#124

I do. I found the alchemy index borderline-unlistenable at the time. I’m definitely overdue a reappraisal of those albums, but they’re always the low spots of the live set for me.

Beggars has some of their best songs, but for me the 2 most recent albums are the best of their career.

I do wish they were a more interesting band to cover, from a journalistic standpoint. I’ve had the pleasure of chatting to them a couple of times and unless you want to go in-depth on the muso side, there’s really very little to pull on there. 4 nice guys who are very good at their instruments, writing criminally underrated songs.

I interviewed them on the To Be Everywhere cycle and trying to get insights out of them was like trying to get blood from a stone. I think that’s really played against them historically. They’re not a “fun” band to cover.

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#125

Gets tricky judging this once an artist has had a long career with ups and downs or maybe albums where your personal opinion doesn’t chime with general critical consensus.

Noticed The Flaming Lips have announced a new album - early stuff is all over the place, had a brilliant run then lost it with Mystics, regained with Embryonic, then generally lost again with side projects and Oczy (which I don’t actually think is terrible, just terrible in parts). But I don’t know maybe the sheer mess of the discography is all part of it anyway.

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#126

Wire. I love the classic first three but got very lost in their 80s output. I have enjoyed their last few records a lot though.

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#127

Interpol. Started strong, faded and I think el pintor is good again. Personally I didn’t really dig marauder but I think that it was well thought of.

#128

I’m not sure Underworld releasing one shit album (barking) means they completely lost it. Given its a collaboration album as well. I think they’ve been pretty consistent across their career tbh.

#129

I would definitely hold up Wire’s later records up to their earlier and (rightly) well-regarded stuff.

It’s completely different (to their credit), but still experimental and furious.

What a band.

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#130

Weezer had it, had it, kinda had it, kinda had it, lost it, kinda had it, vapourised it, lost the vapour, recrystalised it for a lesser yield, had it again, lost it again -->

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#131

American Football from LP 1 to LP 2 to LP 3

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#132

Great shout, love LP3 so much

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#133

Simplified it for ya

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#134

I’m praying that Placebo find it again. We should know soon enough :grimacing: :crossed_fingers:

#135

Jonny Cash must be the best example of this

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#136

Deaf Havana and Enter Shikari? I wouldn’t hold your breath…

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#137

Can’t say I fully understand your implication. But I can say, if you aren’t already aware, Reynold (new label Exec) says he’s already heard the new tracks and loved em. Given this, don’t think it’s too far off :wink:

#138

Oh, implication is just that I think both of those bands are terrible :grin:

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#139

Got it :blush:

No idea what to expect. Just ready to hear something new :man_shrugging:

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#140

I’ve not really engaged with anything they’ve done since Takk, including Kveikur but given your comment I think maybe I need to give it another shot.

I seem to remember Kveikur being described in NME (possibly) as Sigur Ros does metal. Maybe it was tongue in cheek and I was just a bit gullible, but that was something I really wanted to hear. I think maybe it set my expectations of the album all over the place and they never recovered.

Googling it now and I can see some similar references to it.

#141

Just thought of another- A Tribe Called Quest.

First three albums are all great. Then, two very middling to bad albums, and returned with We Got It From Here… which is just solid brilliance.

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#142

Kveikur is superb. You should definitely give it another go.

It’s not ‘metal’ in any sense but definitely a bit more gritty and less pretty than some of their records.

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#143

I never thought about it as metal, but I can understand why that comparison was made. It’s not a heavy riff-fest, but it’s overall much more pummeling than their prior material and has a very icy, almost industrial atmosphere to it.

I’d definitely give it another shot, though I’d say it’s a late autumn / winter album. I can’t think of another album that checks the boxes that it does. It has some of their best and saddest melodies too.

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