Big Thief - U.F.O.F. (May 3, 2019)

Does Lenker play lead?

no one told me there's a white guy with cornrows in this band

would you like to walk some posts back

Heard “Not” when they released it last month and liked it a lot then, but it is on fire in the context of the record.

Does Lenker play lead?

― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, October 11, 2019 1:14 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

I feel like I have seen videos where she does leads -- I think the really noisy/out ones are hers, not sure about others.

I just figured something out that was bugging me... so obv very different bands, but the repetitive drum beat/bass cadence of "Not" is TOTALLY Lungfish

this album is fantastic.

picked up the "desert peach" colored vinyl and it sounds great.

Heard “Not” when they released it last month and liked it a lot then, but it is on fire in the context of the record.

― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, October 11, 2019

otm, a stunner now

picked up the "desert peach" colored vinyl and it sounds great.

― omar little, Friday, 11 October 2019 20:59 (fourteen minutes ago)

Me too from Norman Records

Ugh I’ve listened to this album three times today. The only disappointing thing is that now UFOF isn’t my favorite album of the year.

Hyperbolic day-of-release praise CHECK

new thread?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWW-eKX8uSo

great performance

I still prefer U.F.O.F., but this new one is great

I listened to this once through on the way home. It’s incredibly rich and dense and almost overwhelming at first but I immediately wanted to listen to it again and will tonight. The real jaw dropping moment for me was the end of Not follows by Wolf. I actually cried a bit.

I love the sound of the record. It’s very in the room with the band, but with a touch of hyper realty. I almost felt like they were right in front of me, which is an odd sensation while driving a car.

What a double whammy. This fucking band right now.

The chord progression on "Strange" is wild. Very rare to hear these kinds of twists and turns in indie music.

High on the list of U.F.O.F.'s numerous virtues is the brief, economical, gorgeous guitar solo that closes out "Century."

hey, that's my favorite moment on the whole album

i do not get the rapturous praise from this band, which apparently comes from all quarters

uh FOR this band

I meant to say

It's okay -- I was with you until September.

if I were to be unkind I would say the hype is based on their terrible haircuts lol - cuz I sure don't hear that much remarkable in the playing or the writing (granted the lead singer's voice has a timbre I'm not fond of). It's just weird to see what scans to me as a garden-variety indie rock band with guitars getting praised to the skies in this day and age. As opposed to someone like Kurt Vile or Courtney Barnett when once you see them play it's like "oh, right this person has guitar chops for days". Obviously I'm not hearing what other people are...

The Crazy Horse vibe they strike on occasion is pretty awesome and the songwriting isn't as pedestrian as most of their peers' ('Cattails' is compellingly unsettling). Shame about her voice, though, which ruins everything.

Shakey, when have I liked bands based on terrible hair

the songwriting isn't as pedestrian as most of their peers'

Understatement of the century, lol. The songwriting is astounding.

BT singer also has serious guitar chops

how douchey the dudes in this band look really put me off tbh. they seem pretty good from what I've heard, tho not really my thing

lol Alfred

xps

Tbf they only look douchey on 85% of the pics I've seen.

singer also has serious guitar chops

idk I just watched the clips for "Not" (upthread) and some other recent TV appearance (Kimmel) and in both the singer's just strumming a few open chords, while the other guitarist is picking arpeggios higher up the neck around a single chord shape. idgi

There are some serious fashion faux pas going on, especially the bass player and drummer, but they lean into it so hard, I just have to laugh.

musicians with bad fashion and appalling haircuts, you hate to see it

https://thefader-res.cloudinary.com/private_images/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best/unnamed_ay8kk0/big-thief-ufof-interview-adrianne-lenker.jpg

What kind of hat is that?

he's just back from building a barn in east PA

I haven't had the opportunity yet to see them live (though tix go on sale tmrrw for a show here in August) -- but I've been absorbed in their albums for the past few weeks ,deeper than I've been absorbed in anything for a while. They're just so good... top-percentile albums. I'm astonished by the quality of the songwriting and performances.

Also, you can't judge a band by a ropey TV performance, everyone knows that!

I will concede that Adrianne's voice may be an "acquired taste" (as I'm reminded when my wife gives me a "What the f are you listening to?" look) -- but I completely forget about that, or no longer hear it, when I'm absorbed in their music.

lol the first time I put it on my wife was instinctively irritated by Lenker's voice as well and she's generally more lenient in indie rock-related matters than I am.

The voice is the strongest element imo; striking and distinctive. The instrumental music is fine but not usually mind-blowing imo so it all depends on the songs. A few really grab me, the rest I don't mind and may continue to grow on me.

High on the list of U.F.O.F.'s numerous virtues is the brief, economical, gorgeous guitar solo that closes out "Century."

― dad genes (morrisp), Tuesday, January 28, 2020 6:27 PM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

like the album but that solo on "jenny" reminds me of successfully tackling the guitar solo of "go your own way" on rock band 2.

Haha, I love a good one-note gtr solo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C_ax0XYn1E

fantastic footage of one of the new songs they were playing on tour

Sounds really nice. Are those fancy new custom guitars of some sort?

they both play collings iirc. high-end maker out of austin.

^when ur Casio DG-1 is in the shop

Anyway, that song -- OMG! I'm instantly obsessed. What does it remind me of(??) Some specific early-'90s hippie/granola rock touchpoint...?

Here's another good recording (different show):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bir8m4Q0yDk

holy shit, I can't believe this song... it's like the best thing you ever heard a cool older kid playing on a summer-camp mixtape when you're 12 years old

The only songs it specifically brings to mind, sound/vibe–wise, are Rush's "Time Stand Still" and Collective Soul's "December"... silly/inapt reference points as these may be.

It also has sort of a peak-R.E.M. feel (though not necessarily “sound”).

I can absolutely picture this song, appearing on a fuzzy live tape of an unsigned band, causing a total A&R frenzy circa 1991.

that rhythm section needs a podcast or a sitcom or something