Holy fucking shit the Clarity live session is so good. Bummed I missed the stream But SO glad they are releasing these. what a band - just the fact that there's pages and pages (and pages) of people nitpicking over such nuances says it all about how special they are.
yeah I actually spin that session a lot. hearing the songs reach their full potential is great, and the T Swift cover bangs. my only real regret is that they didn't play "How'd You Have Me", imo the song done most dirty by the album production (should have been one of their biggest barnburners but it sounds like it was recorded on a phone speaker) as for the songs being there... album's got a couple tracks I absolutely adore, from a songwriting standpoint, and quite a few more that have a few inspired moments vs a rest that feels.... less so ("No Never"'s bridge being the case in point). I like it, because this band doesn't miss, but frankly it does play as a very lifeless and flat album by them to my ears. even with faultless production, I'm not sure any song on there would ever be touching their top tier in my eyes. to be fair: high fucking bar to clear, even for Jimmy Eat World lol
Maybe my expectations were too high, but I'm not quite feeling the Phoenix Sessions of Clarity. Maybe I'm just so used to the original, or maybe it's the recording quality itself, but I definitely feel like it's missing a certain something.
Does anyone know why half heart isn't on Surviving but Love Never is? Idk where my opinion stands in comparison to everyone else but I think half heart is their best song released since Integrity Blues. Also, I just realized it's almost 2022 so we should be getting a new record next year. I feel like Surviving was released 3 months ago
I was long overdue for listening to their discography, the Phoenix sessions being released to streaming did something to me haha. I've never listened in reverse so I'm giving that a shot. I'm going to Phoenix for the first time in January and I feel almost cringey asking, but are there any spots in the area significant to JEW in any way that would be cool to visit??? I'm definitely gonna get a tattoo while I'm out there too, I can't decide what lyrics I want though
Agree. I hoped they were going to release a Surviving bsides album, deluxe or separate EP because we know there are a few songs that exist. Maybe some are being held over for the next record. Half Heart could have easily been on the record because I agree it still feels a little short in terms of number of songs, but just barely.
To me, new music would be top priority, but I do hope the viewing numbers, positive feedback and desire by fans to get an audio version of the Phoenix Sessions have them revisit this concept for more albums. Maybe. Next album cycle do the new album after having some time to tour it, and maybe like a Bleed American and Integrity Blues or something like that.
Surviving PS sounds so good. Jim did a great job at keeping up with how demanding Diamond is on vocals!
I get Surviving is their most recent record, and I love Surviving, but man I really wish they had used that third slot for Bleed American or Chase This Light
Man, the mix/masters of these Phoenix Sessions is so insanely good. I'm not saying I prefer any of them to the original records, but I do prefer the production on at least the Clarity and Futures sessions.
I listened to the Surviving session and while I appreciate that a live version of those songs exists, it really pales in comparison to the studio album. Not sure I'd ever go back and listen to it again.