Cymbals Eat Guitars - Pretty Years (September 16, 2016) Album • Page 14

I agree w you Audrey

 

Oh I don't disagree with that, but Lose is only 1/3 of their discog (maybe you're one of the people that has heard the new one though). I think you'll get there, there are albums that were like that for me (Perfect From Now On, Clarity) that felt similar to the experience of listening to Lenses in terms of kind of working at the layers. It really is that kind of album, where it's easy to like on first listen but maybe not easy to love

 

This is unbelievably good so far. Probably my favorite album from them, I loved LOSE and haven't dived too deep into the others but I always intend to.

 

i think the lack of traditional song structures is a big contributor to the sense of travel and progression on WTAM, where the songs end in different places than where they started, and the aesthetic landscapes on Lenses. neither of those albums have a lot of refrains necessarily, and the ones that do happen serve a specific purpose (e.g. the "chorus" on cold spring approaching time's passage from two different points of view // the hook in shore points allowing a moment of clarity between passages of abstraction // etc.)

repeating sections of lyrics/melody feel kind of counterintuitive when it comes to certain forms of storytelling imo. nothing against choruses but the relative dearth of them on the first two records are essential to what they try to do imo

(sorry for length lol)

 

the thing abt Jesse Lacey was just me being petty for no reason btw, sorry y'all

 

okay, so just curious, is WTAM similar to Lenses in the sort of large sonic palette explored? The sprawling quality of it? Because this is kind of the first thing I've seen that implies that, most people seem to think of WTAM as a departure.
I'm gonna listen to it lol the only reason I haven't is that I'm afraid I won't like it as much since it seems like with Lenses and LOSE there was a sonic growth going on that I really liked hearing.
Also no need to apologize, I don't think anyone is going to come after you with pitchforks for not agreeing with Jesse Lacey on something about a band you seem to love. (I'm sorry if maybe I came off that way, I just didn't know if it was the statement or the way I phrased it that irritated you so I tried clarifying)

 

it was no biggie really. your subsequent posts have been very enlightening about their first two albums and why you have the belief about the lack of choruses.

 

not that i even know much about this band since this is the first album i've listened to full but i agree about hooks.

 

I can get behind that.

Also, yeah, I've heard the album. Only once tho. Definitely think it's more akin to LOSE structure-wise from my first impression.

Your posts are always so good to read, even tho I sometimes feel like a dummy after reading them. I feel like, for some bands, weird structures work for me and I can get pretty analytical about them like you did in that post. Like, as you know TCD is tied for my favorite album of all time and most of those songs are not traditionally structured whatsoever. I wish I could understand why that works for me in certain instances and not so much in others. I do intend to keep visiting Lenses, like I said. There may not be an album I want to love more than that one.

For what it's worth, WTAM works for me for whatever reason. I really like that album (tho it hasn't quite reached "love" status for me yet aside from some of the highlights). I think the growth between that and Lenses is just as interesting as the one between Lenses and LOSE. Same with LOSE and Pretty Years actually, I didn't see this album coming after that one and especially with Aerobed being released ahead of it.

 

This is incredible

 

I listened to WTAM today like an hour after that post, but only the one time; from what I heard, it's not really more accessible than Lenses so I'm curious as to why Lenses gets this reputation for being drastically different. But it's possible that maybe I'm just too familiar with Lenses by now and can't look at it as objectively. Plus I only gave it the one listen so there's stuff that inevitably just flew right by me. I really liked what I heard though, will definitely be coming back to it. Thinking about it a little more, I think it plays with tempos a little more which is a pretty easy way to keep a listener on their toes, so maybe that helps with the immediacy a bit. Was that true for you? Also, a sidenote but while I've got you quoted I listened to The Cosmic Drama a couple of weeks ago bc I saw one of your posts about it a while back and this just reminded me haha. Far and away better than American Art imo (I have yet to listen to the most recent one).

 

Dancing Days is sooo good

 

mallwalking is amazing i just wish that synth at the end went on for a lot longer.

 

Are people having a conversation about which of their records are weird? I remember when WTAM came out and it's weird and they're all fuckin weird and amazing

 

possibly my favorite

 

I listened to this album on top of a mountain tonight and watched the sunset and it was the best thing I've done all year.

 

This album feels really danceable to me. A lot of the keyboard work reminds me of the "a girl who walks home alone at night" soundtrack

 

This is really amazing!

Has anyone pointed out the similarity between Have a Heart (my fave) and Passion Pit's Where the Sky Hangs?

 

goddammit seriously this is so good i can't even handle it.

 

No reason to apologize, it was clearly nonsensical defensive ranting.

 

that podcast Joe did with Steven Hyden is really interesting so far, thanks to whoever mentioned it

 

This a really great album. Just finished my first listen and I'm giving it a second listen now. Did not expect to love this as much as I did. I've been a casual fan of the band since LOSE came out (which is still the only CEG album I've listened to before now :x ). I loved that album, but I I've only ever listened to it a handful of times. This album clicked right away for me though so I'm ready to hop aboard the CEG train.

 

God go listen to wtam and la now

 

I WILL...after I finish up a short work shift from 3-6.

 

Mikes been texting me about how hyped he is on it I'm so happy.