Random Spirit Lover keeps getting larger every time I listen to it. I really feel like within 10 months it's going to be the biggest album in my collection.

I love how every song hits this amazing grow after about two minutes where everything comes together perfectly in a way you have never imagined possible.

The end of "Trumpet, Trumpet, Toot, Toot" makes me go crazy. And "Taming of the Hands...", "The Courtesan has sung", "Stalion", "The Mending of the Gown"... I can imagine someone perhaps finding the songs hard to swallow, but you absolutely can not ignore them. The Album is a stage show, it forces you to sit and watch every move it makes until it feels like letting you go home.

Wow, did you see that review from the Village Voice?

I consider myself to be a person of at least average intelligence. But, I don't think I have ever understood what a review in the Village Voice is talking about. Does anybody else feel the same way?

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
Random Spirit Lover keeps getting larger every time I listen to it. I really feel like within 10 months it's going to be the biggest album in my collection.

I love how every song hits this amazing grow after about two minutes where everything comes together perfectly in a way you have never imagined possible.

The end of "Trumpet, Trumpet, Toot, Toot" makes me go crazy. And "Taming of the Hands...", "The Courtesan has sung", "Stalion", "The Mending of the Gown"... I can imagine someone perhaps finding the songs hard to swallow, but you absolutely can not ignore them. The Album is a stage show, it forces you to sit and watch every move it makes until it feels like letting you go home.

There are rumblings in the distance fortelling some high marks at the end of the year for Lover. I still haven't even begun to unpack it, but I already know I like it quite a bit.

quote:

Originally posted by The Fall of Troy:
Wow, did you see that review from the Village Voice?

I consider myself to be a person of at least average intelligence. But, I don't think I have ever understood what a review in the Village Voice is talking about. Does anybody else feel the same way?

Essentially, what is said is that the album is a bore and that Krug manages to build up songs well but he can't finish them. Apparently he feels that "the wall of sound" is too prominent and drowns the vocals.

I agree to an extent.. I think he builds the songs to a wonderful climax (i.e. he finishes them well) so he's right that Spencer can effectively build up a song. I also agree that the vocals are generally caught in the wash, but I'm not complaining.

I think it's sortof ironic that the two complaints I've heard of the album are that Spencer's vocals are hidden in the mix, and that Spencer's vocals are too hard to listen to. Seems to me these two things would cancel each other out. For the record, I haven't heard the same person site both of these complaints at the same time.

My brain just broke in half like a melon.

quote:

Originally posted by goathouse:
My brain just broke in half like a melon.

Maybe you should get that looked at?

I'm looking at it right now. It's not pretty.

Is anyone else upset that the score for RSL is only 77 at the moment?

quote:

Originally posted by achengy:
Is anyone else upset that the score for RSL is only 77 at the moment?

Yes, it's frustrating. My favorite is the Alternative Press review that accuses Spencer of stumbling upon moments of brilliance as if on accident.

There isn't a moment on this record that isn't completely under his control.

However, I'm frustrated, but not really surprised. It's hardly something you could play on the radio. The songs are long. He sings in a yelp. His lyrics are twisted fever dreams when you can make them out. His instrumentation is unorthodox. His compositions and rhythems are abnormal and fly in the face of convention. It takes time and attention to let it's epic scope sink in. So, I'm not surprised that some music critic that is forced to listen to it and review it would take the time to understand it completely. It's a love it or hate it type of thing.

I think part of the problem here is that people (even indie dudes ((and dudettes))) are frustrated by rock's dissipating mystique, and as such are still holding out hard for something accessible that holds the potential to rejuvenate the legend of acid and--to a lesser extent--weed.

It's like in 2000 when the green party took some critical votes away from the democrats. The more difficult aspects of this album are like the green party.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:


Yes, it's frustrating. My favorite is the Alternative Press review that accuses Spencer of stumbling upon moments of brilliance as if on accident.

I think the Stylus review is the most fanboyish, FWIW. Anyway, I've had RSL for several weeks, but only yesterday started really getting into it. As usual, that seems to happen when I play the CD in the car on the way to and from work. It probably won't leave my car for several weeks (partly because it's really good, but also because I'm often too lazy to pick out new CD's to bring in the car with me).

I haven’t said much about this album in a while and I also haven’t heard it in a while—been in a non-music feeling lately—but it is really good. The MC score doesn’t bother me so much as it surprises me. I thought that a lot of the critics would be drooling over this one; not only is it a top-notch album but like a few others, it doesn’t sound like anything else that came out this year.

It’s impeccably consistent, gripping and one intensely powerful album. The brilliant blend of soft and loud, slow and fast, is truly impressive.

I tried to listen to this album again today, since a lot of people apparently like it, but I'm sad to say I just don't get it. The first couple of songs are decent, but then it gets too weird for my tastes.

And what's up with the ultra-proggy keyboard sounds? Was Rick Wakeman having a garage sale?

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
And what's up with the ultra-proggy keyboard sounds? Was Rick Wakeman having a garage sale?

Come on dude, you need to get with it.

If the keyboards in "The Taming of the Hands" are Ultra Proggy, I'm going to have to swing by Rick's house on my way to school on Monday.

Okay, this is officially the first album I've ever played air-keyboard to!

quote:

Originally posted by benjiru:
Okay, this is officially the first album I've ever played air-keyboard to!

I've played air-organ on many a Doors song..

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:


There isn't a moment on this record that isn't completely under his control.

Exactly. I like how p4k says just that: "while Random Spirit Lover is dense and thorny-- even opaque, at times--it's never haphazard."

Of course most critics aren't going to like it. It's cool to like indie rock and pop because it isn't mainstream and yet it's still usually easy to swallow and catchy. Not so with Sunset Rubdown - this is one album that lives up to its "alternative" title, at least.

I'm still not feeling it. I think I get it, but I don't really enjoy listening to it. It's very adept, even clever, but, then, I don't really enjoy listening to it. I don't know. Maybe it's my fault. I keep waiting for Spencer Krug to make "Apologies to the Queen Mary" again.