Yeah. Mostly because it looks like their career as a groups is pretty tenuous and they all need other day jobs to survive. It gets harder the older they get. So I’ll cherish whatever new music we get from them knowing it could always be the last.
Los Campesinos!
- Thread starter cobl04
- Start date
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lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
I've had two listens of All Hell, and while I wouldn't dare claim to have processed all of it, I think it's fair to say that it's a pretty stellar return from "hiatus", or whatever you want to call it when a band can't afford to be full-time, as said above (3 years ago!) by Gump.
I started getting sentimental thinking about the band, which I've followed since Shouter
promoted them here back in early 2008, and thought about the days when the B&C Boyz II Men were choosing Team Aleks, Team Ellen, Team Harriet...perhaps not the most mature way to be a fan, but I don't think anyone was being sexualized, and it was part of the infatuation with an exciting new artist--who could forget actual Tumblr accounts like Fuck Yeah Ellen Campesinos??
One could say that the band wasn't the same after the departure of those three women, and perhaps it was unfair to expect Aleks's replacement Kim to carry that entire load, not just as a musician, but in terms of the personality and spirit they provided. Personally, I was never crazy about the fact that three more men joined the band and no other women came onboard after Kim, but I suppose these new additions were all friends of theirs from other acts and it's not like they were selected via some audition process.
As for the music, for many Romance is Boring represents some kind of peak, in that the twee, sing-a-long nature of the previous recordings was augmented, or rather partially subdued, with a heavier emotional content and diversified sonic palette that revealed talent and interest beyond the odd sub-genre they had created for themselves, while still retaining the vibes of the band's original configuration. When the Pitchfork review called All Hell the "ultimate" LC! album", it's arguable that we already got it back in 2010. The difference, as reviewer Ian Cohen (a longtime supporter) puts it, is that All Hell is "self-referential, self-funded, self-managed, self-released, and self-produced", and the news yesterday that the album placed at a shocking #14 on the UK charts amongst a sea of major label entries, means that their DIY mission has been justified and rewarded. In keeping with the band's social conscience, and despite what is likely a low profit margin, they still donated £12,000 to charities including those supporting Trans awareness and Palestinian aid.
Charting their work after RiB, they went in a more dour direction with Hello Sadness, still for me their weakest, though it has a slew of emo supporters. IMO they swung too far in one direction, and while there are some great tracks on there, a couple on the back half just drag it down into a slog (some of the b-sides would have been better choices). No Blues brought them back to the light side, with possibly their most consistent batch of memorable tunes to date, but aside from the drum machine/dance beat of Avocado Baby, not much particularly new but rather a polished version of the band (now sans Ellen and Harriet). Sick Scenes had a total lack of pivot from No Blues, again a great collection of songs, but no growth or changes that I could describe--I've heard some fans saying the production was poor, but John Goodmanson was the same guy who did the previous 4 albums.
All Hell, at 15 tracks (including 3 short instrumentals) is their longest album, beating RiB by 1.5 minutes. And it's a return to that album's sprawl and diversity. Not every song is a classic or winner, but I'd say the same thing about RiB. Lyrically, Gareth as as funny as ever, still capable of painting very specific portraits of embarrassment, excitement, and disappointment. But, I don't know that it's exploring any territory that they didn't already reach nearly 15 years ago. Not that this is required to make a great album--there are at least 5 tracks here that are immediate pantheon candidates. And I think Tom in his first attempt at producing an LC! album did a bang-up job, there's a lot of details that are already starting to reveal themselves on a second listen, and I still have to hear it on headphones.
At any rate, just thought I'd get my initial thoughts down, and see if anyone (left) here cares to share any deeper takes.
For now:
1. Romance is Boring (probably their "best" work)
2. Hold on Now, Youngster! (my actual favorite)
3. No Blues
4. All Hell
5. Beautiful/Doomed (5 stone cold classics but it's short and 3 of the 10 tracks are disposable)
6. Sick Scenes
7. Hello Sadness
I started getting sentimental thinking about the band, which I've followed since Shouter
promoted them here back in early 2008, and thought about the days when the B&C Boyz II Men were choosing Team Aleks, Team Ellen, Team Harriet...perhaps not the most mature way to be a fan, but I don't think anyone was being sexualized, and it was part of the infatuation with an exciting new artist--who could forget actual Tumblr accounts like Fuck Yeah Ellen Campesinos??One could say that the band wasn't the same after the departure of those three women, and perhaps it was unfair to expect Aleks's replacement Kim to carry that entire load, not just as a musician, but in terms of the personality and spirit they provided. Personally, I was never crazy about the fact that three more men joined the band and no other women came onboard after Kim, but I suppose these new additions were all friends of theirs from other acts and it's not like they were selected via some audition process.
As for the music, for many Romance is Boring represents some kind of peak, in that the twee, sing-a-long nature of the previous recordings was augmented, or rather partially subdued, with a heavier emotional content and diversified sonic palette that revealed talent and interest beyond the odd sub-genre they had created for themselves, while still retaining the vibes of the band's original configuration. When the Pitchfork review called All Hell the "ultimate" LC! album", it's arguable that we already got it back in 2010. The difference, as reviewer Ian Cohen (a longtime supporter) puts it, is that All Hell is "self-referential, self-funded, self-managed, self-released, and self-produced", and the news yesterday that the album placed at a shocking #14 on the UK charts amongst a sea of major label entries, means that their DIY mission has been justified and rewarded. In keeping with the band's social conscience, and despite what is likely a low profit margin, they still donated £12,000 to charities including those supporting Trans awareness and Palestinian aid.
Charting their work after RiB, they went in a more dour direction with Hello Sadness, still for me their weakest, though it has a slew of emo supporters. IMO they swung too far in one direction, and while there are some great tracks on there, a couple on the back half just drag it down into a slog (some of the b-sides would have been better choices). No Blues brought them back to the light side, with possibly their most consistent batch of memorable tunes to date, but aside from the drum machine/dance beat of Avocado Baby, not much particularly new but rather a polished version of the band (now sans Ellen and Harriet). Sick Scenes had a total lack of pivot from No Blues, again a great collection of songs, but no growth or changes that I could describe--I've heard some fans saying the production was poor, but John Goodmanson was the same guy who did the previous 4 albums.
All Hell, at 15 tracks (including 3 short instrumentals) is their longest album, beating RiB by 1.5 minutes. And it's a return to that album's sprawl and diversity. Not every song is a classic or winner, but I'd say the same thing about RiB. Lyrically, Gareth as as funny as ever, still capable of painting very specific portraits of embarrassment, excitement, and disappointment. But, I don't know that it's exploring any territory that they didn't already reach nearly 15 years ago. Not that this is required to make a great album--there are at least 5 tracks here that are immediate pantheon candidates. And I think Tom in his first attempt at producing an LC! album did a bang-up job, there's a lot of details that are already starting to reveal themselves on a second listen, and I still have to hear it on headphones.
At any rate, just thought I'd get my initial thoughts down, and see if anyone (left) here cares to share any deeper takes.
For now:
1. Romance is Boring (probably their "best" work)
2. Hold on Now, Youngster! (my actual favorite)
3. No Blues
4. All Hell
5. Beautiful/Doomed (5 stone cold classics but it's short and 3 of the 10 tracks are disposable)
6. Sick Scenes
7. Hello Sadness
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
OP
OP
cobl04
45:33
I'm very excited to join you in this deep dive, when my record finally fucking arrives this week.
BigMacPhisto
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2002
- Messages
- 6,748
Yeah, Pitchfork giving it Best New Music and the writer saying it's their definitive album...eh, not quite.
It is a really great record though. I was fortunate enough to see them live weeks back and they even played some stuff from this one before it was released. First time seeing them, crowd energy was a 10.
Jerry Dunk
Refugee
Saw LC! live this summer and they're as good as ever, and the fans were as into them as ever. Probably the most fun I've had at a concert in a while. I didn't really like the acapella outro to "Straight in at 101" when that album first came out, but now having seen them live several times and singing along to that with the whole crowd? Just great energy. They played my favorite venue in Philly (Union Transfer) which has a capacity of about 1,200, which is the right size for them.
I've only listened to the new album once so far but really enjoyed it, definitely need to give it more spins before I have deeper thoughts on it.
I've only listened to the new album once so far but really enjoyed it, definitely need to give it more spins before I have deeper thoughts on it.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
We're gonna need those deeper thoughts!
Glad to see some of the old LC! Hive is still following them.
Glad to see some of the old LC! Hive is still following them.
OP
OP
cobl04
45:33
I've got a choice between sitting down with the CJenk record tonight or the new LC! record tonight and I will probably choose the new CJenk record because I think I need more space and time to properly respect my first listen to All Hell.
OP
OP
cobl04
45:33
I've had a few listens of it now (got the vinyl ages ago but wanted to wait until I had time to really sit down with it and a drink or two). Sadly, I think it's just not quite hitting for me. I want to love it so badly, but I might have to just live with it being a success for the band, which makes me really, really happy. The emails they sent out in the lead up to and post-release seem to suggest that it's become their most successful album, both critically and commercially? They fucking deserve that and I'll love them til the end of days — sincerely doubt they'll ever tour outside of the UK or the US ever again, and so when they eventually do a career-spanning, LCD-style farewell show I'll fly and see it.
It's not that it's a bad record, it just doesn't inspire much feeling in me. So many of the songs feel like they lack any grit or bite. Almost like it's the product of a band trying too hard to create something special. The references to Romance is Boring, one of my favourite albums ever made, are everywhere, from the number of tracks to the interludes to style of the song titles, as well as all the classic Gareth lines about soccer and drinking and limerence, it's all quintessentially them, but, I don't know, it's just not hitting for me. I absolutely love that they've found a large, super inclusive and very left-leaning crowd, but again the sort of maudlin, British, fight-the-Tories-during-the-day-call-your-ex-drunk-at-night lyrics that permeate this record get a little tiresome. Again, like it's Gareth trying oh-so-hard to write a clever line, but then it's let down by the delivery... (his vocals have gotten a little, I don't know how to put it, nasally, or just higher, maybe? in more recent years), the music again just lacking bite or just sounding a little uninspiring, ugh, I don't know. A Psychic Wound probably sums up how I feel about the record the best. On paper it's a great and classic LC! song. It has killer lines — "do you still have that one tattoo? That's how it works, of course you do" — and a bunch of LC!U stalwarts — medication, Catholic girls, the sea — a singable, memorable refrain, rolling guitars and drums... but it just makes me feel nothing compared with burners like Cemetery Gaits or I Just Sighed or For Whom the Belly Tolls.
The tracks that come closest are Feast of Tongues, Hell in a Handjob, Long Throes, 0898 HEARTACHE, and kms is really great too, it's very refreshing to hear Kim. (Although again I kind of recoil at the nods to Gen Z, and this ties into what I was writing above earlier about their audience, there's a lot of generational posturing on this record, and I don't know how old Gareth and the band are, but I suspect they're all mid 30s at least, which makes them old millennials like myself. Alright. Now I'm off to listen to Don't Become The Thing You Hated.)
Would love to hear more thoughts from people! And No Blues and Sick Scenes both grew on me substantially over the years, so maybe this one will too.
Current ranking, with gaps representing tiers.
It's not that it's a bad record, it just doesn't inspire much feeling in me. So many of the songs feel like they lack any grit or bite. Almost like it's the product of a band trying too hard to create something special. The references to Romance is Boring, one of my favourite albums ever made, are everywhere, from the number of tracks to the interludes to style of the song titles, as well as all the classic Gareth lines about soccer and drinking and limerence, it's all quintessentially them, but, I don't know, it's just not hitting for me. I absolutely love that they've found a large, super inclusive and very left-leaning crowd, but again the sort of maudlin, British, fight-the-Tories-during-the-day-call-your-ex-drunk-at-night lyrics that permeate this record get a little tiresome. Again, like it's Gareth trying oh-so-hard to write a clever line, but then it's let down by the delivery... (his vocals have gotten a little, I don't know how to put it, nasally, or just higher, maybe? in more recent years), the music again just lacking bite or just sounding a little uninspiring, ugh, I don't know. A Psychic Wound probably sums up how I feel about the record the best. On paper it's a great and classic LC! song. It has killer lines — "do you still have that one tattoo? That's how it works, of course you do" — and a bunch of LC!U stalwarts — medication, Catholic girls, the sea — a singable, memorable refrain, rolling guitars and drums... but it just makes me feel nothing compared with burners like Cemetery Gaits or I Just Sighed or For Whom the Belly Tolls.
The tracks that come closest are Feast of Tongues, Hell in a Handjob, Long Throes, 0898 HEARTACHE, and kms is really great too, it's very refreshing to hear Kim. (Although again I kind of recoil at the nods to Gen Z, and this ties into what I was writing above earlier about their audience, there's a lot of generational posturing on this record, and I don't know how old Gareth and the band are, but I suspect they're all mid 30s at least, which makes them old millennials like myself. Alright. Now I'm off to listen to Don't Become The Thing You Hated.)
Would love to hear more thoughts from people! And No Blues and Sick Scenes both grew on me substantially over the years, so maybe this one will too.
Current ranking, with gaps representing tiers.
- Romance is Boring
- NO BLUES
- Sick Scenes
- Beautiful/Doomed
- HON,Y...
- All Hell
- Hello Sadness
