(Untitled)

[alexmacpherson]

The pleasant side effect to having had a lot of work, and consequently many writing crises, over the past couple of weeks is that I have mostly been staying inside, in the warm, and catching up with a flurry of 2008 albums. Many of them are excellent, here are some sketchy initial thoughts with some youtubes and sendspaces.

School Of Seven Bells,

Comments

[freakytigger]

I don't think I'd listen to Circus all the way through but I'm very happy to have most or all of its tracks floating around on my MP3 player. IMO it's not a bad album, it's just not cohesive, and as you say feels like a cash-in on Blackout without having that record's dark alchemy. I don't like Kill The Lights but I'd rep for Out From Under, Mannequin, Mmmm Papi (ridiculous though it is), Rock Me In, Unusual You, Blur as well as the ones you mentioned

[alexmacpherson]

Haha Mezzanine is my favourite Massive Attack album (though doesn't contain my favourite Massive Attack songs ie 'Safe From Harm', 'Sly' and 'Better Things') but I was 15 at the time. If Hurricane had come out then I'd love it but there's something about the drum sounds and rhythms which feels a bit clunky. "I GOT THE WILLIAMS BLOOD IN ME!!!" is a great pop moment though.

[katstevens]

I am just listening to 'Williams Blood' now - blimey, it is a bit like my mum doing a Robbie Williams impression over the top of some late-90s Ronan Keating solo material, but obv more mental.

[alexmacpherson]

Did you see this picture of Grace Jones attacking Joseph Fiennes with her tongue? Another one to be added to the Great Popstar Photos of 08 alongside Mariah w/two umbrellas, T-Pain on the elephant, Beyonce's robot hand etc.

[alexmacpherson]

I first saw them live too - they've got ties to that whole nu-italo/cosmic space disco scene (they're on Versatile Records, whose terrific 2008 compilation also features Château Flight, Joakim and Poni Hoax), it was at one of those nights at the Amersham Arms. They were terrific! And one of Zombie Zombie is Etienne Jaumet, whose 'Repeat Again After Me' is AMAZING (esp the Âme remix). I don't know who or what a Herman Dune is though...

[g0ldt00th]

Twee French indie band.

[dubdobdee]

thalia zedek used to be in an nyc altnoise band called live skull -- not at all yr kind of thing lex! (or maybe it is)

i always confuse them with white zombie so i thought there was a theme here

[alexmacpherson]

I knew she used to be in a band called Come - never did get round to checking them out - is her work in these bands vastly different to her solo stuff? I love her voice - so stately - but you probably need only so much Thalia Zedek in your life.

[edgeofwhatever]

But "Amnesia," "Kill the Lights," and "If U Seek Amy" have the worst, most labored lyrics of all! "Amnesia" doesn't even attempt to have a melody outside of the chorus, and switches pronouns with no warning; "Kill the Lights" is like, literally, the least they could do: All the poses / Out of focus / I despise / Eff me over / Your exposure / Not the best OH MY GOD THERE ISN'T EVEN A COMPLETE SENTENCE IN THERE YOU ARE JUST TRYING TO MAKE THINGS RHYME; and "If U Seek Amy" does not technically make sense. All the boys and all the girls are begging to if you seek Amy? How does one if you seek Amy? What exactly is one doing when one is if you seek Amying? SURELY YOU COULD HAVE FOUND A MORE CLEVER WAY TO DEPLOY THAT PHRASE, MAX MARTIN.

[skyecaptain]

^seconded.

My Circus expectations rollercoaster (near-none-->high-->low again) in retrospect resembles one of those practice rollercoasters for little kids that just goes around in a mildly bumpy circle. SHE'S NOT THE TAMER SHE'S THE TAMEE.

[alexmacpherson]

I think I like 'If U Seek Amy' precisely because the chorus makes no sense - together with the "ha ha hee hee ha ha ho" it's the only track on Circus which captures the druggy babble which was so key to Blackout. Agree about the 'Kill The Lights' but at least I could remember it, which I...couldn't do for much else :/

[edgeofwhatever]

But Blackout wasn't very druggy or babbly at all, at least not lyrically -- how many lines of that album were sheer nonsense? I can't recall a single one.