"Listening Party" <RR spoilers>
 

So I went to a friend of mine's place to have a few beers earlier. He and I share similar music interests, and I got him into SY around 3 years ago. As you can probably guess, he told me he had Rather Ripped and was going to play it right then. He said you can leave or listen...talk about a tough choice. He knew I'd stay, which is probably why he did what he did. I couldn't pass on it...I listened. My thoughts:

I love Kim's voice on her songs. They're poppy...almost Psychic Hearts material (the music) and she sings quite well on them. No classic Kim grunts...smooth, new Kim style.
LOTS of clean, undistorted guitar. A lot of the songs do sound similar, but you can attribute that to a common tuning I'm sure. It's the melodies that set them apart. Very little noise, but it's there. Lee's track totally delivers...it's exactly what you'd expect from him. He's the lone avant-garde'er left in the group. Pink Steam was as great as I hoped (my favorite from the Flywheel set). Do you believe in rapture and Or sound like they were written on the same night. Or is the only let-down on the album (musically, not lyrically). I just found it boring. At least Rapture is an envelope-pusher for SY.
I love this album and can't wait to hear it again when it's released (no more cheating!!).
Like I said above, if you like Psychic Hearts twisted with a minimal amount of old SY, you're going to be very satisfied in June.
I feel hypocritical for listening, but no regrets I suppose...it just hyped me up even more.

It's still stuck in my head: "You keep me coming home...."

p.s. alcohol == incoherent rambling

I'm really looking forward to it, sounds like the next step from "Sonic Nurse", which I know some fans weren't into, but I really liked it. June can't come soon enough, I just hope this isn't thier swan song.

Brilliant review man!

I still hate you Neongod.

"He's the lone avant-garde'er left in the group." I like this description of lee, kinda like john cale in the velvet underground

Come on dude...your mom was begging for it. Can't you put it behind you?

Beautiful, beautiful melodies. Songs rising up from the ether and encircling with waves of sinous guitar licks, throbbing rhythms like the heartbeat of a crushed soul. Tearing, ripping at the lace that cages your heart.

i must admit i've been unable to resist listening to the stream on the front page (although i haven't listened to the whole record!) i've only listened to about 5 songs all the way through, i want to save at least SOME element of surprise for june 13th. But from what i've heard so far i love. I can't believe "SY fans" really hate this record, i love it. I love SY period though, my all time fav band...