I’m pretty cynical when it comes to reviews and reviewers, so my opinion on why it’s getting bad reviews maybe isn’t worth much.
It has been getting as many good reviews as bad ones, though. Metacritic has it 68, and the indie / fan blogs are split roughly 2 to 1 on rating it 70 or better.
Their self-titled debut was “universally acclaimed” on the metacritic rating, and the follow-up (Exploding Head) received more or less the same adoration. The debut benefitted from the shock/freshness factor, and the follow up simply doubled down (tripled down) on that bet. After that, the ratings have been steadily heading downwards.
I’ve just finished relistening to their back catalogue in order, and I no longer feel that the first album is superior to the third (Worship) nor even fourth (Transfixiation). Exploding Head and Pinned slightly edge the others, but they’re all great, including the On The Wall EP.
Shame they don’t go more far and wide in the UK as I’m sure there’s enough people in the bigger cities at least who would wish to see them.
On a separate note, is ‘megalithicrock’ a reference to a certain British Sea Power lyric? You might know the one I mean or you may have no idea what I’m talking about. if the later, then sorry, ignore me!
Have had the chance to listen to the extended version a few times now and I reckon that this is possibly their best album, just edging out Exploding Head which I LOVED at the time. @robluvsnic has covered most of the main points of the changes to their sound up ^there, but in particular would agree that taking a slightly more lo-fi approach, particularly with the addition of Lian’s vocals, gives the songs more space to breathe. Hugely consistent album over 20 tracks. Reminds me a lot of Barbed Wire Kisses by The Jesus & Mary Chain - that was the first Mary Chain album I owned as it was actually the only one I could afford in the shop (anyone remember smart price albums with the yellow sticker on).
Bit disappointed that their London gig is Thursday next week when I’m already going to see Jon Hopkins - don’t think there’s any way I can do both
Ooh, wasn’t aware of the extended version, cheers. Yeah, I already have tickets for Protomartyr at the Scala next Thursday or would definitely get along - always happens!
Yeah, absolutely. I’ve been thinking exactly the same thing. Kinda doesn’t make sense, given that Barbed Wire Kisses is a compilation of b-sides and other stuff, and so the production, etc. can’t be expected to give the collection a coherence that you might expect of a studio album. But it definitely has a “sound” that distinguishes it from Psychocandy and Darklands, and there’s something about Pinned that recalls that sound (and the diversity).
More and more I listen to this album, the more I fucking love it.
Caught these guys last night - pretty awesome. Nice tight venue where the three of them set up on one side of the stage to keep things even more compact. They did about 10 minutes of noise in the middle of the crowd midway through their set, which was fun. Only seen them once before, but Lia looks like a great addition on drums - not just for some energetic tub thumping, but also on vocals plus one song on autoharp It was very loud and the lightshow was very intense, which is pretty much what I want from them
Picked up a copy of the remixes of their latest album after the show…