[roopn]

madrid 2021 first listen since SG came out. still hits hard. fuck what a show

[lhtd]

After numerous listens I’m convinced that I’m unable to understand the record in the way that it’s intended due to the track sequencing. The energy of Anywhere But Here and 50mg feel out of place in the build-up to Ends Meet. Just As Well feels hidden where it sits; it needs to shine.

So, I think I found the right pacing that unlocks the record.

1. Praise
2. Just as Well
3. Ends Meet
4. Ferry Lady
5. 50mg
6. Anywhere But Here
7. Venom’s In
8. Left in the Cold
9. Elegy for Noah Lou
10. Defense
11. Virginia Tech

The energy from Praise into Just As Well translates. And while Ferry Lady begins to transport, 50mg is the burning out travel that shows the first signs of wear and tear in Anywhere But Here. Then, the record slides into darkness before seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (Defense). I included Virginia Tech because it seems like an epilogue and it bookends the record in a similar way that Praise does as a prologue. Plus, the multi-minute cacophonous noise solo is a proper way to end an AC record. I can’t hear Virginia Tech anywhere else except existing “outside” the record but still within it, which parallels the themes of disconnection and what depression can feel like.

[blindmowing]

TINY DESK WHEN.

[muark]

April apparently!

[blindmowing]

Oh thanks, then I will stop checking NPR Youtube every day lol

[denjanenna]

Fun little bts video on grift recording on insta.. part 2 incoming

[kinetic]

lhtd wrote:

After numerous listens I’m convinced that I’m unable to understand the record in the way that it’s intended due to the track sequencing. The energy of Anywhere But Here and 50mg feel out of place in the build-up to Ends Meet. Just As Well feels hidden where it sits; it needs to shine.

So, I think I found the right pacing that unlocks the record.

1. Praise
2. Just as Well
3. Ends Meet
4. Ferry Lady
5. 50mg
6. Anywhere But Here
7. Venom’s In
8. Left in the Cold
9. Elegy for Noah Lou
10. Defense
11. Virginia Tech

The energy from Praise into Just As Well translates. And while Ferry Lady begins to transport, 50mg is the burning out travel that shows the first signs of wear and tear in Anywhere But Here. Then, the record slides into darkness before seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (Defense). I included Virginia Tech because it seems like an epilogue and it bookends the record in a similar way that Praise does as a prologue. Plus, the multi-minute cacophonous noise solo is a proper way to end an AC record. I can’t hear Virginia Tech anywhere else except existing “outside” the record but still within it, which parallels the themes of disconnection and what depression can feel like.

i like this a lot. totally agree just as well needs more attention and is a little lost where it is.

[Dallou]

denjanenna wrote:

Fun little bts video on grift recording on insta.. part 2 incoming

I wish it did have all the effects tho

[conswaygo]

this just gets better with each listen. absolutely loving it.

[roopn]

lhtd wrote:

After numerous listens I’m convinced that I’m unable to understand the record in the way that it’s intended due to the track sequencing. The energy of Anywhere But Here and 50mg feel out of place in the build-up to Ends Meet. Just As Well feels hidden where it sits; it needs to shine.

So, I think I found the right pacing that unlocks the record.

1. Praise
2. Just as Well
3. Ends Meet
4. Ferry Lady
5. 50mg
6. Anywhere But Here
7. Venom’s In
8. Left in the Cold
9. Elegy for Noah Lou
10. Defense
11. Virginia Tech

The energy from Praise into Just As Well translates. And while Ferry Lady begins to transport, 50mg is the burning out travel that shows the first signs of wear and tear in Anywhere But Here.

I can see your logic here and I gave this sequence a listen, but to be honest I find the actual sequence much more satisfying. I guess I don't have the same issue as you with AbH, I think it paces out the early part of the record well and emotionally feels cut from the same cloth as Praise. 50mg buoys things from there and ends meet is fun and up. JaW to me isn't hidden or buried, it's just in the middle of a gold stretch of songs that give and give and give. Ferry Lady then gives you a bit more breathing space for a pleasant comedown.


If anything I'd alter the back half and swap Venom's In with Left in the cold, which I feel might serve a better transition into the darker mood. The lonely night after the sunny-but-sad Ferry Lady. There Venom feels a little more nestled in, it has the deep pessimism and false clarity of the middle of a depressive episode. Then things fog over again with Elegy before a true light shines through with Defense, which has a sense of relief despite lingering pain.

[pullhairdownthere]

denjanenna wrote:

Fun little bts video on grift recording on insta.. part 2 incoming

Normalize posting links.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHLfhJXx ... FiZHhxbA==

[nothingmastered]

My take on the overall story of SG

Praise and Anywhere but Here are the initial moments after the break up. Their heart hasn't broken yet, it's crumbling and cracking as it bends. They're still hanging on, looking for proof it can still work, repeatedly calling their ex to no avail. After the bids of Praise fail, the character is lost in ABH, wondering what to do and feeling premonitions of a deeper darkness in the future. These two are sad, yet steeped in a romanticism conveyed by the bittersweet motown/soul vibe of the songs, like reality hasn't fully set in yet.

50mg is a sobering return to reality after the initial period following the split. The character is taking stock of where they are at, trying to appreciate what they have left. Ends Meet is hopeful, taking a birds eye view of their situation and saying fuck it, we ball.

Just as Well and Ferry Lady are the next pair. Just as Well to me is them riding the lift of the previous song, feeling optimistic and attempting pick themselves up to reconnect with their now ex. They went and bought new clothes ("done shopping, think it's as well") to show a good face. The line "just looking for a story I can tell you" seems like meeting up with an ex after a breakup and trying to hide how miserable you've been. They gotta make the story too good to fail because they do really want to be friends after spending all that time together. That's where Ferry Lady comes in. The ex essentially says no, I don't want to talk to you anymore. This is the venom that leads to the rest of the album. The full breaking of the heart. Black thoughts back again, leaving their meeting, walking back out into the cold, lost in thought.

With Venom's In I imagine the character's dark reverie as they walk down the cold street, hearing distant sirens. They sense a significant unstoppable change happening within them, sinking to the dark place that's coming up. They make it back home in the second verse, dreaming of a better day, no longer residing in the optical. The "load it and cock it" line is deeply chilling here. Left in the Cold has verses that are pure, ethereal thoughts of desolation that are responded to in the chorus. "We could beat em" is maybe their higher self, voice rising from the void, letting them know they can still fight their demons. Or maybe it represents the voices of their friends, rising in a powerful chorus. You can beat the thing that eats you.

With the final pair, the character finds themselves in the deepest pit of despair, having the powerful realization that they just want their person. They want their warm embrace when they have nothing left. It all boils down to that one singular desire. Defense is the end credits, picking themselves back up and starting to let life move on. They can't stay in the sunken place of Elegy so they have to meet whatever lays ahead. It is what it is, what else can they do?

[headroom)))]

Great post nothingmastered. I get a similar story arc. The "done shopping" line in Just As Well made me think of that Solange song "Cranes in the Sky" in trying to find ways to mask the pain of a break up. I felt the "gonna make it too good to fail" part was obsessively focusing on work to distract yourself.

[stash]

last o first listener here
this s pandas down here

ends meet
think the original chorus was "in the nude " or "in the new "

[dio]

anyone else like looping basically this, Jessica Pratts In the Pitch, Lady Gagas (?!) new one (and some old ones), St. Vincent's All Born Screaming from this tine last year and Chappel Roans new country song? Like is that anyone else's reality too rn? Might put in tomboy

[rohcti]

50mg is best song

[Sputnik Monroe]

dio wrote:

anyone else like looping basically this, Jessica Pratts In the Pitch, Lady Gagas (?!) new one (and some old ones), St. Vincent's All Born Screaming from this tine last year and Chappel Roans new country song? Like is that anyone else's reality too rn? Might put in tomboy

I heavily relate Sinister Grift to Jessica Pratts In the Pitch. In both of them is this melancholic sense of dealing with the loss of something but with some air of transcendence underlying the cadence and just tone of how everything is delivered. There is in both albums these albums is a sense of stripped-back simplicity, but each component is utilized to its fullest extent. Both albums seem warm, full, and huge. Like everything was recorded in a cathedral. The songs seem to really occupy a sense of their own space. When I listen to these albums I both feel and imagine myself in some other space. Each song on both albums feels sung with such earnest emotional closeness that the songs feel like confessional prayers. Both albums can evoke a lot with a little. As soon as I heard the album it reminded me of Here in the Pitch which was perhaps of favorite album of 2024. I consider it a perfect album. Sinister Grift feels perfect to me. From Panda's performance. All the little nuanced reflections in his vocal performances, the closeness of how it all feels. It feels like he really wants you to hear the words. He want's you to hear his confession. The production of the album. The sequencing is perfect for me. I love it!

I've been wanting to write my full thoughts on this album. I have a really strong personal connection through personal events in my life which has radically changed my life so suddenly. I've been wanting to share for a while, but it feels like so much to try an articulate, and I've been trying to work it all out myself. Perhaps I'll commit to writing it after this post. Because it does feel important for me to get it out and share it with you all. I know I don't post a lot anymore, I get overwhelmed by the internet a lot. But I still love to come and read everyone's thoughts — especially of long familiar contributors. Love you all! Glad most of you all are enjoying the album so much. It feels good to see everyone mostly in excited congruence in appreciating this album. It really is special. I've listened to it every day since it's come out. It really is an effective album. When I hear in the pitch for the first time, I went on to listen to it 10 times in a row until it was 5am in the morning and I knew I had to stop. This album has a similar effect.

[r_o_s_s]

50mg has become maybe the strongest track to me. I've been singing "I could get all my wishes granted file by file" constantly. Noah's vocal performances on this album are just stunning.

I think this is probably my new favourite PB record. Or at least I finally have a PB album that feels like mine. I got into AC around the time Grim Reaper was released. Although I really like the album, as well as Buoys, they've never quite clicked with me in the way that his earlier stuff has. But as much as I love Person Pitch and Tomboy, I've never felt ownership of them in the way some of you lot will. I don't have a story of hanging out in my friend's basement and listening to PP for the first time in 2007 and having my mind blown. I have my own experiences with those records but I don't really feel an ownership. It's nice to have a new album I can experience and live-in and feel like is made for me.

[dio]

Ya I guess this is my fave wow. I mean pp and tb are legendary and kind of removed from even comparison. This somehow feels like "easy listening" whatever that means while also being heavier emotionally than anything other than the beats of pp and the way they develop, or some moments on TB

And I cant believe Ferry Lady is still growing.. liked at first but somehow just noticing how juicy the bass line is during the chorus. I just really love the chorus and like just slightly weird yet perfect chord changes on it. Taking a bow/back on the prow own

50mg ending also so wild.

And ya idk why if I feel like I'm listening to Grift too much, Jessica Pratt or some dumb lady pop singer stuff rinses my palette and I'm ready for more panda.

[preakness]

Sputnik Monroe wrote:

dio wrote:

anyone else like looping basically this, Jessica Pratts In the Pitch, Lady Gagas (?!) new one (and some old ones), St. Vincent's All Born Screaming from this tine last year and Chappel Roans new country song? Like is that anyone else's reality too rn? Might put in tomboy

I heavily relate Sinister Grift to Jessica Pratts In the Pitch. In both of them is this melancholic sense of dealing with the loss of something but with some air of transcendence underlying the cadence and just tone of how everything is delivered. There is in both albums these albums is a sense of stripped-back simplicity, but each component is utilized to its fullest extent. Both albums seem warm, full, and huge. Like everything was recorded in a cathedral. The songs seem to really occupy a sense of their own space. When I listen to these albums I both feel and imagine myself in some other space. Each song on both albums feels sung with such earnest emotional closeness that the songs feel like confessional prayers. Both albums can evoke a lot with a little. As soon as I heard the album it reminded me of Here in the Pitch which was perhaps of favorite album of 2024. I consider it a perfect album. Sinister Grift feels perfect to me. From Panda's performance. All the little nuanced reflections in his vocal performances, the closeness of how it all feels. It feels like he really wants you to hear the words. He want's you to hear his confession. The production of the album. The sequencing is perfect for me. I love it!

I've been wanting to write my full thoughts on this album. I have a really strong personal connection through personal events in my life which has radically changed my life so suddenly. I've been wanting to share for a while, but it feels like so much to try an articulate, and I've been trying to work it all out myself. Perhaps I'll commit to writing it after this post. Because it does feel important for me to get it out and share it with you all. I know I don't post a lot anymore, I get overwhelmed by the internet a lot. But I still love to come and read everyone's thoughts — especially of long familiar contributors. Love you all! Glad most of you all are enjoying the album so much. It feels good to see everyone mostly in excited congruence in appreciating this album. It really is special. I've listened to it every day since it's come out. It really is an effective album. When I hear in the pitch for the first time, I went on to listen to it 10 times in a row until it was 5am in the morning and I knew I had to stop. This album has a similar effect.

Wow very very nicely written. I definitely feel the same way. They both evoke so much emotion while also managing to have breathing room and space in every track, and between each song. The songs never insist upon themselves. They just are.

In The Pitch has been a central force to me this year. I've probably listened to it at least once or twice a week. I know panda bear listed it as one of his top albums of the year, and you can definitely hear a bit of that on SG. they definitely seem to be riding the same psychic waves right now. They both seem very comfortable with their respective crafts at this point in time, and aren't trying to prove anything with their new records. The result is very pure, emotionally resonant art, that many people spend their entire lives trying to achieve. Its beautiful.

[dio]

O and also St Vincent's All Born Screaming too.. I don't think this board loves her and I'm not even sure I do sometimes but I've come back to it recently... something about a solo indie artist making a record and guitar is involved but it's def still indie "pop" not rock, and some darker undertones.. Porches from last year too, even billie eilishis last one to some extent.

Eh I'm making connections that don't exist but um ya pitchfork indie pop is so back baby (sorry) (now if we could just get back those p4k indie rock bands like grizzly or deerhunter back...)

[jordanrandall]

If you've watched our full interview then you've already seen this but here is a clip of me recollecting my first listen of SG to Noah and Josh. I didn't really get to express it but I think the butterfly soaring to heights I didn't think possible is very apropos with regards to what Josh and Noah achieved on this record.

[Fovrodi]

Between this and Geologist's waterfall metaphor there is some beautiful thing to be seen in nature. We're probably in it

[preakness]

https://www.rockdelux.com/actualidad/pa ... -el-camino

anyone know how to access this? archive not working

[Fovrodi]

Right click<view page source<tick "line wrap"<scroll down

It's not pretty but you can read it

[preakness]

Thanks, unfortunately not much new information in the article anyway. The gall to put it behind a paywall and call it "exclusive" but cover the same ground and ask the same questions.... lol

[hear_smiles]

for me, it's the first two songs, the last song, and virginia tech.

[hear_smiles]

i also like just as well just as well as the others

[tdegenaro]

revisiting the album after accidentally not listening to it since basically it came out - what a great record, such an acomplishment.

[muark]

tdegenaro wrote:

revisiting the album after accidentally not listening to it since basically it came out - what a great record, such an acomplishment.

Ya I haven’t listened in full for like 2 weeks, by choice as I didn’t want to wear it out. Gonna bathe in its glory once again with a nice cup of tea after work tonight. Very excited

[headroom)))]

Album wise, I've been going back and forth with SG and Pink Siifu's Black Antiques. Nice foils to each other. I always get worried I'll play something to death and not like it, but thinking back on it, I don't think that has ever happened permanently for me. I might get tired of an album for a while, but if its good, I'll def come back to it. Also agree on the Jessica Pratt album being a classic. Its wild seeing her play live, like how does she have that record collector's private press, obscure country, psych folk grail voice at her command. Kinda in that vain and also great was that Lady Apple Tree record a few years back. Silver Hands is the jam.
https://ladyappletree.bandcamp.com/albu ... apple-tree

[r_o_s_s]

Listened to Venom's In twice in my dreams last night. Can't get away from this record.

[foxtrot]

yeh you doods are mad. still getting a run at least every other day for me atm

[dio]

Left in the Cold is so insane. It feels like his most cinematic thing of all time I guess. I had a weird experience coming down from a mushroom thing post Severance season finale and it was like good lord panda's lyrics are like. Idk... he's like talking about how life on the severed floor is just an illusion. Or something lol.

And also towards the end of it I was like wait is this Elegy or has Elegy not even happened yet, like is this what Elegy turns into by the end? And then it was like o no ya this isn't Elegy, that song hasn't even started yet lol.

For a sec I thought calling the back half the "wasteland" stretch was a bit of an exaggeration cuz its really just 2 tracks like that, but he really does so much with just having 2 songs without drums. He gets so much out of them. But also I do want an ENTIRE half (or more) of an LP to be like that one day.

50mg "bridge" (feels like the culmination actually).... the choruses of Ferry Lady, and the wasteland tracks are the true gems to me at this point. Along with just the sheer strength of the "just right"/goldilocks zone dimensions of the upbeat songs being dialed in so perfectly. I will say track 2 is maybe like. Idk it maybe hasn't fully connected even tho the vocal stacks on it are super one-of-a-kind on the album and rlly gorgeous and wild. It's not rlly a let down but yaaaaa I'm been skipping it a lil lately like a strait up hater. It is sick tho. but maybe something more will happen with it eventually for me.

Track 1 made me cry at first and now it kinda seems like just really good and not um. Cry inducing but that's just how art be you know. Ends Meet and Stuck on the Inside song almost seem even better now, in terms of just jolt of positive, beautiful pop energy

[wherestheloyaltea]

Ferry Lady just gets better and better. Wasn't too excited about it upon release as a single, especially liking the noises during the 'Black thoughts back again, time to cut it out' line.

Liking Just As Well a lot too, the backing vocals of 'im gunna try, im gunna try' would have been perfect for an Avey feature in my view, and the effects on the vocals here remind me of him a lot.

[rohcti]

wherestheloyaltea wrote:

Ferry Lady just gets better and better. Wasn't too excited about it upon release as a single, especially liking the noises during the 'Black thoughts back again, time to cut it out' line.

Liking Just As Well a lot too, the backing vocals of 'im gunna try, im gunna try' would have been perfect for an Avey feature in my view, and the effects on the vocals here remind me of him a lot.

Agreed on both, i feel like Ferry Lady might be using some of Geo’s samples more prominently than other tracks, particularly evident with that little sound. And yeah! I always think of Avey during the ‘gonna try’ part of Just as well

[dio]

Ya Ferry Lady man, so good. Has had the longest growth potential I guess. And Just as Well, End's Meet and 50mg. My fave of the upbeats.

[roopn]

fourthing ferry lady, insane grower. my fav Geo sound on there is the swirly thing that leads into the "thought we'd be friends" part

[wilandhugs]

don't know if anyone has pointed this out yet but woow does this album start similarly to Ghost in the Machine by The Police, with the sort of disembodied drum fill starting Praise and Spirits in the Material World

[thelucky1]

wilandhugs wrote:

don't know if anyone has pointed this out yet but woow does this album start similarly to Ghost in the Machine by The Police, with the sort of disembodied drum fill starting Praise and Spirits in the Material World

It's not surprising since I'm pretty sure he said Stewart Copeland is his favorite drummer.