thread of miguel

oh i agree that "use me" is one of the very best songs on the album, sometimes i don't feel like hearing it tho

half the album is bombastic stadium rock tho.

― thraeds of life (The Reverend), Tuesday, October 30, 2012 5:13 PM (43 seconds ago) Bookmark

this... isn't true

"Use Me" is the record's most purely immmersive sound experience imo.

yeah add "how many drinks?" to those two for me, lex, and i'd agree with you

and "arch and point"

his falsetto on "use me" is just...vertiginous

love the tangent about "bohemian rhapsody" indirectly inspiring "where's the fun" in the spotify commentary

only skippers are "where's the fun" and "candles in the sun", and even the latter i can't muster up much hate for. for shame at skipping "thrill"!

when i cherrypick from this album it's usually

don't look back > use me > do you... > where's the fun in forever? > arch & point > ...all > gravity

"kaleidoscope dream" and "the thrill" are the ones that hit the spot when i'm in the mood, but i'm not always in the mood

"where's the fun" in forever is def the one song that seemed slight to me first few times around that i now thing is 10/10

From "Use Me" through to "Arch & Point" defines the album for me, I often only listen to that sequence on repeat.

i wouldn't say "bombastic" but i do think the more desperate/cathartic/blood'n'guts miguel gets on this album, the better

Had been thinking "Adorn" might have a good shot at EOY glory but it seems like everyone has their own personal favourite Miguel song.

"Kaleidoscope Dream" has an insinuating chorus -- a real earworm. I'll catch myself singing it in the kitchen and shit.

no "adorn" will do pretty well

this... isn't true

― lil dirk (J0rdan S.), Tuesday, October 30, 2012 2:14 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"Don't Look Back", "Use Me", "The Thrill", and "Arch & Point" totally are, and even "Where's The Fun In Forever" and "Candles In The Sun" lean in that direction for at least part of their durations

"Arch & Point" will always be my favorite: sexually-charged ballet metaphors, bare power pop elements, plopping percussion, and guitar coda.

yeah, it's seemed obv for a while that "Adorn" has a good chance of topping the 77 this year.

Let's do it right this EOY season.

if i was gonna try and get an alternative-to-adorn camp going i'd think "do you..." had the best chance

not that i'd vote for any track on this even if i liked "adorn"

this... isn't true

― lil dirk (J0rdan S.), Tuesday, October 30, 2012 2:14 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"Don't Look Back", "Use Me", "The Thrill", and "Arch & Point" totally are, and even "Where's The Fun In Forever" and "Candles In The Sun" lean in that direction for at least part of their durations

― thraeds of life (The Reverend), Tuesday, October 30, 2012 9:20 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

If they're bombastic stadium rock, they certainly don't sound like anyone else's bomstadrock.

I think for me it's like... Adorn > A&P > Do You > Use Me > The Thrill > Where's The Fun > KD > Don't Look Back > PIM > How Many Drinks > Candles

If you're talking about the ILX poll then Adorn has as good a chance as any - he went top 10, possibly top 5, last year and his profile is higher now. Also 2012 has been kinda low on big unifying singles, Call Me Maybe notwithstanding.

Bombastardtock

sounds like a late nineties Chem Bros track.

not that i'd vote for any track on this even if i liked "adorn"

― lex pretend, Tuesday, October 30, 2012 9:22 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Now I know why Kanyetothe made a thread about Lex

If they're bombastic stadium rock, they certainly don't sound like anyone else's bomstadrock.

― Well, ILE be damned! (seandalai), Tuesday, October 30, 2012 2:24 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I dunno, it's all pretty Purple Rain as mentioned upthread (which is good! usually when people "sound like Prince" that's not the Prince they rip off), but not slavishly

I'm not really sure the bass bumps in Adorn really fit the song and sound totally out of place in the context of the rest of the album but the songwriting and the performance and everything else about the track are straight 10/10 so it barely matters.

adorn definitely could win ilx this year. adorn, call me maybe, inspector norse and... idk what else, seems like a pretty weak year

Prince might be bombastic and stadium and rock but I wouldn't call him "bombastic stadium rock". The distinction makes sense in my head at least.

Yeah I think it'll come down to Adorn vs CMM. Gangnam Style will take a lot of punters' money but won't get the votes. I'm probably missing something obvious though.

it wouldn't be the same at all with out that big synth bass xxp

yeah "Sure Thing" was #6 on our poll last year (and only #68 on P&J, the fuckers)

(Looooooooooooooooove Sooooooooooooooooooosa)

which dawn single is going to get ilx traction? "pretty wicked things" i presume

obv in a just world "pretty wicked things" would have had the real-world impact that "adorn" did but oh well

If I vote for a Dawn track it will be "Black Lipstick"

I don't really rate "Pretty Wicked Things"

;_;

nicki is going to suffer from vote-splitting too :(

"Automatic," "Black Lipstick," or "Scripture" for me.

I dunno, it seems like it's trying to do too much with too little xxp

it does a huge amount with a huge amount

i won't vote for any armor on song because i'll vote for armor on, so...

If they're bombastic stadium rock, they certainly don't sound like anyone else's bomstadrock.

They do and they don't, I mean the vocals and most of the songwriting are't but the guitar tones and the general ambience feel like pure 00s stadium rock, hence me mentioning Coldplay upthread. I mean that's fine, the guitar sounds and general ambience are usually the best thing about those records, it's just everything else that blows so well done Miguel for finding an acceptable context for them.

I prefer "86" as far as songs from the upcoming album go

it does a huge amount with a huge amount

i won't vote for any armor on song because i'll vote for armor on, so...

― lex pretend, Tuesday, October 30, 2012 5:37 PM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

what's with the radicalization on this issue? i generally think the shipley doctrine is a good one but it doesn't apply iirc to huge singles (like adorn as you mentioned before, not really the case with dawn)

don't really get the purple rain comparisons either

Not trying to troll, b/c I know this is sacred around here, but has Armor On lost some of its luster for anyone else? (uh, asking for a friend...)

It's a question of approach not actual sound, I mean I can't imagine Prince recording anything like this album. But Miguel's found a way of making modern stadium rock work with modern R&B that's similar to what Purple Rain managed for the 80s.

Not trying to troll, b/c I know this is sacred around here, but has Armor On lost some of its luster for anyone else?

NO

AOTY unhesitatingly and still ridiculously far ahead of everything else

MDC otm