Do You Like Rock Music? (BSP)

[Davey]

Anyone else heard this yet? The third record from British Sea Power, think it was just released this week in the US. So I've had it for about the last 3 weeks since I ordered the UK release, but only a couple interrupted listens, mostly in the car. Read a glowing 5-star pre-release review on Junkmedia that really whetted my appetite, but after the first distracted, mostly pretty fun listen in the car, I made the mistake of reading a review on PopMatters that made it sound like a trivial and unimaginative remake of any recent U2 record. No, the mistake wasn't reading the review, always fun to hear music opinions from others, especially when they offer new insights - the mistake was taking it any more seriously than the 5-star rave review. Rereading it now, it seems the author was too fixated on the album title, and hence was determined to judge the album as some kind of musical statement, the last couple lines distilling the whole pointless review, "The greatest fault of Do You Like Rock Music? is that it is a statement album without a statement, only a response. How are we supposed to relate to that?" Love that last line In any case, guess I probably did think that view might be the consensus, and almost forgot it was still in my car changer for the last couple weeks, and then it came on yesterday and I had one of those moments, you know the kind where you can't figure out what's playing on your own stereo, but it sounds very cool, and you're driving around grinning and drumming on the steering wheel, tempted to pop it out to find out who it is, but not wanting to interrupt the music and the moment. Fun record, and I did finally remember who it was, and have a new appreciation for this new one now. And yea, it does sound a bit like U2, kind of the way Arcade Fire sounds like U2. The fun way. And I do like rock music, and I do definitely know how to relate to this ... with a big one of these -->

[ForeverAutumn]

It came out here on Tuesday. I plan on picking it up this weekend.

[nobody]

I'm curious...i really liked the single off the first album, which only set me up to be disappointed in their much less propulsive output the rest fo the way. But, I did enjoy the last one a bit.

[Mr MidFi]

Thanks, Davey. I might have to check that out.

[Finch Platte]

It came out here on Tuesday. I plan on picking it up this weekend.

Uh, don't you just pretty much pick up every new release?

[Davey]

Thanks, Davey. I might have to check that out.

Yeah, from what I know of your musical taste, and sometimes I don't even know what I'll like so no guarantee, but I'd guess you would love this just as much as me, maybe even more. Just saw that Pitchfork gave it a real low score too, but other than those two, the reviews look overall really positive if you check at http://www.metacritic.com/music/arti...ulikerockmusic

Plenty of samples around so no big risk. Read the AMG review, that one hits pretty close to me, and definitely give a listen to "No Lucifer", very cool song, very odd video....


http://stereogum.com/archives/video/...er_008007.html

[Mr MidFi]

From the aforementioned AMG review...

...DYLRM should be a mess, but the band has crafted a wintry, nuanced, and bold collection of epic songs that integrate the sweeping theatricality of Arcade Fire-era indie rock without all of the insularity. This is music made for people, not a person. The sound effects, choral vocals, strings, and feedback that populate DYLRM feel organic and necessary rather than just pasted in for drama's sake. There has always been a sort of rough-hewn sepia-tone unity to BSP songs, and that odd, inclusive wartime fervor permeates each track, from the rousing immigration anthem "Waving Flags" to the rallying, Blur-inspired "No Lucifer" to the sister tracks "All in It" and "Close Our Eyes" that serve as the record's bookends. Even the more meandering pieces like "Atom" and the instrumental "Great Skua" feel like steampunk soundtracks for polar exploration, a notion that looks weird in print but makes a whole lot of sense through a pair of headphones, a set of vintage basement speakers, or the inside of a freighter as it disappears into the bowels of the Arctic Ocean.

OK, now I'm intrigued for real.

[bobsticks]

OK, now I'm intrigued for real.

Yeah, they got me with "sepia toned". Thanks Monkey-D, I think. Pretty soon you're going to have me spending the cheese like Fall Girl.

[Jim Clark]

Took time out yesterday to run off to the record store to grab my own copy. Very distracted listens at work and a partial in the car. What I heard I liked a whole lot. Immediate impression for me was that it's easily their second best record, maybe their best. Not too much to base that on so I won't wager the mortgage payment on that just yet.

I impulse bought Louis XIV. Thanks to the marvel of the skip button I made my preview listen in about 10 minutes. Kinda like the Electric Six, but not the first Electric Six that was good, the other one- Senor Smoke : (

Hope everyone is off to a great new year. Back to the dungeon for me.

jc

[Davey]

Immediate impression for me was that it's easily their second best record, maybe their best.

I've been listening to this one almost exclusively for the last week and your immediate impression is spot on, it is my favorite at this point. Love the debut even though I thought it was kind of rough around the edges, took a while but I really warmed up to the second even though I thought it was a little smooth around the edges, but this one feels just right, though I'm inclined to skip "Waving Flags" when convenient, but still more fun than a barrel full of horny flying monkeys. Love the reprise at the end, especially tied together with the creaky found sounds, and pretty nice up and down flow to the whole thing.

[nobody]

Long time no see Jimbo. I almost grabbed that Luis XIV too. Heard it at a listening station and so little good uptempo rock stuff on the first 20 seconds or so, I thought I"d grab it for sure, but as it wore on, sounded more and more shiny generic pop/rock. Probably a decent single somewhere on there for a comp or something that would sound good if you were out and about and it came on. But, yeah, sounded like a disappointment overall.