Danielson - Ships

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Wanted to start an anticipatory thread for this one. I'm certain it'll hit the top, if not THE top of the year end lists. Daniel Smith keeps getting better and better. Similar to Sufjan, he brings the spirit. Beautiful music, and I truly cannot wait for Ships.

― gerardmonchichi, Saturday, 4 February 2006 06:23 (twenty years ago)

I don't want to read these lists you speak of.

(note: I've got nothing again Danielson)

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 4 February 2006 06:34 (twenty years ago)

against

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 4 February 2006 06:35 (twenty years ago)

Me either. But I do love Danileson in all his/its forms. I'm looking forward to Ships.

― marybeth, Saturday, 4 February 2006 06:47 (twenty years ago)

I just hope it will be equal parts catchy as it will be heartfelt.

― Brian Jones (Brian Jones), Saturday, 4 February 2006 08:44 (twenty years ago)

Agreed. Brother Is To Son was possibly the best record he's released yet, and I have even higher hopes for this one.

Now, all he needs to do is finally record his collaboration with David Eugene Edwards...

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Saturday, 4 February 2006 10:06 (twenty years ago)

Song from Ships on the Danielson myspace site:

http://www.myspace.com/danielsonship

If the rest of the album is as good as this track it will be superb.

― Guilty Boksen (Bro_Danielson), Sunday, 5 February 2006 00:35 (twenty years ago)

It really bothers me when people connect Sufjan Stevens to Danielson in any way - aside from being Christian indie rockers, their records are such radical opposites! Danielson is warm, weird, wild, joyous, and unlike anything else in the world. Sufjan is dreary, overly mannered, drab, and horribly derivative. Night and day!

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Sunday, 5 February 2006 01:40 (twenty years ago)

Sufjan and Daniel are friends with a long shared history. They've worked together musically and appear on each other's albums. Daniel helped to create the sound behind Seven Swans. They are part of the same community. Do they sound different and have different approaches? Certainly. They for the most appear to share a similar message however.

― gerardmonchichi, Sunday, 5 February 2006 05:53 (twenty years ago)

what will you consider is the best effort by the danielson's?

― der, Sunday, 5 February 2006 06:15 (twenty years ago)

Fetch The Compass Kids has the three best Danielson songs - "Can We Camp At Your Feet," "Good News For The Pus Pickers," and "Fathom The Nine Fruits Pie," the latter being one of the most joyful songs ever recorded.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Sunday, 5 February 2006 06:33 (twenty years ago)

Oooh, my first impression of the new album isn't so great - it's not bad, but it's missing a lot of the spark and strangeness that made the previous stuff so lovely. Perhaps this is what happens when you spend a lot of time with Sufjan Stevens?

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Sunday, 5 February 2006 22:58 (twenty years ago)

the new album, is the 2nd masterpiece of 2006 along with destroyer's rubies.
yes,it is less bizzare: less screaming from daniel,"deerhoof" are playing like they were "fiery furnaces", "the who" and "the kinks" - more closer to regular indie record, but what a great indie record,
the variety of sounds and ideas is wonderful indeed.

― maybe, Monday, 6 February 2006 10:13 (twenty years ago)

there's also an inside review:
track 11:"five stars and two thumbs up" - where danielson is probably thanking the guys who helped him with the record.

― maybe, Monday, 6 February 2006 10:18 (twenty years ago)

Matthew, I'm not a big fan of Illinois, but yr bringing up of yr dislike at every possible opportunity is getting kinda annoying, i gotta say.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Monday, 6 February 2006 11:39 (twenty years ago)

maybe,
that was originally the b-side of a br. danielson 7" - a-side was his cover of Royal Trux's The Kid. I think it's intended as a thank you to the audience/listener.
everyone else,
Ships is amazing. The more I listen the more it fits in with the canon. The spark and "strangeness" (!?!) are still there and it's as lovely as ever. Give it a number of listens and as you figure out what Danielson's saying it makes more sense as a fusion of the Famile and Brother albums. Full of love and direction.
I agree with maybe that it's the 2nd masterpiece of 2006 - along with Destroyer's Rubies. Both expanding their already impressive bodies of work. (Possible 3rd masterpiece is the new Quasi. Still trying to wrap my head and heart around this one.)

― juno crunch, Tuesday, 7 February 2006 21:12 (twenty years ago)

I'm gonna come right out and say it. Danielson Ships is the most amazing album you'll hear all year. Amazing. His arrangements are dense and impecable. Beautiful. The addition of Deerhoof in particular is classic. Such a natural combination. All 35? of the guests are on top of their game. And, most importantly, it's a rich album - musically, lyrically, and spiritually. Daniel has such passion for life and towards his search for meaning in this tumultuous and increasingly plastic world. You can feel his compassion. Authentic, personal, and universal in it's message. How can you not be moved as it struggles to connect to something that exists beyond the self, beyond our mere mortality? Connecting to the unknown. It blends so many musical styles with such fluidity - from rock to gospel. Simply put, I'm amazed, touched, blown away.

― gerardmonchichi, Friday, 17 February 2006 19:08 (twenty years ago)

To quote the gf: "Is Deerhoof ever going to make an album without an annoying singer?"

― wmlynch (wlynch), Friday, 17 February 2006 19:52 (twenty years ago)

Anyone who connects Danielson to Sufjan really bothers you? How about their collaboration on Illinois and Seven Swans, not to mention the fact that Sufjan has been performing as an honorary famile member for years. I think you'll find striking similarities in instrumental phrasings and arrangement concepts, i.e. Illinoisemaker-esque background vocals and riffs.

― Cameron Lawrence, Sunday, 19 February 2006 18:33 (twenty years ago)

Apologies. Overlooked that someone had already responded to that.

― Cameron Lawrence, Sunday, 19 February 2006 18:35 (twenty years ago)

There's also a documentary coming out soon.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 19 February 2006 18:40 (twenty years ago)

If Danielson was a cult, I'd be the first in line. I feel connected to something beyond myself when I listen to Ships. I feel loved.

― marybeth, Monday, 20 February 2006 05:56 (twenty years ago)

I've given this record several chances and I just can't get into it. I want to like it because I've loved several Danielson Famile songs, and it's just not working for me. It sounds dulled down and uninspired to me.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Monday, 20 February 2006 06:08 (twenty years ago)

more closer to regular indie record

This is more or less exactly the problem with the album.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Monday, 20 February 2006 06:10 (twenty years ago)

I adore this record, but the vocals are going to be an obstacle for lots of listeners. I can also see the Deerhoof/Architecture in Helsinki/Fiery Furnaces hyperprog element being kind of obnoxious for some people-- how it switches from song fragment to song fragment, jumps between ecstatic/joyous retard pop and massive, dark apocalyptic choruses-- although to me, it's by far the most effective realization of that sound yet. (Granted, I always been on the fence re: AiH/FF.)

But Matthew: uninspired? Now, really. Annoyingly squeaky/chirpy at times? Okay. Too great a departure from their past records for a longtime fan to be reasonably expected to follow? Perhaps. But these huge, sweeping choruses, the elaborate orchestration/instrumentation, the wildly ambitious song suites-- whether it does anything for you personally or not, how you can not hear inspiration at pretty much every turn here is beyond me. I'd say this is pretty clearly Danielson's best, by some distance.

― Ryan Pitchfork (Ryan Pitchfork), Monday, 20 February 2006 06:46 (twenty years ago)

joyous retard pop

three cheers

― Nick Sylvester, Monday, 20 February 2006 18:59 (twenty years ago)

Danielso's Rubies

― why do these thread keep on getting deleted??? (mcutt), Monday, 20 February 2006 19:01 (twenty years ago)

i heard this was getting a 10.0 on pitchfork!

― why do these thread keep on getting deleted??? (mcutt), Monday, 20 February 2006 19:02 (twenty years ago)

But these huge, sweeping choruses, the elaborate orchestration/instrumentation, the wildly ambitious song suites

See, I just wish they would have skipped those Sufjanisms for the manic energy and unhinged glee of "Good News For The Pus Pickers" and "Fathom the Nine Fruits Pie."

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Monday, 20 February 2006 20:09 (twenty years ago)

"Bloodbook on the Half Shell" and "Did I Step On Your Trumpet" are both pretty good, though.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Monday, 20 February 2006 20:13 (twenty years ago)

Daniel's voice comes close to the phrasing of Grant Lee Phillips on "Bloodbook," and it just makes me wish that Phillips had been the one to record it.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Monday, 20 February 2006 20:15 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

I love this album. It's easily the best album I've heard in years and without a doubt the best album so far this year. So amazing in every way - lyrics, arrangements, music, collaborations. Wow.

― Mondaygirl, Monday, 3 April 2006 18:20 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

I might actually buy this unheard today.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 11 May 2006 13:19 (twenty years ago)

I know at least one longtime Danielson fan who is none too happy with it, although I she is not posting here currently.

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 11 May 2006 13:58 (twenty years ago)

i've not listened to the album, just 4 or 5 mp3s people have posted, but it looks like it's going to be one of those records where i fundamentally cannot understand the enthusiasm people have, even though it basically falls into a genre i enjoy.

i've never been a Famile fan, so that doesn't impact on my feelings either way, i don't think.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Thursday, 11 May 2006 14:48 (twenty years ago)

Hooray for Danielson! Pitchfork gives it a 9.1. Now all of my hipster friends will think it's cool to like Danielson - buy more records - which will hopefully allow Daniel Smith to record more and more for all of us. I've been a Famile fan for a long time now and it's great that they are finally getting the recognition that they deserve.

― gerardmonchichi, Thursday, 11 May 2006 15:45 (twenty years ago)

I know at least one longtime Danielson fan who is none too happy with it, although I she is not posting here currently.

I fall into this category too. I kind of like it, but it's just, I don't know, overproduced? It sounds a lot like Black Heart Procession in places as well, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but isn't what I'd expect from Daniel.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 11 May 2006 16:48 (twenty years ago)

is it really that good (9.1 via pitchfork)?

― comtoma, Tuesday, 23 May 2006 09:48 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

painfully bad. i tried hard, but it was some of the most grating stuff I've heard in ages

― kevin barking (arghargh), Tuesday, 13 June 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

I can't stand this record. I have just tried listening to Ships for the first time after coming off of an indiepop binge, and "Did I Step on Your Trumpet" is tolerable but man, rest is grating to me, Smith's voice cutting through my temples to worsens this headache I have.
I'm thinking Maybe the sound of Danielson comes off as insincere in comparison to those 'twee'-ish voices. From the first note, I'm feeling very, 'we're making a record. I'm singing conceptually like this to finish this epic record.' So, I don't know if I should walk away and reset my state of and try it again later?

And then suddenly a vocal-connection to Show Your Bones Karen O. drops in at 'He Who Flattened' I'm getting this mildly hilarious mental picture.

― mox twelve (Mox twleve), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 08:14 (nineteen years ago)

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