Entertainment For Lively Minds
Album that most flattered to deceive (2010) award
Posted by Mark JF on 8 November 2010 - 4:06pm.
With the usual year-end awards, lists, best-of’s, reviews, round-ups, overviews and general pontificating only a small brandy and a mince pie away, it's time for a new award. We all buy albums which, in the fullness of time, we put in the “What on earth was I thinking?” or “Hasn’t stood the test of time” pile.
Which 2010 album is already or well on the way there?
My nomination: Field Music (Measure). I listened to it again in September and thought "Hmmmm" and then I started to listen again over the weekend and had to put on something else. Sorry, guys, it just doesn't do it for me.
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Field Music
Too clever by half.
Forgettable
Yeah problem with this band if you pick it apart… the guy can't sing. He's not a singer. The lyrics often sound 'grafted on', and desiring to be clever, without having any real meaning or entry point. As a result everything sounds laboured. Pity actually, because some of the other musicianship, maybe not including the drums, shows real talent and is inventive. Example of yet another band so aching to appear clever that they just get lost and forgotten. Even the name 'Field Music' - forgettable, not a good 'brand'.
Totally Disagree
Measure is extraordinary
I agree
It's extraordinarily laboured.
almost quite good, sort of
I put 'Measure' on every now and then and think "I really should like this a lot more, because it does lots of things that I normally like in music. However ..."
I've come to the conclusion that it lacks a bit of soul. I can handle the humourlessness (in doses) but the apparent lack of passion makes it rather a dry listen. The good bits are pretty good, though.
I also think it would have been much better as a single album.
Measure
is class from start to finish - apart from the pointless clearing up noise at the end.
If Any Album Flatters To Deceive
it is the John Grant one
Yep..
..I was tempted to invest after all the positive coverage up here and went for it after I saw that lovely performance of Marz on Jools. It's the only tune on the record I like, and the studio version is nowhere near as good.
Nope
Still loving the John Grant. "It's Easier" is the best song I have heard this year.
Bill Fay - "Still Some Light"
I'm big fan of Bill Fay's early stuff from back in 1971, and on the back of a couple of good reviews I bought his 2010 comeback album, "Still Some Light". I so wanted to like it, but somehow ... I dunno ... it doesn't do it for me.
Field Music
did nothing for me either. I bought in on the basis of a glowing review in this very magazine only to find it laboured and dull !!!... The only other album I bought on the strength of a review was Grasscut, which got reviewed in a couple of paragraphs and is indeed fabulous.
Cherry Ghost
I loved the first album and was really looking forward to this. The reviews were a clue but I took a punt and was underwhelmed.
Also, I don't know much about The Magic Numbers' new direction but I know what I like. Not That.
Or not
Hope you enjoy our new direction. Erm, or not.
Me too!
I loved the first Cherry Ghost album but the second just sounds a bit too..forced? I`ll have to give it another go though.
Only new album i`ve bought this year too!
It hasn't done much for me either
and I played the first album to death.
Midlake - The Courage of Others
Loved The Trials of Van Occupanther. The new one completely left me cold. It wasn't bad, it just seemed a bit pointless.
I agree completely
I've (metaphorically) worn out my copy of TTOVO. I must have listened to TCOO three times, and even then, not all the way through. I was very disappointed.
There is absolutely nothing wrong
with the new Midlake album.
Unfortunately, there's nothing right with it either.
Midlake - no thanks
TCOO is turgid, dull and a waste of money. That's the last time I'm anything on the basis of reviews/word of mouth recommendations! Sample first, and then buy!!!
A bit of love for Midlake
I was underwhelmed by the first couple of listens too; but, partly because I loved its predecessor so much, and partly because of the plaudits it got, I gave it another go, and it really grew on me. It's still not as good as The Trials Of Van Occupanther, though.
Courage
is not as good as Trials, but then not much is. It is a grower though and worth sticking with. I fell for it more after seeing them play the songs live so anyone not convinced should watch 'Later' tonight and maybe you'll be persuaded to give it another go.
Got to say
Paul Weller's new one. As with all of his recent albums, I got all excited about the standard 'best one since...' headlines and then only listened to it once or twice.
Huffs and puffs but doesn't get anywhere. All fart and no shit.
yes
Wellers "huffing and puffing" (well put, by the way) had me feeling tired half way through and reaching for the eject button!
Agree
apart from the "getting all excited bit"
Have One On Me
Loved Ys, but La Newsome's latest leaves me mostly cold. I think the addition of ordinary instruments, plus the use of piano rather than harp on some tracks, makes it a lot less distinctive than I had hoped. I get that it is a great piece of work, but just don't like it very much.
Suburbs
by Arcade Fire, for me. Can't get through it.
Tried
and failed.
The same goes for the Midlake album. And the Field Music one. Wanted to like them all. Just don't.
Never got Ms N. Still don't.
I'm possessed of the growing suspicion that I'm a WORD reader that doesn't like the music that gets recommended. I also wasn't too fussed by the latest podcast. Or the C.W.Stoneking one.
I think Weller...
...has got himself locked in to the "if I throw in enough influences something decent must come out of the other end" frame of mind. Much harder to pull off than it seems and, done poorly, just ends up smelling of self-indulgence.
Actually I thought Wake Up The Nation was better in this respect than 22 Dreams and has some good stuff on it, but I'd still like him back at his focused best.
I think there's just about 1 good
album between the 2 of those records.
Definitely Midlake
Found it really disappointing after Van Occupanther.
On the other hand I really enjoyed the new Cherry Ghost effort.
Pop stars are all a bit 'sensible'
nowadays. There's not so many tortured artists and I can't think of anybody who's setting out to 'change the world'. Music criticism still judges by change-the-world criterion. Therefore most stuff sounds a bit overrated.
Rufus Wainwright.
The Midlake album is disappointing, but for some reason I was half expecting that. Really, really let down by R-Wain.
Sufjan Stevens
Haven't quite given up on it and will listen again, but I have been underwhelmed by his latest.
The current Arcade Fire is also disappointing.
KT Tunstall's new one.
I've tried twice and failed both times. The sound of someone struggling the source of the inspiration which drove the previous two albums.
Head First by Goldfrapp was, similarly, very unimpressive when put alongside the peerless Seventh Tree.
Same lines
Goodness, I'm nodding my head with much of the above. I LOVE Rufus, yet the album is a dull, plodsome ramble. Cheery Ghost also was a damp squib.
However, can't agree with Sufjan and Arcade Fire. Both were growers and Arcade Fire *really* grew - album of the year in a pretty strong year for me.
I was disappointed by the ....
... Brandon Flowers solo effort "Flamingo" along with
The Duke & The King effort "Long Live The Duke & The King".
Simply put, neither contained enough quality songs. If I was in a narky mood I would say *any* good songs.
On the other hand, I think the Arcade Fire album The Suburbs is pretty damned good.
Brandon Flowers and The Killers
are a whole new category: Artist That Flattered To Deceive. Mr. F talks a great album and he's got some cracking tunes in his repertoire but he's got some dopey lyrics and a lot of pretty average songs in there as well: Publicity 9, repertoire 5.
Brandon Flowers new teeth put me off.
The Duke & The King album is a real grower, there are some lovely songs on there.
Suburb Sounds
Yes-the 'Suburbs' from Arcade Fire: repeated listens did threaten to convert the usual portentous chugging and driving percussions into serotonin boosters-however the CD has been finally dispatched to loft-purgatory with only 3 tracks ripped for future ear-pummelling: 'Empty Room','Half Light 11' and 'Sprawl 11'.
(Neon Bible was also similarly disappointing-where the hell am I going to get a replacement for the commute-mitigating, job-embellishing, spirit-hoisting sounds previously relished??)