Chorus.fm Record of the Week Club • Page 38

Listened a few times this morning, really good but nothing really grabbed me as much as Reconstruction Site. Will definitely throw on again from time to time

 

I'll let y'all know how listening to "Virtue the Cat Explains Her Departure" in the middle of the workday goes

 

Update: NOT GREAT (complementary)

 

This is just as good as I remember and super fun to rediscover! This record in particular always gave me some Death Cab/Built to Spill vibes

 

I am seconding this as I read along to the lyrics :(

 

Yeah turns out John K. Samson is a great songwriter and The Weakerthans were a great band that I regret not seeing while they were active. Hadn't listened to this record in a minute and I'm glad I got the nudge.

 

Gave this another listen today. It’s a great album that doesn’t really throw any punches IMO. It’s all in the lyrics. I like it but think it’s still too early for me to say more. I am intrigued to return to Reconstruction Site though (I’ve listened to it before years ago and remember enjoying that a lot more on my initial impression).

 

This is my least favorite of their last 3 albums, but I have also probably spent the least amount of time on it. Civil Twilight is great.

 

I love how this record shows every side of the band really well. I don't think I can really argue that it's better than Reconstruction Site, but it has some of their best moments. "Sun In an Empty Room" and "Night Windows" is such a wonderful pair of songs. The band and Samson at their warmest. I think "Utilities" is their best closer too.

I still wish he'd have written that one line in the title track differently. Sticks out like a sore thumb every time I hear it.

 

Night Windows was def a highlight. Sun in an Empty Room has been on one of my playlists for years so I was already big on that one. That line I think you’re referring to in the title track also really took me out of it.

 

Yeah, and I love everything else about that song so much — the production, the idea that getting the band back together and trying to recreate the carefree magic of youth is always going to feel hollow. The next line, "I lost the chiming ring of keys to everything" is one of my favorites on the album.

 

I don't think I ever listened to a full album by this band but I've heard a handful of songs. Just finished listening to Reunion Tour and definitely dug it. Found the second half to be a lot more enjoyable although I was caught off guard by the r word in Reunion Tour

 

Bumping this just to think about for future picks

 

lemme get out my notepad here:
* Bring a Moor Mother record to Chorus ROTW Club at some point

 

please do, she’s a genius

 

@Kistler whatchu got fam?

 

I've been bad at actually listening to some of these records, unfortunately my listening habits tend to be strongly influenced by my mental state in ways which are still not clear to me and for the last week my brain has only let me listen to jam bands. Even harder for new stuff. I will return to all of them though and feel like usually i have something to contribute anyway lol

 

I am at P4K today but will have something when I get home!

 

Okay, I know I said something about bringing Moor Mother but I feel like my personal history with her music is a little shallow for the purposes of this thread (go listen to Black Encyclopedia of Air or her collab record with Billy Woods, Brass if you want a place to start with MM).

I'm gonna pick TALsounds most recent record, Shift. TALsounds is the solo project of former Chicago (now DC-based) Lebanese-Canadian musician Natalie Chami. I first got exposed to Natalie's music when she opened for Xiu Xiu at the Empty Bottle years ago. I had never seen someone do live looping of instruments and vocals the way she did before with the exception of Julianna Barwick, who blew my mind when I saw her open for Eluvium in 2010. I was shocked to later learn that it was all improvised, and a lot of her recorded material was also improv'd. It gave me a framework for doing solo music the way that I do it now and for that I am very grateful.

Shift is, and I say this with the bar set high leading up to it, TALsounds best album without a doubt, which is wild because it's an experiment in itself, made exclusively using FM synths, vocals, and a handful of pedals. On top of that, every part of the album was worked on by women of SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) descent, which really reflects the spirit of the work (it was mixed by Maryam Qudus, mastered by Heba Kadry, and the artwork was done by Mary Hazboun). It's a truly moving record independent of its context, but the whole package really makes it stand out.

 

Sounds awesome, can't wait to throw it on tomorrow! I also just discovered Julianna Barwick!

 

Julianna Barwick is a staple. Never listened to TALsounds before. Will check out on my flight back to the states tonight.

 

just finished up listening to this. I found it to be a very beautiful and rewarding experience.

my favorite track was definitely Still Talking

 

Never heard of this, love the pick. Also kinda feel that way about Moor Mother, maybe after a bunch of rounds and everyone exhausts their older semi-obscure personal favorites we can move on to newer semi-obscure cool picks

 

Putting on TALsounds while I watch clown boxing

 

This pairing is making me rethink my life