No Leak Club

[Sgt. Crackpot]

I admire you guys and your discipline.
I'll be joining you for the next album.

Welcome aboard dime!

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

So im assuming everyone in the club as gotten the album and given it a few listens?

[VinylGuy]

nice write up and your thoughts on LTRP were mine exactly, might be word for word what i put in my first impression post its a great tune but so many people hate it

I really like it...love the intro, those guitars...Ed´s vocal delivery and melody are pretty good too...hate the fade though and maybe the guitars should be louder in the mix, more present like a garage type of song.

I'm starting to get borderline furious over the fact that so many are shitting on LTRP... I just absolutely do not get it all. I played it for a friend of mine who's not a PJ fan but listens to a lot of the same music as I do (Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, Radiohead, Yo La Tengo, Walkmen, etc.) and he basically turned his head immediately and said "Woah, what the hell is that? Turn it up!"

Its a pretty cool song..and it works well with the flow of the album, right?

[Sgt. Crackpot]

So im assuming everyone in the club as gotten the album and given it a few listens?

Yep, I was lucky enough to get mine Friday. I've only posted a few vague and short impressions so far, which were during my first listen.

Now that I've had several days of solid listening (in the car, on headphones in bed, etc), I'll post my thoughts very soon.

[bodysnatcher]

I still haven't written my track-by-track review of LB. Maybe tonight? I have to wake up with my son at 2 AM and keep him awake until 12:30 PM tomorrow (he needs to be super tired but awake for an EEG tomorrow afternoon - not looking forward to that). Somewhere in that 10 hour span I should be plenty jittery and delirious enough to provide an accurate description of this "schizophrenic" album

On another note, even though my CD sits at home and the vinyl is on its way, maybe for old time's sake I'll stop by the local record store on the way home and buy another copy of the CD. And for new time's sake maybe I'll stop by the iTunes store and purchase one of those fancy "Master for iTunes" versions!

if you do pick up a CD on the way home, let us know if there is any difference from the fan club version, ill probably grab one if it is different

Yea, that's definitely another reason why I want to check it out. I keep thinking the regular store version will have a white background, but we'd probably know that by now if it did.

the store CD i got last night is all black background, in booklet form (not jewel case). Back of the cd art is solid black with a list of song titles in white down the center. Sound similar?

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

So im assuming everyone in the club as gotten the album and given it a few listens?

Yep, I was lucky enough to get mine Friday. I've only posted a few vague and short impressions so far, which were during my first listen.

Now that I've had several days of solid listening (in the car, on headphones in bed, etc), I'll post my thoughts very soon.

Looking forward to it

[WaitingForBluey]

I still haven't written my track-by-track review of LB. Maybe tonight? I have to wake up with my son at 2 AM and keep him awake until 12:30 PM tomorrow (he needs to be super tired but awake for an EEG tomorrow afternoon - not looking forward to that). Somewhere in that 10 hour span I should be plenty jittery and delirious enough to provide an accurate description of this "schizophrenic" album

On another note, even though my CD sits at home and the vinyl is on its way, maybe for old time's sake I'll stop by the local record store on the way home and buy another copy of the CD. And for new time's sake maybe I'll stop by the iTunes store and purchase one of those fancy "Master for iTunes" versions!

if you do pick up a CD on the way home, let us know if there is any difference from the fan club version, ill probably grab one if it is different

Yea, that's definitely another reason why I want to check it out. I keep thinking the regular store version will have a white background, but we'd probably know that by now if it did.

the store CD i got last night is all black background, in booklet form (not jewel case). Back of the cd art is solid black with a list of song titles in white down the center. Sound similar?

Yea, it's the exact same as the 10c version but damnit if I didn't go ahead and buy another copy anyways!

[bodysnatcher]

I still haven't written my track-by-track review of LB. Maybe tonight? I have to wake up with my son at 2 AM and keep him awake until 12:30 PM tomorrow (he needs to be super tired but awake for an EEG tomorrow afternoon - not looking forward to that). Somewhere in that 10 hour span I should be plenty jittery and delirious enough to provide an accurate description of this "schizophrenic" album

On another note, even though my CD sits at home and the vinyl is on its way, maybe for old time's sake I'll stop by the local record store on the way home and buy another copy of the CD. And for new time's sake maybe I'll stop by the iTunes store and purchase one of those fancy "Master for iTunes" versions!

if you do pick up a CD on the way home, let us know if there is any difference from the fan club version, ill probably grab one if it is different

Yea, that's definitely another reason why I want to check it out. I keep thinking the regular store version will have a white background, but we'd probably know that by now if it did.

the store CD i got last night is all black background, in booklet form (not jewel case). Back of the cd art is solid black with a list of song titles in white down the center. Sound similar?

Yea, it's the exact same as the 10c version but damnit if I didn't go ahead and buy another copy anyways!

it's ok, i'm probably gonna buy two vinyls

[flannelking]

this month will be the best month of music for me in my entire life, with releases from: pearl jam (favorite band), pelican (favorite instrumental band), russian circles (top 5 favorite instrumental band), kayo dot (2nd or 3rd favorite band. was released digitally in september but put on cd a bit after), grails (top 5 favorite instrumental band) and earthless.

holy shit! I had no idea. PJ can wait!

I have sniffed the sarcasm in your post but why didn't you also emphasize the other 2 instrumental bands? They're worthy of attention too, so no sense leaving them out in the cold. I'm a little curious if Pendulum is anything like the non-eastern stuff Grail's has put out. Grails are a great band to listen with headphones on. Earthless "rhythms from a cosmic sky" is great. Fear not, I will include all this great stuff and more on my upcoming "flannelkings list of good songs".

No sarcasm. I eat that stuff up. I'm just not that familiar with the other bands. Grails sounds cool, though.

Cool. It's always good to find someone esle who's into modern instrumental rock because I don't know many who are. If you want to check out Grails, here's 10 very good ones, IMO. I'll have a bigger list soon, including a band that I think sounds just like Pelican and very good.

soft temple
take refuge/clean living
stoned at the taj again
reincarnation blues (a bit better with doomsdayer's holiday before it)
self-hypnosis
back to the monastery
belgian wake up drill
chariots
deep snow
future primitive

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

I still haven't written my track-by-track review of LB. Maybe tonight? I have to wake up with my son at 2 AM and keep him awake until 12:30 PM tomorrow (he needs to be super tired but awake for an EEG tomorrow afternoon - not looking forward to that). Somewhere in that 10 hour span I should be plenty jittery and delirious enough to provide an accurate description of this "schizophrenic" album

On another note, even though my CD sits at home and the vinyl is on its way, maybe for old time's sake I'll stop by the local record store on the way home and buy another copy of the CD. And for new time's sake maybe I'll stop by the iTunes store and purchase one of those fancy "Master for iTunes" versions!

if you do pick up a CD on the way home, let us know if there is any difference from the fan club version, ill probably grab one if it is different

Yea, that's definitely another reason why I want to check it out. I keep thinking the regular store version will have a white background, but we'd probably know that by now if it did.

the store CD i got last night is all black background, in booklet form (not jewel case). Back of the cd art is solid black with a list of song titles in white down the center. Sound similar?

Yea, it's the exact same as the 10c version but damnit if I didn't go ahead and buy another copy anyways!

Not even a different design on the disc like for avocado? That's a bit disappointing, but i may still get another one also

[flannelking]

Pearljam bowl 2013 with friends was a fun time. I had about 30 seconds in between songs to take notes haha. My first listen was in a car stereo played a little too loud with a little too much bass but I'm glad I listened to it first with friends.

Favorites:
Lightning Bolt, Pendulum, Future Days

Great:
my fathers son (potential to become a favorite)
sirens (potential to become a favorite)
lightning bolt
infallible (potential to become a favorite)
pendulum
future days

very good:
getaway (potential to become a favorite)
mind your manners
swallowed whole

good:
LTRP

ok-good:
sleeping by myself
yellow moon
-----------
getaway: great opening riff, great vocals

mym: going back and forth on this one. first loved the chorus, now i'm liking the verses better.

my fathers son: great bass, interesting structure and lyrics (to me anyway, though it seems it's not a popular opinion on here)

sirens: a bit lifehouse like/the most poppish pj song i've heard and doesn't sound much like them but i'll be able to get past it because it's a pretty song, vedder sounds great, good solo from mike though i was expecting better (i'm a big fan of everything guitar including solos), i like the acoustic

lightning bolt: seems both slower and less intense compared to the wrigley version (which i like a little better for those reasons and because i like that solo), i like the extra detail on the studio version and the vocal chorus sounds better/smoother

infallible: sounds more pop than expected even after reading RM reviews, i like their brand of funk, vedder sounds great but so far i'm lost on why there's so much hype about his performance on this song

pendulum: it's a simple song yet everything about it is interesting to me. they always pull of experimental great, IMO. i'm guilty (?) of liking the ah ah ahs

swallowed whole: very likable chorus

LTRP: catchy riff, not sure if i like the chorus, liked the dual soloing but they weren't long enough, was hoping the solos would be more thought out

SBM: vedder sounds great, very simple tune, sounds like something from the 50's? better than original, probably my least favorite on the album

yellow moon: so far my biggest disappointment of the album. not much to the chorus and the verses/bridge and instruments don't seem to make up for it.

future days: not a popular opinion here but i loved it live and love the studio a little more. great melody. i like the violin and keys for this song.
-------------------
Thoughts on the album after the first listen: I like every song but I just barely like 2 or 3 of them. Compared to one of my favorite albums, Vitalogy, this album has an equal number of top songs but I'd give the ones from Vitalogy A+'s and A-'s at best for this album. The melodies on Vitalogy are more catchy, IMO. I favor dark albums and as expected, this one doesn't hold up to Vitalogy in that aspect and the songs weren't catchy enough to overcome that. I like the songs from Riot Act better than these. I don't know at this point how LB ranks for me among PJ albums.


1. lightning bolt
2-3. pendulum, future days
4. sirens
5. my father's son
6. infallible
7. getaway
8. mind your manners
9. swallowed whole
10. LTRP
11. yellow moon
12. sleeping by myself

[Sgt. Crackpot]

A Crackpot Review.

Four years since Backspacer was released. Four fucking years. It feels like a lifetime ago. Backspacer was released just before my last kid was born, now he's about to start kinder. There was a point where I wondered if we'd never see new PJ albums, perhaps just EP's or more B-sides.

Once this album was finally announced, I was pessimistic at best. Their last 2 releases were not great for me, they weren't bad either - really just mediocre. But, eventually I was suckered into PJ's marketing build-up hype, and my optimism grew to a point where I felt I was setting myself up for disappointment.

Getaway, MYM, MFS: From the get-go, the opening 3 tracks of LB are the best 1-2-3 combo of anything PJ have done since Riot Act. An upbeat and punchy start to the album. Each track is distinct in it's own right, but they gel together well. This kind of album start is a formula that PJ have used for at least the last 4 albums, but they've hit the mark with this combo for the first time in years.

Sirens seems to be a very polarising track, and I think it is due to combination of the slick production and the power-ballad-esque style of the song. For me, this song is a kind of 'homage' to the very early days of PJ and I like it.

LB is a real 'grower' of a song, at first I wasn't a fan of the muted opening riff, which made the song feel choked. But the more I listened to the song, the more I realised how much it opened up throughout. It's copped a lot of flack for it's 'weak' chorus, but I think this has one of the more memorable/catchy choruses on the album. It's often popping up in my head at random points in the day.

Infallible wasn't the dark and heavy song I thought it was in the sound-check recording, it was far more 'pop' sounding and uplifting through the chorus. I was a little disappointed at first, but this song really grew on me. I found the groove to be quite 'addictive', and I really like the way Ed sings the high chorus.

Pendulum was everything that Inside Job tried to be, the vocals are similar in places, but the music is more stripped. This song sounds brilliant on a decent set of headphones, where you can really appreciate the intimacy of the song, and also the binaural effect of the instruments.

(Infallible and Pendulum together are a great highlight. Together they are brilliant, and prove that PJ can still be creative and innovative.)

Swallowed Whole is fairly mediocre on this album. It sounds more like a (above par) b-side. It has elements in the opening riffs that remind me of something off Into the Wild. The only stand-out part of the song is the final bridge/solo, which doesn't really lift the song enough to be 'great'.

LTRP is a 'fun' track. It has a bluesy swagger that I quite enjoy. I know this song cops a lot of negative criticism, but I like the song for what it is - it's not trying to be anything more than a basic rollicking bluesy/stomp track.

I would rather have seen SBM as a (good) b-side to any of the singles on this album. I don't dislike the song, they've added more to it without ruining it, but I would rather have something new - rather than something old that's been Brendan O'Brien-ed.

The production on Yellow Moon really shows, especially on the drums. It's a beautiful ballad, and Mike's guitar solo's really add an element that lifts this song even higher. This song is a personal favourite.

Future Days is OK, but I really think the album could've finished on YM. This song has some similarities to The End, but with more fluff and has tonnes of glistening B'OB sweat and semen all over it. The keyboards could probably be omitted from the song, but I'm not sure it would improve it. It has some nice harmonies, but the song feels a little superfluous.

I love the production on this album. It's fantastic, clear and the drums and bass sound glorious. The track flow is somewhat jilted at times. But, looking at my favourite albums of PJ (NC, Yield, RA) the flow of those albums was also scattered. I think that this kind of track listing adds character to the album. I don't feel the need to hit the 'shuffle' button to spice things up, which I often do due to a boring and predictable flow.

Overall, I'm enjoying LB. It has it's little flaws here and there but it's their best work for the last decade. I've come to terms with the fact that we'll never get the 'perfect' PJ album, it's simply not possible and that's not what PJ are really about. This album really did turn out better than I expected.

If this is what four years brings us, then I'm happy to wait another four. (But maybe an EP with a studio version of OTE, LIR, CC and a couple of other unreleased tracks would be fucking awesome in the meantime).

[stip]

now post your gif review!

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

Great review sarge

[Strat]

Yea, I was gonna ask if you could sum up the album with 1 gif....

[harmless]

A Crackpot Review.

Four years since Backspacer was released. Four fucking years. It feels like a lifetime ago. Backspacer was released just before my last kid was born, now he's about to start kinder. There was a point where I wondered if we'd never see new PJ albums, perhaps just EP's or more B-sides.

Once this album was finally announced, I was pessimistic at best. Their last 2 releases were not great for me, they weren't bad either - really just mediocre. But, eventually I was suckered into PJ's marketing build-up hype, and my optimism grew to a point where I felt I was setting myself up for disappointment.

Getaway, MYM, MFS: From the get-go, the opening 3 tracks of LB are the best 1-2-3 combo of anything PJ have done since Riot Act. An upbeat and punchy start to the album. Each track is distinct in it's own right, but they gel together well. This kind of album start is a formula that PJ have used for at least the last 4 albums, but they've hit the mark with this combo for the first time in years.

Sirens seems to be a very polarising track, and I think it is due to combination of the slick production and the power-ballad-esque style of the song. For me, this song is a kind of 'homage' to the very early days of PJ and I like it.

LB is a real 'grower' of a song, at first I wasn't a fan of the muted opening riff, which made the song feel choked. But the more I listened to the song, the more I realised how much it opened up throughout. It's copped a lot of flack for it's 'weak' chorus, but I think this has one of the more memorable/catchy choruses on the album. It's often popping up in my head at random points in the day.

Infallible wasn't the dark and heavy song I thought it was in the sound-check recording, it was far more 'pop' sounding and uplifting through the chorus. I was a little disappointed at first, but this song really grew on me. I found the groove to be quite 'addictive', and I really like the way Ed sings the high chorus.

Pendulum was everything that Inside Job tried to be, the vocals are similar in places, but the music is more stripped. This song sounds brilliant on a decent set of headphones, where you can really appreciate the intimacy of the song, and also the binaural effect of the instruments.

(Infallible and Pendulum together are a great highlight. Together they are brilliant, and prove that PJ can still be creative and innovative.)

Swallowed Whole is fairly mediocre on this album. It sounds more like a (above par) b-side. It has elements in the opening riffs that remind me of something off Into the Wild. The only stand-out part of the song is the final bridge/solo, which doesn't really lift the song enough to be 'great'.

LTRP is a 'fun' track. It has a bluesy swagger that I quite enjoy. I know this song cops a lot of negative criticism, but I like the song for what it is - it's not trying to be anything more than a basic rollicking bluesy/stomp track.

I would rather have seen SBM as a (good) b-side to any of the singles on this album. I don't dislike the song, they've added more to it without ruining it, but I would rather have something new - rather than something old that's been Brendan O'Brien-ed.

The production on Yellow Moon really shows, especially on the drums. It's a beautiful ballad, and Mike's guitar solo's really add an element that lifts this song even higher. This song is a personal favourite.

Future Days is OK, but I really think the album could've finished on YM. This song has some similarities to The End, but with more fluff and has tonnes of glistening B'OB sweat and semen all over it. The keyboards could probably be omitted from the song, but I'm not sure it would improve it. It has some nice harmonies, but the song feels a little superfluous.

I love the production on this album. It's fantastic, clear and the drums and bass sound glorious. The track flow is somewhat jilted at times. But, looking at my favourite albums of PJ (NC, Yield, RA) the flow of those albums was also scattered. I think that this kind of track listing adds character to the album. I don't feel the need to hit the 'shuffle' button to spice things up, which I often do due to a boring and predictable flow.

Overall, I'm enjoying LB. It has it's little flaws here and there but it's their best work for the last decade. I've come to terms with the fact that we'll never get the 'perfect' PJ album, it's simply not possible and that's not what PJ are really about. This album really did turn out better than I expected.

If this is what four years brings us, then I'm happy to wait another four. (But maybe an EP with a studio version of OTE, LIR, CC and a couple of other unreleased tracks would be fucking awesome in the meantime).

Nice. SBM and SW are really good, but other than that, your assessments are correct!

[Tass Man]

So im assuming everyone in the club as gotten the album and given it a few listens?

Will be giving it my first spin in about 15 mins! (I'm probably the last)

[stip]

I think so

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

So im assuming everyone in the club as gotten the album and given it a few listens?

Will be giving it my first spin in about 15 mins! (I'm probably the last)

Can't wait to see what you think

[Sgt. Crackpot]

Great review sarge

Thanks Doc.