"We Were Dead Before this Ship Even Sank" - Modest Mouse
Enthusiasm Level: Tepid
I've never been a terribly enthusiastic Modest Mouse fan, and while everyone else seemed to fall wildly in love with "Good News for People Who Hate Bad News" I only liked it in spots, so I'm not really sure why I got so hyped for the release of "We Were Dead..." Okay, that's not entirely true. I know exactly why: Johnny Marr. I think a small part of me was hoping that Isaac Brock would lay off the Tom Waits impersonations, take more than a page from Marr's book and release another Smiths album. Several weeks and listens later, I now realize now that this was not only unrealistic but unfair. The album is far from perfect, but there are plenty of really solid moments, especially on the back half. And honestly, I think I like this new one significantly more than "Good News...," for whatever it's worth.
"Myth Takes" - !!!
Enthusiasm Level: Solid
Before this new release I'd have to say that I only moderately liked !!!, but when I heard the opening track on "Myth Takes" in all of its moody funkiness I was immediately sold. It's much more consistent and polished than anything I've heard from them previously, and has recently been pivotal in getting me to both clean my house and get my lazy bum back to the gym.
"Armchair Apocrypha" - Andrew Bird
Enthusiasm Level: Fervent
I feel like I've spent the better half of 2007 getting terrifically excited for new releases which, upon their arrival, have fallen short in my eyes. Thankfully, this wasn't the case with "Armchair Apocrypha." Although I don't think this new one is quite as consistent as "A Mysterious Production of Eggs," it still encapsulates so much of what I love in good music for its elegance, musicality, and lyricism. My favorite moments - aside from "Imitosis" which is damn close to my idea of a perfect song - are in tracks like "Armchair" when Bird seems to take forever to build to this incredible peak that, upon being reached, is so very worth the wait.
And with that, I'm now off to decide whether or not Grindhouse is a film that I absolutely refuse to see because of the way it glorifies violence and objectifies both women and machine guns, or if it is something I am terrifically excited to see for all the very same reasons.
Enthusiasm Level: Tepid
I've never been a terribly enthusiastic Modest Mouse fan, and while everyone else seemed to fall wildly in love with "Good News for People Who Hate Bad News" I only liked it in spots, so I'm not really sure why I got so hyped for the release of "We Were Dead..." Okay, that's not entirely true. I know exactly why: Johnny Marr. I think a small part of me was hoping that Isaac Brock would lay off the Tom Waits impersonations, take more than a page from Marr's book and release another Smiths album. Several weeks and listens later, I now realize now that this was not only unrealistic but unfair. The album is far from perfect, but there are plenty of really solid moments, especially on the back half. And honestly, I think I like this new one significantly more than "Good News...," for whatever it's worth.
"Myth Takes" - !!!
Enthusiasm Level: Solid
Before this new release I'd have to say that I only moderately liked !!!, but when I heard the opening track on "Myth Takes" in all of its moody funkiness I was immediately sold. It's much more consistent and polished than anything I've heard from them previously, and has recently been pivotal in getting me to both clean my house and get my lazy bum back to the gym.
"Armchair Apocrypha" - Andrew Bird
Enthusiasm Level: Fervent
I feel like I've spent the better half of 2007 getting terrifically excited for new releases which, upon their arrival, have fallen short in my eyes. Thankfully, this wasn't the case with "Armchair Apocrypha." Although I don't think this new one is quite as consistent as "A Mysterious Production of Eggs," it still encapsulates so much of what I love in good music for its elegance, musicality, and lyricism. My favorite moments - aside from "Imitosis" which is damn close to my idea of a perfect song - are in tracks like "Armchair" when Bird seems to take forever to build to this incredible peak that, upon being reached, is so very worth the wait.
And with that, I'm now off to decide whether or not Grindhouse is a film that I absolutely refuse to see because of the way it glorifies violence and objectifies both women and machine guns, or if it is something I am terrifically excited to see for all the very same reasons.
Labels: music
2 Comments:
Just one more thing. Bird is going to be performing on Letterman tomorrow night, and you really should watch. I bet he whistles.
Because I know you want to know what I think...
I'm pretty obsessed with the modest mouse album and can't seem to get others on board. Glad to see you're appreciating it and you're right. The second half is better.
I haven't even given !!! a chance yet. I'm still coping with their annoying all punctuation name. When I get past that, perhaps me and that band can talk.
I'm trying, but I think your My Morning Jacket is my Andrew Bird. Though I can see the value, something just isn't connecting for me...
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