Just finished listen #1. Literally everything I wanted. Heavy, punishing, groovy, catchy, chaotic. Every expectation was met. This is the album I wanted to hear when NWE came out 2 years ago
how i feel listening: sometimes i don't know, which moment which cool gust of wind will come, and enchant me tousling my hair and my heart, stirring...that familiar ache of poetry, which drop will kiss the old wrench in my soul reminding me, all over again i miss you better in the rain.
I think this album might be too chaotic for my tastes. New White Extremity and Shira have huge hooks to start with, but from there, it kind of becomes -really- crazy. The only songs to really stick after that were Closer and Conscience. Might need a few listens for it to click with me. Daryl sounds a little different now too. Maybe it's just me.
It most certainly has melody - it's just not pleasant or readily digestible. Beck is a melodic prodigy and there's some Beethoven-level shit going on on this album, especially Golgotha. The minor chords are the happy and accessible parts of this LP... As for the vocals, pretty much sounds like the same kind of meltdown he has in Stuck Pig or Stars, imo.
theres enough subtle nuances and details that make subsequent listens even more rewarding. Becks doing some pretty wild things guitar wise and idk whos playing bass/drums but theyre absolutely killing it. Daryl is just as weird and versatile as ever. I think he deserves even more credit than he gets as a vocalist because the way he just effortlessly changes his vocal style and tone is pretty incredible. lyrically hes just as dense and abstract as ever but the lines im catching are very good and have that "i want to scream along with this even though i have no idea what hes on about" quality to them