It's good. Quite good. I think it kind of slows down in the second half, though, except for Scythian Empires.

You mean it resembles the theme it's pitching in the lyrics? You're going to slow down, grow old, grow cold, and lose the battle? I love the closing instrumental, but I'm a sucker for an emotional ending anyway.

Can anyone give me a synopsis of Blenders review of this album? From that one liner MC shows I don't understand what they are trying to say.

quote:

Originally posted by mark f:
You mean it resembles the theme it's pitching in the lyrics? You're going to slow down, grow old, grow cold, and lose the battle? I love the closing instrumental, but I'm a sucker for an emotional ending anyway.

Perhaps. The second half isn't as compulsively listenable as the first. Stuff like "Heretics" and "Fiery Crash" are fantastic, but later stuff slows down and isn't as interesting. Good, but not Heretics good.

quote:

Originally posted by Glisten:
Can anyone give me a synopsis of Blenders review of this album? From that one liner MC shows I don't understand what they are trying to say.

Sure, let me go grab my subscriptionn copy of Blender that just came in the mail. Oh shit, nevermind. I forgot Blender sucks ass and I probably wouldn't tolerate it if it came for free.

quote:

Originally posted by Hophead:

quote:

Originally posted by Glisten:
Can anyone give me a synopsis of Blenders review of this album? From that one liner MC shows I don't understand what they are trying to say.

Sure, let me go grab my subscriptionn copy of Blender that just came in the mail. Oh shit, nevermind. I forgot Blender sucks ass and I probably wouldn't tolerate it if it came for free.

Haha yea, I found the article online and it criticizes Birds' use of allusions to science in Imitosis, the critic finishes with:

Still, the music’s intellectualism obscures as many truths as it unveils: Rarely has the term drop some science been more apt.

I guess he didn't understand the "Apocrypha" part of the album title.

listening to this album currently, really feelin it.

Wow!

Really cool link, mark!

I'm liking the album. Maybe not as much as Production, but plenty. Any thoughts why P4k gave such a lukewarm review? I wasn't expecting a 10, but, really a 7.7?

quote:

Originally posted by kendocubano:
Any thoughts why P4k gave such a lukewarm review? I wasn't expecting a 10, but, really a 7.7?

My thoughts are that P4K is more likely to bet on a new horse than an old one. You routinely see new flash-in-the-pan artists like The Go! Team (8.7? Really?) getting higher marks than excellent albums by established artists. Spoon's Gimme Fiction only got a 7.9, and My Morning Jacket's Z only got a 7.6. Many people around here already rank those albums among the best of the 00s.

Funny, I think it's Bird's best album. I also think that Wilco's A Ghost is Born (p4k 6.6) is their best compared to YHF (10.0).

They've had an unprecedented amount of "Best New Music" albums over the past week. The new Paxil shipment must have come in. P4k contributors are in good moods lately.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:

quote:

Originally posted by kendocubano:
Any thoughts why P4k gave such a lukewarm review? I wasn't expecting a 10, but, really a 7.7?

My thoughts are that P4K is more likely to bet on a new horse than an old one. You routinely see new flash-in-the-pan artists like The Go! Team (8.7? Really?) getting higher marks than excellent albums by established artists. Spoon's Gimme Fiction only got a 7.9, and My Morning Jacket's Z only got a 7.6. Many people around here already rank those albums among the best of the 00s.

I would give the Go! Team an 8.7. It's silly and kind of mindless, but the amount of fun I've had with that music is hard to put a rating on. I'm eagerly awaiting their next album.

That said, I think Bird would deserve a higher score than what he was given; I guess they were just judging it against Mysterious Production of Eggs, which is also very good but at the same time very similar to Armchair Apocrypha.

quote:

Originally posted by Il Mago:
Funny, I think it's Bird's best album. I also think that Wilco's A Ghost is Born (p4k 6.6) is their best compared to YHF (10.0).

I disagree with you there. I think YHF and Summerteeth are both superior, but AGIB is no slouch. It is worthy of a higher score.

And while we're on the subject, how about the paltry 6.9 they rolled out for the White Stripes' Elephant? WTF?

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
My thoughts are that P4K is more likely to bet on a new horse than an old one. You routinely see new flash-in-the-pan artists like The Go! Team (8.7? Really?) getting higher marks than excellent albums by established artists. Spoon's Gimme Fiction only got a 7.9, and My Morning Jacket's Z only got a 7.6. Many people around here already rank those albums among the best of the 00s.

I don't know why, but it seems anytime an artist or band follows up an extremely well-received album (for example - Kill the Moonlight, It Still Moves, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) p4k ranks it much lower. The only band I can really think of who has gotten consecutive higher scores is the New Pornographers. But, just wait...they'll probably give their new one a 7.6 or something.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:

quote:

Originally posted by Il Mago:
Funny, I think it's Bird's best album. I also think that Wilco's A Ghost is Born (p4k 6.6) is their best compared to YHF (10.0).

I disagree with you there. I think YHF and Summerteeth are both superior, but AGIB is no slouch. It is worthy of a higher score.

And while we're on the subject, how about the paltry 6.9 they rolled out for the White Stripes' Elephant? WTF?

That was probably a reaction to almost every other review source in the world calling it the Greatest Album Ever To Be Released Ever.

I mean, it's a damn fine album, but it wasn't that good.

'SIMPLE X' IS OMG

quote:

Originally posted by joji:
'SIMPLE X' IS OMG

indeed, very chic

i like heretics and Plasticities best
nice album

inspired me to get the predecessor.

Before I get to the whole P4K issue, this is a fine, fine album. Maybe not as strikingly brilliant as Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs, but it is very good. Definitely deserves a score much higher, at least in the 9s. I agree with what eric said on the fact that Spoon and My Morning Jacket's latest albums deserved much higher marks but I also agree with beeswaw that after an album that they love is followed with another it will be considerably rated lower. Z however, was the bet album of 2005 and will be one of the best of the decade.

I don't really see how everyone can think that A Ghost Is Born can be so much better than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. My personal favorite is the double-disc Being There but I don't think that Ghost can really rival its three predecessors. It definitely isn't 6.9 quality at all. It deserved something much higher, maybe high 8s, low 9s? All in all, Wilco has created a nice little catalog filled with great music.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
I disagree with you there. I think YHF and Summerteeth are both superior, but AGIB is no slouch. It is worthy of a higher score.

And while we're on the subject, how about the paltry 6.9 they rolled out for the White Stripes' Elephant? WTF?

Forgot to mention. The Shins. I think Wincing is easily their best album, and they got something like a 7.7 too....P4K is cyclical. They work so hard at getting their readers to get into a certain artist, then when they have the readers on board, they "meh" the next album.

Loyal Pitchfork Reader/Musical Dim-wit:
"Wow, this Wilco band got a 10.0! I better start checking them out. AGIB a 6.6? I'm so embarassed that I used to like them, Wilco is SO 2002."