The Knife - Shaking The Habitual POLL

I admire this album more than I like it. That said, "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" is full-on incredible.

A Tooth For An Eye. some great moments on this, but all the self-indulgent drones don't do anything for me

Yeah, I was listening to this album last night after not listening to it for a few months (I remember giving it a hell of a lot of listening around the time it came out) and I was blown away by just how strong the highlights of this record actually are. Two years on, yeah, I do think that the album is more than a touch overlong but the first five songs, along with 'Raging Lung', to me are probably some of the best songs The Knife ever did. Silent Shout remains impeccable, but I still think this was a really brave record for them to do.

In a way, it kinda reminds me of a more extreme version of Soft Cell's This Last Night In Sodom in its abrasive sound and its packaging, although this record I think is undoubtedly far more of a challenge to get through.

"Full of Fire" one of the most incredible singles of the last decade imo

I think I should hold off on voting right away. "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" is great, but sounds like a roughed-up version of something they could have put on Silent Shout or Fever Ray.

Strongly leaning towards "Without You My Life Would Be Boring" at the moment.

"Full of Fire" one of the most incredible singles of the last decade imo

― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, October 12, 2015 3:29 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I completely agree - it's one of those tracks that I get so immersed in when I'm listening to it that I actually forget how long it is!

One track that seems to have grown on me a hell of a lot since this album first came out is 'A Cherry On Top', when the actual song kicks in, I get some major goosebumps.

I said this on the thread about this album but so much of what they're doing on this album is rooted in deconstructing already-deconstructed rave and industrial records from the early 90s that a lot of it didn't surprise me the way it did others; "Full of Fire" in particular instantly reminded me of an updated version of Speedy J's "Pull-Over" and was slightly less impressive to me as a consequence. "Wrap Your Arms Around Me" sounds like an overprocessed version of a s/t-era song and elicits the strongest positive visceral reaction in me out of everything on the album; I would be lying to myself if I didn't vote for it and instead went for one of the singles ("Raging Lung" would be my runner-up choice, however).

This is way too commercial, such a sell-out record. It's like their version of Katy Perry.

yeah especially when compared to fan favorite Deep Cuts; way to jump on the "20 minutes of droning furnace noise" bandwagon, The Knife!

The last time I listened to Deep Cuts, which must have been about a week ago, I was struck by how pared-back and (dare I say it) amateurish it sounded in comparison to the albums that followed. Now, I still have a hell of a lot of time for The Knife and Deep Cuts and think there's some wonderful songs on both, but the productions on Silent Shout and Shaking The Habitual are so far ahead of their previous work that it makes the earlier work sound really basic.

I maintain that The Knife is severely, severely underrated.

I agree, in fact I'll give that a spin now.

Fever Ray still easily trumps any of these albums

I wouldn't say "easily"; I'd rank it right there with the S/T and Silent Shout

Yeah, I'd say Silent Shout and Fever Ray were of equal quality, even though I'm far more likely to listen to Silent Shout. I'm still wondering what to vote here - 'Without You My Life Will Be Boring', probably, but christ those first five tracks.

*Would, rather.

it was a wild ride when it came out but I haven't gone back to it much. maybe that was much of the point - the shock of the new etc. I've gone for Raging Lung.

The first 5 tracks are great, but "Stay Out Here" from the second disc is the on I've been most obsessed with

first five tracks + Raging Lung and Ready to Lose would have been a great single album, even despite the kinda clunky lyrics. Stay Out Here's always been kinda impenetrable though

Raging Lung, closely followed by Cherry on Top and Ready to Lose

"Full of Fire" for me. I haven't revisited this album in a while but "Full of Fire" still pops into my head randomly.

I know I also said this on the Second Toughest In The Infants thread, but it's equally true of this album and even more remarkable because there still seems to be a trend of mastering albums quite loud, but the mastering on this album is great. Even though this album is quite abrasive places, the mastering kinda helps this album become more digestible... if this album has been mastered as loud as, say, a Flaming Lips record, it would have just been total overkill.

*abrasive in places.

This is probably "Wrap your arms around me" these days, though around the time it was released it would have been either Raging Lung or Full of Fire.

This is a really good album, but my favorite of theirs is still Tomorrow, In a Year.

Cherry On Top is really good. One of my favourites.

first five tracks + Raging Lung and Ready to Lose would have been a great single album

― ufo, Tuesday, October 13, 2015 6:46 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

After reading this post, I decided to listen to the album in exactly this configuration and I completely agree, it stands up very well like that. It still manages to be quite a lengthy album even in that particular configuration, but it breezes by IMO.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

https://consequenceofsound.net/2017/08/the-knife-to-release-new-live-album-and-concert-film-live-at-terminal-5/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbdXdsDKoLo

https://rabid.lnk.to/liveatt5Yo

Raging Lung is the best song by miles

their site has been updated too btw: https://www.theknife.net/

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