Divaman: Folk Discovery M1

Divaman 04.10.20	Voting ends next Thursday. Please give each album at least one full listen before you vote, if not more. Users who have not submitted an entry are also eligible to vote, provided they give each LP a full listen, and they're voting only once (not using a thousand alts). May the best folker win.
aydross121 04.10.20	Nice
Sinternet 04.10.20	will be sure to folk hard tonight m/ never heard of the first one, but have been meaning to check out amigo for some time, should be good
NorthernSkylark 04.10.20	here we go
bgillesp 04.10.20	-Excited-
Friday13th 04.10.20	I’m guessing 1 will be more my thing, but I’ve never heard “murderfolk.” This should be interesting!
Friday13th 04.10.20	First song in on 1 and it sounds like an indie folk version of Loreena Mckennitt. I like it.
garas 04.10.20	Nice! I have a pretty long checklist, but I'll give these special priority.
dmathias52 04.10.20	Based off of the description for 1 and what Amigo is, this sounds like a super interesting match up!
Friday13th 04.10.20	Well the first track of 1 is misleading. The rest of the album is much more standard indie folk with a hint of Joni Mitchell. Overall a pretty album and nice that it's "name your price" on Bandcamp.
Friday13th 04.10.20	Omigosh there's frickin theremin in "Hell and You" in 2
Deathconscious 04.10.20	oh shit, mine went up against a hard one right away, im betting 2 will win.
Deathconscious 04.10.20	"Based off of the description for 1 and what Amigo is, this sounds like a super interesting match up!" yeah theyre basically opposites.
Deathconscious 04.10.20	@friday maybe check Yaima if you liked the first song, that kind of vibe is more common with her band. in fact they have a different version of Reflection on their first album. delivered quite differently though, dont expect it to be anything like her solo stuff. its this kind of downtempo-y, hypnotic electronic stuff with her vocals.
Friday13th 04.10.20	@Deathconscious cool, might check that out
Divaman 04.11.20	Interesting first matchup. After the first listen, I'm definitely leaning in one direction, but I'm going to give them each at least one more listen (maybe two) to be sure.
Minushuman24 04.11.20	I always strayed away from the Amigo the Devil release because the re-recorded version of Hell and You is so much worse. Which is a stupid reason to stay away I will admit.
bgillesp 04.12.20	Okay 2 is amazing!! Getting some Murder by Death vibes. Gonna be 4-4.5 for me. Will check 1 soon
Divaman 04.13.20	I was almost ready to vote, but the second time through each album, it got a little closer. I need one more listen of each before I decide.
bgillesp 04.13.20	Bump
aydross121 04.13.20	I enjoyed them both, but found a clear winner.
aydross121 04.13.20	But will hold it for another spin just in case
Divaman 04.13.20	OK, I'm ready to vote. This turned out to be a much harder and more painful choice than I originally thought. After the first listen, I was sure I was voting for the Pepper Proud album. It's obviously the brighter of the two choices, and I immediately fell in love with the track "Atlanta" (which is still my favorite track on either of the two albums.) The first time through, I found a lot of what Amigo the Devil does annoying. He's a bit of a ham, and I don't like it sometimes when he suddenly blasts into his full voice. By the second listen, though, I started to hear more of his strong points, especially on his first song, and on "I Hope Your Husband Dies". The third time through, I finally had the chance to listen to them back to back. My overall assessment is that Amigo the Devil is probably further along as an artist than is Pepper Proud, and objectively, I think "Everything Is Fine" is a slightly stronger album than "Water". Nevertheless, my vote is for "Water", based on one simple thing: I just LIKE it better. It's consistent, it has my favorite song of the competition thus far, and there's nothing that irritates me about it. "Everything Is Fine" is a more peak-and-valley kind of thing for me. So yeah, I vote for Pepper Proud. The vote is 1-0.
budgie 04.13.20	pepper proud album is super nice
Deathconscious 04.13.20	Atlanta is also one of my favorites.
budgie 04.13.20	the album art design is one of the best i've ever seen
Friday13th 04.14.20	I'm voting 2. Very interesting stuff, sometimes extremely disturbing, and usually brilliant. Reminds me of Nick Cave and 16 Horsepower.
Sinternet 04.14.20	Just finished 1, here's a quick write-up. Water is a promising album that only just fails to realise the potential of the artist's talents. An incredibly strong voice can carry you far, and indeed the album is lifted up by Pepper's vocal ability, but it's hard to escape the feeling that more can be done. Having said that, the whole album is still very much worth listening to. Highlights include the opener Reflection, which oozes mystery and suspense, and Reservoir, which builds upon the solemn string arrangements to surround you in an atmosphere of almost occult-like ritual and tradition. Album closer Washington, also succeeds thanks to the plodding piano lines providing a layer for Pepper's voice to flourish on. Where the album falters is when it strays into an up-tempo territory that fails to distinguish itself against the hordes of young bedroom-pop artists that Bandcamp has become a hotspot for. These blander tracks, such as the rather annoyingly one-dimensional Salty Bodies, and the indistinguishable combo of City Water and Patterns Repeat in the second half, paint a picture of an artist who wants to be too many things at once. It's clear that when indulging in a darker, moodier territory, Pepper is able to truly express a unique voice in folk that she can make her own. Hopefully on a potential future release (way overdue at this point), she'll be able to hone in on what makes her distinctive. 3.6
Divaman 04.14.20	Got you, Friday. The vote is 1-1.
aydross121 04.14.20	Pepper Proud - Water Stripped-down and catchy folk music with touches of indie(Atlanta) and neofolk (Reflection). Vocals are excellent. Minimum use of percussion and violins. 3.5-3.7 Amigo the Devil - Everything is Fine This album grabbed me by surprise, I really enjoyed it from the first listen. The vocals are strong and emotional. Starts slow but slowly builds up in tempo. Awesome lyrics too, very funny and disturbing. 3.9-4.2 Vote goes to Amigo.
Minushuman24 04.14.20	I think I've listened to these a few times together now: -The Pepper Proud album is a very beautiful effort, and it never ceases to be a pleasant listen throughout it's run time. A problem I found with the album is that if feels a tad front-loaded, with the last half--aside from "City Water" tend to blur together in sort of a bland manner. Aside from that I found her voice extremely pleasant, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the new age-tinged folk soundscapes. I'd give it a 3.7 and my favorite tracks are "Reflection" and "City Water" -I have come into this round a bit biased, as "Hell and You" is actually one of my favorite songs, but I have never given this release a shot. It's certainly less raw, but it is still the same hammy murder-folk that I adored from his prior releases. It's delightfully macabre and over the top through and through, and it's a extremely entertaining album for being 15 tracks. I would give this a 3.9 and my favorite tracks are the stellar one-two punch of "Hell and You" and "I Hope Your Husband Dies" So my vote goes to Amigo the Devil this time around, and I'll eagerly await Pepper's growth as an artist.
Divaman 04.14.20	The vote is now 1-3.
Jethro42 04.14.20	Sup guys! Kudos for putting on that tournament, Divaman. Will probably be voting during some match ups or others.
Divaman 04.15.20	Sounds good, Jethro.
budgie 04.15.20	idk if i'm expected to do some semi effortful writeup of each album my vote goes to the pepper proud album
Deathconscious 04.15.20	Its not mandatory, they voluntarily went the extra mile. Nerds.
budgie 04.15.20	fuckin nerds
Divaman 04.15.20	The vote is 2-3.
SlothcoreSam 04.15.20	Pepper Proud for me, just. After 3 listens it bounced back and forth, but it is PP
Deathconscious 04.15.20	PP, nice acronym.
Divaman 04.15.20	3-3.
dmathias52 04.15.20	Do we vote if it's one of the albums we recommended?
Friday13th 04.15.20	If the rules are like my tourneys, yes but you don’t have to vote if it makes you uncomfortable.
Divaman 04.15.20	Exactly so. Yes you can vote, even if one of the choices is your rec. Judging by Friday's tourneys, most people (understandably) vote for their own rec. But I've seen people choose not to vote, and on rare occasions, have even seen people vote for the other rec they're up against. It's your choice, and no negative judgments if you vote for your own rec. (I assume you wouldn't have rec'd it if you didn't like it in the first place.)
Deathconscious 04.15.20	Oh really? I assumed we wouldnt be voting because of a conflict of interest. Ill have to do some thinking/listening.
garas 04.15.20	"Water" by Pepper Proud - I'm sorry, but all these singer-songwriter projects sound all the same... 2.5 "Everything Is Fine" by Amigo the Devil - I'm not really into bluegrass...not at all, but this was far more exciting for me. (The heavier part in "If I'm Crazy" was the best thing on the whole stuff - even though it is a folk tournament, haha!) 2.7 So I vote for Amigo The Devil.
garas 04.15.20	(And I'm already sure my rec is going to be annihilated...)
Minushuman24 04.15.20	Was tomorrow when voting closes?
Deathconscious 04.15.20	so as i thought, im voting for Water. i heard both of these before this tournament and listening to both again just confirmed what i already thought. if Everything Is Fine was shorter it would probably have been a lot closer. there were definitely some weaker cuts that could have been left off. and the production sounds like shit sometimes, on I Hope Your Husband Dies the guitar is too quiet and his voice sounds weirdly muffled. the three re-done songs here are all superior on their respective EPs.
Jethro42 04.15.20	Water is close to a 4 to me. It contains a lot of beautiful, soothing melodies. It just lacks of depth sometimes, in the sense that it's made too much with an ease, too much in surface. Great album nonetheless.
budgie 04.15.20	water was an easy 4 for me haha
Divaman 04.15.20	Yes, Minus, voting closes tomorrow. Friday starts Match 2.
Divaman 04.15.20	The voting is 4-4.
NorthernSkylark 04.16.20	I vote PP. Don't know if it's the better album, but it's certainly more enjoyable to me.
Divaman 04.16.20	5-4. Hey everybody, remember to vote by the end of the day.
Jethro42 04.16.20	I might have time to vote in this matchup... Tough choice. Listening to Amigo for another time...
bgillesp 04.16.20	Will vote tonight
NorthernSkylark 04.16.20	so close! excited for the next matchup.
Divaman 04.16.20	5-4 Pepper Proud - diva, Slothcre, budgie, Deathconscious, Skylark Amigo - Friday, aydross, Minus, garas,
wham49 04.16.20	Love 2, the twinge of bluegrass did t along with the subject matter
DoofDoof 04.16.20	My vote goes for Amigo Pepper P - this is as pleasantly average and inconsequential as folk goes, 2.5/5, probably would have got a 3 but occasionally I find her vocals irritating Amigo - this is 100% my genre pretty much...so why only a 3/5? Well, that says it all - he's not that great within this genre imo, also I have never heard such a quiet/loud dynamic within folk, his vocals are max'd up to the point of it being irritating. He's no Nick Cave but his voice is twice as high in the mix, so ends up sounding a total 'I'm giving the genius of my voice and words top billing' diva and a bit unaware/desperate. It's alright. "I hope your husband dies" - the lyrics aren't exactly poetry either.
nuklearmoose 04.16.20	At first, and like with a few others i've read on this thread, I was going to think the clear winner was PP. I really do like that style of Singer Songwriter music, when I am in the mood. And when I first heard the Amigo album I couldn't really finish it. However, the second and third time I actually listened full through, it grew on me a lot. Really like the style, the louder moments and the more soft moments on the album. Whereas, the PP album to me isn't as dynamic. I will be voting for Amigo the Devil on this one
dmathias52 04.16.20	I think I'm going to echo what a lot of folks have said (Although Amigo was my rec, to be fair). Water is a really really good listen, especially as a first listen. The first track drew me in and managed to keep me invested for the rest of the album. On my repeated listens, the first track was as strong as ever, but it didn't hold my attention quite as well throughout. I feel like the first track really held the nature theme, but that theme kind of gave way to just (very good) regular indie folk as the album went on. Everything is Fine was the opposite for me and a huge grower. Every time I listen to it I find another lyrical nugget than I enjoy and the bombastic style, which was a little grating at first, grows each time as well. So I'm going to give my vote to Everything is Fine!
Deathconscious 04.16.20	"ends up sounding a total 'I'm giving the genius of my voice and words top billing' diva and a bit unaware/desperate." Reading really far into it, huh. "'I hope your husband dies' - the lyrics aren't exactly poetry either." If you think theyre supposed to be poetic i think you missed the point. I find them darkly humorous.
DoofDoof 04.16.20	My main point is: there’s better within the genre
budgie 04.16.20	that's true for like, every single album ever made ever
Divaman 04.16.20	Is that a vote for 2, wham?
Divaman 04.16.20	5-7 Pepper Proud - diva, Slothcre, budgie, Deathconscious, Skylark Amigo - Friday, aydross, Minus, garas, Doof, NuklearMoose, dmathias
neekafat 04.17.20	Water: I agree with others that the opener of Water is far and away the standout, though I enjoyed the rest of the album a lot still, thanks to the lovely female vox and full-sounding yet sparse instrumentation. That said, it did lose a lot of steam and got a bit samey by the end. 3.7/5 Everything Is Fine: Similar to Water, this one started off on top with "Cocaine and Abel," and while it certainly could've benefited from a slight trim, it didn't run out of energy quite as obviously. A few in the middle weren't top-notch, but overall this was a more consistent and entertaining listen. I adored the vocals and personality of this project, as well as the "dark western" vibe to the music. 4.1
neekafat 04.17.20	That was just after one listen so I'll wait to rate them on sput a little bit!
bgillesp 04.17.20	Sorry for waiting till the last minute. Gotta go with 2 for me. The vibes are just too up my alley to vote against it. Still enjoyed 1 a lot though
Divaman 04.17.20	5-9 Pepper Proud - diva, Slothcore, budgie, Deathconscious, Skylark Amigo - Friday, aydross, Minus, garas, Doof, NuklearMoose, dmathias, neeka, bgillesp
Divaman 04.17.20	OK, I'm calling it - Amigo the Devil wins the matchup.
Sinternet 04.17.20	would have voted amigo too just
Divaman 04.17.20	Yeah, if it was closer I might have waited. But with Amigo up by 4, and just two voters missing, I figured I might as well just call it and put the second match up.