The Maine - XOXO: From Love and Anxiety In Real Time (July 9, 2021) Album • Page 35

I agree: stop listening to singles. It makes the whole experience better.

 

This is exactly my thoughts. From the immediacy (both instant love but a bit concern for staying power compared to ones I have to "work" on), recommendations to non-Maine fans (already have), and putting on as background music at get togethers (again, already have).

Great summary!

 

While I wish I hadn’t listened to the singles ahead of time, there’s no way I would’ve preordered vinyl

 

Any praise is too much praise.

 

Just paused XOXO to put on FH and didn’t make it through the first track.

 

Yeahh that’s really the only album from them I don’t enjoy. Although the B sides were oddly on point haha

 

Not everything ‘80s sounding is because people are inspired by the 1975. They referenced Tom Tom Club, Madonna and Tears For Fears as sonic guideposts here.

 

Having "Sticky" for the whole summer instead of just part of it is by itself enough to make me glad I listened to the singles on this one. Seasonality matters!

It's really a case-by-case basis for me on whether listening to singles a lot/at all before an album impairs my enjoyment of it. I didn't listen to any of the songs from the new Manchester Orchestra album ahead of time and that album absolutely blew me away, in part because it's so strong as a cohesive whole. I'm not sure if it would have had the same impact if I'd spent a lot of time with the pre-release songs. But I played the hell out of the Mat Kearney singles and that ended up being my favorite album at mid-year.

 

High forever def sounds like Tears for Fears

 

Love the “middle of summertime” line that appears in both “Love” and “Anxiety”.

 

Forever Halloween is an incredible record and that's the hill I will die on

 

I don’t love FH on the whole but Love & Drugs goes off

 

This band is officially the best at making effective closers

 

I know some are saying that this album is too short, and I think it's the perfect length. If it had 1 or 2 more songs it might make something like High Forever feel more like filler. It runs together sooo smoothly and perfectly - a lot like LLL. I think they nailed the length.

 

Really liking this. You Are OK is def my favorite album of theirs.

I don't listen to singles anymore unless it's a band I absolutely love. I wouldn't be able to ignore a new Bad Religion or Marianas Trench single for 3-4 months lol

 

You Are OK is an album that I always really enjoy when I'm listening to it, but it never had that lasting impact for me that Lovely Little Lonely did. That's a record where bits and pieces of it pop into my head all the time and I just think all over again, "Man, what a fucking album that is."

 

That might be the difference in our influences as well! I love LLL, but didn't grow up with Third Eye Blind (and similar sonic acts). I did grow up though with maximalist pop punk that YAO calls back to by quite literally having Matt Squire produce hahaha

 

Lovely Little Lonely
American Candy
XOXO
Pioneer
You Are OK
Can't Stop, Won't Stop
Black & White
Forever Halloween

 

There's definitely a lot of 3EB in LLL (a lot of '90s, period!) but what I'm most drawn to with that album is the lyrical themes. It feels like a very cohesive encapsulation of the nostalgia you feel for your teen/college/immediately post-college years looking back from the vantage point of your late 20s or your 30s. There are a lot of albums/songs that tackle nostalgia as a concept, but that one does it in such a uniquely wistful and aching way.

EDIT: I think I put this better in my end-of-the-decade blurb about the album.

 

BRB gotta listen to the masterclass LLL again after reading that.

(Can someone repress that please ..?)

 

I'm happy this band has released music worth discussing in this way!

 

Everybody always wants to talk about how Third Eye Blind that record is but nobody wants to talk about how I Only Wanna Talk To You just straight up is Cast No Shadow by Oasis lol

 

Can our resident Oasis expert @phaynes12 weigh in

 

what’s the question

i’ve never listened to this band

 

okay yeah i hear it in the verse but the chorus of CNS is what makes the song and this doesn’t have any of that sort of release at all