The Syndicate

Best thing about this album is that Bass Guitar. It's crunchy, grungy, and yet clear. I want it to hold me.

I can fathom the vocal criticisms as well; I love female vocalists and I'd say ethereal wave / dream pop kind of stuff can be killed in its tracks with the wrong kind of vocalist. Comparing to Bjork will inevitably lead to disappointment, lol, but I still think the vocalist here is pretty good, even if a bit more unconventional. I can understand why someone would have a beef with it.

speedchuck wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 12:05 pm Best thing about this album is that Bass Guitar. It's crunchy, grungy, and yet clear. I want it to hold me.

Agreed.

S~V~S wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 11:10 am

dunya wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:57 am

S~V~S wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 6:19 am With the exception of Bjork, I have very little in my playlists that has female singers

do you like PJ Harvey?

Actually I do. I like Patti Smith, too. I think that, for the most part, I find the female voice bland unless it covers alot of range.

PJ Harvey and Kate Bush are my fav female singers. I love Nico's voice too.

I think you might like Emiliana Torrini.. (:

dunya wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 12:40 pm

S~V~S wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 11:10 am

dunya wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 10:57 am

S~V~S wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 6:19 am With the exception of Bjork, I have very little in my playlists that has female singers

do you like PJ Harvey?

Actually I do. I like Patti Smith, too. I think that, for the most part, I find the female voice bland unless it covers alot of range.

PJ Harvey and Kate Bush are my fav female singers. I love Nico's voice too.

I think you might like Emiliana Torrini.. (:

Nico is like whiskey and cigarettes, like someone I used to know a long time ago, and recall fondly. Thanks for the suggestion, I will check her out

My first attempt with this album was a bit misleading. The first few notes sounded great and projected a strong whole, like speedchuck suggested. For me though, that didn't last long and the album fell into a steady state of being just decent beyond the first track. I have no gripes about the vocalist though. More often than not, I prefer women on vocals over men.

I played the album a second time. Or at least I meant to.

It was on shuffle the whole time and I didn't realize it through six tracks.

[mention]dunya[/mention] Thank You for introducing me to something I already know I love, Emiliana Torrini is awesome!!

S~V~S wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2018 5:40 pm @dunya Thank You for introducing me to something I already know I love, Emiliana Torrini is awesome!!

My pleasure! we seem to like the same female singers. (:

The album has improved quickly with repetition. Even when I was feeling less enthusiastic, I felt an urge to play it again -- perhaps to reassess given the initial impression, or perhaps a sign that my first perspective wasn't entirely reflective of my true feelings. I dunno. It's working quite well now though. I am a big fan of the drums on this sucker, throughout the album. 3.5 right now, and probably closer to the 4 side than the 3 side.

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Thu Mar 15, 2018 4:33 pm The album has improved quickly with repetition. Even when I was feeling less enthusiastic, I felt an urge to play it again -- perhaps to reassess given the initial impression, or perhaps a sign that my first perspective wasn't entirely reflective of my true feelings. I dunno. It's working quite well now though. I am a big fan of the drums on this sucker, throughout the album. 3.5 right now, and probably closer to the 4 side than the 3 side.

I had to try a few times on this album as well. I usually don't put in the effort to do that, but I wanted to this time.

A New Nature has a cool, sort of spooky vibe, but it felt a little too sluggish for me all around. The band constantly feels on the edge of making a big splash without getting there, or if they do it takes a little too long for me to stay captivated by it. I can totally see why other people would like it, but it's missing a lot of the stuff I get excited by in music, so it's just not for me. Thanks for suggesting it though, nutella!

ColinIsCool wrote: ↑Thu Mar 15, 2018 8:34 pm A New Nature has a cool, sort of spooky vibe, but it felt a little too sluggish for me all around. The band constantly feels on the edge of making a big splash without getting there, or if they do it takes a little too long for me to stay captivated by it. I can totally see why other people would like it, but it's missing a lot of the stuff I get excited by in music, so it's just not for me. Thanks for suggesting it though, nutella!

Yeah. The first song started out awesome but then it just didn't really go where it could have gone. Same feeling for much of the album.

I suppose I post this one in here as well, since it preceded the review above.

Ricochet wrote: ↑Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:49 am I suppose I post this one in here as well, since it preceded the review above.

it's almost like...you're ashamed of it and it's your dirty little secret.

YES, Rico reviews are back!!

Rico reviews! All is right in this thread again. I'll try to catch up on everything this week. I've been listening, just not finalizing.

The 52nd week will mark the first full year of SAW (with a few kinks in the timeline, but whatever). It has lasted much longer than I ever expected it to, so thanks very much to everyone who has contributed in any capacity and especially to those who have kept it going for the long haul.

I first heard this album years ago at dunya's recommendation, and it was an instant hit. I suggested last week that I have a preference for women on vocals, and Emilíana Torrini is one of the premier examples of what drives that preference. She has very few peers for me in that regard. She also writes great songs, and has a surprisingly diverse catalog. Her two best albums by my measure are Me and Armini and Fisherman's Woman, and the two of them truly don't sound much alike beyond the person singing the songs. This one is an easy 4 stars for me, and the former album is a 4.5.

Iceland has a population of 330,000 (comparable to the city of Cincinnati). It's remarkable that they've produced three major names on the international scene (with Björk and Sigur Rós as household names among music enthusiasts, and Emilíana relatively well-known in her own right). When I visited two years ago, music from all three was often on proud display in tourist shops.

Fisherman's Woman had a really nice feeling to it — intimate in a way that a lot of these singer-songwriter kind of albums go. She has a really listenable voice and at first I wanted to compare it to Newsom but they're both very different, too. I especially liked the verse melodies on "Sunny Road" and all of "Heartstopper," which I added to my month's playlist. I might not check any of her other stuff out, but I'll keep hearing those two songs for sure. Thanks for suggesting!

oh Rico, your reviews are the best, especially that 4/5 you gave the albums.

My favorite Emilíana Torrini song:

This album rocks.

She has a beautiful voice, and she plays it like an instrument, she doesn't just sing.

Love it, will always be grateful to Dunya for introducing me to her music.

5 out of 5

Sorry all, I'm busy AF with my dissertation right now especially since Thursday, so even though I've been listening to stuff the past week, it's been reserved solely to stuff I already know with as little effort as possible.

I'll play catch up at some point once the craziness has died down a bit.

S~V~S wrote: ↑Sat Mar 24, 2018 5:47 pm She has a beautiful voice, and she plays it like an instrument, she doesn't just sing.

Love it, will always be grateful to Dunya for introducing me to her music.

5 out of 5

I'm so glad! Hope we can introduce each other to so much more good music

I've been too busy to hit up Torrini. Listening to it now, and it's surprising me. I expected more soft folksy sound, given the choice of instrumentation and the airy vocals. But I'm really liking this despite myself.

4/5 from me. I'll move on to G-Man's submission today.

Okay, introduction time!

I was introduced to the music of Explosions in the Sky by the inclusion of their music in the film and TV show Friday Night Lights. When I went searching for more of their music, I found this YouTube video and I was hooked:



If you watched and liked that video, I recommend you also watch the artsy film Koyaanisqatsi, from which all of the footage was lifted.

Anyway, Explosions in the Sky started out like a number of other post-rock bands, with music that had a more somber tone to it but they transitioned into a more melodic, almost cinematic style of instrumental rock. Several of their albums contain music that is of such quality and beauty that it makes me feel like my life is being wasted in such a repetitive, largely clerical job when there is beauty in the world to be explored and an impact to be made with my life that isn't being realized or fulfilled yet.

The Wilderness does not follow that pattern from prior albums. For me, this album feels more direct, less lofty, and leaves me feeling upbeat. I consider this album an improvement over their 2011 album Take Care, Take Care, Take Care because the band changes things up a little. There are more tracks than any of their previous non-soundtrack studio albums, there's just one track over seven minutes long, and they incorporate some new elements to their sound. It's the sound of growth. You may not hear it if this is your first time encountering this band but that's no big deal.

This isn't my favorite Explosions in the Sky album (that goes to 2007's All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone) but it got me through a rough patch earlier this year. I was very frustrated with work and needed to listen to uplifting music to help lighten my mood and carry me through the day. I listened to this album probably twice a day for two or three weeks straight. I nominated it for this slate of albums around the time when the worst of my frustrations subsided, so it was an emotional choice for me. It's a solid album and I hope you all find it at least somewhat enjoyable.

Got one listen of emiliana in last week, will need more to form an opinion. Was nice though. Familiar with Explosions in the Sky but not this album afaik so looking forward to it. I <33333 post rock.

I just had the most surreal musical experience of my life.

I was listening to the Wilderness, first track. Minding my own business. And I also hear, about 2 minutes in, a phone ringing. At first I think nothing of this. But then on the second ring, I noticed an unusual pattern. The phone ring... was a part of the music.
I'm not exaggerating when I say I hit a solid 2 seconds of confusion. The brrrrrrr of the phone ring lasted exactly half a measure, and the time between rings was a measure and a half. Down to the hundredth of a second, the ring was timed to start in the middle of a measure and end on the downbeat that started the measure again. It was perfect. Boom. Clap. Brrriiiiiiiig-Clap. It added to the music. No tonal inconsistencies, no timing mishaps. I was a part of a transient experience.
I paused the music. I had to make sure. Yes, the phone kept ringing. I knew the sound well, and I hear it all of the time in my office. But I couldn't separate it. For that moment, Explosions in the Sky had another instrument in their mix, and I will never be able to hear this song the same way again.

Album's pretty grand, BTW. I don't know that's it's really uplifiting to me, though I could see how it would be to others. I would need context to give music like this an emotional response. But it's good. Varied. Pleasant. Wistful. Contemplative, but explosive. Would listen again.

I gave it a spin today. The whole of it sounded very nice, and I think it'd make good music for an otherwise quiet room while doing nothing at all or even taking a nap. I don't mean that it is sedative though. I am not sure it went anywhere really, or if it ever meant to go anywhere. So it's a limited thing, but within its boundaries it does a nice job. 3 stars.

[mention]speedchuck[/mention] I think Explosions in the Sky has an emotional connection for me because of the way their music was used in both the movie and TV show for Friday Night Lights. It usually played over moments that were everyday life and/or something sweet or emotional. Most of their music sounds to me like something that could play over audioless home videos.

[mention]JaggedJimmyJay[/mention] I think I understand what you mean by the music not seeming to go anywhere. It’s a criticism the band has gotten on their last two albums- they made pretty, cinematic music for the sake of making pretty, cinematic music. I will agree that The Wilderness lacks the kind of trajectory/ musical journey that their best work contains. It does at least mark a new direction for the band, as they added a few new elements.

G-Man wrote: ↑Fri Mar 30, 2018 3:08 pm JaggedJimmyJay I think I understand what you mean by the music not seeming to go anywhere. It’s a criticism the band has gotten on their last two albums- they made pretty, cinematic music for the sake of making pretty, cinematic music. I will agree that The Wilderness lacks the kind of trajectory/ musical journey that their best work contains. It does at least mark a new direction for the band, as they added a few new elements.

I wouldn't necessarily consider it a criticism. I don't know that there's any urgent need for music to have a "destination", as long as it's clear from the start that it's not that kind of thing. I listened again today and it was a pleasant experience. It doesn't move me a great deal, but it sounds nice and that's better than I can say for a great many things.

Alright, I'll be giving both albums a listen hopefully later today! I've actually heard The Wilderness before a few times, and I'm not a huge fan of EitS (my feelings about their albums are pretty much 80% "they're alright" and 20% "this is pretty good"), but they're a solid band. I don't remember being that disappointed by the album unlike some, so it'll be interesting to revisit it.

Generally I do personally feel like there's something missing from EitS's material that keeps them from entering the "elite" tier of post-rock bands like Sigur Ros, Bark Psychosis, and Talk Talk, and even GY!BE. They're not bad by any means though.

It is nice background music. I felt it needed more context to elicit much emotional content on its own. It was pleasant, but after it was over, I did not really recall much of it.

3 out of 5

I came into The Wilderness having heard The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place and a few other compositions by EiTS over the years. I've always liked their sound but I do agree with the prevailing notion in music fan circles that it's kinda ground-floor crescendo-core and the pieces never connected with me as much as other things in the genre (GY!BE, the post-rock elements of Deafheaven's Sunbather) have. That said, I liked this album — I was surprised by the electronic textures I heard (most prominently on the first two tracks and "Logic of A Dream") and I agree with the consensus that, while nothing groundbreaking, it's definitely nice to put on; I gave it a 3/5 on RYM. Thanks for the suggestion!

I've now heard both Fisherman's Woman and The Wilderness; I gave the former a 2.5 and the latter I'm actually torn between 2.5 and 3.0. It's been a while since I've revisited other EitS material, so I think I will do that tomorrow and listen to The Wilderness again then.

I also did some very extensive ratings reassessments this weekend (this is how I spend free time when I actually get it, apparently) because I felt like I was drifting too high with my ratings on RYM in general (not here specifically, but it caused me to reassess every one of these as well).

So here is a comprehensive list including my revised ratings for all 53 albums so far, for anyone interested:

I'll say a bit about it later. Be aware that the last two tracks on the YouTube playlist are bonus tracks (live versions of tracks already covered on the album).

Man, I haven't listened to a Queensrÿche song in years. My dad wasn't in to that kind of music when I was sitting in the back seat of the car, listening to whatever he thought was good stuff.

I need one or two more listens of the last two albums and then I'll dump five ratings at once.

I decided to submit this album for the hell of it. I haven't listened to it much in recent memory, but it used to be an absolute favorite. I generally don't care for metal music, as it tends to seem childish and ridiculous to me. I also find most rock operas incredibly cheesy.

This is a metal album. It's a rock opera. Many people revere it as the progenitor of the progressive metal genre (which I tend to find terrible). There's really no reason I should like this thing. I do though. It's Pink Floyd meets Metallica, and somehow it isn't stupid. Y'all might disagree. Who knows.

I've heard Operation: Mindcrime before. It was okay. I was doing all of the Ayreon stuff, and I stumbled across it. At the time, I was disappointed, having expected something else, something with a little more variety, I guess. More dialogue, less exposition in the lyrics.

I dunno what past me was thinking. This is really fun, some of the better progressive metal I've heard.

My first listen of Operation: Mindcrime was lukewarm. It starts out sounding like non-holiday TSO and, through my passive listening, it didn't seem to change its style much. I was pretty hardcore focused on payroll this afternoon, so not much else was allowed to seep into my brain. We'll see what the next listen yields.

4.5/5 (or maybe a 4/5, we'll see once I dwell on it.)

speedchuck wrote: ↑Thu Apr 05, 2018 4:08 pmI've scarcely heard more dynamic and interesting vocals, in my time listening to music. Between the dynamic inflection, range, jovial delivery, and wailing harmony, the vocals capture everything I want in rock vocals. It catches my attention, makes me want to listen enough times that I can sing along.

For years I considered Geoff Tate to be my favorite vocalist. I'd probably still call him my favorite in rock music.

It doesn't take a metalhead to appreciate what he put together in 'Eyes of a Stranger'.

Operation: Mindcrime is an album I'm familiar with but haven't heard much in the past handful of years. I'd say despite moving away from prog metal pretty substantially, this album is actually a pretty solid slice of metal that sits awkwardly in history as influencing prog metal without really being prog metal or anything else either. It's not something I'd want to revisit often, but it's good stuff. I'm leaning... 3.5.

I think it gets called "prog metal" for the same reason The Wall gets called "prog rock". Concept albums fall into those tags by default even when they don't fit at all.

I helped start the fight on RYM. There's a revolution calling.