The Studio - West Coast

Okay, the Disco Inferno connection I don't sense either, though I can see what Tim is driving at. But the comment in the first post from him -- "superbly glistening eighties art-rock sheen" -- is appropriate for the album as a whole, no question. I'm not feeling immediate overwhelming "Whoa, LUV" yet, but I am v. impressed.

I'm with Ned, but I can see grower potential. The glistening bit is spot on. What it reminds me most of, I guess, is early Cure. There's a similar sense of space and that overall mood of chilly summer dawns, that I get from 'Japanese Whispers' or '17 Seconds'.

But it's more 'up,' to put it simply.

Yeah if the Cure had recorded '17 sec' in Nassau, it might have come out this way.

I'm liking this. It hits all my Factory fetishist buttons in all the right ways. I do hear a bit of the Cure in there too.

The Disco Inferno comparison is more in relation to the "No Comply"/"Radio Edit" single.

The guitars in Origin are fucking awesome. This is growing on me. I wish they had a real drummer, I think.

Track 3 is so fucking "i"-era AR Kane it hurts.

Even his enunciation is a little bit like thingy's. It reminds me of the one that reminds me of Bjork circa Debut.

i would be their real drummmer

Nick do you have West Coast or Yearbook I? Which track are you referring to?

West Coast. Self Service is the AR Kane-ish one. I've just reviewed the album for Stylus so I'll say no more!

"Self Service" is maybe my favourite a lot of the time, especially when the vocalist sings "(something) (something) against you!" and then he has this syncopated "ooh ooh ooh ooh" in time with a keyboard riff and the beat. The rhythms on it are amazing, esp. in the second half. Shame it was edited for Yearbook I.

Second listen last night brought everything more into focus, I have to say.

did you smoke a doobie?

this has been my #1 this year since january

did you smoke a doobie?

Yeah, yours.

I wanna listen to this poolside at cocktail time.

LOL at this comment from i guess i'm floating
I'm really getting sick of these ridiculous Scandinavian "indie pop" musicians making crappy pop music slightly deviating from mainstream radio in order to gain the favor of music-connoisseurs wannabes. What happened to the days when "indie rock" meant Guided By Voices and Beat Happening and Sebadoh and Pavement and Neutral Milk Hotel and The Velvet Underground?

People like that are beyond saving.

Yeah!! What happened to grunge music, man?!

can't. stop. listening.

also quite amazed at tim's opening post, had you already lived for some time with the album when you wrote that? it's so accurate! and yes, "west coast" is totally cure ca. 17 seconds (an album i just recently bought & heard, btw). those "delicately pushed piano stabs" in "self service" are indeed very ar kaney. love that glorious guitar that comes in after 3 mins.

nothing much to add. i'm gonna put it on again.

It grows very wonderfully -- Willem is quite right, this adds on with relistenings, and you sense its own logic come to the fore.

Willem I was writing that as I listened for the first time!

BRAGGIN 2007

;D

true, but also I was shocked and pleased at how much I felt i clicked with this album from the very first note.

can't. stop. listening.

^^^^THIIIIIISSSSSS

very much a summer album so understandable

2x12" repress is such great news too.

already said it on the nu-balearic thread, but this is now the soundtrack to my 60 minute coastal commute every day.

i like all three remixes so far but def. prefer the originals.

just got up. and put it on again. it's a bright morning, too.

first studio song i heard was a remix, actually. the terje one. while commuting, though the scenery of my commute is nowhere near as impressive (or, dare i say, balearic?) as gr8080's.

It's great to see that this album now appears to have taken off a bit. Was it the remixes that did it I wonder?

I think it was just the fact of its getting rereleased, Tim!

well, for me anyway. went to their myspace, heard great songs, checked this thread, ordered the album - which then finally arrived this week. there's so much to get out of this record.

xpost yeah that's possibly important, too. probably the reason it arrived as late as it did... record of the week at a few uk online shops.

this thread and the remixes 4 me.

Fucking hell this is the best thing I have heard since Fujiya and Miyagi!

And I'll get to be reviewing it for the AMG. :-)

I want to buy everything right now!

Heavens!

xp

Shit, those handclaps on Life's a Beach. Best band since Junior Boys. Best band since the Shangri-Las for fucks sake.

1 No Comply (5:40)
2 Radio Edit (9:51)

have moved on to these and am loving the shit out of them. i wish they would re-release this 12".

also, Forced Exposure has the 2x12" for less than $20 US.

has anyone heard their first three 7"s?

OK, just tracked them down.

The first two sound like Franz Ferdinand.

The third one has an early version of "Origin" but its called "Shake You Down By The River"

On Yearbook I there's a full version called "Origin (Shake You Down By The River)" which is great - kind of like "Self Service" but sleazier, and building up to a great climax of which the "Origin" snippet on West Coast forms a part.

This is all a bit confusing, but I think the versions on Yearbook 1 are identical to the versions on the 2x12"

I've noticed based on this that the versions on Yearbook 1 are apparently the same length as on West Coast, allowing for the subtraction of the first two tracks. Is there a difference at all?

I don't think there is one, just the two tracks. West Coast is more readily available to purchase though? Shame, I think "Radio Edit" is my fave track!

The West Coast LP (2006) had much, much shorter versions of Origin and Indo, and a longer version of Self Service.

West Coast 2LP (2007) are the same versions that are on Yearbook 1.

I'm DLing the 2006 version and will give it a listen tomorrow.