metal vocalists, so nobody can say I only like one type of singing. I was never a fan of Lene Lovich, Siouxsie or even Toyah, so it’s probably no surprise I don’t like this. Manages to emulate Ann Wilson on odd occasions, but generally not someone I would enjoy listening to. I fear for my sanity when I look at the track listing and see an eleven-minute composition near the end!
What’s Mine is Yours: Choppy guitar, again quite Hazel O’Connor, this time bringing in perhaps elements of The Clash, the mixture of which really doesn’t work for me. Nor does the snarling guitar here. In fact, nothing in this track works for me. Next! If we must. And I fear we must.
Jumpers: This sounds a lot better. Vocal is much clearer and less angry, the guitars busy but not going for the throat (at least not yet). Yeah this is pretty decent.
Modern Girl: And this sounds like it might be continuing this sort of gentler approach, with a jangly, upbeat guitar and a nice enough vocal. Catchy, certainly; sounds like harmonica coming in there, which is always welcome. Heavy percussion now doesn’t ruin but in fact improves it in tandem with the harmonica. Much better.
Entertain: Might be going a little mad again, back to the frenzied attack of the first three tracks. Yeah, the vocal is back to that punkish style, drums are harder and more in your face, though to be fair, though it’s tougher than the last two it’s not as caustic as the openers. I could like this, or at least listen to it.
Rollercoaster: In general, this album seems to have started badly - really badly - but then improved in leaps and bounds, then tailed off slightly. This track continues the latter trend. It’s not bad, a real sharp rocker with a sixties garage punk feeling (no I don’t know what I’m talking about either) but it’s not as good as “Jumpers” or “Modern Girl”, or even “Entertain”. Still, I don’t hate it.
Steep Air: Things actually slowing down? Can it be? Very claustrophobic air to this one, sounds like piano there but none is credited so maybe not. Vocal is very low and almost indistinct, guitars hard and sharp, growling and snapping. No that must be piano. A very decent song.
Let’s Call it Love: This is that eleven-minuter I feared. Although I don’t know the band, they don’t seem the obvious type to write epics - short, sharp stabs in the face seem to me to be more their style than long, prolonged kickings while you lie writhing on the ground - but here we are. Will it be an endurance or a revelation? Well it starts off tough enough, and I find it hard to understand how they’re going to stretch this out for eleven minutes, but let’s see. Yeah, it’s exploded into a real punk/riot grrl rockfest now, not good news for me. Now it’s slowing down on a kind of almost metal beat, marching drums, thumping guitar but you know, it’s not as bad as it could have been. Not quite sure why it needs to be this long though.
Night Light: Great closer. Powerful but not too angry vocal, excellent guitar, catchy hook.

Conclusion: I felt sure, when this started, that it would be an easy Hate. I don’t like hating albums, especially those suggested by other people, but some things just don’t sit well with me. As this went on, however, I warmed to it more, and though I couldn’t honestly say I’d ever listen to another Sleater-Kinney record, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been.

So, Love or Hate? I guess I can say I Like it a little

YorkeDaddy · 10-30-2019, 04:16 PM

Big Thief - U.F.O.F.

The Batlord · 10-30-2019, 04:21 PM

Can just one of the returning members not be trash?

YorkeDaddy · 10-30-2019, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Can just one of the returning members not be trash?

I’m interested in hearing your examples of the not-trash missing members

The Batlord · 10-30-2019, 04:30 PM

TH, Chula, Tristan, jwb, you. The loser quotient is high even with Tristan but he's more of a neutral than a positive.

10-30-2019, 02:13 PM	#56 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Title: The Woods Artist: Sleater-Kinney Genre: Alt-Rock Artist Reaction: I’ve heard them before. I don’t think I liked them but I don’t think I hated them. Genre Reaction: Alt-Rock covers such a wide selection. Can be really good, can be really bad. What is “alt” anyway? Familiarity: Heard one album, possibly for the original of this thread Suggested by: MarieMarie A Little Background:Sleater-Kinney are a two-man, or I should say woman, band who have been around since 1994. Seems they went through a pretty major change this year when longtime drummer Janet Weiss left. Perhaps they were a trio before that? I guess Marie can fill everyone in if they need to be told. Sleater-Kinney have been referred to as “the greatest rock band of the last two decades.” I don’t know about that. What I do know is that in the Wiki picture, one of the girls looks spookily like someone I used to work with. This is bad, because she was a right bitch. But anyway... Expectations: I doubt I’ll hate it, so probably a strong Like or above? Overview: Their seventh album, this is one on which Weiss was still with the band, and so it’s a three-piece. Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and Village Voice all creamed their pants over it. Make of that what you will. Let’s see what I think. The Fox: Certainly a riotous opening, very powerful and chaotic, find the vocal kind of Hazel O’Connorish, punkish overtones certainly and the guitars are loud and in your face. Definitely not my thing, at least not on this track. The tremelo in the voice of the singer annoys me, and I have to be honest, I don’t think she sings well, but then, this genre (riot grrrl?) ain’t never been for me. There’s a certain catchiness in the guitar riff, but that’s about it. Wilderness: A somewhat more restrained guitar, jangly with some nice riffs, still hate the singing. Not my type of vocalist at all, and let’s be honest, I’ve come to appreciate black metal vocalists, so nobody can say I only like one type of singing. I was never a fan of Lene Lovich, Siouxsie or even Toyah, so it’s probably no surprise I don’t like this. Manages to emulate Ann Wilson on odd occasions, but generally not someone I would enjoy listening to. I fear for my sanity when I look at the track listing and see an eleven-minute composition near the end! What’s Mine is Yours: Choppy guitar, again quite Hazel O’Connor, this time bringing in perhaps elements of The Clash, the mixture of which really doesn’t work for me. Nor does the snarling guitar here. In fact, nothing in this track works for me. Next! If we must. And I fear we must. Jumpers: This sounds a lot better. Vocal is much clearer and less angry, the guitars busy but not going for the throat (at least not yet). Yeah this is pretty decent. Modern Girl: And this sounds like it might be continuing this sort of gentler approach, with a jangly, upbeat guitar and a nice enough vocal. Catchy, certainly; sounds like harmonica coming in there, which is always welcome. Heavy percussion now doesn’t ruin but in fact improves it in tandem with the harmonica. Much better. Entertain: Might be going a little mad again, back to the frenzied attack of the first three tracks. Yeah, the vocal is back to that punkish style, drums are harder and more in your face, though to be fair, though it’s tougher than the last two it’s not as caustic as the openers. I could like this, or at least listen to it. Rollercoaster: In general, this album seems to have started badly - really badly - but then improved in leaps and bounds, then tailed off slightly. This track continues the latter trend. It’s not bad, a real sharp rocker with a sixties garage punk feeling (no I don’t know what I’m talking about either) but it’s not as good as “Jumpers” or “Modern Girl”, or even “Entertain”. Still, I don’t hate it. Steep Air: Things actually slowing down? Can it be? Very claustrophobic air to this one, sounds like piano there but none is credited so maybe not. Vocal is very low and almost indistinct, guitars hard and sharp, growling and snapping. No that must be piano. A very decent song. Let’s Call it Love: This is that eleven-minuter I feared. Although I don’t know the band, they don’t seem the obvious type to write epics - short, sharp stabs in the face seem to me to be more their style than long, prolonged kickings while you lie writhing on the ground - but here we are. Will it be an endurance or a revelation? Well it starts off tough enough, and I find it hard to understand how they’re going to stretch this out for eleven minutes, but let’s see. Yeah, it’s exploded into a real punk/riot grrl rockfest now, not good news for me. Now it’s slowing down on a kind of almost metal beat, marching drums, thumping guitar but you know, it’s not as bad as it could have been. Not quite sure why it needs to be this long though. Night Light: Great closer. Powerful but not too angry vocal, excellent guitar, catchy hook. Conclusion: I felt sure, when this started, that it would be an easy Hate. I don’t like hating albums, especially those suggested by other people, but some things just don’t sit well with me. As this went on, however, I warmed to it more, and though I couldn’t honestly say I’d ever listen to another Sleater-Kinney record, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. So, Love or Hate? I guess I can say I Like it a little __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018