If I was TWY I would simply open every show with Came Out Swinging and close with Cigarettes and Saints.
I liked that review - hadn't yet caught the Colleen callback for instance - although I can imagine folks in here being quite opposed to the suggestion that Laura and the Beehive is the album's weak point. I definitely like the review better than the 90s album and song lists!!
I was stoked to see it! I thought it was a bit off. Maybe because I knew most of it. Seemed to focus more on referencing this album to their past work rather than discussing the actual album. No matter what, hope it has a few new people check them out.
I remember years ago when I still kinda cared about Pitchfork I posted here saying P4k had started taking a little notice of the scene through Ian Cohen. I asked what P4k might give a TWY record, thinking it would just never happen. Nick from TWY replied with something that made it clear he thought my comment was dumb. Like who cares. But to see the band now reviewed on P4k, and actually profiled, is kinda special - even if I think P4k has gotten a lot worse (or maybe I've just gotten older).
I have my Youtube player automatically set to 1.5x speed, and Songs About Death sounds pretty cool at that speed.
This is comfortably my third favourite of theirs now. Behind Suburbia and TGG because of emotional connection, but I think this is way more consistent than either of the last two, which had huge highlights but really boring/uninteresting moments too.
Can confirm this when I went to the Suburbia/Upsides anniversary shows. They played the entirety of the Ginsberg poem before launching into COS, and it was incredible.
There’s like 4-5 songs on this that are just watered down versions of songs they’ve done better. Laura and the Beehive is not one of them lol. Wild to call it the worst
I’ve come to the conclusion I could do without Summer Clothes. Maybe Low Tide too but I like the plants line in second verse. Also, as much as I really like Songs About Death, it feels very out of place thematically. Would’ve been fantastic in the previous two records but it feels outta left field in an album about the insecurities of parenting. Maybe I’m reading into it wrong though.
Summer Clothes sucks. I need Dan to stop yelling in mellow, reserved songs. It’s absurd at this point
I can’t help but compare it to Flowers, which serves the same exact purpose in the context of their respective records, but is one of their best songs. Summer Clothes feels so cheesy in comparison.
Lost In The Lights is the worst on the album for me, just because I think it heavily retreads what they did on NCTH. No skips tho