Links for Friday

[rockmarooned]

Yes yes, Potter tonight, Simpsons in a couple weeks, Superbad in August... but really, to hell with this summer, bring on next summer!

I had never written a book review before. Now I have. Somehow I got to review a music-related book which is odd because I've never really written a proper music review, either.

In non-jesse-penned review news,

Comments

[slightlyoffaxis]

I don't think that Pitchfork review is too too unfair. I do think that Linnell at least is in a kid-song rut, epecially if you consider "Bee of the Bird of the Moth," which totally could have been on No or Here Come the ABCS. (Also, it recovers the same ground as "Particle Man," which is kind of annoying, and ugh I don't like that song.)

BUT! I disagree with the basic assumption in the review, which is that the earliest albums kept the gimmickry and novelty in check, and now they're letting it run wild. Um, has Rob Mitchum listened to old TMBG? It's like when people criticize the cheesy dialogue in the new Star Wars trilogy without copping to the fact that the old triolgy's script is just as bad.

ALSO!

The fuzz-bass backbeat on "Take Out the Trash" may sound a bit like Odelay, but Flansburgh's (hopefully) unintentional biting of Smash Mouth is what ultimately sinks the song.

This makes me furious. "Take Out the Trash" is awesome and IT'S NOTHING LIKE SMASH MOUTH.

[rockmarooned]

I just don't think any of his criticisms are internally consistent and so they read like grasping at straws. He's saying everyone knows the first four albums are the best. OK, fine. I don't agree, but fair enough. But then he says that the problem with their lesser material is that they don't keep their excesses or eccentricities or screwing around in check which, as you point out, makes absolutely no sense if you've heard their old albums. He also says that they use "too much" humor (the usual rock-critic establishment pillar that humor should be used sparingly if at all) and says that the songs contain such signifiers of children's music as... guitar solos and horns? Which I would think would be the more traditional, less experimental touches he would want. (And both of which, to top it off, are used sparingly on the album. There are like two songs with relatively subtle horn parts. And how many of the songs have guitar solos at all

[opiateslopes]

listen to all things, forests lately? it's better now.

[rockmarooned]

It is indeed. I haven't listened to it in a few weeks but basically I listened and listened and listened until the only stuff I didn't care for floated around the middle of the album, practically undetectable. Which is a problem many albums I really like have so it's not a big deal.

The TMBG album I mention above actually had a similar effect, only much accelerated because I've only had it for a few days. But my first reaction to both was "oh, yeah, I guess this is pretty good... a little underwhelming" and then after a certain number of listens, I'm like, wait, which were the songs I didn't like?

I'm still not sure if Forests as good as II or III but their albums are remarkably subtle for the kind of music they supposedly make.

[opiateslopes]

the weird thing for me was listening to all things, forests yesterday while doing dishes and realizing it's palomar's best record (haven't heard palomar I though). warren's delivering some of her best lines yet. maybe this is due to increased leeway given her by the fact that the band has the same lineup as on III. i'd heard the palomar 3.5 ep a few months before hearing all things, forests and i think the inclusion on the album of two songs from the ep tripped me up from being able to listen well through forests. now that some distance has set in forests has gone from sounding disjointed to sounding unified and somehow even more confident than the very confident II and III. i love those albums but it's great that palomar just keeps getting more awesome. though i was in brooklyn in june my schedule didn't permit attending any of their area shows. did you see them at union hall or luna lounge?

[rockmarooned]

I didn't go to those shows -- the pattern that has set in is that I see their album-release show and then forget to look for any further tourdates because I take it for granted that they're always around.

I can see the new one as their best record in part because it's a little more concise and unified -- the other ones (I haven't heard the first one yet either) all have a few too many songs, each seeming like they're about to end several times before they do. Forests has a real build to what feels like a real final track. From "Top Banana" on out it's just great (and I love some of the earlier songs too).

I actually just re-listened to some of the EP because I burned it to a CD for the first time (so I could re-rip "Washington" to put it on a mix CD). The album version of "Woah!" is somehow much better.