Call and Response - 'Winds take no shape'

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This just arrived in my letterbox this morning and I'm only on track three as I type, but it's already my favourite album of the last two years. A rich, roaming river of post-tropicalian, post-folk, post-Stereolab languor, above which glide the divine voices of Carrie Clough and Simone Rubi. It's fantastic!

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Saturday, 3 April 2004 09:24 (twenty-one years ago)

it must be significantly better than their last album, which was patchy and lyrically tedious

― the surface noise (electricsound), Saturday, 3 April 2004 09:36 (twenty-one years ago)

You hurt me in my heart, Jim.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Saturday, 3 April 2004 09:39 (twenty-one years ago)

i really liked three songs from the first album, but i did find the lyrics fairly banal. is this newie a step forward?

― the surface noise (electricsound), Saturday, 3 April 2004 09:45 (twenty-one years ago)

It's less poppy, which is usually a bad thing... but it's wistful and mature and the lyrics are even good.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Saturday, 3 April 2004 10:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I loved "All Night Long" and hated everything else. But I love "All Night Long" so much that I'm interested in hearing more about this album. Has their songwriting consistency improved at all?

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Sunday, 4 April 2004 18:23 (twenty-one years ago)

oooughh "less poppy"....

― fizzcaraldo (Justin M), Sunday, 4 April 2004 18:23 (twenty-one years ago)

i didn't like the first record, i think i was in with the minority opinion though.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 4 April 2004 19:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I realised today that what I love about this new record is that it's radically different from the first, but complements it perfectly.

They have that whole Beach Boys dichotomy going on: the first record was brilliant at conveying the daft summer's day pleasures of goofing around in the park, rollerskating and blowin' bubbles, but on this newie... the sun is setting, the air is getting chill, there's a bittersweet, crepuscular eeriness and melancholy.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Sunday, 4 April 2004 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I just remembered seeing them live two years ago, and thinking they were a really fun (albeit a tad too saccharin for me) live band, except the lead singer kinda freaked me out.. She had this Sunday School teacher vibe about her that brought back all sorts of bad distant memories.

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 4 April 2004 19:54 (twenty-one years ago)

i am listening to the first record now. i remember why i didn't like it and it is because it sounds like they were attempting suave and sophisticated(as if they were meant to be on Siesta) but mostly they hit the dull target square on(maybe because the songs are too long? and all the same tempo?). it would have been an improvement, actually, if they were more saccharin or if they showed a bit more enthusiasm. also the fact that it kinda sounds somewhat like sissy bar or semi-gloss is a major negative. hey, the fifth song is kinda nice ah but the sixth sounds like it should be on a shelflife compilation and the seventh is pretty mediocre too, still it's better than Churchbuilder. i don't find this all that sunny? maybe it's because we get over 300 days of sunshine here in denver. Perhaps they did a Majestic and had a huge improvement on the second record? I think the organ should go bye-bye.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 4 April 2004 20:23 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

Ok, the record's finally out for most of us normal people (and has been for a month or so). I just have to concur that it's fantastic. Mellow but groovy...very seductive and a tad dark but not pessimistic. I liked the first album alright, but this one shines so much brighter. I remember seeing them a few months ago and being annoyed that they didn't play a single old song (this without the new record even being out yet). Now that the new material has soaked in, I can't hardly blame them. A beautifully executed transformation.

― mikef, Saturday, 17 July 2004 21:53 (twenty-one years ago)

it's probably better than the postal blue cd which is kinda bland. i had high expectations too.

― keith m (keithmcl), Saturday, 17 July 2004 22:01 (twenty-one years ago)

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