i think i might start a thread for delilah at some point, her album is really surprisingly good
― kanye kardashian (lex pretend), Friday, 8 June 2012 11:22 (eleven years ago) link
"running" is totally and amazingly soft rock
― kanye kardashian (lex pretend), Friday, 8 June 2012 12:06 (16 minutes ago) Bookmark
so so so tryhard sade tho
just look at the single cover even
― r|t|c, Friday, 8 June 2012 11:26 (eleven years ago) link
"maybe felt a little too record industry to capture the true desired lisa stansfield realness" is what i said about my first impressions of ware generally on the bobby caldwell thread
― r|t|c, Friday, 8 June 2012 11:27 (eleven years ago) link
listening to the three singles together is weird, they're all good songs but they all feel like really overly deliberate attempts to capture a certain aesthetic - sade x soft rock for "running", delilahesque trip-hop revivalism x burial 3am night bus moods for "strangest feeling", airy summery "my boo" breezy realness for "110%"
― kanye kardashian (lex pretend), Friday, 8 June 2012 11:34 (eleven years ago) link
i think i perhaps like "strangest feeling" best b/c being overly conscious and deliberate suits that gothy aesthetic well
― kanye kardashian (lex pretend), Friday, 8 June 2012 11:35 (eleven years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/D0TuS.jpg
1. Devotion2. Wildest Moments3. Running4. Still Love Me5. No To Love6. Night Light7. Swan Song8. Sweet Talk9. 110%10. Taking In Water11. Something Inside
― r|t|c, Friday, 8 June 2012 14:57 (eleven years ago) link
i wonder if i'm the only person on earth who feels sorry for jamie woon
― r|t|c, Friday, 8 June 2012 14:59 (eleven years ago) link
haha the first thing i thought of when i heard "110%" was "aw, poor jamie woon"
― J0rdan S., Friday, 8 June 2012 15:34 (eleven years ago) link
jamie woon's album did decently, didn't it? and now he's just between albums.
― kanye kardashian (lex pretend), Friday, 8 June 2012 15:50 (eleven years ago) link
capture the true desired lisa stansfield realness
i don't care man i'll take the imitation
― goole, Friday, 8 June 2012 16:00 (eleven years ago) link
sade is the real oak real and stansfield is the real plastic real tho, there's levels mayne
― r|t|c, Friday, 8 June 2012 16:08 (eleven years ago) link
i guess what i'm saying is i am enjoying the video
― goole, Friday, 8 June 2012 16:11 (eleven years ago) link
yeah i dont actually know how woon's sold on the low but i dont feel his album was ever really in the air once it dropped, even in the liminal circles we're talking about. just seemed to drop and disappear
anyway i wouldnt care to speculate on what he deserved but it was definitely more than what he got. i felt like he made brave-ish decisions on that album he didnt have to if he was just playing to the gallery and it's a shame they werent acknowledged at very least
― r|t|c, Friday, 8 June 2012 16:14 (eleven years ago) link
ok maybe brave is too strong but whatever, he stuck to his guns somewhat and i respect that
― r|t|c, Friday, 8 June 2012 16:16 (eleven years ago) link
Produced by Julio Bashmore if you were wondering. It's blowing up, just an hour ago I heard it on a radio station in Mexico City and was wondering what ILM thought about it.
― Moka, Friday, 8 June 2012 17:10 (eleven years ago) link
For all the reference points being thrown around here, and I know Jessie Ware's coming from a completely different place, but you could put 110% on the Grimes album and no one would notice. Its level of base competency is higher and it's a good song but I'm not sure the production does it many favours. I listened to Running straight afterwards and liked that one more.
Bit disappointed that so many of these jobbing post-dubstep vocalists seem to be defaulting to a very similar soft-rock middle ground, and yeah while it might be a brave decision up against whatever the FACT-reading bores are clamouring for, you need serious songwriting ability to pull of that aesthetic well and I dunno if any of these guys do.
Does Roses Gabor have a post-guest-vocalist career yet? That might be promising.
― Matt DC, Saturday, 9 June 2012 11:37 (eleven years ago) link
"running" is as good as "110%"... this might be my most anticipated album of the year atm
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 9 June 2012 19:25 (eleven years ago) link
assuming d'angelo isn't putting an album out
― J0rdan S., Saturday, 9 June 2012 19:29 (eleven years ago) link
Running > 110% for me, but just barely.
I hadn't been slotting Woon into this space in my brain, but now that it's been mentioned it totally makes sense.
No clue what he sold, but that album was mad underrated even on ILM, given the love for 'Night Air'. There were a LARGE number of jams there.
― twinkin' and drinkin' and ready to fly (Alex in Montreal), Sunday, 10 June 2012 20:32 (eleven years ago) link
I love the video for 110% almost as much as the song. I can't figure out what the muffled sample in the background is saying, "carving my initials on your forehead" I think?
― boxedjoy, Friday, June 8, 2012 5:57 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
You heard it right - it's a sample from Big Pun's Dream Shatterer, I think.
― twinkin' and drinkin' and ready to fly (Alex in Montreal), Sunday, 10 June 2012 21:47 (eleven years ago) link
hmmm, not so sure about this onehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?&v=FnOBjARwNi0
― Number None, Monday, 18 June 2012 12:03 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnOBjARwNi0
baby in our wildest moomins
― r|t|c, Monday, 18 June 2012 13:36 (eleven years ago) link
i like this a lot
― J0rdan S., Monday, 18 June 2012 15:07 (eleven years ago) link
http://vimeo.com/38905074
hadnt seen it before but this song off the alb is the real deal
― r|t|c, Friday, 27 July 2012 00:09 (eleven years ago) link
"wildest moments" is amazing
― J0rdan S., Friday, 27 July 2012 06:03 (eleven years ago) link
fully in love with all the singles now. i think "running" might have shaken out as my favourite so far
think i might be talking to her next week
― lex pretend, Friday, 27 July 2012 07:19 (eleven years ago) link
i'm really taken with how - similar to wynter gordon's newest stuff - ware's vocal strategy is a perfect midpoint between r&b and female singer-songwriter
― lex pretend, Friday, 27 July 2012 07:20 (eleven years ago) link
hmm...I heard "Stimela" and wasn't impressed.
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 27 July 2012 11:04 (eleven years ago) link
Holy fuck her album is going to be amazing. "Sweet Talk," the latest track to be released, is ANOTHER great track. When the guitars drop in at 2:30... one of the best musical moments of the year. Man this girl's on a roll.
― heiswagger (rennavate), Friday, 10 August 2012 00:00 (eleven years ago) link
Can we change this thread to "general jessie ware thread" btw i think it's about time
As requested, kinda.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 10 August 2012 00:04 (eleven years ago) link
that works. thanks ned!
― heiswagger (rennavate), Friday, 10 August 2012 00:23 (eleven years ago) link
+1 for Running. Shades of Sade, tasteful trip-hop, etc.
Still I actually liked tasteful trip-hop. Makes me want to go listen to a Moloko record.
― Josiah Alan, Friday, 10 August 2012 00:29 (eleven years ago) link
That was a good interview BTW, Lex. I wouldn't mind seeing dance music in the UK go classy again like back in the 2-step heyday.
― Josiah Alan, Friday, 10 August 2012 00:44 (eleven years ago) link
I wouldn't mind seeing dance music in the UK go classy again like back in the 2-step heyday.
I'm not sure this sentence makes sense really? Unless by "2-step" you basically mean MJ Cole and Wookie?
― Tim F, Friday, 10 August 2012 00:52 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, and some Dem 2 tracks and Tuff Jam.
― Josiah Alan, Friday, 10 August 2012 00:53 (eleven years ago) link
And Craig David.
― Josiah Alan, Friday, 10 August 2012 00:54 (eleven years ago) link
"Wildest Dreams" has insinuated itself into my life so shrewdly.
― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 10 August 2012 00:58 (eleven years ago) link
"Wildest Moments" of course
I love all the singles so far, and I'm hardly into vocal pop, so she must be doing something right (or disastrously wrong).
― Simon H., Friday, 10 August 2012 01:01 (eleven years ago) link
110% is lovely!
― Michael B Higgins (Michael B), Friday, 10 August 2012 01:03 (eleven years ago) link
reminds me of Mr Fingers oddly enough
is it in the charts?
the album is really great btw
the beats and production are great but for the most part you don't really think of it as a "uk dance" album - even bashmore's tracks, despite his distinct and characterful style, aren't recognisably him. it's more great production in the fleetwood mac sense, except from the obvious perspective of someone who grew up on ukg and hip-hop coming through in the rhythms and occasional sample. she's great at BIG CHORUSES. she's kinda annie lennoxy in a good way.
― lex pretend, Friday, 10 August 2012 07:11 (eleven years ago) link
I like that description.
It makes me anticipate that this is to UK beats as Bedtime Stories largely is to US beats...? Is that off base?
― Tim F, Friday, 10 August 2012 07:14 (eleven years ago) link
maybe if i think about it that might make sense but the key difference is that bedtime stories was a very intimate and obviously carnal album, whereas devotion is all sweeping grandeur and emotions writ large and jessie being imperious, and in fact my only (not v meaningful) quibble is that she can't really do lustful very well (like, "running" is superb and all but when i listened to the lyrics i couldn't help but feel it needed a touch more of that about it)
― lex pretend, Friday, 10 August 2012 07:18 (eleven years ago) link
oh i'm relistening now, i forgot how much "sweet talk" reminds me of dâm-funk
ha that's interesting
i'm on my toes waiting for this to leak.
― tauheed & cambria (J0rdan S.), Friday, 10 August 2012 07:22 (eleven years ago) link
i think my favourite non-single is "night light"
― lex pretend, Friday, 10 August 2012 07:26 (eleven years ago) link
this is her worst album, which is (isn't?) saying much bc it's still v much wonderful, just that I like Glasshouse a lot and this album leans too far into kitsch for my tastes but she's good at it so w/e
― Murgatroid, Friday, 28 April 2023 16:51 (eleven months ago) link
Jesus, she's playing the Vic here?!
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 28 April 2023 18:03 (eleven months ago) link
This is album is very Girls Aloud to me. There's three or four songs I can imagine them singing.
― kitchen person, Friday, 28 April 2023 19:11 (eleven months ago) link
Toro is vibing HARD to the new @JessieWare album 🦜 🎵 pic.twitter.com/T3B8yRMzXG— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) April 29, 2023
― jaymc, Saturday, 29 April 2023 16:46 (eleven months ago) link
adore "lightning" but can't quite get with the rest of the record. i wish it were less tasteful tbh
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 2 May 2023 18:44 (ten months ago) link
"Lightning" has the whispery-scratchy vocal she should use more often.
I agree this is a disappointment: she's willing herself to be frivolous.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 May 2023 18:48 (ten months ago) link
I still like the album (not nearly as much as WYP though), but feel you on that last point, Alfred
― Vinnie, Tuesday, 2 May 2023 23:08 (ten months ago) link
HI I AM JESSIE WARE AND I'M AVAILABLE TO DANCE
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 2 May 2023 23:22 (ten months ago) link
I'm not sure I follow the criticism myself. Maybe I'm misunderstanding it, but is it something about her delivery that seems inauthentic or is it that you think she's trying too hard. Like, did you have the same issue with Future Nostalgia or Kylie's Disco which are similar in feel to me.
― kitchen person, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 01:05 (ten months ago) link
Generally think this album rules, feels like a pretty natural and not strained move to me. Not quite at the level of WYP but few are.
― omar little, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 01:21 (ten months ago) link
This is a rather buttoned-up album compared to its predecessor; other than on "Free Yourself" and a couple others the rhythms don't leap, which creates a tension between them and her uninhibited vocals. I like a couple tracks on Future Nostalgia without loving it either. Kylie's Disco bored me other than "Say Something," my favorite single of 2020.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 3 May 2023 01:23 (ten months ago) link
You should give Infinite Disco a listen, her excellent livestream concert album. Though I think Disco is miles better than I thought first time around, the songs burrowed in deep.
― omar little, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 01:31 (ten months ago) link
Thanks for clarifying Alfred. I'm fascinated by the mixed reaction to this album so far. Crazy high score on RYM, some of the best reviews of her career, but a few people on here and a bunch of posters on Popjustice are really disappointed. I'm with omar on how this feels like a natural step for her and also it not being as good as WYP (which is probably still my favourite album of the decade). Songs like Lightning and Hello Love work well as breathers without reverting to the faceless ballads that made Glasshouse such a slog (I revisited that recently and time has not been kind). There really aren't any songs that aren't working for me right now. As I mentioned earlier, it gives me strong Girls Aloud Chemistry vibes, especially songs like Models when they went full on kitsch. To me sounding like peak Girls Aloud or even Danni Minogue's underrated Neon Nights isn't a bad thing.
The genius of WYP is that after ten excellent songs, it ends with two of the best songs her career which were totally unexpected and stand out on the album. This album is missing those unexpected moments. It's my only complaint though. I had this on repeat over the weekend and I'm having to ration my plays.
― kitchen person, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 01:42 (ten months ago) link
Though I think Disco is miles better than I thought first time around, the songs burrowed in deep.
― omar little
Disco has stayed with me a lot. I did an article where I ranked her albums last year and was surprised how much I still rated it.
― kitchen person, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 01:44 (ten months ago) link
It took infinite Disco to open up the songs for me a bit more, and also hearing a few of them every other time I pop into a CVS or Target
― omar little, Wednesday, 3 May 2023 01:45 (ten months ago) link
going for a more playful vibe on this doesn't really play to her strengths but she still basically manages fine. it's remarkably bold compared back-to-back with what's your pleasure, quite a shift. i do like the lush boogie sound on most of the album though, that's a good fit for her.
"begin again" and "these lips" are both fantastic but the rest of the album isn't quite that great. the weakest track is probably "pearls" which is fine but completely forgettable.
i still don't get why "lightning" is on the album, it's fine but it's wildly out of place since the rest of the album is so committed to specific retro palette. "freak me now" deviates from that a little too but fits in much more naturally
― ufo, Thursday, 4 May 2023 13:28 (ten months ago) link
She sounds like a Pilates instructor on too many tracks.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 4 May 2023 13:30 (ten months ago) link
lol i'm not that harsh on her
― ufo, Thursday, 4 May 2023 13:34 (ten months ago) link
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)
Lol
Yeah I’m also not feeling this one, I was really excited for it as WYP? was easily one of my favorite albums that year but there’s something missing here. It feels tacky where WYP? feels sophisticated. And there’s an artificiality to it, like she went this route because it felt it was what people wanted.
I can’t say it’s a bad album, it sounds extremely competent and I think every song “sounds” great but I’m not connecting with it.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 4 May 2023 13:42 (ten months ago) link
i think she just felt more confident after wyp's success and wanted to try something bolder
― ufo, Thursday, 4 May 2023 13:45 (ten months ago) link
I find the criticisms a little mystifying, i think it sounds good. And I think it's absolutely clear that this is what she wanted to do versus previous albums where she felt perhaps like she was in fact doing what people wanted her to do, or becoming someone they wanted her to become when it's not what she herself wanted.
― omar little, Thursday, 4 May 2023 13:53 (ten months ago) link
I mean I don't think she's not telling the truth in interviews when she says exactly this
― omar little, Thursday, 4 May 2023 13:54 (ten months ago) link
I agree: this is the album she wanted to record.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 4 May 2023 13:54 (ten months ago) link
I think it's quite solidly her third best album. Ahead of tough love, which I do like a lot, and way ahead of glasshouse, which has a couple highlights but otherwise really does sound like her trying to be someone she's not.
― omar little, Thursday, 4 May 2023 14:03 (ten months ago) link
WYPDevotionTFGTough LoveGlasshouse
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 4 May 2023 14:14 (ten months ago) link
Glasshouse is my favorite
― corrs unplugged, Thursday, 4 May 2023 14:15 (ten months ago) link
wypdevotiontfg/tough loveglass house
idk which i prefer of this & tough love, both are solid but a little lacking compared to what came prior, though still some great moments
― ufo, Thursday, 4 May 2023 14:23 (ten months ago) link
Team Moka / ufo on first listen
― Nabozo, Thursday, 4 May 2023 14:25 (ten months ago) link
Tough Love has "You and I, Forever," "Sweetest Song," "Champagne Kisses," "Midnight Caller" -- love'em.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 4 May 2023 14:27 (ten months ago) link
The bonus version has some extra gems
― omar little, Thursday, 4 May 2023 14:30 (ten months ago) link
Tough love my fav
― nxd, Thursday, 4 May 2023 14:38 (ten months ago) link
This is exactly where I'm at. Glasshouse is the album where she lost her identity. I listened to it recently and only Your Domino (which doesn't fit on the album at all), Midnight and Last Of The True Believers stood out. The two bonus tracks should have been on there over things like Hearts, Thinking Of You and Sam which are the weakest songs she's done.
― kitchen person, Thursday, 4 May 2023 14:57 (ten months ago) link
Damn, loving this whole album.
― underwater as a compliment (Eazy), Sunday, 7 May 2023 01:33 (ten months ago) link
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Curjn2WoP93/
Jessie Ware and Roisin Murphy together. ILM might break.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 14 July 2023 18:29 (eight months ago) link
we're already broken
― Murgatroid, Saturday, 15 July 2023 13:50 (eight months ago) link
:’(
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Saturday, 15 July 2023 14:20 (eight months ago) link
seriously though, cautiously excited
burned enough by anticipation for dream collaborations before to know that I shouldn't get my hopes up too high
― Murgatroid, Saturday, 15 July 2023 14:21 (eight months ago) link
was hoping it would be a new track but this is pretty cool too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1pOvK9URyU
― Roz, Friday, 28 July 2023 16:13 (eight months ago) link