Albums You're Not Digging

Sneer · 12-23-2011, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mighty Salami

Very lo-fi canadian indie band called "the Unicorns", and there are several reasons why I don't enjoy this album:

(1). The second song there sounds like a "clown falling down the stairs and landing on a dog", as I said earlier.

(2). I wish it wasn't so lo-fi that I can't distinguish what instruments are playing. They should have at least invested in some proper recording equipment.

(3). "Mark, are we rolling?". What a hilarious way to start a song.

Gets a 1/10 on the Salami scale there.

Why should they have to invest in 'some proper recording equipment'? Perhaps they did? Maybe a lo-fi sound was a creative angle they wished to explore with this album?

The beauty of this record is in the woozy, almost amateurish-sounding composition and unfocused hooks, off-kilter melodies etc. The songs flit from genre to genre and mood to mood - almost maniacally - meaning the album never flirts with stagnancy, ultimately making it a much more interesting listen.

For me, it's a great Indie Pop album, one of my favourites actually. On the surface it sounds as if anybody could create it, though if you actually delve deeper, it's actually all based upon some highly imaginative and extremely well-crafted song writing.

And your third point is a ridiculous reason for giving an album 1/10.

Salami · 12-23-2011, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu

And your third point is a ridiculous reason for giving an album 1/10.

Damn! I wish no one took that seriously!
To be honest, I really couldn't think of any proper reasons for why I for I really disliked the album, apart from the fact that there was no order or structure and I wasn't enjoying it one bit. I also thought that in trying so hard to be original and shifting continuously between different styles, they were missing the opportunity to develop some perfectly decent ideas. The Mars Volta do this as well, and I dislike them for the same reason. This is much more a problem with the way I relate to this kind of music.

Quote:

For me, it's a great Indie Pop album, one of my favourites actually. On the surface it sounds as if anybody could create it, though if you actually delve deeper, it's actually all based upon some highly imaginative and extremely well-crafted song writing.

I'd like to think this, especially with some of the lyrics to "I Don't Wanna Die", mainly because I couldn't work out what on earth he was singing about, but after finding the entire album completely opaque, I began to think that it just wasn't making sense. I try and look for meaning in songs like this, but it seemed that if they were so keen on making what they wanted to say important and relevant, they'd have made it a bit clearer, and perhaps used better diction on the vocals. I appreciate that the crescendo at the end of "I Don't Wanna Die" is for the emotional effect, but I couldn't divine a thing from that din.

Quote:

And your third point is a ridiculous reason for giving an album 1/10.

That's a brief way of me saying that I didn't find it amusing in any way.

The mini-review was way to short to make a proper judgement on the album, so don't take it seriously, it merely suffices to say that I do not dig this album!

Sneer · 12-23-2011, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mighty Salami

Damn! I wish no one took that seriously!
To be honest, I really couldn't think of any proper reasons for why I for I really disliked the album, apart from the fact that there was no order or structure and I wasn't enjoying it one bit. I also thought that in trying so hard to be original and shifting continuously between different styles, they were missing the opportunity to develop some perfectly decent ideas. The Mars Volta do this as well, and I dislike them for the same reason. This is much more a problem with the way I relate to this kind of music.

I'd like to think this, especially with some of the lyrics to "I Don't Wanna Die", mainly because I couldn't work out what on earth he was singing about, but after finding the entire album completely opaque, I began to think that it just wasn't making sense. I try and look for meaning in songs like this, but it seemed that if they were so keen on making what they wanted to say important and relevant, they'd have made it a bit clearer, and perhaps used better diction on the vocals. I appreciate that the crescendo at the end of "I Don't Wanna Die" is for the emotional effect, but I couldn't divine a thing from that din.

That's a brief way of me saying that I didn't find it amusing in any way.

The mini-review was way to short to make a proper judgement on the album, so don't take it seriously, it merely suffices to say that I do not dig this album!

It's not an album for everybody, so fair enough. I personally think that bands shouldn't have to make their music, or intrinsic messages, clear for an audience, some of the best albums out there are ones that require the listener to put a bit of effort into their engagement.

Whether or not they were trying to be original or not, it is an album that diverges away from the beaten track, and as a consequence I find it a lot more engrossing than 90% of other Indie Pop material I've listened to.

Salami · 12-23-2011, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu

Whether or not they were trying to be original or not, it is an album that diverges away from the beaten track, and as a consequence I find it a lot more engrossing than 90% of other Indie Pop material I've listened to.

Fair enough. I only bought it because a friend of mine told me exactly that, and I'm always trying to get into new ideas.

At least we can probably agree on my opinion of "Destination Anywhere" by Jon Bon Jovi. "Ugly" starts with the line: "If you're ugly/I'm ugly!". Enough said.

Sneer · 12-23-2011, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mighty Salami

Fair enough. I only bought it because a friend of mine told me exactly that, and I'm always trying to get into new ideas.

I would suggest giving it a couple more listens, it tends to be a bit of a grower, certainly was with me.

Salami · 12-23-2011, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu

I would suggest giving it a couple more listens, it tends to be a bit of a grower, certainly was with me.

Fair enough. Perhaps not all at once this time.

I'm a big fan of giving things a second chance, so I'll tell you if my opinion has changed!