Inlet is a great album and more than worthy comeback I'm very glad exists, but Downward is Heavenward remains their peak for me. Simply some of the best-sounding rock music ever made with just the right amount of grand sci-fi flair. (Tbc I love all three main albums, the b-sides, the Centaur album, the Glifted album...)
I finally got the remastered CDs and ripped them to my Apple Music library. Have only listened to YPAA so far but holy shit it sounds so good.
Hadn't realized there were new remasters (as of 2023 I gather), will need to check those out - curious to see how or if one could improve the sound of DIH which is already one of the greatest sounding rock albums ever
I'll have to report back after I give it a listen, but I agree that record already sounds incredible and wasn't in need of a remaster. I mainly bought it for the three bonus tracks.
I actually gave it a listen....I'd need a closer relisten and some careful A/Bing to be able to hear any difference I think, whatever they did must be on the subtle side. I was already familiar with "Puppets" and "Aphids" (good songs!) so only "Boy With Stick," which is interesting but doesn't sound as finished as the rest, was new to me. Always happy to have a reason to revisit, though. Never listened to Electra 2000 before so I'll have to fix that. Currently revisiting Shiner's The Egg, recorded in Matt Talbot's studio.
My pressings of Inlet, You’d Prefer an Astronaut, and Downward Is Heavenward are of three of my best sounding records.
The radio station I volunteer at does a themed vinyl listening night and someone's theme was comeback albums. Inlet was, unsurprisingly, one of the picks and it sounded incredible. Edit: the other two picks were mbv and Black Messiah
That’s crazy I just put it on in the backyard yesterday. Folding and Shapeshifter still are among my favorite songs released over the last 5 years
2020 was so fucking stacked. Kind of incredible that the records that make me feel that most strongly now 5 years on were all also almost certainly done before Covid really started
I really can’t put into words the journey I’ve been on with this album. It dropped right at the end of a massive binge that broke a year clean. It became my go to album just to feel. I bought it on cd one year so I could listen to it in rehab. It never left rotation and, somewhat serendipitously its fifth year anniversary drops on my 500 day anniversary of being clean. I’ve listened to it twice today already. Aside from the personal connection, it’s just a perfect heavy guitar record to blast in the summer heat. Something akin to Sleep’s dopesmoker or Deafheaven’s sunbather, the textures are just so viscerally sweltering it makes for a perfect listen on a scorching hot day
Been HEAVILY into Hum yesterday and today. Downward is Heavenward is so good. Hit me hard back in the day, but for whatever reason these past two days......I've developed a new connection with it and I've fallen in love with it all over again.