"Infinite" is great. Definitely could have benefited from bigger production/arrangement, I think, but it's still an awesome song.
My mf aux chord wasn't working this morning so I couldn't listen. I did however wake up and listen 4 times through from 1-3 AM and I'm feeling it now. Good thing the kids have finals to complete lol
Way Down has grown on me tremendously - probably due to the fact that it now stands out among some of the other similar songs.
I don't think this band will ever create an album I like more than War Paint, but this record has a lot to unpack and I appreciate that. Certainly will lend itself to a great longevity than some of their more recent releases.
I've only listened through twice but I cannot get over Starting Over/Slow Down, the end of Virginia and the closer. I cannot wait to see them, buy the record and thank them on the 13th.
I just can't stand the part where he lists the landmarks in Virginia (not the content per se, but the delivery and how it impacts the melody on the back end).
Uh starting over / slow down... what the fuck. That was awesome. Edit: I was down on where were you when it was released as a single but it flows so well in context of the album
It’s such a simple thing, but having an album from them again where I love all the songs feels really good. A couple skips on each of the last two for me, whereas this is rock solid all the way through. Doesn’t hurt that they really thought about the sequencing this time either.
The problem with Mother Nature is that it decided to be 40 degrees and rainy yesterday and today, and I am too impatient to wait for my pre-order to enjoy Mother Nature in the sunny hot weather.
Starting Over/Slowing down first half reminds me of somethin' Jason Lancaster woulda written in his heyday. Just the vocal melody mostly and some of the keys. What a great song. That song, It is Real, and Better Light are all winners for me. Plus I loved all the singles, so now I've named half the record already Man, they really didn't show their cards with the singles
Catching up on the thread and wanted to say I totally agree with this. I really feel like the more diverse instrumentation here does a greater job of capturing the full range of feelings expressed in AJ’s songwriting. Really cool shit.
Just finished the first listen: its really good. I've (admittedly) never been the biggest TDS fan, they're one of the bands that always had the right pieces but never clicked with me on a majorly emotional level, but I've enjoyed and played their albums over the course of the last 6 years. I've always needed to listen to the albums ~5 times before they relatively clicked, which is surprising based on the relatively simplicity of the music. On first listen, this album doesn't change that for me, unfortunately. With that said, this album is an absolute and resounding step forward. It sounds like a band that is finally able to be free from the mental constraints of a seminal debut album by tapping into a new source of creativity. That makes me extremely excited to get to know the entirety of this album, day in and day out. There's more than enough care, daringness, and energy that went into this album that I will be blasting this at the gym, on the porch of my house, in my bed relaxing, so I'm sure I will be making the connections that you all have with their albums. I also wanted to comment on the album cover: it makes complete sense. It's the visual representation of coming to face to face with seemingly insurmountable odds, feeling like you're small and inconsequential against the force of something you can't control. But even when staring down mother nature, sometimes you all you can and need to do is just ride it out