Valleyheart - Everyone I’ve Ever Loved (Rise Records, December 14, 2018) Album • Page 4

Ah yes that Come Wind record was great. Forgot about that one. Love the black and white artwork for it. Is that band still active?

Edit: Looks like they released a single in 2016 and a release in 2017 called Remixes and Lost Tapes. Hopefully they have a new album in the works.

 

I think it was #8 or #9 for me in 2015. And that's one of my very favorite years for music so that's saying a lot.

 

Back to this album, the story behind the way the vocals in "Paradisum" were recorded is flippin' cool.

 

I'm going to be invested in this album for a long time.

Also, it feels like Rise is really shorting this release. There's no tour, no website, no vinyl, and two items of merch for this album on their website: one shirt and one digital download.

 

Was just having this conversation with a buddy of mine. It’s extremely disappointing even though I don’t really expect much out of that label anymore.

 

I noticed the same. I really think a smaller label could’ve pushed this and given it the recognition it deserves. Rise just isn’t the place for this kind of band.

 

I also was texting back and forth with a friend about that last night. Really sucks to a promising young band kinda get shafted like this on their first LP. Hope they’re taken better care of in 2019.

 

Shift in ownership in Rise left this band and like two or three others in limbo for a hot second which explains the lack of push

At least that’s what I heard through the grapevine.

 

Many incoming follow up thoughts

After a few more listens today, the tracks I thought bled together a bit last night stood out more as individual songs. So that’s cool. I do have a small issue with the production — I love the tones and the mix but I feel like the mastering is a little off? Like everything sounds exceptional but some of those really big parts don’t pop off in the way it feels like they should to me.

Dissolve climbed the highest in terms of favorites today, that chorus is sneaky.

Drowned is my favorite overall track, holy hell that song is gorgeous. I get goosebumps when they go into that last chorus. Agnosia is my #2 — I’m a real sucker for weird little guitar accents like the ones in the second verse.

The bass in Maryland starting around 1:10 fucking gooooes

Intangible Dream is really really good but lol at it turning damn near into a carbon copy of Let Me Go by All Get Out at 3:05. Really just makes me want to scream “I TRIED CONVINCING GOD TO CHANGE YOU” every time

I think I don’t really care for the closer. I understand it’s place within the lyrical themes of the record, but as a song I want it to do more. It’d be one thing if it was just a solemn little piano tune but that last minute doesn’t build half as much sonic tension as it feels like they wanted or could’ve easily gotten away with.

Reeeeally have my fingers crossed they land an opening spot on a tour that puts them in front of the right people. Keeping it with Rise, it’d be killer to see these guys support The Early November on a Lilac tour. ManOrch would be perfect but that’s probably a long shot hah.

 

Highlights for me right now:

The chorus of Heaven and Hell is just something else. Such a good opener.

Crave is still amazing. I love everything about it and it hasn't gotten old even though I've played the heck out of it the last couple weeks. Perfect song.

Dissolve is my favorite song here though. I've listened to it so many times. It really does give me the same weightiness as Sufjan's "Fourth of July" or Manchester Orchestra's "The Grocery" does. I haven't heard a song tackle death like this in a while. The way the words and melody compliment each other on the words "Fruitless in their toil, swallowed by the soil." I get so many chills every time.

All of Drowned in Living Waters is great. "I know there's something to be said of all this noise inside my head. Alone." So painful, but hopeful too. Ugh.

The drawing out of the word "burden" at the 1:40 mark in Intangible Dream might be my single favorite moment on this record right now. Gorgeous song as a whole, but man that melody.

That line at the end of Communion: "At the feet of surrender there will never be proof, there is just You." Beautiful.

I just love the vocals in Paradisium. I don't know how he managed to recreate "Jesus Loves Me" without being hokey, but in the context of this record it's one of the most moving things I've heard all year. On my first listen, I really couldn't believe it didn't take a dark, cynical tone. I'm so used to that whenever an artist deals with doubt and deconstruction. I would've loved it anyway, but it was a special treat to actually feel encouraged when the album ended.

I love this album. Probably going to end up in my Top 5 of the year.

 

Fucking hell this is great. Hearing a good bit of Household/ManOrch/Citizen/Republic of Wolves in here but it's also very much its own thing.

 

I feel like I hear music I love compared to Citizen on a daily basis. Guess it’s time for me to check them out huh?

 

Their newest album "As You Please" was fantastic imo

 

Citizen is great! One of my favorite bands.

 

That chorus in Drowned In Living Water..man

“So take me home wherever that is
It seems I don’t know anymore
I can’t control this anxious fear that
I’ll somehow end up all alone”

Ouch

 

folks,,,,,

this is.... v good

 

This is somehow getting better. The middle is unreal. I love the slow burn of Maryland leading into the devastation of Dissolve leading into the aftermath of Drowned in Living Waters. Album’s got FLOW.

I think Dissolve is officially a top 5 song of the year for me.

 

Dissolve slaps.

I do wish there maybe was one more song that was akin to "Kids of Calvary" or "Friends In The Foyer" but at the same time I like that this band is great at writing slower pretty songs. I'm just a hardcore kid at heart and want to bang my head sometimes.

 

Nowadays was the song that really caused this band to be set apart in my mind back when it came out. Their ability to transition from such ear-candy-esque clean vox + guitar (on par with singer-songwriter artist The Sun Kite) to the solid vocal fry + crunchy guitar portions that feel raw and powerful is what made this band an instant favorite for me. So I understand the hardcore kid sentiment haha. Nonetheless this new project is exceptionally great. Indie rock type stuff doesn't have to be exceptional for me to enjoy it, so it's nice when it does exceed expectations. EIEL certainly does so.

 

The Sun Kite!!! So good.

 

I first listened to this album in the car not paying attention to the tracklist, so I was convinced that "Communion" was the closer and "Paradisum" was a hidden track (it was helped by the song's production)... I sorta believe that if this album had been released 10 years ago on CD, that's how they would have released it. But now that everything is streamed these days, it doesn't make sense to have a hidden song or two songs under one tracklisting.

I think if you try to take that context, the album's finish is much stronger.

 

Incredible lyrics.

I’m very impressed by this album.

Crave speaks to me.

 

Heaven & Hell video tomorrow.

 

Less than a week in and I think this album has already achieved “classic” status for me along with [Untitled] this year. It’s one of those albums that makes me go crazy when I’m in my car because I get so into it on every level. The music and lyrics both hit a very deep place for me.

 

I love this record.

oh yeah, thanks thread for introducing me to Come Wind and Stay Outside!