Albums of 2022

[betting competition]

On 07/05/2022 at 19:30, Jimi Shandrix said:

Hands up any Belle & Sebastian fans who made it past the first three tracks on the new album. Simply baffling that this could be the same band that came up with "Tigermilk".

I haven't really listened to them that much since they released the Boy from the Arab Strap album. Do like some of the tracks since then but not many.

Going to see them live in November as I was at the Bowlie Weekender I thought I would never see Godspeed You! Black Emperor so watched them instead. 

Edited May 10, 2022 by betting competition

[marty_j]

I'll go against the grain here. Been a fan since Tigermilk and saw them live a few times. It is overproduced, but I like it, the songwriting is good as are the arrangements. Surely, after a quarter of a century, would be harsh and unrealistic to expect them to put out something of the quality of Tigermilk? I see it as a wee bit of a return to form, no filler, better than they've produced for some time now. 

Yeah I didn’t really like it first listen or two but it’s a grower
Better than Girls in Peacetime
Couple of really good tracks
Stevie’s contribution is a bit meh and I love the Stevie stuff

[SweeperDee]

This album feels like they’re trying to recapture what they had in the first 3 albums and it doesn’t quite hit. It’s not bad, and I enjoy it enough, but it’s a bit too sentimental imo.

Tour tickets come out this week, so I’ll look forward to that.

I got the vinyl bundle after preordering so will be able to get early access to tickets tomorrow, will be going to the Glasgow date in September.

[Jimi Shandrix]

5 hours ago, betting competition said:

I haven't really listened to them that much since they released the Boy from the Arab Strap album. Do like some of the tracks since then but not many.

Going to see them live in November as I was at the Bowlie Weekender I thought I would never see Godspeed You! Black Emperor so watched them instead. 

They have had great tracks right through their career but it has been ever diminishing returns for many years. I enjoyed bits of "Girls in Peacetime...", personally I thought it was their best studio album since "The Boy With The Arab Strap". There's only a handful of really standout tracks on the likes of "Fold Your Hands.." (I Fought In A War & The Model), "Write About Love" (I Didn't See It Coming), "The Life Pursuit" (Another Sunny Day) and "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" (erm.....), but this new one seems to be setting a new low bar. I'll give it another go another day.

[SweeperDee]

This album feels like they’re trying to recapture what they had in the first 3 albums and it doesn’t quite hit. It’s not bad, and I enjoy it enough, but it’s a bit too sentimental imo.

Tour tickets come out this week, so I’ll look forward to that.

Got my Glasgow tickets today, £155 for two standing; excited to be in the midst of it.

[yoda]

I've not been blown away by anything so far this year. Maybe the Big Thief album? It was pretty good. But everything else* I've listened to has just been fine but hasn't gone on repeat.

I've not listened to Sharon Van Etten's new one yet but I don't think it'll top Remind Me Tomorrow. Although I'll probably need to give it a spin before the Barrowlands gig next month. SAULT's one is on my list too. 

New stuff from Angel Olsen, Julia Jacklin, and Stella Donnelly has my interest. Plus there's supposed to be new albums from Sigur Ros and The Orielles, so that's something to potentially look forward to.

 

*Black Country New Road, Wet Leg, Father John Misty, Aldous Harding, Arcade Fire, and Fontaines DC.

 

[Yoss]

6 hours ago, yoda said:

I've not been blown away by anything so far this year. Maybe the Big Thief album? It was pretty good. But everything else* I've listened to has just been fine but hasn't gone on repeat.

I've not listened to Sharon Van Etten's new one yet but I don't think it'll top Remind Me Tomorrow. Although I'll probably need to give it a spin before the Barrowlands gig next month. SAULT's one is on my list too. 

New stuff from Angel Olsen, Julia Jacklin, and Stella Donnelly has my interest. Plus there's supposed to be new albums from Sigur Ros and The Orielles, so that's something to potentially look forward to.

 

*Black Country New Road, Wet Leg, Father John Misty, Aldous Harding, Arcade Fire, and Fontaines DC.

Hurray for the Riff Raff and Grace Cummings were the two albums I just recommended to someone in an email.

But the best two singles of the year have come out this week from Black Midi and Stella Donnelly. Looking forward to the latter's album and tour(s) especially - I'm a huge Stella Donnelly stan.

[Miguel Sanchez]

I'm about to listen to the new Arcade Fire album and so far I'll say it's quite comfortably the most annoying CD packaging I've ever encountered. God knows what the vinyl's like.

[Miguel Sanchez]

I am definitely much more underwhelmed than I was when @SweeperDee tried to convince me Everything Now was good.

[SweeperDee]

I am definitely much more underwhelmed than I was when [mention=53803]SweeperDee[/mention] tried to convince me Everything Now was good.

I’ll die on that hill forever. It’s not as bad as critics think it is. I think Reflektor is their best album so though…[emoji28]

[SweeperDee]

I'm about to listen to the new Arcade Fire album and so far I'll say it's quite comfortably the most annoying CD packaging I've ever encountered. God knows what the vinyl's like.

Vinyl cover and insert looks beautiful, btw.

[Miguel Sanchez]

2 minutes ago, SweeperDee said:

I’ll die on that hill forever. It’s not as bad as critics think it is. I think Reflektor is their best album so though…

I did quite like that, eventually. I reckon We might be a bit trickier.

[Internet Citizen]

Got my Glasgow tickets today, £155 for two standing; excited to be in the midst of it.

What’s the excuse for gig tickets rocketing in price? Covid? I’m sure they were something like £40-50 the last time they played the Hydro.

[SweeperDee]

What’s the excuse for gig tickets rocketing in price? Covid? I’m sure they were something like £40-50 the last time they played the Hydro.

I think I was £60 last time I saw them in Glasgow, and around £70 when I saw them in Manchester for the EN tour. I got early access because of the Vinyl/Album preorder so had priority for standing tickets which might explain the inflated price, plus all the bullshit fees ticketmaster add on. VIP tickets are £148 a pop. [emoji28]

[SweeperDee]

I did quite like that, eventually. I reckon We might be a bit trickier.

I think Reflektor and EN (some songs anyway) have aged the best out of their discography, and I know that’s an unpopular opinion regarding their albums. I still love Funeral, Neon Bible, The Suburbs etc, it’s just I think they feel very much frozen in the time they were released/talking about. They will always resonate with me though, as I really grew up with them.

[Yoss]

I had a listen to AF's new one. It's okay. I don't think anyone is going to claim it as their best work but I still at least respect what they're doing - they're not at the stage of phoning it in or anything.

[The Holiday Song]

Re: Arcade Fire - Reflektor did end up growing on me (and I actually could see how it would be someones favourite of theirs). Not massively relevant but I really like that Joan of Arc song on it, although the lyrics sound like David Brent could have written them.

Everything Now I think is pretty terrible though. New one sounds sortof the same but might get better in time.

Think my favourite album so far this year is the Jill Lorean (that's the bands name) one. Lead singer of Sparrow and The Workshop and one of the guys from Frightened Rabbit are two of the members.

[Albus Bulbasaur]

New Kendrick Lamar album.

Insane. 

[betting competition]

3 hours ago, The Holiday Song said:

Re: Arcade Fire - Reflektor did end up growing on me (and I actually could see how it would be someones favourite of theirs). Not massively relevant but I really like that Joan of Arc song on it, although the lyrics sound like David Brent could have written them.

Everything Now I think is pretty terrible though. New one sounds sortof the same but might get better in time.

Think my favourite album so far this year is the Jill Lorean (that's the bands name) one. Lead singer of Sparrow and The Workshop and one of the guys from Frightened Rabbit are two of the members.

I do like Jill Lorean album This Rock. It is up there in my top 10 but not hard as not much great stuff this year. 

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by betting competition

[Miguel Sanchez]

19 hours ago, Internet Citizen said:

What’s the excuse for gig tickets rocketing in price? Covid? I’m sure they were something like £40-50 the last time they played the Hydro.

 

16 hours ago, SweeperDee said:

I think I was £60 last time I saw them in Glasgow, and around £70 when I saw them in Manchester for the EN tour. I got early access because of the Vinyl/Album preorder so had priority for standing tickets which might explain the inflated price, plus all the bullshit fees ticketmaster add on. VIP tickets are £148 a pop.

Probably telling that I only remembered this went on sale today about ten minutes ago and it looks like two sections of the Hydro are sold out for this.

£10 of fees! An extra £6 for a physical ticket which mugs/luddites like me will pay out of sheet stubbornness! Not even counting delivery costs.

I've not seen them in two albums and they put on a show, I'm telling myself that.