This is the first I’ve heard of it being written that way and that definitely explains a lot. Odd though, feel like they’re on tour all the time, how hard is it to be in the same room for a writing session.
They should try not to rush in to the next one. No need to knock out an album every 18 months.
Another vote for Davidoff Cool Belle and Sebastian.
I loved a lot of what they’ve done in the past but aside from the odd track here and there nothing they’ve produced since 2006 has been much cop. Really wish they’d stop now.
Hope I’m not misremembering but fairly sure. I definitely heard it in an interview with one of the members on a podcast. Basically said they all live in different cities now, etc so it’s hard, and I guess a lot of bands struggle to write on the road.
The only one I can think of is Courtney Barnett. It’s not a bad record, and there are three or four good songs. It’s better than that awful record with Kurt Vile. It’s just disappointing compared to the early eps and the first album that just fizzed with absolute genius.
I think the best songs on it are the best things she’s done but it is a very disjointed album. One i tend to dip into rather than play from start to finish.
Agree that Chvrches was a disappointment. It’s still fucking great but it’s Top 20 rather than Top 5 like the other too.
The Wonder Years, too. I wasn’t hugely into the last album but figured it was one of those transitional albums as a band discovers who and what they are outside of the genre they’ve been pigeonholed in. But Sister Cities is just plodding and self-indulgent and a banger-vortex.
On first listen to me it felt really half-life baked - like a bunch of demos that were a starting point that the singer mumbled some improvised lyrics over and they couldn’t be bothered working on.
But I actually really like it. It has a couple of tracks that are very close to late 60s/early 70s (psyche?) rock - like Catherine Ribeiro, that aren’t really my thing but the rest feels like a sort of Nico does dystopian 80s electronica vibe.
It definitely feels less formed than the first album and the E.P. it’s just I happen to like the vibe.