Newsletter went out with my longer thoughts. It’s good. Really good. It just might be great great, but I’ll need some more time to dive into the songs.
Feel like that’s a good sign. I just read your early favs and was like “oh yeah those were way good too” ...
while I appreciated the artistic and sonic exploration on White Noise, it was my least listened to Noah album by a large margin, and most of the songs never grew on me. I was disappointed in myself for not liking it more than I did, but the sequencing combined with a few tracks that I couldn’t get through really bummed me out.
It really was a tough listen, White Noise. I loved the first single, the muted palm chords, the whispered Springsteen vox, and it built up great into the chorus and then the record was all over the place. I don’t think even with the b-sides I could come up with ten tracks from that session that would make it good. I loved the show in St. Paul on the first tour behind White Noise, the whole family played, and briefly chatted after the show, Noah is extremely humbling, and he radiates, “Springsteen of the West Coast”. I see him in the vein of Springsteen and the Beastie Boys, where he will take risks. He will go down as one of the best of our time, I’m quite sure of it.
Knowing your love for The 1975, I thought "All My Friends" would be THE jam for you! Also, for some reason I thought Carry the Ghost was your favorite record from him. That was your album of the year that year, right? Or am I remembering incorrectly?
There was nothing in the song a Lover musically that amazed me. Noah’s got a great voice and it felt like he was holding back a lot in the first half of the song. I do think that when the album comes out I’ll probably really enjoy it a listen from front to back album (which as much as I liked White Noise, Cocaine Sex and Alcohol just doesn’t work for me).
This albums going to kill me because I had a brief little summer romance with a girl who I showed Robin Williams to and she went home and listened to his whole discography and loved it, and now we parted ways and I’m stuck with that damn song
Spun White Noise on the turntable today for the first time in awhile. I'm still conflicted on it, but I think it's better than I give it credit for, and it makes more sense to me in his discography now that I've heard this album. Side one is absolutely stacked, and it's still the best conclusion to a Noah record. Those last two songs still knock me on my ass. Also, "Bad Desire" is underrated, and I'd absolute take a John Mayer/Battle Studies-style pop-rock album from him at some point.
"Dry Year" is a top 3 Noah song for me. Recorded the night of Trump's election, and it just... man. Somedays the world feels like a building on fire, But everyone's ignoring the smoke. You would vote for a comedian If he could comfort you with a joke.
That song has so many moments that hit so hard. My personal favorite: We get by on consumer masturbation Sensation is satiation The accumulation of all your high school insecurities All your lost love and aspiration All your failed attempts at inspirational speeches You give yourself at night when you can't sleep When everyone on the internet is far more interesting And far more happy and far more happy And far more Tell me where all of this is going to, going to...
Yeah, I cut this part from my quote because it felt like a different thought from the Trump point, but it's one of the best emotional "I am saying something" type climaxes in his discography. The whole song is stunning.
I'm listening to Robin Williams like ten times a day now. Ready for this record I should go back and listen to White Noise in full, I remember feeling pretty let down with it after how fucking insanely Carry the Ghost affected me