The Album Club: "Drop the Vowels" by Millie & Andrea
 

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Frownland takes us into the final round six album. Rate, vote, discuss, debate and comment here.

Oh god I'm annoyed right now. I had a whole review typed out, then, before I pressed post, I voted and the page refreshed itself, deleting my text. My fault, I know, but.... Aaaaaarrrhhhh! Hulk. Smash.

Long story short, I think the album is repetitive and boring. Nice sounds, but there's so little progression in most of these tracks that sitting through it was almost painful. "Spectral Source" is the guiltiest track of them all - and of course the longest. Skip worthy in the extreme.

"Corrosive" shows what the album could have been like if it wasn't boring (even if parts of that track are also boring), but sadly, the album is generally content to just noodle about in the background. You could call it minimalist, but then you're just trying to camouflage how dull the album is with rhetoric.

Muzak for the cross section between the electronica and ambient fanbases. Not even different enough to be interesting for its sounds. I almost never listen to these genres and still feel like I've heard it all before.

Can't wait to hear an explanation of what's supposed to be interesting about this one.

Voted "disliked it".

Just a note: if you happened to have other tabs for MB open, and have not yet updated them, pressing the back arrow MIGHT take you back to an older, unedited version of your post. It's worth a try. You won't be able to edit it (as it's not really there) but you can highlight the text and copy it into a word processor.

I on the other hand liked it for all the reasons Mic didn't. I listened to it while playing D3 and it was very relaxing. Though some songs just sorta merge blandly with other songs they still aren't too convoluted with sfx so i didn't particularly hated any track in the album. On contrast the ones that stood out for me were Stay ugly (Mainly cause of the synth) Corrosive cause it sounds you're gasping for air right before having a heart attack and Quai cause it sounds beautiful in a sorrowful kinda way.

I'd give it a 6.5 out of 10 cause it was a nice listen but I'm not sure if it's an album worth revisiting.

Cool. Don't forge to vote in the poll, if you haven't already done so.

I did. Voted like.

Voted like what? :)

Fun abstract noise. Doesn't really work as chillout music (too much going on and not enough melody or space) but as an experimental electronic soundtrack to someone getting shot at a club where they're playing trap music it works pretty good. 'Corrosive' comes off as a bastardized version of a good jungle track, but that's probably the point. There's a general sense of malaise here that pushed this from "meh" to "like" for me. Good synthwork throughout too.

7 out of 10 if you like electronic music, probably 3 or less for everyone else.

Last night I had this tedious job of fixing my guitar. Well not that tedious, I rather enjoy setting them up. So I thought might as well put this album on. Prior to listening to this album I went through album I wanted to listen, stuff that I like Tal Farlow '78. After reading these reviews I was totally not in the mood for this album. I was listening to real snazzy Jazz and I didn't switch over to "abstract noise." The reviews had me convinced it was a junk album. I was avoiding this album like the plague, playing my albums one after the other and really enjoying them. Across the board I dread being force to listen to other people's music that is rec in the Album Club 2017, except for a rare occasions when it's something I already know and like. After the last two albums I felt like I ran the gauntlet of musical punishment, but this album came as a well deserved reprieve from such musical tortures. A few tracks in and I was convinced this album was better than what the reviews implied. I kinda felt mislead by those opinions. I tend to believe it is better to start an album with low expectation than have an album that is set up as the greatest and not living up to the hype. (No offense to Ant since he hyped Colours last week. Stick to your guns Ant :bringit:)

The very first impression of the album, like within the very first few seconds: this was and album by the Lijadu Sisters. Since the names "Millie & Andrea" sounds like two names of two sisters, but no that's wasn't the case, cause the actual names of the two Lijadu sisters are Taiwo and Kehinde. (Helps to check Wikipedia). Millie & Andrea are not even sisters, they are dynamic musical duo by the name of Andy Stott and Miles Whittaker "... the more you know." So basically this was my very first impressions when I heard female vocals within the first few seconds of opening track, Gif Riff. After approximately forty-five seconds when I heard voices fading out which it did very neatly I then realized it was just sampling. It wasn't a whole album of African music, but collage of various styles. The second part of of the opening track, the thumb piano was a nice touch tying in well with the opening sample.

The intro provided an interesting case cause it didn't give away immediately how the rest of the album was going to turn out to be. What is true about the first song, is also true of the whole album. Instead of focusing on one specific moment, one has to step back and think about it in its entirety. Overall a very good album.
~ 8.5

I didn't need to hype Colours. It's a 4.5 out of 5 starred album on AllMusicGuide and received near-universal critical praise from multiple publications when it was released. It isn't as good as Goldie's Timeless....but then again, very little is.

This is probably better than I can appreciate.

Miles Whittaker is brilliant. Love Demdike Stare.

Around ten years ago or so I just got sick of these beats. Save the texture lose the beat

Prolly cause I’m old and right kranky.

Sorry to judge it from inside my box Frown

Voted liked it

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

Hmm. This sounds like it could be ... interesting.

2. What did you think of the opening track?

Really loved it actually

3. What did you think of the next track?

Even better. I like the kind of “glitchy” electronic sound (how often do I say that?) and the fragmented synth samples, if that's what they are, really make the track.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? (see note 1)

n/a


5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? (see note 2)

Very much so; love the kind of hypnotic drone on some tracks, almost techno on others

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

Much better

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

n/a

8. Did you like the instrumental parts? (see note 3)

Well, it's pretty much all instrumental, but yes

9. What did you think of the production?

n/a

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?

No and no

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

Not really

12. Assuming you listened to the album more than once, on repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

Loved it more every time I listened

13. What would you class as your favourite track(s), if you have any?
Pretty much everything really


14. And the one(s) you liked least?

Nada

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? (see note 4)

n/a

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

Yes I think so indeed

17. Were you surprised by your reaction - positive or negative - to the album?

Very much so. Not just because Frown picks and I generally don't mix, but the consensus seemed to be very negative towards the album, so I was kind of expecting to hate it.

18. Did the album end well?

Absolutely. It took a little while to get going, but a really nice ambient style closer.


19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

Not really. It's pretty damn perfect as it is.


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

I honestly couldn't say. I've no experience with this genre really, so I'll just go ahead and give it 10/10. Nice pick, Frown! Now how often do you hear me say that? :laughing:

Who voted "hated it"?

Chula.

Yo south bound Suarez, got proof to back that up?

He's the only one with a motive.

Hot Dog. I think you got it. He has means and oppurtuniy cause he is a MB member, the only thing left was "motive." That's easy to guess, Chula done it out of revenge. I think right now Frownland feels a knife in his back, and is muttering "Et tu Chula!"

It could also have been Nick1976. This album isn't hair metal.
Or maybe Dude111 because he gets grumpy when the store is out of chocolate milk.

OR.. It was TH. That 10/10 seems mighty suspicious to me.

:laughing:

Or our new friend Nathan. He hasn't said whether he hates this band or not yet.
Sssshhh!