mars volta?

new record didn't immediately grab me but the clips I've seen of the live shows definitely sold me on it, very good indeed, kind of regret not taking a road trip to Seattle to hear it in person, have seen them twice before in sports arenas and I think a theater is definitely where you want to be for a mars volta show

my favourite album of 2022. Vigil is a stunning song.

Huge fan of the first three Mars Volta albums. The new one makes a strong EP. Still have some great memories from the De-Loused and Frances tours back in the day.

havent listent to this group since bedlam but this new one is great, and very different, like a more rockin dirty projectors idk

So an acoustic version of the new album came out today and...nobody gives a shit?

Oh, I didn't know it was out - it's excellent, though.

Lots of albums come out and people don't give a shit about most of them. I'll check it out though

Lots of albums come out and people don't give a shit about most of them.

True, but there were no reviews posted on any of the major music sites. Brief news items back in March when the album was announced, but this week, nothing. Seemed surprising to me.

it’s an acoustic version of a record that already came out

sometimes these get covered and sometimes they don’t idk, i’m not particularly interested

Thanks for the head's up on this. I really liked the album and had no idea they'd released an acoustic version. Listening now and it sounds exactly like you'd expect, but it's also really nice to hear the songs in this context.

Whoever's doing PR on this is sleeping on the job. I guess it got lost in the shuffle of Record Store Day. Incidentally, I just learned there was also a Mars Volta RSD release (not this).

I forgot this was coming out, but tbh it's not exactly near the top of my "must check out" list and I even say that as someone who has everything else they've put out.

Ok so the new album. There's moments of greatness for sure, but my main gripes are:

Too much Cedric. The dude never stops singing the whole goddamn things. There barely any breathing space. No air. It's just a guy singing at me nonstop.

Not enough Omar. There are like no guitars on the thing. I like guitars and stuff.

Won't be returning to it very often. Last song might be my fav tho.

ok i take it back, i had no idea this acoustic version of the s/t would be jazz volta!!! it’s gorgeous

huh, well Brad's endorsement certainly has my more curious than anything else I've read about it so far...

It's great. Omar took spare takes of Cedric's vocals to Puerto Rico after finishing the s/t album, ten reorchestrated them for acoustic instruments, setting them to specific Latin rhythms. It's subtly ambitious - Omar's roots in tradition Latin music have been at the heart of all TMV's stuff, and have only become more explicit in recent years, and this album is a triumph in that particular mission. He told me he sees it as being a quietly political album, too. They're some of my favourite TMV songs, and these versions are excellent.

great, the same album in completely different arrangements is gonna be in my top five of the year two years in a row

De-Loused in the Comatorium turns 20 tomorrow. I wrote about it for Stereogum.