Red Mosquito

stip wrote:I'll defend some songs that aren't popular (like The Fixer) as flat out really good songs. Future Days is a guilty pleasure, but I have to hope it was written that way--if you can write a guilty pleasure unironically.

FD exists in a complete irony vacuum. Sadly.

My current rankings are probably

Mind Your Manners
Lightning Bolt
Pendulum
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon
Infallible
Sirens
Future Days
Swallowed Whole
Getaway
Let the Records Play

I don't know where i'd slot in My Father's son. Somewhere between Sirens and Getaway, most likely.

Ironic and telling that the song that was left off BS is the runaway favorite on the new one, and the one that may put the whole record in a slightly better category than BS. Really makes me think again of Cold Confession and Let It Ride, and how many other stories like that.

dimejinky99 wrote:

stip wrote:I'll defend some songs that aren't popular (like The Fixer) as flat out really good songs. Future Days is a guilty pleasure, but I have to hope it was written that way--if you can write a guilty pleasure unironically.

FD exists in a complete irony vacuum. Sadly.

It does, but it's also so unapologetic about its own sincerity that it is (I think) completely self-aware.

stip wrote:

digster wrote:I actually think it's the little things that make Future Days listenable, the ridiculous piano intro aside. The violin in that song, as well as the guitar arpeggios in the second verse, I find them really effective. They actually take my mind off the fact that I think, overall, the song's kind of maudlin and unimpressive.

It is totally maudlin. I agree that the little things color in the song nicely. The violin is maybe my favorite part besides the bridge (which I really like). I also think Eddie sounds good. But Future Days is ONLY going to work if you are in the mood for a nice heaping dose of sugary cheese, which it unapologetically embraces. We even get a warning with the piano intro.

There's good cheese and bad cheese, and holy hell is that rotten. I never thought about this before now, but I do like those extra touches enough that sometimes I'll listen to the song to hear them, and it's rare where you have to listen to a song but not to the song itself to enjoy it.

stip wrote:

dimejinky99 wrote:

stip wrote:I'll defend some songs that aren't popular (like The Fixer) as flat out really good songs. Future Days is a guilty pleasure, but I have to hope it was written that way--if you can write a guilty pleasure unironically.

FD exists in a complete irony vacuum. Sadly.

It does, but it's also so unapologetic about its own sincerity that it is (I think) completely self-aware.

I know what eds going for with this and things like it. But can he achieve it anymore?
Compare FD to something like man of the hour. I know which I think succeeds and which fails. But I'm not sure why the other fails.

Future Days strikes me as stuff like Just Breathe and Skipping taken to the nth degree. I'm not sure it's irony as much as it is (unfortunately) where this train in Ed's writing has always been heading.

digster wrote:

stip wrote:

digster wrote:I actually think it's the little things that make Future Days listenable, the ridiculous piano intro aside. The violin in that song, as well as the guitar arpeggios in the second verse, I find them really effective. They actually take my mind off the fact that I think, overall, the song's kind of maudlin and unimpressive.

It is totally maudlin. I agree that the little things color in the song nicely. The violin is maybe my favorite part besides the bridge (which I really like). I also think Eddie sounds good. But Future Days is ONLY going to work if you are in the mood for a nice heaping dose of sugary cheese, which it unapologetically embraces. We even get a warning with the piano intro.

There's good cheese and bad cheese, and holy hell is that rotten. It's interesting, I never thought about it, but I do like those extra touches enough that sometimes I'll listen to the song to hear them, and it's rare where you have to listen to a song but not to the song itself to enjoy it.

Just surrender to it!

stip wrote:

dimejinky99 wrote:

stip wrote:I'll defend some songs that aren't popular (like The Fixer) as flat out really good songs. Future Days is a guilty pleasure, but I have to hope it was written that way--if you can write a guilty pleasure unironically.

FD exists in a complete irony vacuum. Sadly.

It does, but it's also so unapologetic about its own sincerity that it is (I think) completely self-aware.

The proof for me would be in how it sounds live. Just Breathe and The End both become much better live, in my opinion. There is a richness and sincerity that comes out. I haven't heard Future Days live.

stip wrote:

digster wrote:

stip wrote:

digster wrote:I actually think it's the little things that make Future Days listenable, the ridiculous piano intro aside. The violin in that song, as well as the guitar arpeggios in the second verse, I find them really effective. They actually take my mind off the fact that I think, overall, the song's kind of maudlin and unimpressive.

It is totally maudlin. I agree that the little things color in the song nicely. The violin is maybe my favorite part besides the bridge (which I really like). I also think Eddie sounds good. But Future Days is ONLY going to work if you are in the mood for a nice heaping dose of sugary cheese, which it unapologetically embraces. We even get a warning with the piano intro.

There's good cheese and bad cheese, and holy hell is that rotten. It's interesting, I never thought about it, but I do like those extra touches enough that sometimes I'll listen to the song to hear them, and it's rare where you have to listen to a song but not to the song itself to enjoy it.

Just surrender to it!

That's the problem; when I do actually pay attention to the song as opposed to the easter eggs, I realize how much I think it sucks. I can't surrender, because if I do, what's the point?

stip wrote:

VinylGuy wrote:Its surprising how much i enjoy the album till SW. After that its only SBM and YM for me.

You know, that's 2 of 4 songs. you make it sound like there's still 8 tracks to get through

i know, i know...i feel i need another rocker. More uptempo than SW and LTRP, even though i like those two.
But Lightning Bolt is a great album for sure.

digster wrote:Future Days strikes me as stuff like Just Breathe and Skipping taken to the nth degree. I'm not sure it's irony as much as it is (unfortunately) where this train in Ed's writing has always been heading.

yeah, in general this is not where he's a viking. I like Future Days for sappy sentiment (and this song came out right when I was looking for something like that), because I like how Eddie sounds, and I think the music is pretty. I like just breathe and skipping too (skipping as much because Eddie sounds so good in it), but each of these songs is skirting dangerously close to a cliff. he's only inches from writing the No More War equivalent of one of these things.

It's not like he can't do better. Lightning Bolt, Yellow Moon, Infallible, Swallowed Whole, and Mind Your Manners all have really nice lyrics (a dud line here or there, but that's been there from day 1). But Eddie loses a step when he's writing about an unmediated feeling (with love songs and political songs).

digster wrote:Future Days strikes me as stuff like Just Breathe and Skipping taken to the nth degree. I'm not sure it's irony as much as it is (unfortunately) where this train in Ed's writing has always been heading.

It's called maturity, and it's a double-edged sword.

aurynsdad wrote:

stip wrote:

dimejinky99 wrote:

stip wrote:I'll defend some songs that aren't popular (like The Fixer) as flat out really good songs. Future Days is a guilty pleasure, but I have to hope it was written that way--if you can write a guilty pleasure unironically.

FD exists in a complete irony vacuum. Sadly.

It does, but it's also so unapologetic about its own sincerity that it is (I think) completely self-aware.

The proof for me would be in how it sounds live. Just Breathe and The End both become much better live, in my opinion. There is a richness and sincerity that comes out. I haven't heard Future Days live.

I thought it was good at Brooklyn 2, but that was live. Haven't heard the boot.

aurynsdad wrote:

digster wrote:Future Days strikes me as stuff like Just Breathe and Skipping taken to the nth degree. I'm not sure it's irony as much as it is (unfortunately) where this train in Ed's writing has always been heading.

It's called maturity, and it's a double-edged sword.

man of the hour is also pretty mature, and has much stronger writing.

digster wrote:

stip wrote:

digster wrote:

stip wrote:

digster wrote:I actually think it's the little things that make Future Days listenable, the ridiculous piano intro aside. The violin in that song, as well as the guitar arpeggios in the second verse, I find them really effective. They actually take my mind off the fact that I think, overall, the song's kind of maudlin and unimpressive.

It is totally maudlin. I agree that the little things color in the song nicely. The violin is maybe my favorite part besides the bridge (which I really like). I also think Eddie sounds good. But Future Days is ONLY going to work if you are in the mood for a nice heaping dose of sugary cheese, which it unapologetically embraces. We even get a warning with the piano intro.

There's good cheese and bad cheese, and holy hell is that rotten. It's interesting, I never thought about it, but I do like those extra touches enough that sometimes I'll listen to the song to hear them, and it's rare where you have to listen to a song but not to the song itself to enjoy it.

Just surrender to it!

That's the problem; when I do actually pay attention to the song as opposed to the easter eggs, I realize how much I think it sucks. I can't surrender, because if I do, what's the point?

By a twist of fate I've basically never listened to Future Days in the last few months outside of the presence of my girls, and now they're so totally connected to that song there's really no way I can't enjoy it. especially because the surrounding details are well done.

Do you like how Eddie sounds (lyrics and melody aside)?

I'd never heard "Skipping" before. Just listened to it. This side of him feels like Bruce music married to Hallmark cards, but I'm a sentimental enough fool that I dig it.

stip wrote:
Do you like how Eddie sounds (lyrics and melody aside)?

Eh, it's mixed at best. He's not doing anything he hasn't done in most of his recent takes on ballads; it kind of feels like the vocal equivalent of chewing scenery, where he sings like he has to sell every single line. This was a big turnoff for me in the Uke album, probably because it was so unadorned. There's a bit more here to take the focus off, but that tendency is definitely still there.

I know people have their issues with the Riot Act vocals, but think about a song like All or None; part of the reason it's so powerful at the end is that he's willing to understate the first few verses, to give the conclusion that much more impact. That's a choice I don't ever see him making on newer songs.

Man of the Hour is more minor key as well, which for me really helps with sincerity in a maudlin tune.

digster wrote:I know people have their issues with the Riot Act vocals, but think about a song like All or None; part of the reason it's so powerful at the end is that he's willing to understate the first few verses, to give the conclusion that much more impact. That's a choice I don't ever see him making on newer songs.

All or None had incredible music throughout. I mean, it's a friggin' waltz! Not nearly as sparse musically as these other tunes. Pendulum is for me the All or None of LB- Ed is doing his thing, but he's propped up by the right music.