bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
I still haven't heard that OMD album, but I heard the one before it and I've heard a few tracks from this one. They're doing something really cool and I love it.
Overall, the list doesn't overstay its welcome and has good pace, but the transitions don't do a ton for me and it doesn't really have an overarching theme. Would be a good playlist to put together for a car ride, which does mean something to me since I'm a CD man in the car.
Phanan:
- Agreed re: Kraftwerk being the only good opener. It sets a really repetitive, trance like groove going.
- The first three songs keep that vibe up. The SPC ECO song sounds like its set in a factory, with all of the little beeps, the indiscernible vocals and the lurching rhythm. Neat.
- The intro to the M83 song fucking kicks ass. Nice change of pace.
- Pet Shop Boys being far more of a conventional rock band than a glossy synthpop band. Interesting. Gentle.
- Losing me with the Little Boys/Cut Copy section. I don't know why. Maybe its a predilection to having big lists broken up?
- Your Silent Face is such a great "fuck off" song. A lot of synthpop has the problem of being too self-serious, I think. The song is quite fun, and it also links nicely to the Kraftwerk beginning sonically.
- Over You. I'd never heard it. What a tune. It doesn't do what you would expect it to do at any turn.
- One of the interesting things about Blue Savannah is how it uses technology to play things that are borderline impossible. I'm sure those piano licks are unplayable. Cool shift in the coda, as well. Very XTC like.
- The Neon Neon kick drum ruins the whole song for me, just thuds through my head.
- The more I hear, the more I think that I enjoy music that combines organic and synthetic components than purely synthetic music. That's becoming apparently over the length of this list.
- loved the OMD ending. It's like the closing credits to a movie in the way it stretches out and takes its time. Pretty good stuff.
The Pet Shop Boys song was bad and I love Pet Shop Boys. Old men with autotune? Out. So beyond out.
Haerts was very good, I should check them out. Not really "synth pop," really that's just what all indie-ish bands fronted by a woman sound like today.
We Are Explorers...not my favorite song on Free Your Mind, but it's far more pleasurable than posting in Free Your Mind. I also feel that it belongs elsewhere on the list because the transition into Kill For Love was a bit rough. Went from way upbeat to way downbeat in seconds.
Kill for Love is amazing. Your Silent Face is also amazing and I thought the transition there was the best of the list so far. Very clever merging of 80s and 10s. It's tough to make the two actually sound right together because sonically the two decades have nothing in common besides superficial synth pop hallmarks like keyboards and reverb-soaked drums, but you really succeeded there.
Suffer the Children I love this band.
Roxy Music - Never heard this album, it might be the only one of theirs that I haven't. This track was OK, but it almost seemed a little too straightforward rock for this list.
Simian Mobile Disco - Shockingly pop, bordering on boy band territory. Don't care for it. I would loved to have heard the transition from Raquel to Situation without this one in the middle.
Yaz - Situation is always a blast.
Metric - Odd transition into this one. I didn't care for Synthetica, but this track is fine. Don't really see how this connects to synth pop, but I think you were trying to make a sort of rock connection to...
Goldfrapp - Disappointed that this one wasn't from Head First, considering there are so many sparkling synth pop gems on there, but Ooh La La is a guilty pleasure of mine. That groove has been used a billion times and is always fun.
Chvrches - I think this would have been better served up near Raquel, but based on where the tracklisting goes after this, I think this should all flow well to the end. Great chorus on this track, very fun.
I never finished my review.
Yeah, so I wish Purity Ring hadn't been in there. So much light and fun material and that track was very dark. I loved the Paperwhite track. The ending flowed pretty well, but I kind of agree that Never Let Me Down Again. OMD should have been earlier, maybe with New Order.
Overall, I really liked this. Some favorites, some classics, along with some tracks I wasn't wild about. Most of the material I didn't know I really enjoyed, which is always a pleasant surprise. Really good job.
Cut Irish Bono
I generally like genre-hopping in this kind of competition, but some of it was perhaps a bit abrupt (Megaphonic to Beatles to National comes to mind).