Well I'm pretty sure a majority of the community that thinks Pale Horses is their best album didn't have that opinion on first listen. If there's one thing mwY has mastered, they release albums that constantly grow on you.
For real though. I can fully understand this album not really clicking on a first listen. It's kinda overwhelming. I mean that in a great way
Count me as one of the overwhelmed. The heavier aspects of this band have never been my favorite, and this album has more of that than the last three, maybe four records do. I’m trying to parse out the lyrics but i can hardly make sense of them, they seem incredibly dense and coded. That said, i do enjoy the intensity on this album, especially in the quiet moments. It’ll take awhile to get into, it’s no where near as immediate as the last two were for me. But i doubt that i will feel like it’s bad.
god fucking damn THAT OPENER when i got that first email i thought it was a mistake, lol. fucking stoked to have this at last. this will literally be ALL i'mma be listening to for the forseeable future
I just started my listen, but that opener fucking blew my mind. I love that this band never disappoints.
I think the lyrics are a big part of it for me too. Aside from a few lines I'm not getting much from them at all. I usually love their heavier moments but the ones here aren't doing too much for me and the softer sections of the album are kind of boring. Especially after already having the EP. A lot of this album reminds me of Watermelon Ascot or The Sun and the Moon which were always two of my least favourite mwY songs.
I respect your opinion but I can't imagine anyone not going hard to Watermelon Ascot. The whole first verse is so chaotic and yet so memorable.
I ended up staying up to get it all downloaded and synced. Listening to it went by much quicker than I expected. It’s way more experimental than I was expecting. I didn’t have many moments really jump out and grab me but there were some goosebumps every now and then. Back to sleep!
After 3 listens, the 3 songs I immediately want to put on repeat for an hour: Julia, [dormouse sighs], Michael I look forward to this opinion of mine changing roughly 16,451 times over the next few months, though. So don't hold me to this internet. These were probably the most in your face, linear, heavy, swelling songs that immediately resonate with me, whereas I know most of the album needs quite a few weeks at least to digest.
Flee, Thou Matadors was incredible. This record already feels special, like a total reinvention that is still within their wheelhouse.
Yeah, I know a lot of people love those songs, they've just never worked for me much at all. Always been the only weak spots on those albums for me. It feels like this album is doubling down on the aspects of this band that I don't love that everyone else does? Idk.
Everyone has their unique taste with opinions that seem dissenting, including me. "The Fox, The Crow And The Cookie" is the only song in their discography (from CFUTF on) that I actually dislike, I skip it almost every time I listen to that album. And apparently it's their most popular song of all time. Idk either. I just know Pale Horses took about 10 listens before I even wanted to listen again, it didn't do anything for me for months. It's just under Brother, Sister for me now.
Possibly, which is so sad to me! I'm having such a viscerally positive reaction to this album that I'm bummed to hear you're not feeling the same. Maybe you'll come around on it! It does feel like a grower, even with all the love I'm feeling right off the bat. I can't wait to listen to this with lyrics in hand.
Yeah, it sucks. One of my most disappointing first listens in a while. I'm hoping maybe when I see some interpretations of the lyrics the songs might work for me a bit more. They're one of the most important aspects of the band for me and I can't get much out of these myself.
I've not listened to the album yet because I had to go to work and I want my first listen to be one where I can really sit down and absorb it. I'm happy to wait. I love that they've put this out early. Everything about this release schedule has been beautiful. Watermelon Ascot is my least favourite song from Pale Horses, but over the years The Sun and The Moon has become one of my favourite from Brother, Sister.
this is a devastating album | like the cynicism and the pessimism is just everywhere here | i have no idea how to feel about the album yet
As do I, but the first 2 songs just have this weird not-mwY feel for me. Everything from Angel of Death onward is great