Another score update: Blood in the Sand - 4 The Long Defeat - 12 Death From Above - 6 Hurricane - 10 Sea Change - 8 Salt and Shadow - 8 Black Honey - 10 Whistleblower - 6
I felt so too for awhile, but I really dig how the repeated simple "I" statements and actions serve to reinforce the song's themes - the folly and hubris of acting without thought and in arrogance, pride, and greed - and characterize the narrator, blurring the line between man and an animal. A lot of the imagery in the song reinforces that blending as well. IMO he's working with simpler pieces in that song, lyrically, but he uses them to really great effect.
I love Salt and Shadow, but a part of me wants Sea Change to win because we never see a b-side win against an album track.
I Love Whistleblower but I totally expect it will lose to Black Honey because that's just how these things go sometimes
You could take Black Honey and Whistleblower to be two incredibly political songs done with completely different lyrical approaches. I love the imagery in Honey, and the metaphor leaves room for interpretation, but the urgency in Dustin's voice in Whistleblower with the directness of the lyrics works really well for me. Same for Death From Above. I love both for different reasons but I think I just give Whistleblower the edge musically. Love the echoes of Of Dust and Nations in the song. Can't disagree with your analysis of Black Honey though. If they swapped Wake Up in favor of Sea Change this might be my favorite. Even with Wake Up, it's close.
You just made me remember I need to read that Alchemy analysis that was posted back during that bracket.
Current scores: Blood in the Sand - 4 The Long Defeat - 17 Death From Above - 6 Hurricane - 15 Sea Change - 10 Salt and Shadow - 11 Black Honey - 13 Whistleblower - 8 All matches are pretty much done except for Sea Change vs Salt and Shadow (and maybe Black Honey vs Whistleblower)
The Long Defeat Hurricane Sea Change Whistleblower Two more people vote for sea change and make it a tie thx
Time's up! Final scores: Blood in the Sand - 5 The Long Defeat - 19 Death From Above - 8 Hurricane - 16 Sea Change - 11 Salt and Shadow - 13 Black Honey - 15 Whistleblower - 9 Next round : The Long Defeat vs Hurricane Salt and Shadow vs Black Honey