The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 65

We're together for round 4, correct?

 

I was just kidding about picking my partner.

 

Yesh

 

Sorry guys we have arranged marriages in this society that only last a week

 

Still no review from Week 2 matchup with @Fuck You Aurora

Someone else want to randomly listen to The Hotelier- Home Like Noplace Is There ?

You'll be glad you did!

 

hey sorry, just followed you!

 

I told Kev I had to drop out until after the holidays unfortunately.

 

Also got no reviews from my partner, so I've recommended one of the albums they had to my new partner for this week because I want to spread the love more.

 

I would but currently listening to Gouge Away - , Dies from my partner.

 

I feel like most people know The Hotelier. Hopefully I'll get lucky and find someone next time who doesn't!

 

I've listened to half of one of their albums, can't remember which one it was. so if you get me you know what to recommend.

 

New phone who dat?

 

actually listening to my 3rd new album of the day! wow, I feel ultra productive today. are you proud of me?

 

I'm listening to this album, I like it. I will listen to it again. sounds good. my ears are weird today though. have a sinus infection and I think that's making things sound weird. probably picked a bad day to listen to new albums.

 

This week's thoughts for the albums @JM95 recommended me:

Faith No More - King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime

I’ve obviously always known of Faith No More and heard a song here and there but have never delved into their catalogue past maybe two or three songs, so this was the perfect way to be introduced to a full body of work from them.

From the get-go with “Get Out” it was so captivating: gunfire snare hits, stuttered rhythm and melodies and what I “expected” to hear going into a Faith No More album. The notion of what I had come to expect from them continued into “Ricochet” where the more tender, American rock that was so prevalent in the 90s and really represented a big portion of that time musically was at play. However, that is where my assumptions and predictions ended because the album took a seamless-yet-sharp-turn into the most impressive genre mixing I’ve heard.

Suddenly we are in a jazz lounge with “Evidence” where everything is so laid back, light and breezy and in a decade that couldn’t be further from the mid-90s then we are in a pestle and mortar of metal, rock, funk and jazz that are all bashed and beaten into a song, but instead of being clumsy, it mixes so well. This unpredictability continued throughout the listen, and there were so many minuscule moments that surprised me as much as there were drastic changes in sound. As someone who listened to a lot of Incubus growing up, it’s so clear where they take their main influence from now - particularly when you consider their earlier and more angular releases like Fungus Amungus - S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

For an album that starts off with “What if there’s no more fun to be had?” it actually sounds like a band throwing caution to the wind and having the most fun playing around with sounds and genres. Whilst it’s not a sound I love nor an album I would find myself coming back to frequently, the admiration I have for the band and their ability to weave and master such a variety of genres and influences into a cohesive sound is at a huge peak. The way Mike Patton can so effortlessly be a crooner one minute and the most deranged screamer the next is near unparalleled. I really enjoyed spending time with an album that left me not knowing what was coming next. Unpredictability is often a trait that’s overlooked in music nowadays and this was full of it - there was even a moment in “Caralho Voador” where the keys that sat in the background reminded me of Terence Trent D’Arby’s “Sign My Name”. Diversity galore.

Favourite Tracks: "Get Out", "Evidence", "The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies"

Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness

This is an album I’ve been really excited to listen to for some time. I’ve been aware of the cult surrounding the release but I've never taken the time to listen despite it always being on one of those lists of "things to check out" in our own minds, but we “never get around to”. Consequently, I legitimately had no context for the sound or what to expect when hitting play, which is incredibly exciting and rare a thing with an album, but when combining the band name, the mood and feel of the record (at least aesthetically in terms of art and track names) it all seemed like something I’d enjoy.

Everything starts in such a soothing and beautifully delicate tone that it’s verging on meditative. However, because I had no idea of what to expect, part of me was cautiously waiting to have the rug pulled from under me - as though this 8 minute long track is going to jumpscare me into cacophony.

I couldn’t have been more wrong and so happy with how wrong I was. I loved this record and knew I'd want to return to it almost as soon as “Bloodhail” started. Once I’d understood a general field in which Have A Nice Life operated in musically and where the record lived, I surrendered any caution and absolutely loved Deathconsciousness. Where I had half-expected to come into this record hearing pained screams and concrete, wall of noise guitars/percussion - instead I was met with something which I often love in music: a sense of desperation meets resignation in sound. There’s a quiet darkness to this that I’m more receptive to as opposed to a record that pummels you with intense volume and commotion. This breathes, or more accurately, sighs and consequently the depth of the mood is so affecting particularly when it does venture into moments of noise - everything is complemented.

There’s buzzsaw guitars, delicate vocals and experimentation with song structure from more common to expansive without meandering. In terms of themes and lyrics - I have to read lyrics alongside any new album, song or anything I listen to - I find myself agitated if I can’t. This is already an album I was loving for all of its components whilst barely three songs in, but reading the lyrics made me love it even more: “Can you hear my faintest breath? Is it amplified?” - honed in on that desperation that I felt when the record started and just solidified a connection.

It’s clearly an album that requires a patient listen, but it pays off massively. Every song is full of a melancholic anticipation. I've been introduced to a new favourite.

Favourite Tracks: "Bloodhail", "Waiting For Black Metal Records To Come In The Mail", "Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000"

 

Hey! You never got back to me!

All is good.

 

Awesome. Really glad you appreciated both, especially Deathconsciousness. Fantastic write up too.

 

Seriously thank you for that rec. I love that album. Looking forward to spending more time with it.

 

The unnatural world is even better

 

Alright, I have done my listening of the recommendations courtesy of @nohandstoholdonto

Deftones- White Pony

Well this was a cool experience, and that’s really what this album was. An experience. Diving into this one first and having only a few deftones songs under my belt prior to this, I wasn’t quite sure what I was in for. Some people had told me when I announced this was one of my assignments that I was in for a treat. My word, that was correct. The songs themselves are like the mind of an unhinged man, and yet melodic and crafted beautifully. Actually kind of reminded me of Tool or A Perfect Circle (which funny enough Maynard features on a song on this album). The lyrics and guitars can be unsettling at times, but that is a good thing that works for these songs in this case. There are many textures and layers to these songs and the vocals are emotional, with raw lyrics that kind of make you just want to start moshing or punching something(if I was younger). Great album, with very few low points. A couple times it became a grind listening to, but that’s because of personal sound taste not of the quality. Wish I had listened to this in my younger days when I could appreciate it more. Stand out tracks are: Passenger, Change( In The House Of Flies), Digital Bath, and Knife Party.

The Early November- Imbue

Ok out of all the recommendations I’ve done on this club so far, this was the one that was most in my ‘comfort zone’. Mainly because I had listened to this band for their first two albums, stopping with ‘The Mother, The Mechanic, and The Path’ way back when. I hadn’t kept up with their newer stuff since then, and after hearing this I am totally in regret that I stopped listening to them(they reminded me of an ex, so I wrote them off). This album was GREAT. They are still up to snuff, and I love that they haven’t lost steam in my opinion. The album is a fun ride for its 10 tracks, with the guitars being just as melody filled and an ear worm as the lyrics themselves. Speaking of lyrics, Arthur is fantastic on these vocals, his voice is amazing. I found myself digging the album as a whole, with no real low points for me to point out at all. Every song has something to like, and there was not really a single bad song on the album. In fact, when I listened to it my third time, I was still having trouble picking out what my stand outs are on it. But, if I have to pick, the stand outs are: ‘Better This Way’, ‘Circulation’, ‘Harmony’, ‘Cyanide’ and ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’. This album is in my amazon check out cart right now lol.

 

@dadbolt still hasn’t reviewed my Recs for him last week. Has his partner this week heard from him? It’s not wise to keep a Saiyan waiting!

 

Session 4 Thoughts:

I took on 3 partners this week because i didn't want anyone who wished to participate to be left out, I am posting my thoughts slightly early as I will be away over the weekend. They deserved my thoughts before I went. So here they be!

Partner 1 @Erwin89
PUP- The Dream is Over

This is pretty simple and straightforward pop-punk, and I mean that in a good way. It is done really well and it gripped me in from the very first note. The album has a lot of variety throughout in terms of tempo that keeps it feeling fresh. The vocals really fit in the music and the production and mix here is great. There is times where the vocals and instrumentation remind me of Cage The Elephant which is pretty cool.

Standouts: If This Tour Doesn’t Kill You I Will, My Life Is Over And I Couldn’t Be Happier, Familiar Patterns, The Coast


Partner 2 @jorbjorb
Secret Space- The Window Room

I had a bit of a mix-up here at first as there is a Japanese band called SECRET SPACE, I started listening to that and was like “this can’t be right?”. I eventually found the right band who are signed to Equal Vision Records. I really enjoyed this album the singers voice really fits the mood, atmosphere and instrumentation of the record. I would describe it as indie/alternative rock which I am a huge fan of.

Second Life is my favourite track here, it opens with a highly relatable lyric that really pulled me right in “Where'd you go? In a whisper you were the only one lonelier than I.” Honestly the lyrics all throughout are just great. This line in Cast Iron gave me chills when I first heard it “You say you just don't care who's left hanging around but you check your back as you head out of town.”

Suffer In is such a great closer to this album, a truly special moment.

I would highly recommend checking out this band and album, I plan on checking out their other records soon as well. Remember to turn CAPS LOCK off before searching for them!

Standout Tracks: The Window Room, Second Life, Cast Iron & Stars


Partner 3 @thenewtypetheory
Preoccupations-Viet Cong

I had never heard of this band nor listened to any of their stuff prior to this, went into this lesson not even remotely knowing what to expect. I was pretty floored, it opens with some pretty cool ass drum beat mixed with static. This album was actually released before they changed their name to preoccupations so its technically a self-titled album. The group described there genre as “labyrinthine post-punk". The instrumentation throughout is pretty top notch and just really enjoyable. I would highly recommend this to others and I hope to check out their other releases.


Standout Tracks: Newspaper Spoons, March of Progress and Silhouettes

 

Super glad you enjoyed both records!! Deftones is one of my favorite bands, and I felt like they would mesh with your tastes rather well but still push them a little... it seems I was right? Haha. White Pony isn’t my favorite release of theirs, probably third for me, but it is their most popular/beloved album and probably the best entry point. I’d say dig into their other music and see how you feel, you might find something you like even more!

And I’m especially glad you were so into the TEN record! They’re my favorite band, and I feel they’re so underrated in general, but especially within their “scene” or genre or whatever. TMTMTP is my favorite of their releases, but Imbue and TRTC are always fighting for second place. We share a lot of the same highlights too, actually, tho I’d include Cyanide, Magnolia, and Boxing Timelines in mine as well. Also, this is a good time for you to get back into them, as they’re gearing up to put out a new record next year! :)

 

Hey I gave props to cyanide! Lol the others are great too

 

Oh dang. Don’t know how I didn’t see that lol! Oh also, Narrow Mouth as well. Haha. Regardless, just glad you liked it so much.