This album falls into the same boat as Acceptance Speech for me. No tracks that I think are bad, but some of their stuff gets a bit too erratic and all over the place. Some tracks I love certain sections of, then don’t care to hear the rest again. Will Swan is still the modern Hendrix to me. A true anomaly in his respective scene and Matt’s just so in tune with how the drums should sound to what Will plays now that they’re an unmatchable force in their genre. I truly get surprised and amazed at some the stuff they come up with. Tilian has gotten comfortable in his position, but his lyrical content was weaker this album. Mess was Mess, but his delivery on certain tracks was some of his best as well. Favorite tracks: Hair Song Flash Shelf Life Count Bassy Evaporate Gospel Burnout Care
Gospel Burnout is atrocious. Shelf Life was a favorite initially but has worn out its welcome since, as others have pointed out, it just doesn't go anywhere... waste of a really good riff and vocal melody on the verses. Ranking the Tilian albums is pretty easy for me at this point: AS1 > MS > AS2 >> IG
Mothaship -> Insta Grat -> Art Sec -> Acceptance for me. Truly this is the only pocket of the internet where I find people that disliked Instant Gratification.
Count Bassy and Gospel Burnout have grown on me a lot, but Story of My Bros I can still do without. Even the bridge with Tilian can't save that one
Present. It's #1 by a comfortable margin. The highs of MS are competitive, but it has a lot more filler.
I remember seeing a youtube vid when they debuted Jesus H Macy live and I don't think I've ever been as excited to hear a full recording of a song in my life. I can remember the day I finally got to hear it too, I was stood in the pissing rain just taking it all in lol. The end part where Will is just tremolo strumming those chords is next level to me, SO good.
The problem with AS is that all of the good aspects of it are packed into one tidy package with "Stroke, God Millionaire" on the next album. Jesus H. Macy, Robot With Human Hair 4, Acceptance Speech, Carve and Turn Off The Lights are the only standouts for me. All the rest either sound the same, or just are weird imo.
Tilian's vocals are so grating on that one for me. Also, other than Jon's funky part, the song sounds just like the rest of the album.
Stroke God bores me to death (not sure why it seems to be a fan favorite) and also doesn't sound anything like AS to me. IG as a whole just focuses on being fun and straightforward, as the name implies - if that's your thing, great. It works at times and grates me at others. Either way, they've made more ambitious and impressive music on the other Tilian records, I'd say.
I love Gospel Burnout. That entire song. I don't even know why. Mess' parts with Tilian in the background is legit top notch as fuck though.
Zany Jon Mess delievery, dark effected guitars, Tilian's overproduced vocals. It's all of the good parts of AS in one song.
I guess it has all those things, but replaces the great melodies and atmosphere of AS with a super boring riff and vocal melody.
The bridge in Stroke God is what keeps me coming back for more. The way the bass and Tilian’s vocals bounce around are perfect.