Although I've only read one review (Rolling Stone) and random comments here and there on the new Clap Your Hands Say Yeah album, I was beginning to get the feeling I was in for a letdown. Well, I got the CD in last night, loaded it into the ipod, and listened to it for hours. I was a big fan of their first album, but I'm not someone who gives the sophomore effort a pass just because of that. As certain as you can be after one day of listening, I'm quite sure I'm going to like Some Loud Thunder even better than the debut. Every song caught my ear in some way, and several are just flat out excellent. Perhaps some of you aren't as down on it as I read into it, and maybe (well, definitely) I shouldn't put much (if anything) into the Rolling Stone review (not horrible at 3 stars, but still). Has anybody else given the whole thing a listen?

I'm liking it more with each listen... On first listen I decided to give it a *** (out of 5) but now (after a few more turns) it's at a solid ****. I'm actually enjoying it more than the Shins new release but not nearly as much as Of Montreal (which got a shocking 3 stars in Rolling Stone) or Julie Doiron.
Highlights:
Some Loud Thunder
Yankee Go Home
Arm and Hammer (which sounds kinda bluesy)
Five Easy Pieces (the best track on the whole album, a masterpiece).

oops. I accidentally posted a thread about the same album without seeing this tread. So I'll bump yours up.

i just went out and bought some loud thunder and the first track on it was one of the songs that i heard prior to the release that i really enjoyed.

EXCEPT

in the cd version it sounds reallly distorted and its not nearly as good as the clearer version i think might have been released as a single?

this is sort of upsetting. although i've listened to the distored one probably like 5 times back to back now its grown on me.

have anyone else heard the difference between the two some loud thunder songs? theres a significant time difference between the two as well.

the cd version i have is a minute longer.

Yeah there are two versions. The cleaner, settled version that is floating around the internet and the one that they did include in the album, the distorted one. There is talk as to why they did this but it is what it is. What do you think of the whole album?

i am on the second listen of the album the whole way through.

i pick the lyrics apart in the 1st listen and after each listen i pick apart a certain instrument depending on the band.

overall so far i really like it. not amazing. not as good as their debuet(on first listen), but in time it could be there.

ill let you know in a few days in this topic of what my conclusion is to this.

what about yours?

I dont have it yet. I have sampled a lot of it and I have gone to the only store in my town that has it 4 times today and I just can't decide on whether to buy it or not. Sure, I like the first album a ton, but this doesn't sound like it, even ericg75 said so and he loved their first album. I am still pondering it, spending $10 on an album is a pretty big deal, I don't know...I will think about it, but if anyone has any input on what they think and whether or not they like it, please let me know--that includes you thomyorkeisgod. Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
I dont have it yet. I have sampled a lot of it and I have gone to the only store in my town that has it 4 times today and I just can't decide on whether to buy it or not. Sure, I like the first album a ton, but this doesn't sound like it, even ericg75 said so and he loved their first album. I am still pondering it, spending $10 on an album is a pretty big deal, I don't know...I will think about it, but if anyone has any input on what they think and whether or not they like it, please let me know--that includes you thomyorkeisgod. Thanks

I'm going to be straight with you and say that it's not worth the purchase. Yes, it is a good album but one that is totally forgettable. Some Loud Thunder starts out well but it becomes a boring mix of indie rock aesthetics and new wave ballads after a couple of listens. I'm not going to say that it's a bad album (it isn't) but it's just not that intriguing. I'd give it a 7/10 as of now (it used to be 8/10).

The only version of Some Loud Thunder (the song) that I've heard is the album version, so I can't really compare the two. However, one thing I did notice that I later saw mentioned on All Music Guide is that it can physically hurt to listen to it (when I'm in the car it doesn't, but my first few listens were on the iPod, and it really did make my ears hurt!). I really like the song though... I'm gonna try to track down the other version.

sunset... i think you will like the first version alot. so good luck. lol.

fragile.... i disagree with everoneindividual but yet can agree with him too. the cd defintly does not sound anything like their last release. (except for maybe satan said dance, i love that song,lol) but i think the reason why i really got into them was their orginality. especially in the frontmans voice. with this cd they continue to experiment in ways a lot of bands try but fail.

im not saying this cd is perfect. because its not, not by a long shot. i think there are maybe one or two duds on the 11 track cd. but other than those i think all the songs are above average.

as far as making a lot of critics top 10 at the end of the year, i doubt it. but its a fun listen.

So I just got back from the music store and I still don't know whether to buy it or not. It is tough because some of the songs I really like and some songs I just feel "eh" about. If that makes sense. Without a doubt, "Satan Said Dance" is my favourite tracks and also probably because it most sounds like something off their first album. I guess I still need to mull it over.

I'm another person on the fence. I've been listening to it for about two days and i don't think I'm ever going to love it. Although to be fair, i don't really love their first album either. There are some really fantastic bass lines towards the end of the album, and I'm not really hearing these "dud" songs that the records reviewers seem to hear, but eh. And yes, there are a few spots that physically hurt to listen to. the distortion on the first song makes me bizzarrely uncomfortable.

Everyone was gripin' about Joanna Newsom's voice on Ys, but Some Loud Thunder takes it to a new level. I like the s/t a lot, but this is rough. I've tried to listen to it 5 times and I've made it about half way each time.

about the distortion song....

my dads car it sounds like garbage

ipod i wont even listen to it anymore. that bad.

my room(above average speakers) is actually decent. still bad, but atleast you can listen to it.

maybe the sond sounds amazing on some 10,000 studio speakers? haha.

anyone have some that can let us now?

if you do, give me your adress too and leave a spare key outside

That post makes me what to hunt it down, especially if you're sayin' somethin' like it's all distorted and all, but I'll check it out soon enough. I was thinkin' there was a record number of leaks, so this should be available w/o distortion.

Andy Bird rules (Millions), even though I wouldn't have thunk it so much before this release.

on my first listen I have to say that I was a bit dissapointed (especially with the distortion on Some Loud Thunder, I thought my speakers were shot). But I am really taking a liking ot this now. My expectations were high and i think this album will be on everyone's "Best of" lists for 2007.

quote:

Originally posted by crazyhorse:
on my first listen I have to say that I was a bit dissapointed (especially with the distortion on Some Loud Thunder, I thought my speakers were shot). But I am really taking a liking ot this now. My expectations were high and i think this album will be on everyone's "Best of" lists for 2007.

Um, no if anything it'll be on the "Okay, but not as good as their _________ album" list along with the Arcade Fire- Neon Bible, and I don't even wanna predict others. Fingers crossed. But I do like it despite the bad production choices on a number of tracks.

I have to say, it's growing on me a little bit. My big problem is that the first album was so energetic (for most of it) and the bassline kept everything zipping along. This time it's much slower and not as catchy... I'm not sure that there's enough to the songs to keep me listening.

quote:

Originally posted by brighteyes215:

quote:

Originally posted by crazyhorse:
on my first listen I have to say that I was a bit dissapointed (especially with the distortion on Some Loud Thunder, I thought my speakers were shot). But I am really taking a liking ot this now. My expectations were high and i think this album will be on everyone's "Best of" lists for 2007.

Um, no if anything it'll be on the "Okay, but not as good as their _________ album" list along with the Arcade Fire- Neon Bible, and I don't even wanna predict others. Fingers crossed. But I do like it despite the bad production choices on a number of tracks.

To each his own.

God, I can't make up my mind anymore... I like then I love it, I hate it then I adore it again. Right Now, I'm really enjoying it again. I like "Some Loud Thunder", it is really distorted but I think it's a brilliant track.