I think it's partly JJ being the mad(dening) genius who can't/won't stop tinkering with things and always coming to the realization that, no, really, this time he's figured out the absolute best way to record this track and sequence this album and, also, here are some new songs we've written since then.
"Black Walls" and "Blue Girl" are great, so that gives me hope still. But then, on the other side of that same coin: the new version of "Camera" is a prime example of what the writer mentioned, tinkering too much, removing elements until the song is a skeleton of what it once was/could have been. I'm not saying that this approach can't work, but I'd hate to hear the prior-released DT tracks whittled away at like this one was.
And, partly, more cynically, as you both mentioned here, it seems to be this inability to get off the hype train and deliver, and now we're not really sure where the fuck this train is headed and who's still onboard. Primarily, this scenario makes me wonder why the other band members would continue to go along with such a scheme, if they also didn't really believe whatever was happening was in service of their art? I know JJ is more or less the final decision maker, but would they really still be all in simply to sell some more reissued vinyls? It's a frustrating proposition, and I don't have the answers.
And to echo an above commenter: #JusticeForBodyWork
I haven't connected nearly as much with the other singles, nor have I heard the entire album yet, but "Love It If We Made It" is easily song of the year.
(Great read, too.)
I love you Chromatics but I'm screaming at touting (and releasing) "Camera" as a vinyl-only exclusive months ago and then teasing "25 minutes of new music and a single from 'Dear Tommy' the day after Halloween" the past couple of weeks only to...put out the aforementioned EP digitally and slightly altered? The "After Dark 2" version was better anyways. The girls need to get it together because I just can't anymore.
I love you BH and 7 is my fave album of the year and Sonic Boom's production is immaculate, but this looks like a fan made video by some dude who's really into mushrooms and wears one of those hemp necklaces with a trippy blown glass pendant. No shade!
I mean, Blood Orange seems pretty autobiographical to me. "Freetown Sound" is named for the town in Sierra Leone where Dev's father was born. The video for "Chamakay" is Dev visiting Georgetown where his mother is from and meeting his grandfather for the first time. And many of his lyrics seem pulled from personal experiences.
I would generally caution against suggesting that one's artistic internalization and expression of aspects of their identity are somehow a "character" because those themes weren't necessarily as prevalent in their earlier work.
Deerhunter will before by my favorite. Bradford is an icon. Cryptograms felt more gnarled, queer, and terribly beautiful than anything I had heard before—"Hazel St." still feels me with emotions like no other song quite can.
I remember listening to Microcastle for the first time in my living room on the day it leaked, stoned out of my mind. The first notes of "Cover Me (Slowly)" burst forth from my stereo in slow motion, that first chord hanging in the air, and my jaw dropped.
Upon revisiting the LP a few months ago, I jotted this down:
Listening to “Microcastle” last night, I was struck by how gay it is—one of the gayest rock ’n’ roll records of all time, perhaps. The whole thing shudders and aches with longing, shimmering in lonely ecstasy. At least to me.
I can definitely see both sides of this argument. The whole wait for "Dear Tommy" has been frustrating. We haven't heard "Black Walls" up until now, but does it sound much different than the previous singles that have apparently been re-recorded, production wise? Not really, but there are subtle discrepancies that I pick up on when listening to this new track. Everything sounds upfront and in its right place, mix-wise. I feel like JJ's productions often have this odd thing going on that I can't quite place—sometimes things sound muffled, or like you're listening to an unmastered mix (previous versions of ICNBMWYA sounded like this to me.)
"Black Walls" sounds like JJ has perfected the DT sound in terms of production (saying this without having heard any of the redone songs, obviously.) Upon first listen, I found it to be a bit underwhelming. That being said, listening back on headphones it's really great. Like "Back From the Grave" and "The Page" meet a track from "Night Drive," but with all the fat cut and a bit of polish. Those faint tom hits during the first verse—that skeletal, barely there guitar riff. It hits that Chromatics spot.
TL;DR — being a Beach House fan has been infinitely rewarding with the release of "7," so I get the criticism of continually pushing back releases while at a surface level the sounds seem to be moving forward at a snail's pace. Still cautiously stoked that we'll get "Dear Tommy" and maybe even "Body Work" sometime soon.
I'm wondering if that post referred to "Black Walls" and they just dropped it early, or is it something else? I saw the post go up last night and Gorilla vs. Bear commented with the black box emoji so they must've known what was coming.
ALSO, I remember Johnny commenting that "In Films" was like the classic misdirection in a horror film slotted at the second-track-single spot in the album so I'd doubly bet on this not being a reworked version of that tune.
I think it's (A). If you go way back on the Italians Do It Better site when he was posting DT lyrics 2-3 years ago, the lyrics that "Black Walls" share with "In Films" appear in a totally separate post than one with the entirety of the "In Films" lyrics. (http://italiansdoitbetter.com/page/19 — the "In Films" lyrics are posted somewhere around there too.)
That makes me think that this song is actually "She Says." Although, Johnny had said multiple times about the rerecording that it was the "same album, same tracklist, same lyrics." So who knows.
Seconded. ALTSIB doesn't need Ariel Pink and it's still amazing but I'm glad the name recognition coupled with the video has gotten Cody more exposure. I'm hyped. Can't wait to hear the track with Sky.
lol remember when grimes would casually drag her ex on twitter all the time in a way that didn't seem like they were both in on the joke? i always thought that was wild.
The production on "7" is so immaculate and gorgeous and everything I want from an album I can feel like I'm floating inside of while listening on headphones.
On the other hand, I totally get what you mean with "Beyondless." Like, why does "Hurrah" go from being so loud to "Pain Killer" immediately sounding muffled and like it was mastered at a lower volume? Need to give the whole thing another listen, though.
While it's true "7" may not be a total reinvention, I'd argue it's at least a whole step.
Such a gorgeous album, though. Can't wait to hear it in hifi glory.
"You Already Know" is Arcade Fire doing a Smiths song, and it's absolutely perfect. Will have to check out that video, last minute of that song is one of my favorites on Reflektor.
I'm glad "At Least the Sky is Blue" is getting some shine—maybe the best SSION song to date? And Ariel Pink is mostly unnecessary but fine on it—although great in the video—and I do love that little "oh the sky is blue" right before the final chorus hits.
While technically Moses and Bradford are the two founding members, I definitely consider Lockett to be part of the original trio at this point. I think Josh McKay has felt like a natural fit, especially Fading Frontier-era. I'd be sad if either Moses or Lockett left and agree there wouldn't really be much distinction between Deerhunter and Atlas Sound anymore without those two.
I'm curious what kind of band he had playing with him. Looks like just a few other people but kind of hard to tell from the videos. Can definitely hear live bass/guitar.
"Right Now" sounded like a progression to me, even in its raw form. This song...doesn't. I know they've never shied away from contemporary production but seems to be at odds with past descriptors of the album having a more organic, rock-oriented sound. Was hoping to hear the song Danielle was tracking drums on in one of the original trailers.
HAIM release beautiful new PTA-directed video of themselves tracking a promising new song in the studio to announce new album; misogynists come out of the woodworks to critique and mansplain their songwriting, choice of mics, use of drums.
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