Really nice album, but two songs -"Talking Straight" and "Mainland" - are just 'amazing wowwow holy shit' good
― bunny slopes, Saturday, 16 June 2018 02:24 (five years ago) link
This strikes me as a very “Sub Pop” band/record.
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Saturday, 16 June 2018 04:21 (five years ago) link
Surprised to be getting "Creation/Sarah/Subway/etc guitar bands circa 1987" sort of vibes from some of the new tracks.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Monday, 18 June 2018 05:22 (five years ago) link
It sounds like a slightly peppier Real Estate.
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Monday, 18 June 2018 23:16 (five years ago) link
this is really good. i also noticed the real estate chord struck. fanatical midtempoism and maybe guitar tone. also similar, even when a couple of songs are inevitably slight or underwritten, they just sound good. first 5 songs are cap g Great, little spotty after that but still some keepers particularly the closer.
― Roberto Spiralli, Monday, 9 July 2018 18:06 (five years ago) link
I came to the conclusion the e.p's were better
― nostormo, Monday, 9 July 2018 18:11 (five years ago) link
Same.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 9 July 2018 18:16 (five years ago) link
Don't get me wrong though- the record is pretty great. But...
― nostormo, Monday, 9 July 2018 18:18 (five years ago) link
Yeah EPs are better but they are still a great band and will make much more excellent music.I wish Time In Common was longer. Definitely my favorite song on Hope Downs.
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 01:19 (five years ago) link
I like "Air-Conditioned Man" and the somewhat atypical "Cappuccino City" more than anything on the EPs. Such that I even bought a physical copy, which virtually never happens.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 07:27 (five years ago) link
they felt a bit boorish, there was no space in the music...Everything bled over the top of everything else so that each song was practically indistinguishable...“are we that desperate for a good indie rock band in 2018 that we’re salivating over THAT?
I'm excited to see supremely b***y comments like this, because I believe it means the band has arrived! They may not be making any magazine covers or headlining festivals within the year, but it's a start. I think the album is an improvement over the EPs. They are touring hard too, doing their second North American tour of the year this fall. When I saw them in April, the sound was crystal clear, plenty of separation. It was a small room with great acoustics. Perhaps the venues had shit sound? Or, since guitars have been so fashionable in pop and indie for a while, some brains aren't used to processing all the multiple tones snaking from three guitars?
― Fastnbulbous, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 15:15 (five years ago) link
http://fastnbulbous.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/rbcf-schubas-2018-05-02.png
― Fastnbulbous, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 15:17 (five years ago) link
"Sisters Jeans" and "How Long?" just sit there. Often their sound is so attractive that I mistake it for songs. I listen to "Bellarine," "Talking Straight," and "Cappuccino City" all the time, though.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 July 2018 15:19 (five years ago) link
i love sisters jeans! conversely, that's exactly how i feel about bellarine, which could've been a great song with a bit more work on it, but as it is is mostly raw materials
― Roberto Spiralli, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 16:06 (five years ago) link
I love Sisters Jeans and Bellarine. Conversely, that's how I feel about How Long and Cappuccino City.
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 16:08 (five years ago) link
clearly the takeaway here is there is something for everyone, and they ought to have done better with how long
― Roberto Spiralli, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 16:11 (five years ago) link
...and added a couple minutes to Time in Common.
― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 16:21 (five years ago) link
you're not talking straight!
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 July 2018 16:23 (five years ago) link
"There's fire in the west, I never did my best"
This lyrics ruin the song foe me
― nostormo, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 19:03 (five years ago) link
I only listen to songs 1-4,8,10 from the LP. Time in Common is thr best indeed. More post punk than pop. When they are less sugar-y they are beteer
― nostormo, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 19:07 (five years ago) link
Agreed re "How Long?". I'm increasingly skipping that now.
"Exclusive Grave"--the one track I haven't seen mentioned by name--is quite attractive. A rare instance where I can actually hear the Go-Betweens vibe alleged in most reviews.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 22:47 (five years ago) link
Is that the one that sounds a bit like "Secondhand Furniture"?
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 July 2018 22:58 (five years ago) link
^ Something like that! Very much 1983-84 model GBs anyway.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Tuesday, 10 July 2018 23:53 (five years ago) link
This album's major flaw is ending with the two least good songs.
― Dinsdale, Wednesday, 11 July 2018 05:40 (five years ago) link
Not really. The Hammer (last song) is great.
― nostormo, Wednesday, 11 July 2018 17:07 (five years ago) link
+1
― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 11 July 2018 17:55 (five years ago) link
It's good, yeah.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 July 2018 17:56 (five years ago) link
Also, Fran Keaney is the best songwriter out of the three
― nostormo, Wednesday, 11 July 2018 20:49 (five years ago) link
which is which?
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 July 2018 20:53 (five years ago) link
they don't use credits, right?
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 July 2018 20:55 (five years ago) link
Yeah they don't use credits. Just based on youtube videos
― nostormo, Wednesday, 11 July 2018 21:03 (five years ago) link
..assuming the singer is also the songwriter
― nostormo, Wednesday, 11 July 2018 21:06 (five years ago) link
To the best of my knowledge:Fran Keany sings Wither Where You, and sort of sounds like Robert Forster. On new one he sings Time in Common and Air Conditioned ManJoe Russo sings my alltime favorite, Heard You’re Moving. On new one he sings Mainland and Sisters Jeans.Joe White sings Wide Eyes. On new one he sings Talking Straight and Bellarine.This is the first band since The White Stripes where I’ve even bothered learning the band members names
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 12 July 2018 04:28 (five years ago) link
band's publicist sent me this:
An Air Conditioned Man – FranTalking Straight - Joe WMainland – TomTime in Common – FranSister’s Jeans – FranBellarine – Joe WCappuccino City - TomExclusive Grave – TomHow Long? – Joe WThe Hammer – Tom
― alpine static, Thursday, 12 July 2018 04:30 (five years ago) link
that's lead vocals, not songwriters
― alpine static, Thursday, 12 July 2018 04:37 (five years ago) link
Damn, they tricked me on the Sister's Jeans. And I confused the Russo brothers. White Stripes is easier to remember.
― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 12 July 2018 12:49 (five years ago) link
I think i read somewhere The Hammer is a Fran tune?!
― nostormo, Thursday, 12 July 2018 13:00 (five years ago) link
there is a lot of consistency in style, i wonder if that's just the group dynamic homogenizing or whether one of them does the bulk of the composition and maybe gives tunes to the others for lyrics/vocals
― Roberto Spiralli, Thursday, 12 July 2018 13:08 (five years ago) link
No-one told me they dig Orange Juice! Bless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBFhBK3vzBQ
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Friday, 31 August 2018 13:39 (five years ago) link
hey that's sweet
― Roberto Spiralli, Friday, 31 August 2018 22:34 (five years ago) link
Took me a few listens to finally click with the album which is unusual as I've always took an instant shine to their songs. The album feels a tad overproduced imo
― . (Michael B), Friday, 31 August 2018 23:50 (five years ago) link
New single (In The Capital) is great
― nostormo, Saturday, 2 March 2019 07:18 (five years ago) link
It's a grower. 'Watery' was certainly my impression way before reading this:
“I first had the idea for the melody and some of the lyrics when I was swimming. It’s taken a while to finish the song, to make it feel like the initial feeling. I can’t neatly describe it, but something like connection despite distance. I was thinking about transience and water and death and big cities and fishing towns and moon river.” - Fran Keaney
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Friday, 8 March 2019 03:45 (five years ago) link
The other side of the single, just released, maintains a similar mood.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Sunday, 28 April 2019 05:15 (five years ago) link
I sense that ILM has cooled a little on RBCF post-LP, but there's a new song! With trumpet (?) and choreography. Not sure what to make of it, but it took me months to decide I really liked both sides of that last single, so...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G93J8FKmrn0
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Thursday, 13 February 2020 00:30 (four years ago) link
Not bad
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 13 February 2020 03:51 (four years ago) link
..at all
― nostormo, Sunday, 23 February 2020 20:19 (four years ago) link
new album announced and another trackhttps://rollingblackoutscoastalfever.bandcamp.com/album/sideways-to-new-italy
― Dinsdale, Wednesday, 1 April 2020 07:38 (four years ago) link
It's about time for a Joe W song.
I like how they make 'strayah look ever more like a parched wasteland with each new video.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Wednesday, 1 April 2020 08:19 (four years ago) link
The first single was great. The 2nd and 3rd... :(
― nostormo, Thursday, 7 May 2020 15:43 (four years ago) link