Shuttlecock XVIII - SAVE US, REFU-JESUS

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To pick up from the last thread, the question was posed regarding whether or not these songs are really THAT bad.

No. They are not.

(Queue the 18-paragraph posts talking about how wrong I am.)
 
The Blackout is definitely as good as the better songs from the last couple of albums.

American Soul would be if it weren't for the chorus and our mate refu-Jesus.

GOOYOW and Little Things are bland, and The Best Thing can go blow a d**k.
 
If they want people to pay attention again, reusing bits from recent albums in multiple songs that weren't that successful to begin with might not be such a good idea.
 
i'm all for making connections back to the last album if you want to tie them together thematically, but some subtlety or cleverness would be better than just copy-pasting bits wholesale.
 
Song for....no one?

Also a track dedicated to the Miami Hurricanes mascot...Ibis.
 
I think the one thing that Gooey Out of your Own Way actually comes off really strong with is lyrical flow. If you can make it past the disgusting intro and Bono doing that annoying harmonic vocal thing, the song is really soaring. Just mega plain jane.

I do not understand how anyone finds anything redeemable about The Blackout. It's soooooooo generic "let's make a rock song" and it just screams "let's try not to sound so U2 so maybe the kids will like it."
 
If all the songs on All That You Can't Leave Behind fucked and had a baby, it would be Get Out Of Your Own Way.

I resent this and think it's completely inaccurate. Say what you want about ATYCLB but at least it sounds organic. There's a reason Beautiful Day and Elevation still resonate, why they would still play tracks like Walk On, In a Little While, Kite. Get Out doesn't have any of the qualities of ATYCLB in my opinon.
 
I resent this and think it's completely inaccurate. Say what you want about ATYCLB but at least it sounds organic. There's a reason Beautiful Day and Elevation still resonate, why they would still play tracks like Walk On, In a Little While, Kite. Get Out doesn't have any of the qualities of ATYCLB in my opinon.

I think I agree with this. GOOYOW doesn't sound like ATYCLB so much as it sounds like Coldplay-circa-2017 imitating U2-circa-ATYCLB.
 
That Is How You Can Find Me Now would've been a huge hit.

"the bubbles" maybe not so much.

Some partially damaged waves

Nap like a toddler today is haunting

Song for....no one?

Also a track dedicated to the Miami Hurricanes mascot...Ibis.

Ibis (Bin Chicken).


Grazed By Cows?

Stronger than veeeaaaalll
 
End thread.

Yep. The folks who I predicted would not like the songs indeed do not like the songs

Yes.

Personally I think they're just fine, with a few flaws. Of course, I am not as critical of lyrics as most. The flaws for me are 100% in the production, namely the EQing of a couple of instruments (snare in The Blackout more than anything else, actually). I really like the guitarwork, bass, synths, and drum patterns. Solid. Oh, and the only part of Get Out that reminds me of Beautiful Day is the drum pattern on the chorus - which is a common drum pattern.
 
I am a bit confused why everybody hates the intro of GOOYOW so much. I haven't noticed a problem with it.
 
It you hate most everything past 2000 ?

They suck.

If you don't?

They're good not great.

Hey, guess what? I like every song on ATYCLB and The Bomb, still think the latter is a solid album, like/love every song on No Line save for Cock Crazy and SUCk, and love the second half of SOI+California. And I think Best Thing and Get Out are close to botttom of the barrel for this band. They do, in fact, suck. Coldplayesque, watered-down, without teeth. On the latter, the pandering in the form of a BD clone with those fake-sounding drums is shameful, trying to recapture past glory. Whatever thematic qualities may be in the lyrics are ruined by verbiage and awkward construction/delivery. I'd take the energetic mess of Boots over either of those songs in a heartbeat (though I won't go so far as Cobbler and put SUC above them).

Now having said all that I love The Blackout (at least the live version, haven't heard the other), and think American Soul has a lot of energy and a good beat. The repurposing of Volcano doesn't bother me because I really love Volcano, but I don't think it's as good, even if it has more "depth". I'm optimistic that I'll like half the rest of the songs, but realistic enough to know the other half might be cut from the same damp cloth as the first two singles.

Bottom line is that the band has been crippled by second-guessing and despy ploys for relevance and the albums have suffered increasingly. I think ATYCLB's material is the weakest (in execution, at least) post-2000 and don't like Eno's strategy of writing more and recording less, but at least they stuck with a plan. It doesn't feel compromised outside of the band recoiling from the experimentation of the 90s. Frankly, I think the people who can't acknowledge this trajectory and still want to put a happy face on everything come off like Pollyannas. It's equally frustrating to see people writing off everything in kneejerk fashion.

Since I'm sitting in the middle I'll just proclaim that I'm the only one being sensible and objective. :wink:
 
I’m liking the songs more though headphone listens. The mastering is weird. But headphones bring out some extra production ooooomph. I’m warming up to American Soul. The refu-Jesus line doesn’t bug me that much.
 
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