Brian Fallon - Sleepwalkers (February 9, 2018) Album • Page 30

This has really connected with me in a way that his first solo album didn't. I am really into this.

 

Is anyone else crazy about those random noises he's doing during the Neptune's guitar solo?I love this man so much haha

 

Now you have. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

To me, it's a relatively stately rock song with a staccato riff. What I was trying to say is that it's a great rock song that doesn't have the nonstop speed of the "punk" songs ("Stay Lucky", "Boxer") or the swing of the soul-inflected stuff ("Bring It On", "Diamond Church Street Choir"), and that it grounds the album in a very specific sonic way. I suppose given the backlash I could've chosen my words more carefully, but then I've never been particularly invested in describing things by genre.

 

Great point! But then, I'm in the camp that doesn't have a lot of love for All Your Favorite Bands. There are some strong individual songs on it, but nothing I'd deem essential to their discography outside the title track.

 

Haven’t yet decided if my favorite song is Etta James or Watson.

 

My top 2 for sure. And two of the best songs he's ever done.

"And who would be the heart she'd hold on after mine? I bet he's a fine upstanding man" kills me every time.

 

I think North Hills is pretty far and away their least interesting, personally, but I know some people love it. The middle three of their discography right now are more or less on even keel for me at this point. I don't dig We're All Gonna Die quite as much, but that's just because the preceding three are so great.

Dude...

 

My problem with AYFB is it's just like... a Dawes album. The lyrics are tight, the melodies are fine. I guess they jam a little more? They must have felt pretty similarly about it because they rocked out and made WAGD within like 10 months of its release.

 

There are just, like, five songs at least that I'd call essential in their catalog. "Maria" especially.

A lot of fans don't love Stories Don't End, but that may have settled in as my favorite of theirs. I don't think they really love that one either, because there was a lot less improv, but so many of the songs are just killer.

 

Ooh I love Stories Don't End that's my fav Dawes record for sure.

 

I think it might be the most solid start to finish. It doesn't have a contender for all-time best Dawes song for me, which both Bands and Nothing Is Wrong do, but every track is great.

 

Yeah I totally get that, for me it would be Bands' title track and of course A Little Bit of Everything on the latter there.

 

Nahhhh "Maria" is a drag to me. Doesn't earn its 10 minutes... feel free to jam it for an hour live, but around halfway through the recorded version I'm asleep. "Just My Luck" does 5x as much in a third of the time.

Agreed with your assessment of Stories Don't End, but I think it falls apart near the end. I think we've talked about this before, but I'm 100% on board until "Bear Witness" and everything after.

I've gotta stick with Nothing Is Wrong as #1. Best bookends in their discography, a narrative arc that makes sense, and they broaden their sound out a bunch from the debut. (EDIT: Plus Jackson Browne!!!!) It often feels like they're discovering what they do best in real time. When you can put a song as great as "Million Dollar Bill" as the antepenultimate track and not cheapen the finale, you've written some truly special songs.

 

Are there variants of this album?

 

Whats up with the pre-orders? I haven't even received notification of shipment and I pre-orded this thing like 2 months ago haha.

 

Same here. I pre-ordered the day it went live, and nothing.

 

Yep, those are the two.

I think "Just My Luck" is a way inferior song, and I still like it. I love everything about the studio version of "Maria." Lyrics, both guitar solos, Taylor's delivery. Perfect. I'd also put "Things Happen," "Don't Send Me Away," and "To Be Completely Honest" among their best.

If you're not on board with "From the Right Angle," I'm not sure we can be friends! That might be the best song on the album.

Nothing Is Wrong is great, but it's probably third for me. Agree with you on the bookends, but I think the second half is substantially stronger than the first half. Never been huge on "If I Wanted Someone" or "So Well." "My Way Back Home" is great, though.

 

The best Dawes song is "When My Times Comes."
I don't like "Stories Don't End" because it doesn't make sense: If you're telling a story, at some point you stop / But stories don't end. Except yes they do, that's what makes them a story. Life doesn't end, it just goes on and on until someone stops listening. That, plus "Side Effects" and the reprise bring down the entire album for me, but only in comparison to all their other classics.

I also pre-ordered and have only received a notification that a shipping number has been created but in the 40 times I've checked it this weekend, it still hasn't shipped. Which means I've been listening on Spotify with ads every third song. If my album isn't gonna get here on time I just want a download link please.

 

And was there a hole in your life?
Did you kill to keep warm but somehow never quite satisfied?
Do you feel like it's always time to go?
And it's always wrong, and it's always off, and it's hard to know, which heart to hold
Now do you lie to someone, is someone else, on your mind?
Do you lie to someone with me on your mind?

 

Join the club. I emailed them on Friday and haven’t heard back. Kind of ridiculous we didn’t get this on release date considering how much they charged for domestic shipping. At least give us an update.

 

Exactly. Pretty shitty.

 

What's the downside to shipping a few days early? A few people who live close to wherever it's shipping from get it a day, maybe two days, before street date?

 

Right?! This never made sense to me. The people who preorder are most likely already big fans. I'd rather throw them a bone and have some potentially get it early. Worst case, they leak it the week of release, which i really don't believe would cause any harm.

 

Also if you are worried about people getting it early, there is really no excuse for not shipping on release date, unless their is a communicated delay at the plant or something similar.

 

This whole album is absolutely wonderful, but goddamn "Watson" might be one of the most beautiful things Brian has ever done. Brings me to tears.