So, I have not posted in an excruciatingly long time for multiple reasons: lack of motivation, work load, other priorities and yanno I've just not particularly been "feeling it". My first exam is on May 17th so I don't know why I decided now was the right to time to do this (it isn't. It absolutely is not the right time to post it.) But I've done it anyway so no there's proof on the internet of my procrastination.
I also decided to redecorate the blog, much alike how my nan quickly grows tired of the living room decor, I got a bit bored of looking at it. I've grown as a person in these past few years as well so perhaps the new layout is a reflection of my inner soul (probably not.)
Last month whilst in a lovely Manchester hotel with my mother I pre-ordered "Everything You've Come To Expect" by The Last Shadow Puppets. It was very much a spur of the moment thing. Caught in a hurricane of excitement as I'd just received a record player for Christmas any vinyls I had bought were a few years old and I'd never actually bought anything of the sort with my own money it had all been gift cards. So I decided to buy the limited edition vinyl, I like the band, I liked their last album, I could afford to buy it so why not, eh?
It arrived today and for some bizarre reason I decided to rank the songs in order on the notes of my phone and ended up adding little notes beside them. When the record was finished I suddenly wondered why I'd bloody bothered doing it (not like I know what I'm talking about or was going to do anything with it) but some of the things I'd written made me laugh so I thought "Put it on your blog Libby, yanno that thing you have but don't do much on anymore."
So that's what I'm going to do! I'll put them in order they appear on the album with the B-Side to "Bad Habits" ("The Bourne Identity") after it just bare in mind that it's not actually on the album but is, as I've said, the B-Side. They're going to be rated from favourite to least favourite (so a 2/12 doesn't mean it's a crap song it just means it's my second least favourite in of the album even though I genuinely love all of the songs.) SO! Without further ado:
Aviation: 11/12-This was my second favourite, very Kane heavy in vocal work and the repetitive riff makes it pretty catchy and reminds me a bit of a Bond tune. The Line "Sectoral Heterochromea" (Sectoral heterochromea being when only one portion of the iris is a different colour to the rest.) is an odd line to get put into a song verse but I like it. I imagine it as a revenge track to some extent (with good harmonies.) What an immense way to open up an album.
Miracle Aligner: 4/12- I love the way "needing" and "again" are sang at the end of the line in the chorus and think the chorus is in fact the best part of the song. It reminds me VERY slightly of "My Girl" by The Temptations (No clue why.) I love the title of it, the imagery it creates of a person aligning miracles, in a constellation creator fashion.
Dracula Teeth: 5/12- This song was one that really stood out when I watched some of the live performances on YouTube, if I could compare the bass line to anything, I'd say it was almost You're So Dark-esque and has a fairly similar bounciness to it. As odd as this may be to say, I feel like the chorus is pitched to comfortably suit my ears and there's a specific part at 1:59 where the strings add a nice bow to the end of the song.
Everything You've Come To Expect: 8/12- I like to think of this track as very 'Circus Chic' it's got quite a hunting undertone to it. "The chalet of the shadow of death" line is possibly one of my favourite lines in the entire album. In my notes I've actually written "Good vocals from T-Bomb and MK"which makes me want to gag slightly but I'm quite the fan of how "death", "reflect" and "head" are sung. Overall I find the biting chorus to augment to the disconcerting but comforting sound-it's the sort of song I'd listen to if I were insane but wasn't complaining about it (or the song I'd do a little pixie dance to.)
The Element of Surprise: 6/12- The guitar is rather snazzy (you can roll your eyes but it was either snazzy or jazzy, either way I'd sound like a dad) Lyrically, the entire 1st verse specifically is beautiful and the overall retro sound of the song makes me think of some Sky TV show where a girl is performing at an open mic event at a student bar (in a good way.)
Bad Habits: 3/12- I still love the bass line for this song and will forever feel this way. Although a large amount of the lyrics sound like that game you'd play in primary school where you'd go round in a circle trying to finish a story, the "Should have known..." pre-chorus is my favourite thing to sing along to. Whenever I listen to it I get a distinct "dodgy party" feel, the sort of party you're at but regret attending. It's undisputedly (if that's a word) the most aggressive track on the album, it's got a bit more of an oompf to it than some of the other tracks (even though the lyrics are perhaps a bit haphazard) but it's understandable why it was released as a single given it's stand alone qualities and hyped up tune compared to the rest of EYCTE.
The Bourne Identity: 2/12- It's a lot happier sounding than the other songs in an uplifting way and as a side note, the vinyl is translucent orange which I got (probably too) excited about. The line referring to a sequel you want to see but hope isn't made is a lovely simile and is further proof that good song writing can still exist. Generally I think the song has quite a retrospective/reminiscent feeling to it-it's as though a dad is talking to his kid, the kid being Miles (I'm joking.) It's quite a soft song but I will admit, I was quite shocked at the abrupt ending.
Sweet Dreams, TN: 12/12-By far my absoloute favourite song in the album. Clearly about Taylor Bagley, Turner's girlfriend, it's an extremely personal and confessional song. The vocals are rich and although he sounds a bit drunk at times, it's the perfect tempo with sweet strings and isn't at all like the sickly modern ballads you hear a lot of at the moment. In reminds me of the scene in 10 Things I Hate About You when Heath Ledger serenades Julia Stiles. Turner's tone softens when he sings "darling I can seem to quit" which warms the souls of all the ice kings and queens out there. Ultimately, I couldn't find a fault in this song and I am OBSESSED with the crescendo ending.
Used To Be My Girl: 1/12- When I first listened to the record, this was far higher on my list but somehow it's managed to find itself on the opposite end of the spectrum; this doesn't make it a bad song in anyway at all it's just a case of preference and ability to compete with the other tracks on EYCTE. The notes I wrote on this song are fairly incoherent it's a lot of "ohh beats, ooh MK." Key points however include: I like the dark message, Kane's verse is preferred over Turner's, this is villainous, nice Helders back up vocals and cowboy-ish. Not too sure what I mean, but then again I never do. This was the song where I noticed the "bad habits"esque guitar which is maybe a thematic component throughout the record? Either way, when I compared it to my personal opinions of the rest of the album it just couldn't compete.
She Does The Woods: 7/12- This was ranked 1/12 however upon listening to the album a few more times (yes I know I only got it today, chill out) I changed my mind and decided I preferred it. The lyrics aren't a let down and although they're not as abstract as that of Miracle Aligner for example, I almost prefer the simplicity of them. There's also a break in the song where it gets particularly "orchestral" as I've written which is probably technically wrong but I know what I mean (it's around 2:48.)
Pattern: 10/12- This nearly ended up being my favourite song and is my all time favourite so far of those being performed live (according to the videos at least.) The combination of the 70's vibe (paisley feeling), mellow tone and string inception give it quite a floaty feeling. "T-Bomb's" *cringes* oohing seems to have a bit more of a punch when it's sang live and almost melts into the rest of the song on record which I'm not sure if I prefer or not (personally I find it's quite nice having a bit more of a bite in a floaty track) but the ending is magnificent.
The Dream Synopsis: 9/12- This tune feels a bit Submarine ish to me. It's very laid back which makes sense considering it's a song about dreaming (if it was about a nightmare I'd be expecting something else.) The creative narrative takes the listener on a lyrical, vivid journey and oddly reminds me of Inception with it's self created, scattered thoughts. It makes me wonder though if it's based on a real dream Turner had, if it's perhaps a mixture of real experience, a cocktail of both or just a thought he had for a song.
Overall, I can't say if I think it's better than the last album. It's clearly an evolution from 2008 TLSP and I'm too caught up in the excitement of it's existence to actually think clearly but it's definitely a good album, that I am 110% certain of (not to blow smoke up anyone's arse.) The strings on the album deserve a fair amount of credit as well, without them I'm not sure it would sound quite as Puppety, however they acted as the seasoning to a perfectly cooked steak (odd metaphor.)
If you want a real review from somebody who knows what they're talking about and isn't just procrastinating and mildly fangirling then check out NME (I hope someone gets the joke.)
Seriously, if you came here expecting anything you just read to make sense then sorry to disappoint but passion often leads to nonsensical thoughts.
Song of this post isn't going to be one from EYCTE because I just spent a good hour rambling about it and I'd much rather you listen to it all and come to your own conclusion (a lot of pressure on me to pick the best song) However, I will leave you with one of my favourites from The Age Of The Understatement: Calm Like You by The Last Shadow Puppets
So long suckers,
-L
