The Album Club 2017

The Batlord · 07-10-2017, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FaSho

pretty much only read the OP and it wasn't clear...can I still sign up?

Probably, but you'll have to read the 500-page rulebook first.

**Frownland** · 07-10-2017, 01:23 PM

You'll also need to notarize your dedication to the club in blood.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 07-10-2017, 04:55 PM

Hiatus Kaiyote - Choose Your Weapon

i had actually heard this album back when it came out, and enjoyed it quite a bit. coming back to it i find myself with a fairly similar sentiment. the production is warm and punchy; it's worth noting that when i first got into Hiatus i was in the middle of a hip-hop binge and their production really catered to what i was looking for. the vocal styling took a little bit of getting used to, but the relatively smooth delivery allows me to enjoy it. it does get a little bit tedious at times though, something that never really bugged me when it first came out. i felt myself zoning out and tuning away the vocals quite a bit on this listen.

6.5/10

i saw these guys live last summer and they were even better than i hoped for.

Trollheart · 07-10-2017, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Probably, but you'll have to read the 500-page rulebook first.

I'm putting the finishing touches to the revised fifth edition as we speak.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

You'll also need to notarize your dedication to the club in blood.

He's not even joking. It doesn't have to be your blood though.

Trollheart · 07-10-2017, 05:45 PM

Choose Your Weapon - Hiatus Kaiyote

I've listened to this twice and it's enough to know I won't be going back for a third shot. I'm just sooooooo bored! I mean, I'm no soul fan, and certainly not of neo-soul, if this is what it is, and the constant ululating vocal puts my teeth on edge. To be honest (and I'm sure this isn't fair but it's how I see it) much of it sounds the same and the album is way too long for what it is. I lost interest about halfway through and only struggled through a second sitting in the name of fairness. Nothing impressed itself on me about it and I won't and don't remember any of the songs. Sorry, just not for me. 4/10

OccultHawk · 07-10-2017, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

I'm putting the finishing touches to the revised fifth edition as we speak.

He's not even joking. It doesn't have to be your blood though.

Post your spreadsheet

I'm the top pupil

A+

Psy-Fi · 07-11-2017, 06:33 PM

Hiatus Kaiyote - Choose Your Weapon

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
Mellow psychedelic jazz/funk with a slight techno touch.

2. What did you think of the opening track?
Didn't do much for me.

3. What did you think of the next track?
I liked the second track much better than the first.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?
I really dug the vocalist. Above average.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?
I liked the music but it didn't really stick in my mind for the most part. In one ear and out the other.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it?
It went back and forth between interesting and enjoyable and somewhat boring and forgettable.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?
Not sure what she was singing about most of the time. I could understand the words, I just could'nt be bothered trying to decipher them.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?
The musicianship was excellent but nothing really grabbed me.

9. What did you think of the production?
The production sounded very good to my ears.

10. Did you know of this artiste prior to listening to the album, and if so, did that foreknowledge colour your perception of this album?
I'd heard of them but hadn't heard anything by them.

11. Is this, generally, the kind of music you listen to or not?
Sometimes but not very often.

12. Assuming you listened to the album more than once, on repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?
I listened three times and it grew on me a bit more with the each listen. Not sure if it would continue to grow on me with more plays, though.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?
Nothing really stood out as a favorite.

14. And the one you liked least?
Nothing really stood out as a least favorite.

15. If the album in question is a debut, did that fact allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?
N/A

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing more from this artiste, if you have not heard any of their other material?
I might check into them some more.

17. Were you surprised by your reaction - positive or negative - to the album?
Didn't know what to expect, so no.

18. Did the album end well?
I suppose so. The last track wasn't great or awful.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?
It seemed to drag after 30 to 40 minutes, so less would've been more for me.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?
I thought it hung together very well.

6/10

TechnicLePanther · 07-12-2017, 09:50 AM

Oh no, it's long.

Hiatus Kaiyote - Choose Your Weapon

And as it turns out, that brief worry encapsulates my main issue with the album. It's just too long, and there's no reason for it to be. Many sections in the album just repeat over and over again for no reason, especially intros and outros to songs. They're not particularly catchy nor interesting, so the only reason to really have them is to fill up time. And it's unfortunate that the length of this album is such an overwhelming issue, because there is almost no track on this album without a few great ideas.

The production on the album is some of the most spectacular I have ever seen, almost on par with Endtroducing... IMHO. The vocalist is excellent, and seeing as she plays guitar on the album as well, she certainly has a lot of talent as a frontwoman. And the drumming is tight and collected even when flying at light speed; this is especially demonstrated in the track "Atari", a stand-out on the album in its own right.

The length is a pretty big drawback about this album; I would certainly have cut some of the more forgettable tracks: Borderline with My Atoms, Breathing Underwater, Fingerprints, and Creations Part One and Part Two. Maybe even the closer could be removed in order to cut down the runtime, IMO "Molasses" would have made for a much better closer anyway.

As it is, I don't want to say this album is "great", but I also don't want to say this album isn't worth the time taken to listen to it. It's a good album to kick back to, if you know what I mean. Anyway, 7/10.

On my list of "favorite albums to not favorite albums":

Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
Hiatus Kaiyote - Choose Your Weapon
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief

By the way, I have no idea what any of the lyrics on this album even mean, half the time I can't understand what she's saying, and the other half it doesn't make a single shred of sense. The music's the bomb though.

~~MicShazam~~ · 07-12-2017, 12:21 PM

I would like to join too. I get the basic rules: An album is selected for a week, then reviewed for that Saturday. I'm not sure how album selection works, but I guess I wouldn't have to worry about that anyway :P

I'm listening to this week's album right now, but I'm not going to post anything about it until greenlighted, of course.

TechnicLePanther · 07-12-2017, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicShazam

I would like to join too. I get the basic rules: An album is selected for a week, then reviewed for that Saturday. I'm not sure how album selection works, but I guess I wouldn't have to worry about that anyway :P

I'm listening to this week's album right now, but I'm not going to post anything about it until greenlighted, of course.

Anyone, including those not "in" the club, may post anything they want about the album of the week.

07-10-2017, 01:23 PM	#1142 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	You'll also need to notarize your dedication to the club in blood. __________________ 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

07-10-2017, 05:45 PM	#1145 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Choose Your Weapon - Hiatus Kaiyote I've listened to this twice and it's enough to know I won't be going back for a third shot. I'm just sooooooo bored! I mean, I'm no soul fan, and certainly not of neo-soul, if this is what it is, and the constant ululating vocal puts my teeth on edge. To be honest (and I'm sure this isn't fair but it's how I see it) much of it sounds the same and the album is way too long for what it is. I lost interest about halfway through and only struggled through a second sitting in the name of fairness. Nothing impressed itself on me about it and I won't and don't remember any of the songs. Sorry, just not for me. 4/10 __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-12-2017, 09:50 AM	#1148 (permalink)
TechnicLePanther and the livin' is easy... Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: New York Posts: 1,997	Oh no, it's long. Hiatus Kaiyote - Choose Your Weapon And as it turns out, that brief worry encapsulates my main issue with the album. It's just too long, and there's no reason for it to be. Many sections in the album just repeat over and over again for no reason, especially intros and outros to songs. They're not particularly catchy nor interesting, so the only reason to really have them is to fill up time. And it's unfortunate that the length of this album is such an overwhelming issue, because there is almost no track on this album without a few great ideas. The production on the album is some of the most spectacular I have ever seen, almost on par with Endtroducing... IMHO. The vocalist is excellent, and seeing as she plays guitar on the album as well, she certainly has a lot of talent as a frontwoman. And the drumming is tight and collected even when flying at light speed; this is especially demonstrated in the track "Atari", a stand-out on the album in its own right. The length is a pretty big drawback about this album; I would certainly have cut some of the more forgettable tracks: Borderline with My Atoms, Breathing Underwater, Fingerprints, and Creations Part One and Part Two. Maybe even the closer could be removed in order to cut down the runtime, IMO "Molasses" would have made for a much better closer anyway. As it is, I don't want to say this album is "great", but I also don't want to say this album isn't worth the time taken to listen to it. It's a good album to kick back to, if you know what I mean. Anyway, 7/10. On my list of "favorite albums to not favorite albums": Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak Hiatus Kaiyote - Choose Your Weapon Radiohead - Hail to the Thief By the way, I have no idea what any of the lyrics on this album even mean, half the time I can't understand what she's saying, and the other half it doesn't make a single shred of sense. The music's the bomb though. __________________ Many have tried to destroy it... but... true evil never dies. It is only... REBORN *SUGGEST ME AN ALBUM* - I'm probably not going to listen to it but I will if you bother me enough. Last edited by TechnicLePanther; 07-12-2017 at 09:57 AM.

07-12-2017, 12:21 PM	#1149 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,636	I would like to join too. I get the basic rules: An album is selected for a week, then reviewed for that Saturday. I'm not sure how album selection works, but I guess I wouldn't have to worry about that anyway :P I'm listening to this week's album right now, but I'm not going to post anything about it until greenlighted, of course.