blah blah guster blah
This will interest very few, but oh well.
So, Guster. I've been a fan since probably seventh grade or so, around the time of "Lost and Gone Forever". "Barrel of a Gun" was actually playing on 104 for a short time. A bunch of years later, Katie and I went to see them at the Palace in New Haven, where I saw many many Jews from the area. (wtf it just started raining AGAIN) Now, Guster has a special place in my musical heart. I've seen them play a bunch of times and they're just good people, I think.
But this new CD. Dudes, I don't approve. It's not going to make me dislike the band, that's for sure, but I just can't love this album.
With "Keep it Together", I was a little miffed. With that album came the full introduction of the drumset, I think. Brian used it some in LAGF, but there was still a pretty good mix of bongo. This one has minimal bongo action. There's a tiny bit in the first track, and a little in "Manifest Destiny", and I think one other, but it's barely noticeable. And I just found this from the Guster LJ community, a quote from Ryan in a Boston paper: "There is nothing more uncool than what we did with our acoustic guitars and bongos,” Miller said with a laugh. “But we’ve rejected acoustic guitars and bongos as part of our creative process now. One of the reasons that we still have a career is because we constantly reject what we’ve just done."
Pfft.
That was your sound! Why reject! Brian needs to have bandaged and superglued hands! Someone posted saying they read elsewhere that those quotes were taken out of context, but it doesn't matter. It was said.
But it's not just bongos. I don't even really like the songs. I like "Satelite" and there's maybe one or two others that's sort of growing on me. If it were another band, I'd probably like the CD. But it's so un-Guster that I can't fully appreciate it. KIT was hard at first. It was different, but it still retained some Guster-ness. And now there's a lot I love on that album, songs that creep into my head that I know the words to. I don't see that happening with this album.
I also feel there is a definite lack of Adam on this album. He sings lead on one semi-crappy song. I love when Adam sings. He was my first favorite. I quickly moved on to Brian, but now that Brian has ditched his bongos, he's not so fun anymore.
Whatevs. I don't hate Guster or feel they've "betrayed" me or anything. And they were progressing towards this anyway, I guess. I just don't particularly like it. They sound more and more like any other mainstream pop band, which is a shame because they used to have their own thing going.
It will be interesting to see them in July, at least.
That was sort of pointless, but I'm ok with pointlessness.
I need a shower like whoa.
So, Guster. I've been a fan since probably seventh grade or so, around the time of "Lost and Gone Forever". "Barrel of a Gun" was actually playing on 104 for a short time. A bunch of years later, Katie and I went to see them at the Palace in New Haven, where I saw many many Jews from the area. (wtf it just started raining AGAIN) Now, Guster has a special place in my musical heart. I've seen them play a bunch of times and they're just good people, I think.
But this new CD. Dudes, I don't approve. It's not going to make me dislike the band, that's for sure, but I just can't love this album.
With "Keep it Together", I was a little miffed. With that album came the full introduction of the drumset, I think. Brian used it some in LAGF, but there was still a pretty good mix of bongo. This one has minimal bongo action. There's a tiny bit in the first track, and a little in "Manifest Destiny", and I think one other, but it's barely noticeable. And I just found this from the Guster LJ community, a quote from Ryan in a Boston paper: "There is nothing more uncool than what we did with our acoustic guitars and bongos,” Miller said with a laugh. “But we’ve rejected acoustic guitars and bongos as part of our creative process now. One of the reasons that we still have a career is because we constantly reject what we’ve just done."
Pfft.
That was your sound! Why reject! Brian needs to have bandaged and superglued hands! Someone posted saying they read elsewhere that those quotes were taken out of context, but it doesn't matter. It was said.
But it's not just bongos. I don't even really like the songs. I like "Satelite" and there's maybe one or two others that's sort of growing on me. If it were another band, I'd probably like the CD. But it's so un-Guster that I can't fully appreciate it. KIT was hard at first. It was different, but it still retained some Guster-ness. And now there's a lot I love on that album, songs that creep into my head that I know the words to. I don't see that happening with this album.
I also feel there is a definite lack of Adam on this album. He sings lead on one semi-crappy song. I love when Adam sings. He was my first favorite. I quickly moved on to Brian, but now that Brian has ditched his bongos, he's not so fun anymore.
Whatevs. I don't hate Guster or feel they've "betrayed" me or anything. And they were progressing towards this anyway, I guess. I just don't particularly like it. They sound more and more like any other mainstream pop band, which is a shame because they used to have their own thing going.
It will be interesting to see them in July, at least.
That was sort of pointless, but I'm ok with pointlessness.
I need a shower like whoa.