(Artwork to be confirmed)
The new album will soon be available to everyone, so I thought "what better time to create a thread for it?". This is a slightly-altered copy'n'paste job of my review from the 'Myths You Made' thread...
First impressions: after several listens now, I am of the opinion that this album is very, very good. As usual
Also as usual, it's going to take many more listens for it all to sink in.
It's probably one of the most 'adventurous' Church albums to date, with no song standing out as a "potential pop hit" (not that
that's a bad thing), and so many bits of subtle sonic trickery to explore.
Cobalt Blue - another in the continuing line of great album openers, with thumping slow drums, throbbing bass, Beatle-esque ('Day In The Life') harmonies, gorgeous guitar.
Deadman's Hand - a bit of a moody rocker, reminiscent of Ricochet ... but at the same time, not. Great tune.
Pangaea - instant classic.
Happenstance - see Pangaea.
Space Saviour - when I first heard this (live, title unknown) last weekend, I thought it must have been the album closer. But it works as a mid-album 'breather' just as well, a nice window of optimism amongst some pretty serious brethren. This is a fun-sounding fist-pumper of a song, perfect to close the first encore with
On Angel Street - quite beautiful, and almost unbearably sad 'ballad' (for want of a better word). They haven't really done this sort of song since Disappointment, IMO. Edit: For some reason, I can imagine this sitting quite comfortably on the second Jack Frost album ...
Sunken Sun - a pretty, happy little song. Will probably wind up being a favourite, I reckon. Edit: does this really go for 5:48? Time DOES fly when you're having fun!
Anchorage - an intense, engrossing tale of woe (?) that SK literally belts out. Musically, it's kinda like BOB's Cortez versus Springsteen's The River, with some serious guitar fireworks as a result. Edit: the spirit of GW McLennan appears for the second time. It's almost as if SK is doing some channeling, both vocally and lyrically (in a 'tribute' sense, not 'plagiarism').
Lunar - this one's a mystery to me at the moment. A lovely little enigma. (And MWP does NOT sing it, no matter what early reviews may suggest)
Operetta - grandiose, haunting, piano-driven tribute/love letter to ... ??? Life? A perfect closer ala Glow Worm, but entirely different. "Piano, drums and trumpets - just like the old days".
Those are my thoughts after a dozen spins. I might go outside and spin around some more, then see what I think.
