Noah Gundersen - White Noise (September 22, 2017) Album • Page 12

Three tracks left, everything has been absolutely stellar so far. Yes, the last half of Cocaine is a little too much for my taste, but I respect him for doing it. Don't see how anything can top this album for me this year.

 

first i wanna say that the one two punch of "dry year" and "send the rain" had me sobbing. like full on body convulsing catharsis.

and i do like this, but my feelings ended up being what i predicted -- a handful of tracks i love, but a bunch of stuff where i'm like, "sounds cool, but i have nothing to emotionally grab onto".

i don't think this is going to have much staying power as a whole, aside from the few songs that'll probably stitch themselves into the fiber of my being.

i respect noah for pushing himself as an artist. and i love everything he's done. but a lot of this just isn't really my thing.

but that's okay, still a solid record for me, just not an all time fave like the first two

 

Hearing a lot of Radiohead in Sweet Talker as well

 

Yeah if I had to guess I'll probably listen to the first half of the song and then move on. Like others have said, I respect him for trying to do something like that but for me I'm not sure it worked.

 

I think it would have been a fine b-side. It's just a long, kind of aimless (imo) song on an already lengthy album. I'd honestly be find if the record just want from "Number One Hit of the Summer" into "Fear and Loathing." Even "Cocaine" and "Bad Actors," the album would still be 56 minutes long. "Bad Actors" is fine, but I find it a little bit dull.

 

Dry Year....... wow

 

"Bad Actors" is the only other song I also feel is a little boring. But I'm still only on my second listen, so that could change.

 

got pulled in to miserable meetings for the rest of the day, but what I was able to listen to was incredible. will definitely give it a real spin tonight, looking forward to picking up the record over the weekend.

 

Yeah I was actually reviewing the tracklist after I finished and Bad Actors was the only song I couldn't really remember anything about

 

Yeah, it's kind of just there.

 

Pretty sure he played an early version of that when we saw him in GR last year.

 

Heh unpopular opinion but cocaine sex and alcohol is my favorite after 3 listens. I think it's pretty brilliant

 

that lyrical string in dry year starting at "we get by on consumer masturbation..." is one of the greatest things i've ever heard

 

So this is Noahs screamo record huh sign me up let's open this god damn pit

 

Did not see that coming, ha. I still think it borders on unlistenable.

 

Wasn't expecting to like it after hearing your initial thoughts. Honestly the melody in the beginning is so fucking perfect I can excuse the last half of the song (which I think actually works)

Fear And Loathing is perfect but I think the end is a little unnecessary?

I have a hard time caring about New Religion and Sweet Talker. That will probably change

 

All in all, like you said earlier, this won't ever touch the first two sadly.

 

I thought I might feel the same on my first few listens ... and now like it more than the last album. The diversity is a major plus. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

That could definitely end up happening. While some of Carry The Ghost were instant all timers for me, many of the tracks had to grow on me

 

I just love that this album is all over the place. The last one felt a little too samey sometimes. And also, all the rock influence is more in line with my tastes.

 

From reading that piece Craig did it sounds like Noah got bored with his old style but to me that's when he's at his finest, mellow tunes which allow his storytelling/lyrics to really shine. Some of the added stuff on this album makes it seem less intimate, which is what I loved about his older stuff. That being said, I still really enjoy the album and if this is the direction Noah wanted to go then good for him.

 

And I don't think I woulda loved a third album of that ... I really wanted it to be shook up a little bit. That was a lot of material in that vein.

 

Really hope the lyrics are included in the CD or vinyl version of this.

 

I like the first half okay. It's fine. His piano ballads are generally my least favorite songs of his, so that one wouldn't really move the needle for me if it was just the first half. But yeah, it just completely loses me in the second half. The first time I listened it was a real WTF moment, and it kind of still is for me.

Agree on the long outro of "Fear and Loathing." I really can't figure out why that's there. I just trimmed it and turned it into a fade out in my iTunes.

Yeah, I really love the intimacy of Ledges and I thought Ghost did a great job retaining it while fleshing things out a little more. I'm glad he took some chances on this new one, but it took me awhile to appreciate it as much, just because there aren't as many songs like that.

 

Also, I think I've posted this before, but Carry the Ghost has never really run together or felt samey to me. I think it's actually pretty dynamic for a singer/songwriter folk record. I feel like we got a lot of different versions of his folk sound on that record. I guess I can see the stretch from "Show Me the Light" to "I Need a Woman" running together for some, but every song in the second half at least is pretty distinct and unique, imo.

That record also has his best lyrical work, I think, and side three is one of the best sides of any album in my vinyl collection.