____twoism

coffeeandtv wrote:For all those underwhelmed by this album, I beg of you to please leave your preconceptions/comparisons to previous albums at the door next to your coat rack. Then put on your coat (if it's cold), go for a walk to somewhere lovely with your music player and simply:

"Listen"

Kathleen wrote:This album is for sure a grower. Especially Jacquard Causeway. Here has been my experience:

First listen (a few snippets from Desert Listening party):
Wow, that sounds like shit. Oh well. What did I expect? It's on speakers, going into a consumer recorder, fighting wind, and then streamed. Turn it off. I hope this song isn't just bad though.

Second Listen (internet livestream):
Yeah, ok... I guess it's on the more "ambient" first half of the album.

Third Listen (High quality speakers, HQ AACs.)
Oh yeah, I see what they're doing there. There's that rhythmic sound. Is that what a Jacquard loom sounds like? I should look that up.

Fourth Listen (same as third)
This is actually quite good. I appreciate this. Maybe not love, but I'm picking up what they're putting down.

This morning:
Why is Jacquard Causeway stuck in my head?!

GeogEddie wrote:

krs wrote:Seems like some of you have forgotten that the brothers make music for themselves, not us. We're lucky enough that they decide to release it. I mean, come the fuck on. You guys constantly complain about how long they disappear between albums and then make threads like this. It's like shooting yourself in the foot and then asking why it hurts...

My ass.

I firmly believe that TH is a direct response to the negative fan reaction TCH received. The fans said "we want more MHTRTC!" and they delivered.

fdamb wrote:(Old time poster here new username) It seems disproportionate the amount of praise this album is getting. All the long time fans I've talked to in a personal context are generally a little let down, but on the forums and reviews there doesn't seem to be much critical discussion.

Yes, time will bare some quality on it as everyone is saying, but in terms of the raw sound that is entering the ears; compare that naked sound to the naked sound of Geogaddi or even TCH EP and there seems to be a missing quality.

In the early 2000s we had hoards of musicians rightfully inspired by BoC, myspace communities, lots of excitement and energy etc. The thing is that the aesthetic impact sort of waned once a few started copying the image so callously and deliberately, and people who have been around will know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not saying they were "wrong", in fact put some of that music side by side with the new BoC and you can't tell who's who!....

..and I guess that is what irks me. TCH Ep seemed like a move away from the more cursory elements of their style which had been beaten to death but this is sort of a regression. That's not to say that its less than great (it is certainly great) but how many times do we want to hear those basic synth pad drones (Semena Mertvykh), for instance? How transparent and simple do we want melody and sound design to be (Cold Earth)?

I wouldn't go so far as to call this album a stain on their catalogue, but is it really worth the seven years? Share your thoughts.

zeoevil wrote:My only contribution to this thread is to say that if this release was a extended play with just Reach for the Dead, Cold Earth, Palace Posy, Nothing is Real, and New Seeds, I would have been ecstatic. Everything else is just cake.

Yeah That's Right wrote:

justin wrote:Can anyone articulate exactly technically what was missing ?
did it need more arps , more children laughing , perhaps more sinister overtones , more Orange ?

I'm going to take a guess and say that some people probably felt it was a bit 'safe' or lacking in diversity. I could see why if that was the case. I have no doubt that plenty of people will disagree here, but I don't think the album, as an overall piece of work, is as sonically interesting or groundbreaking as some of their other work. Clearly BoC weren't aiming to reinvent the genre but when you put this record side by side with their other albums, it's perhaps less eclectic and more predictable. It's more of a case of Tomorrow's Harvest meeting expectations rather well, as opposed than actually shattering them.

Heath wrote:I think it's more a cross between geogaddi and TCH than MHTTC

honeypower wrote:

Heath wrote:I think it's more a cross between geogaddi and TCH than MHTTC

this.

overall the album is spectacular. i just wish it didn't sound so 'clean'

Kathleen wrote:This morning:
Why is Jacquard Causeway stuck in my head?!

Elexen wrote:

zeoevil wrote:My only contribution to this thread is to say that if this release was a extended play with just Reach for the Dead, Cold Earth, Palace Posy, Nothing is Real, and New Seeds, I would have been ecstatic. Everything else is just cake.

I agree. But I would add Come To Dust in there too.

coffeeandtv wrote:"listen"

zeoevil wrote:My only contribution to this thread is to say that if this release was a extended play with just Reach for the Dead, Cold Earth, Palace Posy, Nothing is Real, and New Seeds, I would have been ecstatic. Everything else is just cake.

thinkdontpray wrote:its good to know that im not the only one walking around whispering listen to my cat