Jump to content
The Official Site of the Vancouver Canucks
Canucks Community

Music in 2017


GLASSJAW

Recommended Posts

On ‎2017‎-‎08‎-‎26 at 4:48 PM, riffraff said:

New WOD album "a deeper understanding" released officially yesterday.

 

perfect times released as I bought it in the morning and had a long enough drive to listen to it uninterrupted twice through.

 

love this band and had high hopes for this album.  As with most bands I like who sign with a major I had some

concerns but granduciel apparently has full creative control so........

 

the result made has brought a smile to my face.  This album sounds incredible.  Adding a consistent almost chugging stronger base guitar sound and some just enough drum overlay really takes the sound into another level over LIAD the last release.  Anyone who has listened and liked this band will be a fan of the silky synth sounds and the new production is by far the most full grandiose production relative to synth so far.  It completely envelopes the space you are listening in.

 

all these musical areas mentioned and no I finally get to the guitars and in particular the solos.  Granduciel is a master of authenticity in tone and arrangement in these solos. Incorporating some of the melodies and expanding on them, he achieves not only some catchy elements but also atmosphere. The solos are a bit less notey than prior albums but less is more here and the tones, man, right in my wheelhouse.  Perfect imo.

 

all in all I'm bias as I have all the albums already and totally dig this band.  The display of talent by granduciel in particular relative to a modern rock sound is not rivalled currently imo.  There is nothing in this album he wasn't a part of if not entirely responsible for, sometimes playing between 7-12 instruments.  The detail and arrangements here, again, elite level.

I really enjoyed the last 2 War On Drugs albums, but both were growers for me. Took me a while to fully appreciate them, but definitely did -  Lost In The Dream was my AOTY in 2014. But holy hell...this is on another level. I was totally hooked the moment that the bass kicked in on the first track.

 

And I know what you mean about the "tones". This is one of the only bands that can consistently divert into extended guitar solos and it not sound forced or contrived in the slightest. When Strangest Thing crescendos into that main riff/melody, it's simply amazing.

 

I've told people for a while now that my favourite active bands are Vampire Weekend and The National, because they have released multiple albums that I've loved from start to finish. The War On Drugs are now firmly on that list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

not enjoying A Deeper Understanding as much as you guys are. that opening track is a total monster, but the rest is just isn't hitting me. my primary complaint is that i'm just not liking his vocal shift lately. he doesn't sound anything like he used to. compare the vocals with Wagonwheel Blues, for example, sounds like a different singer almost. he's moved from his insecure Bob Dylan-style yelping to like raspy whisper-singing or something. you can sorta map the transition with Slave Ambient, but Slave has enough reverb to mask it. probably in the minority, but I definitely rate Wagonwheel and Slave way, way, way above these last two releases

 

which isn't necessarily a bad thing, since I think Wagonwheel and Slave are phenomenal, whereas Lost in the Dream is something I have to be in the mood for, and A Deeper Understanding hasn't really hit me yet. hope it's a grower, though

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, GLASSJAW said:

not enjoying A Deeper Understanding as much as you guys are. that opening track is a total monster, but the rest is just isn't hitting me. my primary complaint is that i'm just not liking his vocal shift lately. he doesn't sound anything like he used to. compare the vocals with Wagonwheel Blues, for example, sounds like a different singer almost. he's moved from his insecure Bob Dylan-style yelping to like raspy whisper-singing or something. you can sorta map the transition with Slave Ambient, but Slave has enough reverb to mask it. probably in the minority, but I definitely rate Wagonwheel and Slave way, way, way above these last two releases

 

which isn't necessarily a bad thing, since I think Wagonwheel and Slave are phenomenal, whereas Lost in the Dream is something I have to be in the mood for, and A Deeper Understanding hasn't really hit me yet. hope it's a grower, though

 

Translation: I loved them until they got popular.

 

trans_banner.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had to give A Deeper Understanding a whirl after reading this page. The ones I liked:
 
Up All Night ... by far the best one   
Pain ... an '80s Bryan Adams fronting Fleetwood Mac
Holding On ... a young Dylan with St Vincent and The E Street Band
In Chains ... E Street Band again, this one definitely for driving in the dark while on the homeward stretch, but I really wished it had a heavy dose of sax.

 

Overall, I'm not gonna lie, most of the album had me thinking of this:

 

Spoiler

 

(I'm sorry riffraff, don't hate me, haha)

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Svengali said:

Had to give A Deeper Understanding a whirl after reading this page. The ones I liked:
 
Up All Night ... by far the best one   
Pain ... an '80s Bryan Adams fronting Fleetwood Mac
Holding On ... a young Dylan with St Vincent and The E Street Band
In Chains ... E Street Band again, this one definitely for driving in the dark while on the homeward stretch, but I really wished it had a heavy dose of sax.

 

Overall, I'm not gonna lie, most of the album had me thinking of this:

 

  Hide contents

 

(I'm sorry riffraff, don't hate me, haha)

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah my buddy said the same.  And I get the Bruce comparisons but not vocally.

 

lol.

 

perhaps we could just title it the best soft rock album of 2017.;)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, riffraff said:

Yeah my buddy said the same.  And I get the Bruce comparisons but not vocally.

 

lol.

 

perhaps we could just title it the best soft rock album of 2017.;)

Ha, yeah that works.

I've had that third track Holding On (by Dylan/ St Vincent/ E Street Band) in my head for about 24 hours now, seems that's the one that stuck to me.

 


(and that Bryan Adams video which was a cheeky insult was absolutely not played four times in a row and I totally wasn't doing dramatic slow-motion hammer-fists of glory ... what?)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Svengali said:

Ha, yeah that works.

I've had that third track Holding On (by Dylan/ St Vincent/ E Street Band) in my head for about 24 hours now, seems that's the one that stuck to me.

 


(and that Bryan Adams video which was a cheeky insult was absolutely not played four times in a row and I totally wasn't doing dramatic slow-motion hammer-fists of glory ... what?)

You're too much.  I may have to take a break from the album now!  You have filled my head with Bryan Adams.

 

30 years ago that would have been a good thing for me, my reckless album and  yellow Walkman.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

geeeez, new LCD is really, really good IMO. i've always loved their 'big' singles (All My Friends, Someone Great, etc.) but I've never loved-loved their full albums. so I'm kinda surprised as how much I'm enjoying this. even the songs I don't love musically ("tonite" synth kinda drives me nuts) have really fantastic lyrics. there's a bit less The Fall and David Bowie worship on the surface, but I'm still picking it up. so that's kinda cool

 

the album is over an hour long, and after my first listen i put it back to the start. for my weak attention span, that says a lot

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New Arcade Fire....after 5-6 full listens I still don't know if I like it.  Looking forward to the show in October however! 

 

New Queens of the Stone Age.  After 3 listens it is growing on me.  Not the classic album their earlier work is but still quite good.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LCD album is really, really good. Tone feels a lot different than his other albums. And although it's quite long, it doesn't feel like it.

 

10 hours ago, J-23 said:

I didn't like Taylor Swift's new song.

Why would anyone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2017-09-01 at 2:57 PM, Gnarcore said:

New Arcade Fire....after 5-6 full listens I still don't know if I like it.  Looking forward to the show in October however! 

 

New Queens of the Stone Age.  After 3 listens it is growing on me.  Not the classic album their earlier work is but still quite good.  

Usedta really like queens....kinda stopped paying attention after songs for the deaf.  And now I find josh homme far too douchey to like or support anymore.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Monty said:

She's already in charge. The only music I listen to around her now is classical, jazz, and that's all.

I haven't inflicted my tastes on my girls yet but my son is already delving into some of my stuff.  Of course they all still like their bopper music.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, riffraff said:

Usedta really like queens....kinda stopped paying attention after songs for the deaf.  And now I find josh homme far too douchey to like or support anymore.

 

 

Lullabies to Paralyze and Era Vulgeris were great albums........Like Clockwerk not as much.  The dude is definitely full of himself.  Then again I would be too in his shoes. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...