MB Album Club 2022

SGR · 04-14-2023, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

yeah I don't need like typical high bps type music to work out to. Any music will do so I don't think the fact that I listened to it at the gym changed my opinion all that much.

Fair enough man. My brother works out to folk rock which I always pick on him for.

What's the slowest music you actually enjoy working out to?

djchameleon · 04-15-2023, 01:26 AM

I was going to say Vanessa Carltons debut but some of her tracks can be pretty upbeat.

Idk tbh I just like listening to music at the gym doesn't matter what it is.

rubber soul · 04-20-2023, 01:02 PM

BEACH HOUSE-BLOOM

Okay, first of all, I have quite a bit of familiarity with this duo as they are one of the best things that hail from Baltimore. Animal Collective also paid their dues in Baltimore, thus giving Baltimore its first real rock scene ever.

Anyway, Bloom is essentially the follow up to their classic Teen Dream, an album I absolutely love. And this album starts out the same way with Myth which compares very well with my Teen Dream faves, Zebra and Norway. After the solid second track, Wild, the album segues into the quirky toy piano based Lazuli. This might be my favorite track on this gentle psychedelic album.

The album continues on it’s psychedelic course with Other People. I love the vocals on this and on the album as a whole. The Hours is also pretty decent. Then there is the moody Troublemaker. I am always a fan of minor chords, and this is another favorite of mine.

We get to New Year, another melodic masterpiece. Haven’t found a weak track yet by this point. Wishes is another favorite and I just thought of something. The vocals remind me a little of Sigur Ros and one wonders if they were an influence in some way.

On the Sea is the last relatively short track on the album and it sets up the sixteen minute long Irene (with a hidden track apparently). Would have liked it better if there wasn’t such a gap between Irene and this hidden track but, oh well.

So, the best thing here is to compare the album to Teen Dream. Much like comparing Magical Mystery Tour to Sgt. Pepper, for me anyway. Bloom compares amazingly well it turns out as it is a classic in its own right. The instrumentation is lush and soothing as are the vocals and the songs are so melodic. I would recommend this to anybody. You’re going to have a tough time topping this one, SGR.

9.5/10 (The Word has spoken)

Lisnaholic · 04-23-2023, 07:13 PM

BEACH HOUSE by Bloom

This album started beautifully: the intro to Myth has a clean, interesting sound, though I was disappointed by the voice when it came in. Still, it suits the style of this album, which consists of a bunch of sweet dream-pop songs.

Tracks that stood out to me as being particularly nice were Lazuli (for its synths), Wishes (for its melody) and Irene (for the insistent loop that was, at last, a little more challenging to the listener). I thought The Hours would stand as a representative for the whole album: nice fuzzy synths that made me think of Eno's Another Green World and a pleasing tune that seems like an affectionate look back to a gentle piece of 60s pop.

As a whole, the album made me think of a box of chocolates: each track is a little audio treat, but after a while I found all that high-register sweetness unsatisfactory - like when you're eating chocolates and suddenly realize, "Actually, I'm hungry enough for steak and chips." I didn't hear anything very rough or robust in this album, nothing that caught my attention or made me think I wanted to listen to it again. So I was content to put it aside, again like the chocolates, as something that was enjoyable for a while, but it's just put me in the mood for something more substantial, with a bit of, I don't know, vigour perhaps...
6.5/10

Lisnaholic · 04-23-2023, 07:38 PM

Yep, I agree with you, SGR: this is absolutely NOT gym music imo, the moods of the two being so completetely opposed. Might as well put on some Ornette Coleman because you want to take a nap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

Beach House - Bloom
....not in the mood to hear whatever this whispery surfer California beach type music.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubber soul

BEACH HOUSE-BLOOM
...one of the best things that hail from Baltimore. Animal Collective also paid their dues in Baltimore, thus giving Baltimore its first real rock scene ever.

The geography of the USA can be enough of a challenge to off-worlders. The least you guys could do is get your stories straight.

Lisnaholic · 04-23-2023, 09:01 PM

Recent album scores not yet posted on the front page of the Album Club thread:-

Paul's Boutique: SGR: 7.2 (#650)
Concrete Blonde: rubbersoul: 8.3 (#682)
From Spain To Spain: Lisna: 5.2 (#695)
Living Things : Mindfulness: 5.6 (#710)
Joy Comes Back : Trollheart: 7.1 (#745)

And the nominations list is growing:-

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mindfulness

My Head Is an Animal
by Of Monsters and Men

Album I would like to nominate when my turn comes back around

And now one from me:-

........or if your Polish is weak, People's Spring by Warsaw Village Band

Trollheart · 04-24-2023, 10:47 AM

Yeah I'll get right on it. Not like I have anything else to do...

My review of the current album will be late (gasp) as I'm spending a whole lot of time out in space with a bald guy. And an android. For now, we move on.

Mindy · 04-24-2023, 01:04 PM

Beach House – Bloom

Been listening to this now for a week, waiting to like a song and so far, ‘The Hours’ is my favorite. Very peaceful sounding. The artwork is abstract and lame, I just don’t like its boring black-and-white vibes. “New Year” starts off nicely and transitions into a drum beat smoothly, it’s a great song. This band sounds a bit like Phantogram’s songs, at least with the singer. The way the songs go from one song to the other is melancholic. This album also gives off an MGMT vibe to the way the song’s music sounds, but not so much the singing. There is a dreamy kind of sound on some songs and gives off the vibe that it is an album for druggies. "The Hours", "Lazuli", "New Year" are the songs I saved from the album for future listens.
There are some songs on the album that are too psychedelic for me, and just sound mumble tuned. "On the Sea" – has a rolling melody and flow of the ocean. The lyrics are introspective and thoughtful, and the piano sounds nice. "Wishes" is especially good because they make you feel like you should appreciate life while you have it. Overall I would say it gives off the vibe of an MGMT mixed with a bit slower lyrics but it was a good album.

7.9/10

SGR · 04-24-2023, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mindfulness

Beach House – Bloom

Been listening to this now for a week, waiting to like a song and so far, ‘The Hours’ is my favorite. Very peaceful sounding. The artwork is abstract and lame, I just don’t like its boring black-and-white vibes. “New Year” starts off nicely and transitions into a drum beat smoothly, it’s a great song. This band sounds a bit like Phantogram’s songs, at least with the singer. The way the songs go from one song to the other is melancholic. This album also gives off an MGMT vibe to the way the song’s music sounds, but not so much the singing. There is a dreamy kind of sound on some songs and gives off the vibe that it is an album for druggies. "The Hours", "Lazuli", "New Year" are the songs I saved from the album for future listens.
There are some songs on the album that are too psychedelic for me, and just sound mumble tuned. "On the Sea" – has a rolling melody and flow of the ocean. The lyrics are introspective and thoughtful, and the piano sounds nice. "Wishes" is especially good because they make you feel like you should appreciate life while you have it. Overall I would say it gives off the vibe of an MGMT mixed with a bit slower lyrics but it was a good album.

7.9/10

Mindy · 04-24-2023, 01:19 PM

I don't know why I typed that it's for druggies, I meant it could because of the way it sounds.

04-23-2023, 07:13 PM	#764 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	BEACH HOUSE by Bloom This album started beautifully: the intro to Myth has a clean, interesting sound, though I was disappointed by the voice when it came in. Still, it suits the style of this album, which consists of a bunch of sweet dream-pop songs. Tracks that stood out to me as being particularly nice were Lazuli (for its synths), Wishes (for its melody) and Irene (for the insistent loop that was, at last, a little more challenging to the listener). I thought The Hours would stand as a representative for the whole album: nice fuzzy synths that made me think of Eno's Another Green World and a pleasing tune that seems like an affectionate look back to a gentle piece of 60s pop. As a whole, the album made me think of a box of chocolates: each track is a little audio treat, but after a while I found all that high-register sweetness unsatisfactory - like when you're eating chocolates and suddenly realize, "Actually, I'm hungry enough for steak and chips." I didn't hear anything very rough or robust in this album, nothing that caught my attention or made me think I wanted to listen to it again. So I was content to put it aside, again like the chocolates, as something that was enjoyable for a while, but it's just put me in the mood for something more substantial, with a bit of, I don't know, vigour perhaps... 6.5/10 __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953 Last edited by Lisnaholic; 04-23-2023 at 07:19 PM.

04-24-2023, 10:47 AM	#767 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Yeah I'll get right on it. Not like I have anything else to do... My review of the current album will be late (gasp) as I'm spending a whole lot of time out in space with a bald guy. And an android. For now, we move on. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

04-24-2023, 01:04 PM	#768 (permalink)
Mindy ask me about cosmology Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Milky Way Galaxy Posts: 9,013	Beach House – Bloom Been listening to this now for a week, waiting to like a song and so far, ‘The Hours’ is my favorite. Very peaceful sounding. The artwork is abstract and lame, I just don’t like its boring black-and-white vibes. “New Year” starts off nicely and transitions into a drum beat smoothly, it’s a great song. This band sounds a bit like Phantogram’s songs, at least with the singer. The way the songs go from one song to the other is melancholic. This album also gives off an MGMT vibe to the way the song’s music sounds, but not so much the singing. There is a dreamy kind of sound on some songs and gives off the vibe that it is an album for druggies. "The Hours", "Lazuli", "New Year" are the songs I saved from the album for future listens. There are some songs on the album that are too psychedelic for me, and just sound mumble tuned. "On the Sea" – has a rolling melody and flow of the ocean. The lyrics are introspective and thoughtful, and the piano sounds nice. "Wishes" is especially good because they make you feel like you should appreciate life while you have it. Overall I would say it gives off the vibe of an MGMT mixed with a bit slower lyrics but it was a good album. 7.9/10 __________________ https://www.instagram.com/shhons_meme_agency

04-24-2023, 01:19 PM	#770 (permalink)
Mindy ask me about cosmology Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Milky Way Galaxy Posts: 9,013	I don't know why I typed that it's for druggies, I meant it could because of the way it sounds. __________________ https://www.instagram.com/shhons_meme_agency