2x through, just finished a nice fat stogie and a couple of Beams.....
Lots of head nodding - good sign. Lots of rhythm and beats that induce some groovin'.
Struggling to find songs that will create energy in a live show. Sure, there are some "chill" songs, but for the record my favorite live songs are Lightswitch and Canyon - lots of emotion and energy in both of those - it seems every member has a distinct role in each - struggling to find the same in this record but as we've witnessed with Upon Returning, their live interpretations can trigger something special from everyone (Mark and Dino kick ass on that one live). Somebody is Laughing seems perfect but the chorus seems restraint....
Speaking of restraint, I do think that is common on a few tracks. Somebody is Laughing is top notch but then they dial it down in the chrorus - I don't know, but The Ornament has seen criticism for being "too" dialed up throughout the song so maybe Gavin's holding something back here, again, I don't know. I feel the same way with Down Without a Fight - I'm waiting for Gavin to unload but it never happens - just my thought on it.
The Ornament/Where I'll End Up - the sax is present in The Ornament but omitted in WIEU?? I don't get that. WIEU is my most disappointing song on the album - I felt that with the right production it could soar but it is entiely grounded throughout. And to be honest, I'm not a fan of the layered vocals - I felt the same way in the album version of Ireland from 2:42-2:55 - compare that line with Gavin singing it live and I was completely let down - I had become used to him belting the hell out of that line and it seemed shallow on the album. I've grown to like it but man, hearing it back on the old live tracks, I much preferred it the way he sung it then.
Not a review but some initial thoughts. I can say I dig every song but Kalathat seems out of place.
I'm still digesting this, but here's where my early disappointment lies:
Dredg, in every incarnation and on every album, has boiled down to an incredible mix of talents. Take Dino's incredible versatility between drums and keys, mix in Mark's distinct guitar style, a bit of funkiness from Drew, and Gavin's soaring voice. Stir and pour, get awesomeness, no matter the tempo or the style.
You got the sense that the band sat in a room and jammed quite a bit, just had fun playing music.
This feels heavily produced. It's like they were individually set aside, asked to play a few things, and mushed it together. There's no chemistry, not to mention the two most dynamic parts of the band - Mark's guitar skills and Dino's percussion skills - are rendered pretty much useless.
A one track mind in a one way town
Let's go ahead and gentrify
We let art die with robot minds
Steal the brush and paint boundary lines
So, I acquired first-hand knowledge that female ejaculation is indeed VERY real. Chick seriously gave Cytherea a run for her money.
That's the only thing I didn't like about her. The first chick I ever saw squirt was Nikki Charm in Miss Directed...and I've never been a fan of it since.
Here's the advice I would give dredg for their next album if I had license as a creative manager to shake things up:
1. Gavin has to agree to take a poetry course and focus all of his energies on lyrics, and making them unique, poignant and off-the-cuff. The goal would be a large amount of smirks and "Wow. Clever."s from the others until they're allowed into the songs. Any cliches will sound an alarm, and trigger a shock collar that must be worn at all times.
2. Drew would have to agree to take on double duty. Since Drew seems to be the most eccentric, he gets to write the notes that are to be sung by Gavin, as well as writing his consistently interesting bass licks. This should at least effectively break Gavin of the predictable patterns he's starting to follow in his vocals, and freshen things up. Drew only needs to work on this part once the songs are nearly written, he just needs to write an eccentric yet heart wrenching solo on top of the music, then pass it to Gavin to put the words to it.
3. Mark and Dino would concentrate on the core of the song writing. Focus would be on two things: the dichotomy of both wacky and simple. Dino’s strengths in the wacky department will be brought to the forefront often, and then brought down to earth with more simple passages. Dynamics are the key. I would also challenge the two of them not to stop writing TWO songs until they are about 8 minutes long each. If when these songs are complete, there is too much “dead air” the songs can be trimmed as needed, but will hopefully result in at least a couple 6-7 minute epics to anchor the beginning and end of the album. I would also challenge the two to play with plenty of time signature and tempo changes.
You are pathetic and stupid and you like music for shitty reasons.
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