Dance Gavin Dance - Artificial Selection (June 8, 2018) Album • Page 34

yeah this is less immediate than Mothership and wayyyy less immediate than Instant Gratification. I feel like every song is either awesome all the way through, has a killer outro, or a great bridge. I'm into it.

 

Bloodsucker's lyrics seem to me like they're about a messy divorce rather than any sort of criticism towards sexual assault victims / the MeToo movement personally, but I could see how they could be taken a different way.

 

This Kurt song is nothing. His performance isnt even good. So weird.

 

oh. I loved it. brings back the atmosphere of Hot Water On Wool and Jon's part is so groovy.

 

Sadly I kinda agree. Really awkward song, but better than most of the rest of the album. Think this might be worse than IG

 

Gospel Burnout could have been good but Tilian's parts are so obnoxious.

 

“Denial becomes evidence to crucify the innocent” seems pretty transparent to me

 

The more I listen to the lyrics of Bloodsucker the more I realize how neutral they are. I feel like it's more of a commentary on the controversy itself than actually taking a position

If you notice, there's never any defining line saying "you" and "he" is, and as easy it is to be offended by the lyrics (rightfully) I think they're intentionally vague to let the listener decide for themselves.

Maybe I'm just too generous but lines like "I will watch you suffer like a good consumer should, popcorn in my stomach tells me you're misunderstood" and "Denial becomes evidence to crucify the innocent" could honestly go either way, and considering how DGD isn't really a political band, I think it's less cut-and-dry than it seems.

 

Musically, it's the best song on the album imo.

 

Pretty funny considering it's the first DGD song that doesn't include Will.

 

About halfway through my first listen and loving it so far, but I pretty much dig literally anything this band touches. New release days are always weird for me because I'm pretty insistent on listening the whole way through in my car, but my commute doesn't really lend to an entire album of this length, so I'm only five tracks in and I'll try to finish tonight.

So far, still loving the singles. Suspended in This Disaster is great and I actually really like Count Bassy, not sure why it seems to be so divisive.

 

"Now you're on a midnight crusade
Flexing your stats
But you can't touch me, touch me, touch me
Tell me how to think my own way
You can give it your best
But you won't touch me, touch me, touch me"

"Forget what they say about me
I'm in there where they can't touch me
Right now ain't no one above me
All my faithful children love me"

These lyrics are so cheesy but I love them so much.

 

I really relate to Midnight Crusade in my own way. Feels like commentary on coming out of a religious upbringing, at least how I'm reading it. The first lines have connected with me a lot. "Used to be so judgmental, now I respect the ones who dare to be sinful. Always searching for my pride, now I know it's all fleeting, just glad to be alive."

 

I'm just a fan of catchy pop music, so when Tilian goes full pop even down to lyrics, I think it's awesome.

 

It's difficult to me because I'm not sure if we're supposed to link Jon and Tilian's lyrics together on this one or not.

 

Right there with you! I know people criticize his lyricism a lot, but I think he has incredible pop sensibilities and often the simplicity of his lyrics really lends to that. Straightforward or vague, they always get stuck in my head which is one of the things I really love about him as a vocalist. It really defines how different the eras of this band are.

 

Yep, which is why I completely get why people don't like him. I don't think there's a lot of post-hardcore bands that are as in your face with their melody like Tilian-era DGD is. I can understand why you would like the Jonny or Kurt era better.

 

half of this pretty much sucks

 

One of my complaints with Tilian is his hooks are bad/don't land for me at all. His pop sensibilities are nowhere near what people say they are imo

 

Interesting, I find most of his hooks land 100% for me, especially the more groovy parts like the bridge of Midnight Crusade, all of Young Robot, the outro for Care... I could keep going, but you get the idea.

 

hes very capable at writing hooks

 

I held off until release day! Commence listen #1.

 

I do dig this record a ton even with the shit lyrics

 

I'm feeling like this too It only "sucks" by their high standards but from tracks 6-14 the only highlights for me after 2 listens were Slouch and Hair Song, that's it. I'm stressed to hell in my life atm so maybe that has something to do with it, idk.

Definitely read it like that too. I've seen stuff online/in interviews before that mentions his upbringing and it sounds unpleasant to say the least.

 

The choruses in suspended and flash are play-all-day-on-repeat good