Album Rating: 5.0

Counterpoint: it IS that good

Artwork goes II > I > III

Best albums go III > II > I

Album Rating: 3.5

Bro



No (2)

Album Rating: 5.0

To what lol

Album Rating: 3.5

To this:



Also this cover is WAY better than the last albums cover. 1st albums cover is probably the best though

Album Rating: 5.0

Oh, ok. Carry on. ;-)

I hear this is generic

Album Rating: 5.0

People lie

Album Rating: 5.0

I mean in all seriousness this isn't experimental, but it's gorgeous in the same way Kishi Bashi's or The Tallest Man on Earth's latest are.

Dammit Sowing! Your writing is so good it always makes me think I should try the album and I never like them. When will I learn... :[

Album Rating: 5.0

I appreciate the backhanded compliment haha.

Album Rating: 4.0

Gonna give this the listen it deserves tonight! Equally excited and nervous. Folk is still one of my favorite genres (if not my outright favorite). But Carrie and Lowell set such a high bar that I haven’t been able to get into as many newer releases, the new Kishi Bashi being the prime example. Hopefully this is one that breaks that (admittedly ridiculous) trend.

"I was doing that and it briefly led me to the conclusion that maybe it's not "Devine's the vet, Hull is the wife/partner", but I could go either way."

I'm hoping they're not playing separate characters -- I think it's poorly rendered if so, and I think makes more sense as a conversation between pre-war and post-war self (kinda like you mentioned), the former of which "dies", forcing the latter to live on. That's the only way the confusion of tense makes sense to me. There's a line in the second verse about the partner trying to "talk inside [his] mouth" which was interesting, so there's another argument about it being a conversation with conscience (who is, at some level, reflected in his partner).

Of course, that doesn't rule out the Vet/partner thing, but I'm hoping not, I hate when the pieces aren't in the songs themselves, a la mwY's Ten Stories.

Album Rating: 5.0

Excited for you to finally hear this dmathias. I have a feeling you'll be pleasantly surprised just like I was.

And I agree with your interpretation Blush.

Album Rating: 4.0

First listen down! Really enjoyed it. Some hot takes before I start my second:

“Neighborhood” is my favorite song

I can’t stand “I Love You . . .”

Hull’s songs are drastically better than Devine’s (might change when I can focus on lyrics more)

This could have done with a “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” in space, or at least something that changed the pace a bit

Really wish the vocals were more integrated with each other

Album Rating: 3.9 | Sound Off

re: the "Army" interpretations, and this isn't a shutdown the conversation thing at all because death of the author and all that, but the Fader interview does seem to contradict Blush's interpretation itt, for better or worse



"HULL: When I wrote that song, I took four hours, and I kept writing verses. Then I tracked it myself, solo in the studio, and it was 15 minutes long. I had no idea it was 15 minutes long. I was doing these vocal takes, really into it, then I bounced it down, and it's this just ridiculously long song. When it came to Bad Books trying to figure it out, we sat down with all of them, and figured out. In the first half of that song, we're [separate] people, and then one of those people dies. After that, we become one and trade off. After all the turmoil and life crisis stuff that's going on, I did really love ending with a line that said, There's nothing wrong with being alive after all is said and done. There is light here, despite all the darkness."

Album Rating: 5.0

Oh damn. I read that interview and even referenced it in my review. Must've glazed over that bit.

Album Rating: 5.0

Also re: dmathias' comment -



"Neighborhood" is vastly underrated. I know it's plain but the lyrics are amazing.

I don't necessarily agree that Hull's songs are drastically better, maybe slightly. Also depends on whether we're defining a Hull song as one he sings, or one he wrote, because they're not mutually exclusive.

I also wish the vocals were more integrated at times, but it took little away from how good these songs were - for me, at least. This feels like a Tigers on Trains masterpiece, or an updated Simon & Garfunkel. I'm still in love with every second of this.

Album Rating: 4.0

After a couple listens with headphones, the hot takes were definitely just hot takes (at least for the most part). The lyrics on the Devine led songs definitely make up for me preferring the sound of Hull’s voice and overall atmosphere. Neighborhoods and Army are two of the best “point out problems with the system” type protest songs they I’ve ever heard

Album Rating: 3.9 | Sound Off

I just can't think of anything Neighborhood points out that hasn't been said, like, a hundred times or is plainly self-evident. it feels more like a "wow we really do live in a society" song than anything to chew on to me

Album Rating: 4.0

I just appreciate the bluntness of the lyrics. And I agree that it’s a message we’ve heard hundreds of times, but I also think it’s a message we need to keep hearing. Although I say that as a progressive white, straight, and cis male, and I’m sure the majority of the people who listen to this will share those same identifiers. So questioning how influential them writing a song about the topic is is definitely viable.