Album Club 2019 : IDLES - JOY AS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE

OnlyShallow wrote:
Moggy wrote:I wasn’t calling you a banana split, I was just laughing at the story of mates falling out over basically nothing.

To be honest with you, we didn't fall out over the girl, or me making him eat all the hash (I'd already eaten half of it). Bros before hoes and all that. Sleeping with his sister didn't make us fall out. She fancied me and he set it up one night when again we were all clubbing. I went to the toilet, only to come out and find out that everyone had strawberry floated off home except her. What could a gentleman do except ask if she wanted to come back to mine.

After this we arranged to go to a kibbutz for a few months. I phoned his dad one day, to find out he strawberry floated off with his guitar and was busking around Europe.

Never saw him again until the night he was supporting Placebo.

Where he blanked me.

And that is why he is a nuclear grade strawberry float nugget.

It sounds like his sister gave you a terrible review....

We've had our first review on the Facebook group.

Jonathan wrote:This is a band I have never heard of.
If I had heard them during the 90's, this is quite likely something I would've enjoyed and been a fan of. There was a phase where I would listen to Llama Farmers and Liz Phair, and all sorts of other lo-fi indie with an off-kilter swagger to them, and this fits the bill.

Sadly, my tastes have changed somewhat dramatically, so on the first listen it was hard for me to appreciate this album. I could recognize that it was something I would've enjoyed in the past, but it felt very "one-note" to me at the same time.

Put the Freaks Up Front starts promisingly, and there's little hints of other bands I loved during the 90's that emerge - a little bit of Curve here, a dash of Placebo there, a sprinkling of Pixies, and a splash of Beck...

Sadly the second track puts the brakes on that initial momentum and ventures into "Sad Radiohead" territory, which I don't care for, especially with this particular style of vocals, which I find grating and whingy.

From then on, right up until Instant Street, every track sounds identical, and I can't distinguish one from the other. It's "Easy Listening" for indie enthusiasts, and although I'm not immediately reaching to switch it off, it's not moving me either. It's just background noise.

Instant Street immediately distinguishes itself for one reason only. A Banjo. It plays a lovely melody not entirely dissimilar to the soundtrack from "The Outer Wilds" game. Unfortunately, as much as I like this sound, it is used sporadically, and the rest of the time falls back into its comfortable background-noise lull. I resist the urge to fall asleep.

The back-half of the album finally branches out to try new territory with some changes to instrumentation, but it's still all very one-note. The same pacing, the same lack of urgency, and the same style throughout.

Everybody's Weird stands out as the only place where things pick up pace, and once the strings kick in, it has me. I do feel it takes too long to get there though, and I would've liked the momentum to build steadily throughout instead of only during that last third.

The loop-driven "Let's see who goes down first" is another highlight that ends in crescendo, but I find it a little painful to listen to as it's quite a cacophony of sound.

Low-lights: Tracks 2 through 5
Highlights: Everybody's Weird, Let's See Who Goes Down First

Overall I don't love it, but don't hate it either.
None of these tracks made it into my Library, and I wouldn't choose to listen to them again, but I can appreciate that 90's me would've appreciated this.

Had a listen to it a couple of times. Overall I wasn't particularly struck by it, I found that most of the tracks outstayed their welcome just a bit too much, even the ones I actually liked. Put the Freaks up front had me interested as the intro guitar sounds like Sonic Youth or Sebadoh. Same with the vocals, very much a Lou Barlow kind of vibe on them. Sister Dew starts well and has a good hook but just goes on too long and the fact the instrumental is so similar in track 3 means that section just gets boring. The Magic Hour has echoes of Teenage Fanclub and I kind of liked it but it never really moved out of 1st gear, inoffensive but kind of bland. Title track loops back to a lo-fi style and isn't bad. Instant Street has more of an upbeat style and was probably my favourite track on the album. 7 and 8 just go on too long, particularly 7. Having little previous experience of dEUS, I wonder if tracks 9 and 10 are more like their earlier work (MHTL mentioned they were an arty noodling band in their early years) as they seem to go on forever without really going anywhere.

All in all, I'd probably go 6/10. Didn't hate but didn't really love it. I'd chime with the Facebook review, maybe 90s me would have liked it more as I was really into lo-fi stuff around that time.

Rex Kramer wrote:Having little previous experience of dEUS, I wonder if tracks 9 and 10 are more like their earlier work

Track 9 definitely, yeah. I really like that one in the context of this album, but their early stuff is a bit too all over the place for my liking.

Just a friendly reminder that reviews are due by the end of today if you want to be considered for tomorrow's pick. Only had a couple so far...

Can I ask who are the 1975 and why are they banned?

I couldn’t make it through after the first two tracks so can’t really review it.

Moggy wrote:I couldn’t make it through after the first two tracks so can’t really review it.

You couldn't listen to more than two tracks?

I don't think Album Club is for you.

Pedz wrote:Can I ask who are the 1975 and why are they banned?

A popular group with the young-uns. Someone picked one of their albums once and it was pretty much unanimously torn apart. It's kind of responsible for Rule 1. :lol:

Brilliant.

I actually popped into the thread to get check what track the album ended on, it was only after posting I noticed your post saying to pull our fingers out. Going to try and listen to it while I eat or something so I'm left alone :lol:

more heat than light wrote:
Moggy wrote:I couldn’t make it through after the first two tracks so can’t really review it.

You couldn't listen to more than two tracks?

I don't think Album Club is for you.

I thought it was gooseberry fool, stopped listening and didn’t go back.

Moggy wrote:
more heat than light wrote:
Moggy wrote:I couldn’t make it through after the first two tracks so can’t really review it.

You couldn't listen to more than two tracks?

I don't think Album Club is for you.

I thought it was gooseberry fool, stopped listening and didn’t go back.

But why? Surely you have reasons, things you don't like etc. Even the worst albums I've been put through on this club I've managed to get through a couple of times, and then I've been able to articulate what I didn't like. That's what I mean about the club not being for you, if you can't commit to at least trying to be properly critical then it's not worth it.

First off, I had to install Spotify to listen, and then i'm using the free version, so it had the order all over the shop, which really didnt give a fair indication of the album as a body of work (albums should always be listened to in the correct order imo). As i won't be upgrading, I dont think it's fair on the albums to carry on with album club, unless amazon music features it included (this wasnt), in which case I may dip back in.

Anyway, my 'review' in the order it gave me the tracks:

1. Spotify started me with some demo, which was strawberry floating awful so not a good start :lol:

2. Everybody's Weird - Had a bit of a baggy sound. I liked this one.
3. Magdelina (live) - Sounded a bit like radiohead and was pretty good once it got going
4. Little Arithmatics - an upbeat acoustic one, which I really liked. One of my favourites
5. Sam something something daughter - Sounded like blur (i dont like blur) so i didnt like this one
6. Suds and Soda - I thought this was great, until the singing started, then it was strawberry floating awful :lol:

7. Quatre Mains - This was my favourite one, a bit like an Ian Brown song
8. Hotellounge - A bit slow, but I liked it
9. The Architect - Sounded a bit like Franz Ferdinand track. I quite liked it

I didnt listen to any more.

more heat than light wrote:
Moggy wrote:
more heat than light wrote:
Moggy wrote:I couldn’t make it through after the first two tracks so can’t really review it.

You couldn't listen to more than two tracks?

I don't think Album Club is for you.

I thought it was gooseberry fool, stopped listening and didn’t go back.

But why? Surely you have reasons, things you don't like etc. Even the worst albums I've been put through on this club I've managed to get through a couple of times, and then I've been able to articulate what I didn't like. That's what I mean about the club not being for you, if you can't commit to at least trying to be properly critical then it's not worth it.

That’s fine, I won’t be bothering in future.

Last edited by Ironhide on Sun Sep 22, 2019 5:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I did make it through the entire album and kind of liked a couple of songs (the title track and the last one were decent) but most of the songs were fairly dull and dragged on for too long.

It was a bit too much like the slower and depressing output of bands like Radiohead for my liking and the track with the banjo instantly annoyed me.

I didn't hate it but It just doesn't do anything for me.

I'd give it a 5/10.

Ad7 wrote:First off, I had to install Spotify to listen, and then i'm using the free version, so it had the order all over the shop, which really didnt give a fair indication of the album as a body of work (albums should always be listened to in the correct order imo). As i won't be upgrading, I dont think it's fair on the albums to carry on with album club, unless amazon music features it included (this wasnt), in which case I may dip back in.

Anyway, my 'review' in the order it gave me the tracks:

1. Spotify started me with some demo, which was strawberry floating awful so not a good start
2. Everybody's Weird - Had a bit of a baggy sound. I liked this one.
3. Magdelina (live) - Sounded a bit like radiohead and was pretty good once it got going
4. Little Arithmatics - an upbeat acoustic one, which I really liked. One of my favourites
5. Sam something something daughter - Sounded like blur (i dont like blur) so i didnt like this one
6. Suds and Soda - I thought this was great, until the singing started, then it was strawberry floating awful
7. Quatre Mains - This was my favourite one, a bit like an Ian Brown song
8. Hotellounge - A bit slow, but I liked it
9. The Architect - Sounded a bit like Franz Ferdinand track. I quite liked it

I didnt listen to any more.

At least one of those tracks was from the album in question! Still, thoughts appreciated cheers.

Hah were they not even on it then?! :fp:

Sorry, i was at work trying to listen and as I said, spotify wasn't letting me give the thing a fair crack.

Ad7 wrote:Hah were they not even on it then?!

Sorry, i was at work trying to listen and as I said, spotify wasn't letting me give the thing a fair crack.

Yeah, I think Spotify Free just gives you random tracks from an artist these days, it used to let you do whatever but just chuck adverts in there. Bit of a shame.

Ah that kind of makes sense now then. Ffs sorry

Ad7 wrote:Ah that kind of makes sense now then. Ffs sorry

All good man, I appreciate you taking the time to post your thoughts anyway. :-)

Album Club 2019 : IDLES - JOY AS AN ACT OF RESISTANCE

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