Love or Hate?

Justthefacts · 06-29-2015, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Bonnaroo is one of the Big Four of douchebag hipster music festivals, along Coachella, SxSW, and Burning Man.

Either SxSW or Austin City Limits. And Burning Man's never been in the Big Four. Lollapalooza used to be in their but they move out of the states so they don't count anymore. But yeah, serious douche hipsters. That's why I go.

Josef K · 06-29-2015, 05:13 PM

Someone should recommend 69 Love Songs. Heh.

**Goofle** · 06-29-2015, 05:53 PM

I think it has been. Maybe in passing tho.

Trollheart · 06-30-2015, 10:26 AM

Note: This took a long time to listen to and form an opinion of, plus I need to begin my Marillion discography for my journal, so it's possible this may be the only album reviewed today. If I can do another I will, but don't bank on it.

And so...

Title: To be kind
Artiste: Swans
Genre: Experimental
Familiarity: Zero

Track 1(Love) Rather surprisingly for me, this starts off quite low-key and does increase in intensity as it goes along but I must say, for its sparse nature, I certainly like it.
Track 2(Love) Another slowburner, with added evil laughter! Still good so far.
Track 3(Love) Still really good. It's surprising me.
Track 4(Love) OK, this is the 34-minute track and I have to go wake up sis. No point in doing it in anything other than one sitting, so I'll be back. Ok, I'm back. Somewhat repetitious for the first few minutes, like basically the same two chords for nearly three minutes (drone?) before it begins to settle down. Now we get some sort of slow chant then it builds up in nice layers to a pretty decent crescendo. We're still only at minute fourteen.

Oh, okay: now we're back to chanting. Also adding in some weird sounds and effects; maybe moving towards Frownland territory now. Twenty minutes in. Right, now someone is shouting, growling or yelling at me over percussion and some piano I think. Sounds like it might be Spanish. Twenty-four minutes is the playtime at this point. Sort of feels like someone's preaching, or carrying out some dark and unspeakable ritual --- Batlord, is that you? Just passed the thirty-minute mark. Sounds like it's building up to a big finish... yeah, that's it. That was pretty rockin' really for such a long track.
Track 5(Love) Another sort of low, muttered chant against screeching guitar. Understated but very good and very effective.
Track 6(Love) Okay this one is seventeen minutes long. Starts with heavy guitar and drums, then some chanting vocals running into a wailing guitar like a siren. Vocal is now quite abrasive, getting angry, sounds like the limited experience I've had of the VU. Sort of an Indian feel to the melody? Good powerful guitar ending. That wasn't so bad.
Track 7(Love) Well, nobody can say these guys do things by half! Another ten-minuter, with another to go. Nice kind of drawn-out opening, one guitar I believe, then a dark, Cavesque vocal against rather incongruous chimes or glockenspiel or something, something very light anyway. Almost like Death singing a nursery rhyme to a child. Again though, it's very repetitive; kind of hypnotic though. Again, is this a species of drone? Another powerful buildup to the end, and once more, that did not seem like ten minutes.
Track 8 This is definitely more guitar-driven, punchier than anything else on the album, with a loud, raucous vocal and hard driving riffs. Not sure if there is brass here but it sounds like it. May be synth though of course. I don't hate it but it's probably the track I like least on this. Yeah, actually, towards the end that white was nearly being coloured red... really didn't like that one. Kind of more how I expected the whole album would be. Glad I was wrong.
Track 9(Love) One more foray into ten-minute territory (Decatrack? Decasong?) and we have another rising chant (they do a lot of that, don't they?) with a shimmery, almost spooky guitar line carrying most of the tune before someone speaks about a dance or something, then the music comes in more strongly and we're in minute four. It's a pretty intense song, but again it doesn't drag as you might assume it would. Another Green for you, Swans.
Track 10(Love) And we're on to the last track. This has been a long review, but I think worth it. Nice atmospheric opening on guitar and synth, slow, then a low vocal, again reminding me of Cave and with a kind of creepy darkness to the music that belies the title (which is also the title track, in case you didn't know). Again, it builds up in power and ends on a strong flurry of instruments to bring the album to a shuddering close, leaving you with a vague feeling of unease somehow.

End result: From what I had heard, or decided they would be like, Swans pretty much blew me away. I didn't expect this level of --- I don't know what to call it --- technical brilliance? Ambience? Variety? Restraint? Hell I don't know. I thought I'd have some guy shouting at me while another banged a guitar over my head and the drummer roared “Save some for me!” But it wasn't like that at all. A really, really good album and a big surprise. If I reviewed this in “Bitesize” the Surprise Factor would probably be 10. Very long, but very much worth the time it took to listen to it.

So, Love or Hate? Love, obviously.

Chances of a full review: 8/10

**Frownland** · 06-30-2015, 10:36 AM

^ See Trollheart? Long songs are people too!

Their early work is more like what you expected, it's incredibly abrasive. I'm glad you liked it though, I figured that you would because it's hard to hate such an incredible record but I've been surprised before. To answer your question, yes it is a species of drone, with post-rock being the overarching genre.

Chula Vista · 06-30-2015, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trollheart

i need to begin my marillion discography.

ya!

Machine · 06-30-2015, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

^ See Trollheart? Long songs are people too!

Their early work is more like what you expected, it's incredibly abrasive. I'm glad you liked it though, I figured that you would because it's hard to hate such an incredible record but I've been surprised before. To answer your question, yes it is a species of drone, with post-rock being the overarching genre.

Well I'll tell you what my dad absolutely despises To Be Kind. I played Screen Shot and he forced me to turn it off saying it gave him the worst headache he'd ever had.

**Frownland** · 06-30-2015, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machine

Well I'll tell you what my dad absolutely despises To Be Kind. I played Screen Shot and he forced me to turn it off saying it gave him the worst headache he'd ever had.

Wow, your dad's an even bigger bitch than Trollheart! You can tell him I said that.

Machine · 06-30-2015, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

Wow, your dad's an even bigger bitch than Trollheart! You can tell him I said that.

Thing is he enjoys TMR.

Edit: My mom actually enjoys sections of To Be Kind and The Seer.

Chula Vista · 06-30-2015, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machine

Well I'll tell you what my dad absolutely despises To Be Kind. I played Screen Shot and he forced me to turn it off saying it gave him the worst headache he'd ever had.

Just checked out Screen Shot. Cool track but could have been cut in half time wise. Found it incredibly monotonous for the most part. Loved the build up at the end though.

06-30-2015, 10:26 AM	#1164 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Note: This took a long time to listen to and form an opinion of, plus I need to begin my Marillion discography for my journal, so it's possible this may be the only album reviewed today. If I can do another I will, but don't bank on it. And so... Title: To be kind Artiste: Swans Genre: Experimental Familiarity: Zero Track 1(Love) Rather surprisingly for me, this starts off quite low-key and does increase in intensity as it goes along but I must say, for its sparse nature, I certainly like it. Track 2(Love) Another slowburner, with added evil laughter! Still good so far. Track 3(Love) Still really good. It's surprising me. Track 4(Love) OK, this is the 34-minute track and I have to go wake up sis. No point in doing it in anything other than one sitting, so I'll be back. Ok, I'm back. Somewhat repetitious for the first few minutes, like basically the same two chords for nearly three minutes (drone?) before it begins to settle down. Now we get some sort of slow chant then it builds up in nice layers to a pretty decent crescendo. We're still only at minute fourteen. Oh, okay: now we're back to chanting. Also adding in some weird sounds and effects; maybe moving towards Frownland territory now. Twenty minutes in. Right, now someone is shouting, growling or yelling at me over percussion and some piano I think. Sounds like it might be Spanish. Twenty-four minutes is the playtime at this point. Sort of feels like someone's preaching, or carrying out some dark and unspeakable ritual --- Batlord, is that you? Just passed the thirty-minute mark. Sounds like it's building up to a big finish... yeah, that's it. That was pretty rockin' really for such a long track. Track 5(Love) Another sort of low, muttered chant against screeching guitar. Understated but very good and very effective. Track 6(Love) Okay this one is seventeen minutes long. Starts with heavy guitar and drums, then some chanting vocals running into a wailing guitar like a siren. Vocal is now quite abrasive, getting angry, sounds like the limited experience I've had of the VU. Sort of an Indian feel to the melody? Good powerful guitar ending. That wasn't so bad. Track 7(Love) Well, nobody can say these guys do things by half! Another ten-minuter, with another to go. Nice kind of drawn-out opening, one guitar I believe, then a dark, Cavesque vocal against rather incongruous chimes or glockenspiel or something, something very light anyway. Almost like Death singing a nursery rhyme to a child. Again though, it's very repetitive; kind of hypnotic though. Again, is this a species of drone? Another powerful buildup to the end, and once more, that did not seem like ten minutes. Track 8 This is definitely more guitar-driven, punchier than anything else on the album, with a loud, raucous vocal and hard driving riffs. Not sure if there is brass here but it sounds like it. May be synth though of course. I don't hate it but it's probably the track I like least on this. Yeah, actually, towards the end that white was nearly being coloured red... really didn't like that one. Kind of more how I expected the whole album would be. Glad I was wrong. Track 9(Love) One more foray into ten-minute territory (Decatrack? Decasong?) and we have another rising chant (they do a lot of that, don't they?) with a shimmery, almost spooky guitar line carrying most of the tune before someone speaks about a dance or something, then the music comes in more strongly and we're in minute four. It's a pretty intense song, but again it doesn't drag as you might assume it would. Another Green for you, Swans. Track 10(Love) And we're on to the last track. This has been a long review, but I think worth it. Nice atmospheric opening on guitar and synth, slow, then a low vocal, again reminding me of Cave and with a kind of creepy darkness to the music that belies the title (which is also the title track, in case you didn't know). Again, it builds up in power and ends on a strong flurry of instruments to bring the album to a shuddering close, leaving you with a vague feeling of unease somehow. End result: From what I had heard, or decided they would be like, Swans pretty much blew me away. I didn't expect this level of --- I don't know what to call it --- technical brilliance? Ambience? Variety? Restraint? Hell I don't know. I thought I'd have some guy shouting at me while another banged a guitar over my head and the drummer roared “Save some for me!” But it wasn't like that at all. A really, really good album and a big surprise. If I reviewed this in “Bitesize” the Surprise Factor would probably be 10. Very long, but very much worth the time it took to listen to it. So, Love or Hate? Love, obviously. Chances of a full review: 8/10 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

06-30-2015, 10:36 AM	#1165 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	^ See Trollheart? Long songs are people too! Their early work is more like what you expected, it's incredibly abrasive. I'm glad you liked it though, I figured that you would because it's hard to hate such an incredible record but I've been surprised before. To answer your question, yes it is a species of drone, with post-rock being the overarching genre. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

06-29-2015, 05:13 PM	#1162 (permalink)
Josef K A Jew on a motorbike! Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 800	Someone should recommend 69 Love Songs. Heh.