Jennifer Gentle's 2nd Sub Pop album - The Midnight Room

I really liked Valende. Very much looking forward to this.

Had it for a while now, it's v. theatrical and enjoyable. Marco F. is now the core of the band, Alessio's off working on his own project, equally fun.

(And yes I'm a smug bastard.)

i am actually looking forward to this. i still cringe a little at the voice but the first one is really good.

The new one is better! :)

really want to hear this

To explain my 'theatrical' comment -- I mentioned to our own Marco D. after I had first heard it a couple of times that it felt like a stage presentation, with an introduction, a sense of performance and flow into a conclusion and exit. It's more subtle than I'm making it sound, but it is there, and I think it's quite remarkable.

I'm kinda surprised & encouraged that they got a 2nd album, that first one seemed to vanish rather quickly!

well from the little i heard, there was definitely some theatricality. and it certainly presented some sort of clear song structure. so basically, Ned otm! dunno if i will listen to more

just listening to the last half - marco could have more presence, i think. the vocals are hiding in there a bit.

What's the deal with the other Jennifer Gentle album that came out about a month ago? Black cover, New Astrology or something?

yea the vox sounded buried

now that it's been out for a little while - is it "slipping through the cracks?" it's too good to slip through the cracks.

no pitchfork or stylus review yet. jennifer gentle remains outside the realm of indie bands whose significance merits an immediate review upon release of album.

Waiting on the tour, maybe.

really an extraordinary extrapolation of the gothicisms inherent in syd barrett-era pink floyd.

and one of the big factors is that it manages so well to be as rooted in earlier rock and roll as pink floyd themselves were. more so, even.

i think i like the early albums the best. anyone else feel that way? refining this sort of sound works against the music, imo. whereas before it sounded glorious, it just sounds a little spooky now. some of the tracks get there, though.

this album is more than a little spooky, I would say!

i only know the last sub pop album but is it really a matter of "refinement?" what does that involve other than...improved songwriting?

i think i take back the comment about marco's vocals, by the way. it's an explicit aesthetic of layers with the reverb and tremolo.

sometimes i wonder how many layers is too many tho, like sometimes i don't want to have to listen 20 times to dig thru the layers and disover their art - i'd rather just hear the vocals clearly to begin with.

onlys ometimes tho, usually i love the layering thing w/ respect to vocals. much richer.

"what does that involve other than...improved songwriting?"

that's it, at least in my perspective.
also, the production of the album is rather basic: most of the songs are based on just four of five instruments, everything is in the composition and the instrumental interplay.
the new album is nothing as spacey or "psychedelic" as the previous lp's, but obviously that was the point.

Next step: spoken word introductions from a critic you can trust. (Modesty forbids.)

: )

I can be like the guy on the Moody Blues album. Or at the end of Music From the Elder.

I prefer to think of Orson Welles teaming up with Manowar.

Now we're talking.

This has slipped through my cracks so far.
That doesn't sound right at all. Need to get this.