The Chorus Music Club Society • Page 424

My Saint Asonia review is coming soon. Been a hectic week between work and the newborn so I haven't had as much time to sit down with the album as I'd like to flesh out a full review, but I definitely think it's a good release!

 

After struggling for inspiration last week, I have some cool new band recommendations for my next few pairings Two of which have gone straight into my top 10 of the year.

 

Pairings will be up soon. Sorry, I’m home today and I am dealing with two kids, being under the weather with a cold and a crazy house!

 

This week, @Petit nain des Îles gave me the 2014 record, Vorstellungskraft by the band, The Tidal Sleep. I was not familiar with this band before, and it makes sense given they are German.

At its core, this is a really good post hardcore record. That said, there are some mellow instrumental moments that I would not categorize as shoegaze, but work really well in breaking things up. The album is 11 songs in 35 minutes and it's essentially broken up into two 5 song EP's and an instrumental track in between.

From a sound standpoint, this record fits in with Touche Amore, early Pianos and La Dispute, and Explosions In the Sky. I do think this record has a little bit more of an experimental element than other post hardcore bands in 2014 with the mellow moments and some of the guitar parts (especially on the second group of five songs).

I've given the album a lot of run this week and I really like it. I'm excited to check out some of their other releases, but this is an album that fans of the above mentioned bands should listen to as well. I wasn't able to sit down with the lyrics as much as I would have liked, so I can't really get into that side of the record. I did check what the album name translates to in English and it means imagination, which makes me even more curious about picking the lyrics apart. Songs that I really liked were Thrive and Wither, If You Build It..., Smoke and Mirrors, and Lined Skin, Rotten Hull.

Thank you for recommending something like this to me! It's easy to stay in a US bubble with music, so to hear bands from other countries taking a familiar sound and pushing it forward like this is really cool. This is the kind of album I hope to find in a group exchange like this.

 

This sounds great! Great review and I will have to check it out.

 

The fact that Waterparks’ Awsten Knight's name is spelled like that* should tell you everything you need to know about Waterparks and their “music.” This week, Chase Tremaine gave me Waterparks’ FANDOM to review.



Upon first listen, I found myself cringing and (sometimes) laughing at most of the lyrics. The title track “Cherry Red” opens with the lines

“Cherry red
You know, I died for you
Sour green
We both lost me
Now I don't want your sex
And I don't want their money
I don't want my life since you changed your mind
I never wanted nothing but honesty
When you slipped the curse you loved me”

There are many references to color (and superficially-explored feelings) throughout FANDOM without much relevance as to what point they are trying to make. Is singer Awsten Knight talking about lollipops or the hair color of an ex lover? Also, how long did he spend writing this song? And how is he dead in one moment and proclaiming what he wants in the next? You really don’t want your life because someone changed their mind about not wanting you? What kind of whiney bs is this?

Upon reading the annotations on Genius Lyrics, it seems that this song may be in reference to some label drama, as their previous two LPs were released on Equal Vision and FANDOM came out on Hopeless. This may be obvious to people who’ve been on the Waterparks wagon and were familiar with the band’s history, but to a first-time listener, it’s confusing and weird and seems like a waste of breath.

Musically, the opening track (and much of the album) is colorful and extremely manufactured which seems to be the whole aesthetic of the band. Lyrical content aside, the songs are easy to listen to and are extremely catchy, which is annoying because I found myself getting sucked in on more than one occasion and had to snap myself out of getting pulled into a Waterparks whirlpool. While reflecting upon FANDOM and the Waterparks boys, I began to get a bit angry at the fact that there are so many bands who’d kill to be where they are who are making music with genuine sincerity and emotional depth--Waterparks are the musical embodiment of white male mediocrity and it's frustrating to think about how much space they're taking up while greatly lacking much talent. While watching a short clip from MTV, I thought “wow, these guys seem really down-to-earth” and “maybe I should give them a chance.” But the thing is that their music is essentially a compilation of rants that you’d find floating around a 13-year old’s MySpace page rather than released on an album and also Awsten Knight seems to be a rather shitty guy. FANDOM is something I could maybe have seen myself bopping along to as a teenager if I’d seen the band on a bill and wasn’t paying enough attention to the lyrics but thankfully that will never happen.

Let’s take a look at some of FANDOM’s lyrical gems.

The song “Turbulent” contains the following lyrics:

“You had your own Pete Wentz and Patrick combined**
Writing you songs and singing them all like
Every single day
Tour brings that special pain”

and also:

I'd unfuck you if I could, ooh, ooh, ooh
I'd unlove you like I should have
Months before I did
In the months before I split
It's turbulent, turbulent
I'd unfuck you if I could, ooh, ooh, ooh
I'd unlove you like I should have
Months before I did
In the months before I split
It's turbulent, turbulent”

Apparently Awsten was cheated on by an ex, which sucks but if Knight were truly “Pete Wentz and Patrick combined” then he wouldn’t be so bad at writing and singing (and existing).

There’s also a song titled “I Miss Having Sex But At Least I Don't Wanna Die Anymore.”

and also a song “Watch What Happens Next” that opens like this:

“I wanna be a millionaire before I'm 30
But saying that out loud is probably gonna hurt me”

The only lyrics on the record I thought were decent (and what I also found to be the least shitty track on the album) are from “Easy to Hate”

“I'll change the colors on my head
Worn like a mood ring past my neck, oh (oh)”

Again another reference to color, this time with a bit more relevance.

While much of FANDOM is presumably a response to fan critique, the record lacks a great deal of substance and Waterparks make it clear that they just don’t care. I’m very happy to say that I’ve finally managed to get their awful songs out of my head after much cleansing with Sufjan Stevens and the Hadestown cast recording.


*I couldn't figure out if his parents spelled it like that or if he changed it himself.

**JUST HOW PRETENTIOUS ARE YOU?!

 

Nailed it on the head with that review. I was the same, finding myself bopping along after a few minutes then the reality of the lyrics shocked me right out of it. I think they are banking on tweens ignoring the fact that their lyrics are god awful and eating it right up.

 

Here are your match ups. I am so sorry for the delay.

@Petit nain des Îles & @BTDandFeelingThis
@SamLevi11 & @ugman_2000
@nickyeatworld & @Micool1
@troyplaysbass & @summertimejesus
@Michael Schmidt & @swboyd
@cshadows2887 & @Patterns in Traffic
@Chase Tremaine & @edisnfg
@GBlades & @disambigujason

 

Thank you! And absolutely--writing this review had me reflecting upon my own MySpace days and how easy it is to fall privy to a band's charms.

 

Hey this means I’ll go two weeks without giving someone a Starset album


(Because I already showed them all of them and they liked them lol)

 

Shoot. Guess I was awfully wrong in thinking you might like this S'pose that's what I get for being the type of listener who great at ignoring the lyrics, hahah

You should've taken my Architects album option instead! hahaha

 

Me and @troyplaysbass will be reviewing Sherwood's QU and clipping.'s CLPPNG, respectively, from our last pairing!

 

I actually appreciated reviewing this because it had me thinking critically about music, so thank you!! I think it can also be fun to review things that I may not like or be into.

 

Which Architects album?

Also, I hope you didn't take it personal. Musically the album is actually pretty enjoyable but if you dive below the surface you realize it's a whole different story. I am GUILTY of having listened to some cringe music as well so if you like it, that is all that matters!

 

Haha I've been paired with @cshadows2887 all three weeks so far.

Not complaining, just impressed. What are the odds?

 

I'm so sorry! Do you want me to roll again? The two that already have exchanged can stay and then I will just do new match ups.

 

I honestly don't mind, I'm enjoying his recs. All good on my end

 

Just a heads up, I am the odd man out so I have been sitting out. I totally don't mind and like being the moderator. I have been listening to all the albums so I can participate in the conversations. If someone wants to throw a recommendation my way I will gladly review it. I have one coming for @ugman_2000 that I really enjoyed.

 

Looks like it's me and @disambigujason again! Really liking having this back

 

Very excited to exchange records with @swboyd! This likely means a heavy and aggressive album swap and I’m totally here for it.

 

All's good -- no offense taken!

I had suggested Architects' The Here and Now, since it's their most punk-leaning album.

 

I value that perspective on it! :)

 

This past week I had the pleasure of listening to Breakup Season by Future Teens, recommended by @GBlades. The record came out this past August on triple crown and has an accessible kinda pop-punky/indie vibe. I had heard of them before but not much of an idea of how well known they are otherwise, so the Triple Crown release was impressive. What I liked most about this release was the dual male and female vocals. Their voices work well together, but I thought they were stylistically different enough to bring pretty unique styles to their respective predominant songs. Female vocals sound a bit like glacier veins and pine, the male vocals a bit like Cardova, a band who didn’t make much noise with their one record but who I enjoyed very much. I will say I thought some of the lyrics were a bit clumsy, but relatable, raw, and overall a good selling point. The music reminded me a lot of Oso Oso (whom I discovered brought out FT on their current tour) and the aforementioned Cardova. Favorite tracks so far are Born to Stay and Frequent Crier. Super catchy singalong songs. This was a fun listen, definitely recommended for all the Oso Oso fans made this year.

 

Such an underrated album in their back catalog

 

If anyone gives me Waterparks I'm quitting the group lol. Legit my least favourite band. Good review though, you kind of nailed exactly what I think about it.