[rohcti]

blindmowing wrote:

C
Kings -- this song has the potential to grow on me, for now it feels like a shrug of an addendum at the end of an epic album

Kinda feel that way too, although I do like how different is from the other stuff. Can def see it growing on me too

Lyrically and I guess sonically it's a bit apocalyptic, not what I would have expected for this collection of songs really. Except Defeat

[willie dustice]

Hope people will see what I was saying about Kings now. To me it’s a “listened to it once, that was enough” type track.

I have probably listened to this album 60 times (I have had it since April) and I still love it.

[blindmowing]

This album is so 60s

Aside from PBs tracks this could be a lost weirdo classic from then

[coral lord]

I’m just an honest man looking to be crunchitized

[shellfishgrimes]

anybody? anybody?

bueller? bueller?



..bueller?

[Stan]

Between Skiffs and IIN there is one great album's worth of songs.

[dansemanatee]

went out to see barbie was not expecting a freebird when i got home! .. someone please crunchitize me!!

[dansemanatee]

went out to see barbie was not expecting a freebird! feeling kinda tired and i dont wanna waste such a special moment on a somewhat lousy night but.. someone please crunchitize me!!

[corrie]

Can somebody please crunch me before I need to catch a flight? Need this in my ears

[WhenPandaMetAvey]

I'd also love to be punched in the heart with this beaut if someone would be so kind. I'll return the favor to others.

[hedgecore]

I was sick all day and didn't feel like opening my laptop.... Although in the back of my mind there was a voice saying that it could have been out there. Could I get a punch pretty please?

edit: did this happen right now? haha I was looking at where I left off in the thread, refreshed and the next post was about it being out there

edit 2 : it's on soooulllseeeeeek

[Samuel Lamuel]

This is earlier than I expected. Can I get a punch please?

[peoplehatesurfing]

May I

[hedgecore]

haha the album starts like Voodoo (D'angelo record)

[Sputnik Monroe]

Can someone please punch me!

Edit: been punched! It hurts so good! Such a great surprise after a shitty insane day of work!

Much love everyone! Diving straight in!

[dansemanatee]

hedgecore wrote:

I was sick all day and didn't feel like opening my laptop.... Although in the back of my mind there was a voice saying that it could have been out there. Could I get a punch pretty please?

edit: did this happen right now? haha I was looking at where I left off in the thread, refreshed and the next post was about it being out there

edit 2 : it's on soooulllseeeeeek

this is so lame of me but.. never used soulsseek before this, how do i find it on there? downloaded it and looked it up but all i could find was literally every other anco record lol

[muark]

Starting my third listen now. Already so so much to say.
Preamble:
I don't think even the best album ever made would've been able to exceed my hype and expectations for this album. And you know what? That's fine! Because we truly did end up with a bloody good record. It has its flaws but also insane moments of beauty and clarity. It's a perfectly imperfect final statement of this long and fascinating era of AC's career. Time for a track-by-track rundown, let's get in it!

Spoiler: show

Soul Capturer:
What a fucking choon. They really gave this track its own voice and I'm glad they made it the opener, which was a choice I was not vibing with when the tracklist was first revealed. Love the intro, such an interesting way to kick off the album and it really helps with the cohesion of the track. The last section of this song is what makes it for me though. The wall of sound bliss, the bass freakout and Avey channeling his inner Alan Bishop are all so nice, good lord.
Genie's Open:
Love the quasi-transition from SC to this (I'll get into transitions later). The drum fade-in is so nice and that flutey synth that's kinda buried in the mix at about a minute in is so cool. Overall a really faithful recording. This is a silly thing to be mad at but I really wish they kept Pandas AYYYYYY from the start of the second section. I get why they left it out but it did so much for me in the boots, oh well. Still an awesome track. Bloody love the vocal echo into the third section, what a nice touch. Some people are saying the third section should be faster but I really enjoy it as it is. The vocal bit at the very end should've been drawn out a bit longer but that's a very minor qualm.
Broke Zodiac:
Wow, they really did nail this one, just a lovely pop jam all around and super faithful to the boots. Never heard Noah sound this good. Clean and sexy vocals while still retaining a bit of that rawness that I really like when he's belting out a melody while on the kit. And they really went all in on the tropicalia vibe too! Which I was expecting them to tone down a bit, glad they didn't.
Magicians From Baltimore:
Hell yes. Don't get me wrong, I have some gripes with this one. But at the end of the day, it's Magicians so it's gonna be fire regardless. This was by far the track I (and many others) was most excited for, so it makes sense that I need to acclimatize a bit to the studio cut. Avey is sounding so vulnerable here, his vocal delivery is so odd at times but it works really well because man this turned out a lot more melancholic than I expected. Got me shedding some man tears for sure. Does anyone else think the verses are way too rushed? I dunno, tell me if I'm wrong but I feel like they should've let it breathe for a bit longer because it's kind of distracting especially with the drum splashes and vocals just fully crowded together. What an atmosphere on this one though, the distorted bass rocks so fucking hard. The last half is truly something special. Just absolutely melting my heart with those Avey/Deak harmonies. Deakin's keys feel a bit too trebly and lacking reverb during the magnolias part but he makes up for it with those flourishes! Goddamn! And the last part with the fucking Leslie? and the wailing guitar? Oh my fucken god, what a ride.
Defeat:
When all is said and done I do think this ended up being the best track on the album, which seems obvious but I was kind of expecting Magicians to take the lead. But Defeat has it beat. This one has been discussed to death so I'll leave it out of the analysis considering we all kinda know how good it is.
Gem & I:
Yeah, this feels odd coming straight after defeat. It's pretty good though! I don't really have too much else to say surprisingly. Love Deaks bam bams and the vocal layering is really really nice. Was never the most excited for this one but pretty pleased with how it turned out. The chorus is pretty chaotic but I dig it.
Stride Rite:
I feel like I've reached the acceptance stage of grief with this track. Don't get me wrong, it's Stride. They could've put fart noises throughout it and it would still be amazing. Still, it doesn't reach the slice of musical perfection that was the 2021 version, which in my opinion had much better structural and melodic components. Really warming up to this now we have a definitive cut though. Really love how it's just Deakin on vocals. He's sounding so bare and upfront here it's hard not to admire how emotional it feels. Can really see this becoming a future favourite for me over time.
All the Clubs are Broken:
I mean, great song right? But it does not gel with the rest of the album for me at all. Especially considering how reverb-laden it is compared to the others. Such an earworm though and it's really simple which is a nice change of pace.
King's Walk:
Funny how this ended up being the most faithful to the live versions. It's a fine track but doesn't have much to delve into and feels pretty odd as a closer. Harmonies are good though!
P.S. Sorry this got so half-assed towards the end haha

Gonna need a few more listens to truly develop some overall thoughts on this. But for what it's worth it's really good. Much better than Time Skiffs.

[peoplehatesurfing]

May I please get a punch?

[dio]

I'm in love.... Magicians is massive and incredible as I always dreamt it would be since the blast sessions, or even performance #1 in New Orleans. Ive wanted a AC song like this forever. The ending is incredible. The Leslie effect on Avey's voice and then the BIG LOUD bold af Geo butt guitar samples. SOSOSOSO glad those made it in and are high af in the mix. Was praying on that. It's gorgeous. And the last little bit. It was putting a big stupid grin on my face.

Broke Zodiac also perfect af. I'm ok with no stuttering tape-delay effect on the main sample. Sounded a lil too blatantly sp404 core maybe.

All the vocals in this are mixed perfectly.

[muark]

dansemanatee wrote:

hedgecore wrote:

I was sick all day and didn't feel like opening my laptop.... Although in the back of my mind there was a voice saying that it could have been out there. Could I get a punch pretty please?

edit: did this happen right now? haha I was looking at where I left off in the thread, refreshed and the next post was about it being out there

edit 2 : it's on soooulllseeeeeek

this is so lame of me but.. never used soulsseek before this, how do i find it on there? downloaded it and looked it up but all i could find was literally every other anco record lol

Go to your documents folder on File Explorer and there should be a dedicated soulseek folder where you'll find it

[dio]

Also, first take on Sea is that the ending climax-y part is almost the reverse of what happened to Flowers.... the way the Hove version of Flowers had that much softer "drop" and it was like gentler and sweet but then on the album it was this huge explosion and stayed that way live.... whereas the "drop" into that part on Sea live is kind of a huge dance party vibe in my memory, on record its a little more soft and subtle. And I love it!

It's subtler and still just as hype...

King's Walk is haunting and gorgeous.

This is so good. I love this album and all its DND energy in the lyrics. I've wanted that from them forever.
I know some people might think like Dragon Slayer shoulda been on this but idk, I feel like everything turned out just right the way the two albums are.... But I mean. This is better than Skiffs man. It's just so fucking massive.

Clubs is beautiful and ties everything together in a sweet way. Kings is amazing man. Biggest grower of the era for me.

[hedgecore]

dansemanatee wrote:

hedgecore wrote:

I was sick all day and didn't feel like opening my laptop.... Although in the back of my mind there was a voice saying that it could have been out there. Could I get a punch pretty please?

edit: did this happen right now? haha I was looking at where I left off in the thread, refreshed and the next post was about it being out there

edit 2 : it's on soooulllseeeeeek

this is so lame of me but.. never used soulsseek before this, how do i find it on there? downloaded it and looked it up but all i could find was literally every other anco record lol

Not lame at all... sent you a pm

also if anyone has the link that's been floating around, could you please send it to dansemanatee?

[Stan]

Enjoying this more now that my cat came home. Beautiful job from Russ. Some great great stuff here. The rip sounds a bit muddy compared to the FLACs of Defeat and Soul Capturer so looking forward to the uplift on the official release.

Broke Zodiac is perhaps Noah's best melody for the band since MPP.

Gem also very good, lovely slinky verse melody, hard not to smile at the bom boms. Instrumentation is great, brings a previously less exciting chorus to life.

Stride Rite is really lovely, a gorgeous melody and emotive, confident delivery from Josh. Real slow dance at the prom vibes, makes me feel like I'm holding hands with my date and feeling light as a feather, the eternal blissful wait for dad to pick us up in the Oldsmobile, may this moment never end, but also can't wait to get back home for a big wank.

ATCAB is really fun and silly, the grooviest they've ever been, I love this, the stop/start puts a big smile on my face, those claps, flatulent bass, very confident execution, feels instinctive, the melody is deliriously repetitive, this feels by far more fun than anything on either this or Skiffs. I'd love if this pointed the way forward for what comes next, not in terms of sound necessarily but the spirit, playful, unpredictable.

[dio]

this is a deep ass record. Soulful af. But yeah like someone said it almost has a sense of humor a little bit. I was just playing pool at a dive bar before I came home and people play like CCR and Jethro Tull on that juke and dad rock and the like. And this almost fits in with that in a way that's honestly very different for them. Skiffs hinted at it. And it's not like it is actually dad rock. But it has this older classic psych folksy kind of thing. Love love love. 11/10. So happy with it. It feels like there are deep Jungian truths and Shadow/Dream work and ancient archetypal energy and Tarot energy. It's like a Magic the Gathering Deck but not like. in a lame way. It's the coolest Yu Gi Oh card art you've ever seen made Sound.

[dio]

and the quality of the sound and the mixing and playing all completely match the depth of the stupid deep and dank vibes and melodies. Excellent work y'all

it's their version of an early Genesis album or like Yes. that's reductive but idk. idk idk idk its perfect. ty ac

[Stan]

dio wrote:

this is a deep ass record. Soulful af. But yeah like someone said it almost has a sense of humor a little bit. I was just playing pool at a dive bar before I came home and people play like CCR and Jethro Tull on that juke and dad rock and the like. And this almost fits in with that in a way that's honestly very different for them. Skiffs hinted at it. And it's not like it is actually dad rock. But it has this older classic psych folksy kind of thing. Love love love. 11/10. So happy with it. It feels like there are deep Jungian truths and Shadow/Dream work and ancient archetypal energy and Tarot energy. It's like a Magic the Gathering Deck but not like. in a lame way. It's the coolest Yu Gi Oh card art you've ever seen made Sound.

I love the bullshit we come out with about this band.

[dio]

their From Software album. It's trapping me in the shadow realm forever and I love it.

and if you think the vibes of Soul or like Genies or Gem are almost a lil goofy, Defeat comes in and the middle and looks u dead in the eye and says no motherfucker we mean every word. The Sea of Light is real and it WILL kill you.

and the lyrics on Stride and all of Kings just carries that emotional depth all the way thru. Im dead

[dio]

Clubs is a smoke filled hall of mirrors with echoes of every good juke box standard entwined in its very DNA. And the guitar lick sample on Magicians contains the entire truth of all of reality itself

Every song merely a roll of a prismatic rainbow D20 of destiny

[rohcti]

dio wrote:

It's the coolest Yu Gi Oh card art you've ever seen made Sound.

AC feat. Dark Magician

[Stan]

This is a true KitchenAid of a record. Broke Zodiac is like a large metallic whisk lowered into a cream coloured mixing bowl (Magicians) with the sturdiness of the stand represented by Defeat. That it requires power to function is almost deliciously ironic when you consider that Gem & I is like the power cord connecting not only the album to the central mainframe of civilisation but ATCAB seems to be peering over your shoulder saying yes let's go and live in the jungle.

[dio]

Blue Eyes White Dragon Trap card infinitum.

Sea -> Magicians -> Defeat is f u c k I n g insane. Impossible. How could they. How dare they....It's insane that Magicians is their greatest song oat

[dio]

Douse the sheets, motherfucker

[roopn]

hey all, got 5 pages to catch up on[s]but if anyone can send it my way I would be very grateful <3[/s]
ty xoxo
don't wanna read all the thoughts before I can actually hear it

kinda sad it freebirded but we freaking made it!!

[Stan]

This album is like playing Guess Who.

Is he bald? Yes. Does he have glasses? No. Is this person avuncular? Yes.

It's got to be Genie's Open!

[dio]

lmao what. but yes sure

avuncular wow. Genies is that Beatles instrumental Flying but zoomed way in. And the end is the end is Hello Goodbye coda. Pure unabashed joy.

[Stan]

This album is like The Raccoons of Animal Collective. You've got Cyril Sneer which is Magicians. The raccoons are the other songs. King's Walk is their Frances Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula.

[dio]

I know understand that Defeat in the middle is a stroke of idiot savant genius. It shouldn't work.

[Stan]

It doesn't really work.

[dio]

Idk it would almost be drab at the end. Kings is the only thing that can end it if not Defeat. I wouldn't fully want Defeat or maybe the other obvious closer (Stide?) to end it. Clubs into Kings is wild.

It's like it starts with these 2 lighter songs, then plunges immediately into insane 3-song combo of asymmetrical epics. And then slowly comes down with shorter emotional variety in its final act. Heroes Journey yada yada

[dio]

I can't really say Defeat slows it down cuz at the end of the day I mean. It's a tri suite. It's 3 vaguely different, normal sized songs with perfect transitions.

I think Geo goes hard af on this. So many wild melty, swirly sounds. And like, maybe a certain amount of restraint. His stuff on Magicians and Defeat esp.