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tay's tee games wrote:
Right time to dig in.
On lack of promo: super strange, pretty limp. Definitely feels like this is a contractual obligation and/or Domino have just given them leeway to get it done with. I really do hope something bigger is on the way but I'm not holding out hope. If we don't get one proper video then something's fully amiss.
On the Q&A's: I'll be attending one and have about 8000 questions to ask, but if I get picked I'll focus on the sequencing and perhaps which TS songs they feel would've been done the most justice if recorded in person.
On IIN vs TS: I've felt all along that the songs are better and after my tenth listen... yeah. It's a way better album than Skiffs. No question. Just every aspect of it, even the (in my eyes) odd sequencing.
On live vs studio: I feel like 90% of it is super faithful to the boots and has been nicely spruced up. I basically feel the opposite about the TS tracks, so this is a massive result. As has been said ad infinitum, this has taken too long and the boots definitely fucked it for me. We had such a huge amount of time to form opinions, over listen, get used to certain one time quirks and fantasise about what could've been. Not their fault but it's unfortunate. This happened to me with CHz, so next time I'm swearing off them.
Alt tracklist:
1. King's Walk (cut out the last two "this whole world"s and just end at 4:21)
2. Soul Capturer (single version)
3. Broke Zodiac
4. Magicians From Baltimore
5. All The Clubs Are Broken
6. Stride Rite
7. Gem & I
8. Defeat
9. Genie's Open
Just feel like that would flow so much better but hey. It's a strong 9 for me either way.
Aaaaaaaaaaaand my thoughts per track:
Soul Capturer - Biggest surprise for me. Was lukewarm at best on the boots but this has truly come alive and I love it. So much energy and such an excellent outro. New details come through on each listen. The Feels vibe is less so than the live iteration but I'm fine with that because it feels new. Thank god for those drum embellishments. On paper a really odd choice for opener but in practice I can scarcely place it elsewhere (unless Kings opened). Could take or leave the studio chatter.
Genie's Open - I initially got everybody's criticisms despite this still being one of my top three or four of the era at its core. It has less flare than the live versions and I think it may be the only one that has suffered in the studio. Having said that, it's still absolutely brilliant in my eyes. They smashed the first two sections. Perfect clarity, loads of pretty little details. It's just the last section that lets it down a tad. Had that bit been 4bpm faster and bumped Avey's eeeeeeeee's up about 2db in the mix it'd be as close to perfect as possible. Given how that section ended up though, I'm glad it's not the closer (which I was always hoping for). Again, still a superb song and I'm liking the recording the more I listen to it instead of the boots.
Broke Zodiac - Hit it out the park. Perfect version. Captured everything great about the live track and made it pop. Good lord the chorus shines. Yes, on the surface it's a kinda cutesy little Panda song but man it's as good as it could possibly be for what it is.
Magicians From Baltimore - Another home run. Couldn't really be better. Always been an epic and they did it so much justice. I'm glad it wasn't the opener in the end as well, its placing actually works so nicely as an early-mid behemoth. Someone referenced those guitar bends as Geo butt sliding into the picture and boy oh boy what a butt slide it is. The vocals are the best on the album I think. Only minor critiques would be Avey's "woo" at 6:09 would've been great as a "WAAOO" a la live version, and the pianos in the latter third are a tad too high in the mix for me, making them sound a little bit Jimmy Buffet. Never listened to a Jimmy Buffet song but that's what I imagine. Maybe Dave Matthews? Dunno, just someone with a shark tooth necklace, pink shorts, crocs and a pot belly.
Defeat - Best song in history with worst tracklist placement in history unfortunately. Kills the flow and will be skipped by 85% of listeners I reckon. Regardless, it's still unbelievable that this exists. I hear what people are saying about the length but it still works so so so so so so well for me. Only thing I would've changed is Avey's vocals in parts - too dry in the first section and the delivery in the first and much of the third section is a bit too.. Not sure how to articulate it. Strained? Anyway whatever it's ridiculously good and still moves me beyond words.
Gem & I - Jarring after Defeat but gets us back in. Proud member of team bum bum right here. Basically everything I said for BZ applies here. Best version, embellishments a plenty without overwhelming the mix, the chorus shines. Couldn't be better.
Stride Rite - And again. Best version of what it could have been. An incredible song and easily now my favourite Deakin-penned tune. Heartbreaking in the best possible way. I do agree with what some people said a few days ago in that having Avey harmonising with him instead of him self-harmonising would've been nice but I don't care. Huge late-album highlight without question.
All The Clubs Are Broken - It's pretty good but at this moment my least favourite track and feels quite out of place, though that may just be because I'm so used to the others. Well recorded, enjoyable lyrics, very enjoyable vocal delivery, nicely mixed. Not exciting or adventurous in any way and could've been 1:20 in length to the same effect. I will say the use of drum machine claps is a cool new thing for them and I'd be interested to hear more in than vein. The (presumably) JUNO-60 organ sounding lines throughout make it very MGMT/Tame Impala (to make a few lazy comparisons) and I just think they can do better than that but whatever.
King's Walk - I've always adored this song and once again, they did the best version of it that could've been possible. Exceptional production and quality. Tidied up but not enough to make it too clean. Really happy with the lack of autotune in the end, even though I used to dig that a lot. Just Avey making weird sounds with his mouth. Awesome. Yes, I think the placement is a bit strange but it also works as a comedown.
All in all, I do feel like we have a classic on our hands but I don't think it will be digested well by the music press and due to the lack of promo, it'll get forgotten about almost immediately by everyone outside our circle. Bit of a tragedy but these things happen. Some of the best art isn't necessarily meant to be adored, understood or even consumed for the most part. It's their best recorded project since Fall Be Kind to my ears, and there's not much more I could've asked for.
Love you lot. It's been a hell of a ride.
np'd because this is a heck of a post -- well worth the read, at least i quite enjoyed it. love your alt tracklist too.
such a fun song. Real joy to listen to after Stride. 
