I just discovered via the Wikipedia link that her son was a professor here in Alaska until 2006 when he resigned. And he committed suicide on March 16th of this year.
---------------------------- There's an ember in the rafters and it's gonna burn this whole thing down.
Originally posted by Shadrach: Bizarre. Thanks for the tips Hophead.
I just discovered via the Wikipedia link that her son was a professor here in Alaska until 2006 when he resigned. And he committed suicide on March 16th of this year.
Sounds like hereditary depression to me.
On a more positive note, I might be seeing them on May 31!
Interesting how he reprises the melody of "Bear" on the closer, and another one as well I think. Don't usually like reprising stuff, but it works really well with the different guitar progression IMO. Anyway, I can see this album getting a lot of comparisons to For Emma, Forever Ago.
The more I listen to this album the more I love it. Something that really impresses me is the singer's voice, it's really excellent, we're talking top notch. I started pulling up video on the internet of their live stuff and the singer just pwns.
The more I listen to this album, the more I realize it isn't as good as I thought at first. Still, has some really great tracks, and I almost always dig male-female vocal interplay.
Yeah, when I'm listening to it, it feels like a 'good' album. But it's just so... serious. I dunno, I don't demand humor from bands (I tend to be annoyed by it most of the time, actually), but there's just something about listening to 50 minutes of unrelenting seriousness that doesn't lend itself to that many repeated listens for me.
Originally posted by BContrat: The more I listen to this album, the more I realize it isn't as good as I thought at first. Still, has some really great tracks, and I almost always dig male-female vocal interplay.
I actually came here to say the direct opposite. I've been listening to this album more recently and have got more and more sucked into it every time. And now think that it truely is one of the best this year. I think the last half especially is far more solid than I first gave it credit for.
I can totally see people being turned off by the seriousness of it though. But I don't think that should turn anyone away from giving it a chance.
I think the seriousness works because it's so honest. It isn't trying to force you to feel, and using cliche' gimicks to draw emotion. Its just settlings into a mood and tells a story. And it does give you room to breathe everyonce in a while so the subject doesn't get too heavy.
The power is in how well the music drives the story. I think you could remove the vocal track and you would still come away with the same emotional impact and understanding of what the musician was trying to tell you.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Shadrach,
---------------------------- There's an ember in the rafters and it's gonna burn this whole thing down.
Originally posted by BContrat: The more I listen to this album, the more I realize it isn't as good as I thought at first. Still, has some really great tracks, and I almost always dig male-female vocal interplay.
I actually came here to say the direct opposite. I've been listening to this album more recently and have got more and more sucked into it every time. And now think that it truely is one of the best this year. I think the last half especially is far more solid than I first gave it credit for.
I can totally see people being turned off by the seriousness of it though. But I don't think that should turn anyone away from giving it a chance.
I think the seriousness works because it's so honest. It isn't trying to force you to feel, and using cliche' gimicks to draw emotion. Its just settlings into a mood and tells a story. And it does give you room to breathe everyonce in a while so the subject doesn't get too heavy.
The power is in how well the music drives the story. I think you could remove the vocal track and you would still come away with the same emotional impact and understanding of what the musician was trying to tell you.
I'm with you on this one. At first I thought it was just a really good album. But as time's gone on this album is sneaking into top-ten-of-the-decade territory for me. I think the reason it took so long to grow on me is that I could barely hear the lyrics, which is the album's strong suit, imo.
Posts: 838 | Location: Portland, OR | Registered: 22 October 2005
Originally posted by Shadrach: I think the last half especially is far more solid than I first gave it credit for.
I initially thought it was back-heavy, actually. I'd say Two -> Shiva -> Wake are probably the 3 best songs here. He did a good job on the lyrics, IMO, never seems pointlessly dramatic or forced. I do need to have a proper read of them all, though.
I checked out their debut, In the Attic of the Universe, from 2007. Not bad, a few very neat songs, but nowhere near as impeccable as Hospice.
Originally posted by Shadrach: I think the last half especially is far more solid than I first gave it credit for.
I initially thought it was back-heavy, actually. I'd say Two -> Shiva -> Wake are probably the 3 best songs here. He did a good job on the lyrics, IMO, never seems pointlessly dramatic or forced. I do need to have a proper read of them all, though.
I checked out their debut, In the Attic of the Universe, from 2007. Not bad, a few very neat songs, but nowhere near as impeccable as Hospice.
I think I was always just infatuated with "Kettering" and "Sylvia" but then "Atrophy" Through "Thirteen" would let my attention drift to a point where I wouldn't actually connect properly with the tracks after them. But then I tried jumping right in at "Two", and that's when I realized exactly what you just said about "Two", "Shiva", and "Wake".
I agree that the lyrics are great, and they really seem to weave into a very well thought out puzzle. I feel like the story overlaps constantly with foreshadows and flashbacks. The major points of the story are linear, but the details are not exactly told in order. And sometimes there are parts of the story that are told entirely literal, but I get the feeling are just metaphors or dream images that communicate the struggle and the loss.
This album makes me never want to work around dieing people.
---------------------------- There's an ember in the rafters and it's gonna burn this whole thing down.
Getting re-mastered and re-released August 18 on a label. I guess thats when we can expect Pitchfork and a few of the others to get around to reviewing it.
Posts: 1781 | Location: The Coastal Empire | Registered: 24 December 2004
I've seen a few scattered reviews for it by those that got the self-released version. I'm very happy for them.
I bought the self-released version so I am one of the lucky few who owns one of the first pressings that will never be made again! My first copy was defective but I e-mailed the band and Peter Silberman himself sent me another copy.
I also had the chance to ask him how important Sylvia Plath is; he basically said that the album is about a lot of different characters, Plath being one of them. However, he wanted to point out that the album is not dedicated, nor is it solely about her.
----- Never say you miss her, never say a word. And do everything she'd never do.
Posts: 6627 | Location: Texas | Registered: 27 December 2005
Originally posted by hophead: Getting re-mastered and re-released August 18 on a label. I guess thats when we can expect Pitchfork and a few of the others to get around to reviewing it.
Aw, that makes me wish I hadn't paid for this version. I don't love the production.
