mars volta?

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.