Poolside is beautiful and Grease in Your Hair is the kind of song that’s gonna go off live. I really adore this on first listen.
Wow. And I thought we were all very close friends in here, the kind who share important things with each other. I don't know if I'm more hurt or more disappointed...
First listen. The highs on this are really high - the opening track, all of the guest tracks, "Ice Machines" -- but about half of it is just there for me. Could just be my level of enthusiasm for this band right now, though. Wish there was more like "Tropic Morning News" on here, a lot of this sounds borderline spoken-word (which I know isn't that big of a leap for Matt). Anyways, really want this to click for me and hopeful it will in time!
After one listen, skipping the singles (I know, I know), the sense I get is that subject matter/circumstances around the lyric writing is a big player in what separates this from the rest of their catalogue. In the past, we’ve had new electronic textures or introduction/removal of the dual Dessner guitars but, on my faulty non-singles listen, it seems like the “new texture” is a meta one—that the bulk of the tracks are being used as steady, solid, unremarkable delivery systems for some interesting real life depression feelings/quasi-poetry more than in the past. But I could be entirely wrong. Fun listen.