New Album and Tour: Resistance is Futile

[Matt_PhoenixFactor]

Has anyone heard the Japan bonus tracks yet? My copy has been dispatched but might take a week or so to get here.

[Porco]

Originally Posted by Matt_PhoenixFactor

Has anyone heard the Japan bonus tracks yet? My copy has been dispatched but might take a week or so to get here.

Holding Patterns is on the International Blue 7” Single, it’s pretty lovely IMHO. I transcribed the lyrics as best I could in the RIF lyrics thread if you want a look. Also there was a cheeky clip on twitter (from MSPpedia) if you want to bear the beginning.

As for Mirror Gaze, no idea yet! I have the standard Japanese CD coming too but not sure how long it’ll take so I imagine others will post about that first.

[manicbill]

The Radio X session version of Distant Colours is so so good https://youtu.be/2dVY-7RPu5E

[Aestivate]

Radio 5 just said the album is set to be the band's first number one since Truth. Mind you they thought it was the band's 18th studio album. And then proceeded to talk about Britain's Got Talent and Rampage

[Takk]

Originally Posted by Flint

So, a few days with the album so far and it's growing on me, but it does somewhat match my fears too. It's all a bit overproduced, overpolished and just kind of... there. It's clearly in the SATT/PFAYM lineage and it's just not the side of Manics that excites me. The album seems to want to hit a lot of big emotions but the direction they've gone for muffles it all.

I feel exactly the same after one listen....maybe it will grow, it sort of has the vocal edge which excites me, but i don't know.

[Takk]

Originally Posted by Aestivate

Radio 5 just said the album is set to be the band's first number one since Truth. Mind you they thought it was the band's 18th studio album. And then proceeded to talk about Britain's Got Talent and Rampage

Without being too disparaging, that's probably more of a reflection on the album market than the quality.

[ForeverDelayed.com]

Originally Posted by UEF

Another Track-by-Track, this time courtesy of Amazon Prime!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07C297HCQ

How does one listen to that? I have a prime account but in the USz

[junkymotown]

Picked up the Deluxe UK edition here in Japan (or rather, my mum sneakily picked it up for me). Really loving it. The demos don't really sound as different as some of them have done in the past, just slightly less polished versions of the album tracks really... but overall a really really nice album.

[revcheese]

I reckon it's a pretty darn solid 7/10 album, and very respectable for a band this far in the game as they are. I'm pretty pleased with it knowing there's a number of brilliant songs you can take from it.

[Aestivate]

Originally Posted by Takk

Without being too disparaging, that's probably more of a reflection on the album market than the quality.

(don't tell Nicky)

[UEF]

Originally Posted by Takk

Without being too disparaging, that's probably more of a reflection on the album market than the quality.

And the fact that a lot of members may have unwittingly bought several copies of it:

CD
Deluxe CD
Black Vinyl
Red Vinyl
Cassette

That's one package. Then there's the white vinyl, iTunes, streaming, separate CDs...

And that's no accident either, that package and the various 'exclusives' will have been put together to game the charts.

[Routine Builder]

So I finally figured out what's been bugging me about the left behind, it feels like a reworking of Jarvis single...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ON5qhdt1jy4

[savemejebus]

Probably just me and my damaged hearing but Broken Algorithms just keeps reminding me of Bruce Dickinson's the magician....i must be going mad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN9rezVV1cA

[Marat Sar]

First listen and yeah, this is not the side of the manics I care much for. I was expecting it to be better, honestly -- like a pfaym I can go for, a more atmospheric, better produced pfaym? But no, its production muddles it all together just like that one. Really sharp and tinny and claustrophobic sounding album. I'm very much about the soundscape and while the manics have done incredible things there, like TIMTTMY, Futurology and Lifeblood, they totally lose me with stuff like the chorus for People Give In.

I only like the sparser moments: Vivian, which is a lovely bouncy thing with staccato-induced space and funkyness (of course everyone hates it here ), The Left Behind which has a bit of air too and Nicky sounding calmer and more in tune with his emotions than James on this album, and also Concrete Fields, which is just classic manics old-dad rock; a sentiment I always cherish when Nicky does it. Of the in your face mega-anthems they're clearly gunning for, only Hold Me Like A Heaven achieved the desired effect for me. That chorus truly is giant, although a better producer could have made it even more so.

The singles did not sound very good after People Give In, which is... yeah. I'm sexually incompatible with that chorus.

I'm not super sad or disappointed or anything, still grateful for RTF / Futurology, but this seems like a retreat into dull-eyed daytime string-land again. You know what's a good antidote against that and these lulls in general? Getting another producer.

Gonna give it some more spins, of course. I expect it to turn into a slightly better pfaym over time, but who knows, maybe headphones or different weather outside will suprise me and reveal something.

You know what's a pity though? I love, love, loved their cover of "Feels Like Heaven" for that 80s collection. It's clearly a huge influence on this album and nothing achieves the same splendor and ease. Hold Me Like A Heaven (even in the title and chorus wording) does try to come close though. Maybe over time?

[UEF]

After all of this, I dug PFAYM out yesterday and listened to it through. It's a fun record.