The Hotelier - Goodness (May 27, 2016) Album • Page 144

This is true and there is nothing wrong with having two consecutive albums in the low 80s on pitchfork most bands would be delighted with that type of consistency. Also the content of the review is really positive which is always a good thing

 

Does anyone else go to a really contemplative state in the middle of sun.. My mind wanders and then I am always brought back into the song by him saying sun, like "okay time to start listening again cool band moments coming up"

 

Also, 8 is a good score everywhere, not just a good on pitchfork kind of thing. I think some people are used to seeing 9's, 9.5's and 10's that were handed out fairly often on AP.

 

Every time

 

I would have bet a fiver!

For me it's like "Why do I feel so old?"

I think you're going to see a lot of that in reviews for this album, just because of the contrast between the two.

 

You In This Light has become my favorite melody other than Goodness Pt.2

What a great song.

 

Popping in to say that I enjoy this record quite a lot and it exceeded the expectations I had for being the follow up to one of my top 5 records.

 

It seems like they make a calculated effort to not have Ian Cohen review some of these albums (TWIAB Harmlessness for example), as his reviews would be favorable to the point where it would be hard to justify not giving the album BNM based on the content. Both these albums have seen him posting a review/essay on another site praising how great they are.

I understand how the site might feel he's biased towards the genre, but I still find it a bit frustrating nonetheless.

Edit: he did review Home. How scores on that site are decided still confuses me.

 

Fade from Fear to End is perfect

Also intro to End gives me hecka Mineral/TPR vibes

 

He basically called both albums the best indie rock records in their respective years. Pitchfork's other writers and editors do not share that view. I'd rather he write what he really thinks somewhere else than adjust it to fit the site's editorial opinion.

 

I wouldn't put much stock in scores ever. But I think it's good that Ian doesn't always review these records, for a while it seemed like he was the only voice they had talking about the genre, now there are a few more. Definitely a good thing. Even though Ian's write up was far more interesting (although not really a review)

 

I have finally caught up with the 20+ pages of the thread I haven't seen yet. Huzzah! I'm back in the loop.

 

Drew's review is up, and it's great

 

Yes it is

 

Fair points. It's nice seeing more coverage from a wider variety of writers.

 

Only good review so far is Ian's imo.

 

I think the Pitchfork review is alright. The Transcendentalist link they bring up is definitely something I've been tugging on with this album. Wish they had delved into that a little bit more (though I think I'll try to write up something about this album and what it has meant to me in this moment in my life this weekend, and I'll probably try to go a little more into depth on that.) But really the biggest issue I have with the review is that this paragraph finds a way to be 100 words without saying literally anything about the album of use outside of the last line, which I vehemently disagree with (best vocal on the album is in Soft Animal's chorus):

Other times, it’s the trying that draws you in. The percussion is so relentless, the guitars so urgent, the voice so direct, that songs like “Goodness Pt. 2” and “Piano Player” feel like something that could get you out of bed in the morning. For much of the latter, Holden can be heard—in either the foreground or in the background amid utter sonic chaos—screaming what may be the most realistic mantra ever chanted: the word “sustain.” That said, this same sort of trick is not as profound the second time Holden pulls it, spending a fair chunk of “Sun” simply repeating its title. At least that underwhelming passage results in Holden’s most indelible punk vocal on the entire album, and it's a throaty blow that stands in stark contrast to the calmer, Stipe-like tone Holden employs here more than ever.

Like I get where you're going with the relentless surging of those first 2 tracks especially, but your takeaway is that... it might help people get out of bed in the morning?

 

you need to look at the scores separately from the reviews reading pitchfork

 

The Hotelier - Goodness • chorus.fm

My review

 

HEY THANKS lol xoxo

 

I would agree with this. If that's the stuff I would have to say about an album, I wouldn't review it. Just not interesting enough to justify.

 

Pitchfork LOVES to tease these guys. Always like an inch away from "Best New Music". So annoying.

 

cwhit's right, you have to separate the score from the review re: Pitchfork. The writer doesn't pick the overall verdict (score, BNM) so the words are often separate in how they come across.

Yet another reason while scoring numerically is dumb. Haha.

 

I think they assign the writer based on whose opinion best matches the score, though. At least that's what I've read in the past.