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theabhainnhotel · 8 months ago

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Every Hazbin Hotel Season 1 Song Ranked

Because why not. I'm going to go from worst to best and explain why I put them there. This will include songs from the pilot + Addict. I don't believe any song is bad per say, but some are definitely better than others. They're all better than Wish's music if that means anything.

There's going to be some very controversial picks here, please put the pitchforks down.

20. It Starts with Sorry - The best way I can describe this song is "aw that was cute . . . wait what were the lyrics again?" It sounds like a mid-tier MLP song and doesn't fit the rest of the soundtrack. Very forgettable and I also felt the introduction to the song in the episode had no build up. Animation was pretty here though.

19. Whatever it Takes - I was mixed between putting this one or It Starts with Sorry at the bottom, but I like Vaggie's part enough. There's something missing here and I can't put my finger on it. I feel like it could have been stronger because the lyrics are good, but the instrumentals are so bland. I listened to a review once that said that Carmilla is a new character the show treats like you should already know and I agree. Maybe that's the reason why I don't care for this song. Mostly carried by Zestial and Vaggie's vocals and some nice lyrics.

18. Welcome to Heaven - I don't think this song is as bad as everyone says, it's just less good than the others. It sounds like something you would hear at a public pool and like It Starts with Sorry, doesn't feel like it fits the track. Emily's part was the best part and it does do it's job of establishing the difference between Heaven and Hell. (also, I don't know if this is 100% true or not, but it's really funny to me that they had to redo this song because St. Peter moaned too much and Amazon was like "oh hell no we're not airing that")

17. More than Anything (Reprise) - Wow is Vaggie's voice pretty. Charlie's voice to. It's short and sweet and romantic. I wish they had a full song together. Would've been higher if it was longer, but that's the point of a reprise. It was more impactful when it was a father daughter song.

16. Alastor's Reprise - I forgot about this one until I relistened to the pilot songs for this ranking. My favorite thing about this song is how cynical it is. Alastor's basically saying "this hotel is a ridiculous idea that's going to crash and burn but I'm going to have fun with it". The swing remix of IOEDIAR is also very catchy. But just like the More than Anything reprise, it's too short to be put high up, especially with the abrupt ending.

15. Loser Baby - I like the message a lot: "Hey, the world might suck and we're both in horrible situations, but we're not alone". Keith David does a great job singing. Like with Whatever it Takes, I can't pinpoint what it is I don't like about this song, it just doesn't get me excited like a lot of the other songs do. "I got an appetite for samplin' every drug and sex toy I can FIIIIIIIND" makes me wince every time, that's a bad voice crack. The strong jazz in the back is my favorite part of the song. I'd listen to that lyricless. Not bad, I just don't care for it.

It does include Keith David singing "You're a power bottom at rock bottom" so that must count for something.

14. Inside of Every Demon is a Rainbow - I have a soft spot for this song, even if it's jarring listening to Elsie Lovelock as Charlie after the series. It has a nice upbeat energy to it and the animation helps sells it. I like both bits where's she's naming off all of the people she wants to join in her hotel. It actually reminds me of Vox in Stayed Gone, trying to talk and move fast because they know they need to get the attention of the demons watching. However, the ending vocals are a bit annoying since they sound almost screeching. Also, the Amalee cover of this song is extremely underrated. Charlie's villain arc.

13. Happy Day in Hell - I feel bad for putting this song so low because I really do love it. It's a great introduction to who Charlie is as a character and what she sets out to do. It's her Disney "I want" song. And while I don't care about the other demons' parts that much, I like how their pessimism and acceptance of Hell contrasts with Charlie, but she doesn't let that stop her. It's also a very musically interesting song with different sections and instrumentals. A trend you're going to see in this ranking is that I really, really love Erika Henningsen's voice.

12. Addict - I've always liked the lyrics to this song, both in Angel's and especially Cherri's. The last verse of "I'm addicted to the sorrow, when the buzz ends, by tomorrow" is my favorite part. Angel's high of the day slows down just like the tempo and he finally takes the mask off. The one thing here is that, no hate to Michael Kovach I respect him greatly, Angel's voice sounds extremely auto-tuned. Once you hear it, you can't unhear it and it's a bit grating. I have to give it credit though for being the song that made me learn what Hazbin Hotel was, I found a version of it where Lust Sans and Dust Sans sang it and then searched it up.

11. Ready for This - This song and everything after is where the ranking gets difficult because ugh, all of these are so good. This one is another very theatre sounding song and I like how Charlie gets more confidence as the song goes on. Even if she's uncomfortable with how bloodthirsty the cannibals are, she wants to gather everyone together. I love Rosie and Alastor's singing, both together and apart, and it's funny that none of the cannibals gave a shit until he said "oh and you can eat the angels". That last verse is the best part, no wonder it was the song teased in the trailer. My gripe with this one is I feel the part where all the cannibals sing overstays it's welcome. Other than that, great song.

10. Hell is Forever - This song does a great job at establishing who Adam is: An admittedly funny douche who thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced bread. The electric guitar fits his character and not just because he has the "guitar solo fuck yeah" part. He poses a decent threat, especially at the ending and doesn't care about any of Charlie's arguments or the sinners' lives. He literally says it's entertaining. Alex Brightman gives him so much character through his voice and the animation helps express that.

9. Out for Love - More than makes up for Whatever it Takes. Catchy, great singing, great beat, great chorography, sets up their future dynamic, and foreshadows the final battle. The reason Alastor failed while everyone else succeeded is because he fought for himself while everyone else fought for someone they cared about. Vaggie's love for Charlie saved her. Carmilla's voice is lovely. I just wish this one was a little longer, this song feels like there's a verse or two missing since it goes immediately to a bridge after the second chorus. I have a theory something may have been cut for time.

8. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows - This . . . this is not what I expected to be my favorite pilot song. And yes, I know technically it's not a Hazbin song but rather a cover of an old song, but I've seen it on other rankings and it's on the wiki, so it counts. There's just this haunting, defeated aura to this song that makes it beautiful. The context of it being Charlie feeling like a failure after watching her people die again gives it more impact. It sets up the bitter tone of the extermination. She's trying so hard to stay positive and it would be interesting to see an AU where she sings this as a result to the hotel failing. Very underrated, I love this song.

7. Hell's Greatest Dad - I'm a sucker for electro swing so this one was great. Alastor canonically pulled the "your daughter calls me daddy too" card on the king of Hell and that will never not be funny. This whole song is hilarious in the concept alone: Lucifer and Alastor have a music battle over child custody of Charlie but Alastor doesn't actually care about her and just wants to piss off Lucifer. Something about the way Lucifer sings "champagne fountains, caviar mountains" scratches my brain just right. The one thing that puts this song lower is Mimzy's part and the final verse after the instrumental battle being much weaker than the rest.

6. Finale/The Show Must Go On - I don't care what people say, I think it's a great final number and it feels like a musical finale before the audience claps. I know this song is always praised for the Vees part and yeah obviously that was the best part, but Charlie really stood out to me. Especially in the "We can do this (we can do this!), we'll be better (we'll be better!), though redemption may take a while (though it may take a while!). Alastor's part is haunting and is such a shift from the hotel resident's and really shows how high he prides himself, along with how much this "deal" affects him. Valentino and Vox's duet is super memorable and sets up intrigue for season 2. But seriously, why are the Vees like this (lovingly).

5. Respectless - I love Velvette's character here. She acts as this spoiled brat that thinks she's better than she is, but once she gets the reaction she wants out of Carmilla, she proves she actually is quite smart, even if she does nothing with the information she gained. Anyways, about the song now, it's a good length and does it's job of establishing Velvette and how the other overlords feel about her. It's good she has this since this is her biggest moment in season 1. Zestial has to have the patience of a saint. Her voice fits the hip hop parts and Carmilla's classical bits make good contrast and characterization to show the differences between the two.

I like to think sudden song battles are a common thing among overlords and it's almost expected at every meeting.

4. Stayed Gone - No, I didn't just put it near the top because it's my two favorite characters having a rap battle. This song has great banter and insults, along with establishing Vox and Alastor's dynamic. My favorite wordplay is "now his medium is getting bloody rare". I like how Vox is so frantic and jumping around to show he's insecure while Alastor is calm and collected. Vox is attracted terrified of Alastor and he doesn't want to admit it. It's also unique on how it's two villains having a song battle. The only thing I wish is that there were one or two more singing parts since those were the best part.

3. More Than Anything - It took me a while to warm up to this song and I had it at number 9 originally, but wow is it beautiful. Both Charlie and Lucifer's VA's do a great job here. It explains more about their past and concludes the arc set up in the episode. Charlie wants Lucifer to support her and Lucifer wants Charlie to be safe. It's the most emotional song and the lyrics are so beautifully written.

2. You Didn't Know? - This one and Stayed Gone were close, but I like this one a little more. It may have issues with the story (ex. the emotional impact would have been better if we knew Emily and Sera more), but on it's own, it's a great song. My favorite part is Adam and Lute's "There's no question to be posed, he's unholy, case closed! Did you forget that Hell is forever?" This feels the most like a musical song with everyone singing together and how the instrumentals are used. I read some lines sound clunky and while I agree for Charlie's "that's what the fuck I've been saying", I think Adam's "did you ever think your girlfriend might be a liar" works better than "might be lying" because "liar" sounds more accusatory. And obviously there's the part where Charlie and Emily sing together and that's amazing.

Poison - I adore every bit of this song, it's basically everything good in Addict cranked up to a 10. The storytelling, the lyrics, the vocals, this is one of those songs I can have on loop for hours and not get bored of it. The lyric progression from "addicted" to "choking" to "sick of" is so good and I love how it shows that he's breaking. It makes sense why Angel would have this song in his circumstances because that's his whole character: He's a deeply troubled and traumatized guy who hides under drugs, jokes, and sex. He wants to get away, but he can't because Valentino keeps feeding him his "poison". I had plans to do a mini essay on the dressing room scene in Masquarde and I'm going to include Poison in it too. I understand why people wouldn't like it, but I think it's a 10/10 and best song in the show.

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inhibited-irregularity · 3 years ago

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Thoughts on Eurovision 2022 that nobody asked for:

*All highly subjective and possibly rude

- Not a fan of the hosts. They're clumsy af, and while they may be cool individually, they made everything a bit awkward. Also tired of the exaggerated flirting. Also, Mika shouldn't be allowed to sing in a low register.

Onto the performances:

🇦🇱 Liked her energy, the beat was catchy, but it was a bit too racey for family TV ngl. Love the parts where she just yells aggressively. Would follow her to battle (ok, as a Serbian, not THAT battle (lol jk hope that stays in the past)) She may not have qualified, but she became a certified icon.

🇱🇻 Eh. Obviously I'm on board with the ICONIQUE moment that made history, but overall, the song wasn't that good, sorry not sorry.

🇱🇹 Monika my lovely! She's beauty and she's grace (and the good kind of crazy) and the song low-key slaps. Also she just did her thing and obviously lived in the moment, and was overall refreshing. Good for her.

🇨🇭 Nothing against the guy personally, but WHY.

🇸🇮 ROBBED. Adorable kiddos with the good song deserved so much better. Also, such a pleasant vocal and sound overall.

🇺🇦 Sorry, doesn't deserve the hype. I love the chorus and the flute, but the rap part is just (???) There. And be mad at it as much as you'd like, but if they score high, it will mostly be political. I am usually a fan of what Ukraine sends, but ngl they had better songs in the past that didn't even get to go to esc. That being said, I don't think they didn't deserve to be in the final. They're just not top 10 material.

🇧🇬 Well, I want that guy's confidence, but it was not proportional to what they were putting out there. They weren't rocking as hard as they think they did. If they were going for classic, they gave us outdated.

🇳🇱 One of the most overrated songs of the year. Indie-pop bands of 2014. want their melody back. The song is so stuck in that particular period of hipster sound that the singer apparently went through entire puberty in the same jacket.

🇲🇩 For the general public, amazing, refreshing, original. As an Eastern-European, a bit shticky. Užičko kolo but make it punk. Not mad at it tho.

🇵🇹 I don't care, it's LOVELY. And all the "puts me to sleep" people need to check their attention spans. It's soothing af, I WANT to fall asleep to it (slight bias cos l have a crush on the singer)

🇭🇷 It wasn't bad? Nothing spectacular, but such a sweet voice and a pleasant melody. But girl, the outfit was... a choice.

🇩🇰 Do not come for them. While I get why they didn't qualify, they're dear to me because 4 middle-aged women having fun on stage? AMAZING. I feel like they achieved what Bulgaria was going for. The drummer made this years "people I have a crush on" list as well.

🇦🇹 I feel like the staging f-ed them over and maybe they got a bit overexcited (and it affected their energy). Wasn't very good live unfortunately, but the song is a certified bop and there I say next big European summer hit. Points for being adorable. The lyrics were also a good kind of quirky. Sad they didn't qualify, was rooting for them.

🇮🇸 Liked the song, but nothing to write home about.

🇬🇷 People love it so much that I'm surely missing something? I'll give it another shot, but it was capital b Bland. The singing wasn't impressive either.

🇳🇴 One of my favorites this year. The idea might have been shticky, but they committed so much that they overcame it and perfected it while not going into overly-produced, and hit the just-the-right-amount of polished. Also you can't convince me that that's actually not What does the fox say guy in disguise.

🇦🇲 Just WHY. Another song stuck in 2014, but unlike the Netherlands who tried to out-hipster the hipsters, this person apparently only listened to the Lumineers.

🇫🇮 To quote a meme, peaked in high-school energy. Sesame street, but make it emo. Expected more. Juvenile lyrics. They slided to the final solely on their past glory. Didn't deserve to qualify.

I*rael - First of all, if Russia is banned from the competition, they shouldn't have the right to compete as well given the shit they do in Palestine, but apparently, the EU is selectively humanitarian, surprise, surprise. Politics aside, that guy is one of the most obnoxiously people ever to grace the esc stage, and overall rude and disrespectful. The performance itself was a "safe" act on RuPauls drag race. (This being said, you can criticize him without being homophobic, and just as the people of Russia don't deserve to be bullied for the actions of their government, there's no excuse to be Anti-semitic or bully regular Israeli folks)

🇷🇸 She should win. Absolute perfection. Immaculate. The lyrics. The layers. The delivery. Godstrakta, everyone. No national bias btw, I hated most of our entries.

🇦🇿 Song was a snooze, but he was the best male vocal of the evening. The singing was perfection. Not mad at it.

🇬🇪 Love that they're always themselves and unconventional. This just wasn't my cup of tea tho, and the buildup was too long. I can see prog-rock fans enjoying it. Nika Kocharov still remains my favorite Georgian weirdo.

🇲🇹 Prefered the first song, it was a decent pop ballad (yes, there is too much ballads). Her voice was on point and she has a great stage presence, but the song was just one pile of PANDERING. Melody goes to the Bulgaria pile. Wishing her luck in the future, she's likeable.

🇸🇲 Didn't think I'd like it, but now I'm lamenting that he didn't qualify. At first I falsely assumed that he was a Måneskin wannabe, but au contraire, Achille is an established artist. Was it shticky? Yes. Did I absolutely fall for it? Also yes. He delivered and left the competition a legend. And yes, it was sexy af. Will download. Shout-out to the guitarist and the brilliance that was the mechanical bull.

🇦🇺 Again, WHY. For such a generic song, I expected better vocals and more drama. Thinking of revoking Australia's esc privileges. Cool outfit tho.

🇨🇾 A perfectly made dish with no seasoning. Trusted formula would've worked, but the energy was tragically lacking. Waiting for Eleni or a Balkan folk diva to cover it properly.

🇮🇪 The song was a generic pop-bop that I knew will depend on the performance and HOLY SHIT she s l a y e d. The voice was there, the energy was there, the SASS was there, and I have no idea why she didn't qualify.

🇲🇰 Sorry, not a fan. Way to nasal for my taste and while she's very pretty, there was something unsettling about her. I do not want to test her limits, so that's good.

🇪🇪 WHY. While they had some great entries (Stig Rasta and Elina, La Forza opera lady), they're on their merry way of becoming the new Sweden. I swear they've been sending the same conventionally attractive white-bread guy in his mid-30s every year. Also, quit sampling/copying Avicii already, we're over it.

🇷🇴 ROMANIA singing in Spanish? Sure to be a bop? Right?... Right? No. Disappointed. I was glad he was going for the golden age of Eurovision sound, but it was flat. I wish Ireland or San Marino qualified over him, and I hope Spain out-spanishes them.

🇵🇱 Surprisingly, I am a fan. Way less generic than I thought it would be, catchy, his voice is wonderful. He did struggle a bit, but hopefully, he sings it to his full potential in the final.

🇲🇪 Boring staging, but not the worst ballad, and the singing was excellent, although I do feel like the nerves got to her. Not mad she didn't qualify, but I think she deserved it more than the guy from Switzerland.

🇧🇪 BABY. Precious. Baby. Yes, not the most original track, yes it does remind me of Cry me a river by Justin Timberlake, but the song is early 2000s nostalgia done properly. And the boy CAN SING! I think he had a cold or sth tho, but he's serious competition if he recovers for the finale.

🇸🇪 Good song. Sweden finally figured out how to do pop without being generic. Like it. Am in love with Cornelia. Her voice makes me happy.

🇨🇿 Not a fan. Mikolas was the last Chezh entry that I liked. Ever since, they've painfully been trying to be *urban*. Tired of that Calvin Harris sound, and the performance wasn't my favorite. I knew it would qualify tho, people seem to eat it up every time.

🇮🇹 The song itself kinda grew on me, especially Blanco's parts. Expected more from Mahmood, both musically and vocally. That being said. It's a bit iffy and creepy. Mahmood, please don't be inappropriate with that kid. Come on, be better than that.

🇬🇧 The guy should be a national treasure. Please vote for him, he deserves more than 0 points. And I've been feeling sorry for British artists in esc lately, lol. If someone should break the curse, it's him. I like it very much. Not top 5 material tho. I guess it will depend on the performance.

🇫🇷 One of my favorites. And I hope they score highly, just to stick it to the French government. There should be a song like this every year (Go_a, you're not forgotten)

🇪🇸 Didn't like it at first, reminded me of americanized Latin pop (think Camila Cabello), but I might change my mind, according to the snippet from yesterday. If she manages to be high-energy, she's golden. It will come to the performance. Not gonna be surprised if she gets to top 10, but not gonna be surprised by 0 points either.

🇩🇪 It's growing on me. Much like Spain, we'll have to wait and see.

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ophelliate · 3 years ago

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Bang Goes the Knighthood Takes

It's been about a week. I've listened to this album for about a week.

Honestly I didn't really know what to expect with this one considering like I said prior, this was a tumblr favorite it seemed but it also wasn't the album considered to be the "Hannon-aissance", that'd be Foreverland. The only other context I had for it was that three years prior to the release of the album, Neil Hannon had a divorce with his wife, and while most of the details seemed to be kept private at the time of listening, I guessed the album would explore the subject one way or the other? Turns out I was wrong about that and it was actually Victory that put some light on the matter, but it's still what I had in mind when going in.

But in terms of my thoughts of the album after listening? Well my first conclusion was essentially, "Perhaps I treated Absent Friends too harshly" (and I did).

1.) Down in the Street Below

First Impression: "Very gentle opener; honestly not what I expected."

I have a soft love for this song but first and foremost, I'm just surprised this was the opener. It fits, definitely, but compared to past albums this one stands out to me. All the other albums seem to start with very relaxed but still energetic songs, from Generation Sex to To Die a Virgin. This one in comparison is much more mellow while still fitting the vibe of Divine Comedy, and that combined with the lyrics makes me appreciate it a fair amount. My only real con is that there is a fast part in the song, but the song was too cowardly to return to it. It leaves an odd tonal gap in which I would've preferred a back and forth between the slow and fast melodies, but it might just be me not being used to the song yet.

2.) The Complete Banker

First Impression: "Makes more sense now remembering this was made around 2008."

One thing I didn't expect in this album was a song making fun of the Great Recession. Obviously by premise alone, this is the funniest song in the album. The lyrics carry this song hard. They're just funny to read in the first place and gives me a hopeful reminder that rich people have always been worth bullying. However, musically the song is a little bland in my eyes. The verses have an interesting tang but the chorus doesn't wow me at all. It's perfectly average.

3.) Neapolitan Girl

First Impression: "Oh nice vacation sounding song?"

You know, this song is very fun for being about surviving WWII warfare. Honestly without context this is such a carefree, bubbly song that sounds like you're meeting a splendid girl while on vacation– the more I go into these album-binges the more I develop a European vernacular get me out of here– The fact that it's in a much faster tempo than other songs in this album is also a major plus in its favor. Overall, great vibes, good song.

4.) Bang Goes the Knighthood

First Impression: "It sounds like another angsty animatic song, a bit more middle school energy so far though."

This was one of the songs that I fucked up on since I thought it was about the divorce at first. Then, after listening a couple more times and looking through lyrics and analysis, I realized I was very wrong and it's instead unabashedly horny to a great degree. Maybe the 'Bang' was a hint. Regardless, this gothic medieval style is beautiful albeit a little edgy. But with the lyrics focusing on kink/s&m and breaking free from the secrecy of the lust/love, of course this has queer tones to it, and I think that adds to the chill of it. Then again it'd also be just as amusing to summarize this song with the notion that Neil Hannon is down for pe–

5.) At the Indie Disco

First Impression: "The strings help it from just sounding like a song."

The more I listen to this song, the more I hate it. Why is it so popular? It's so boring. I don't care for it. The strings during the verses/bridge really are the only thing saving it. I don't even have much to say about it because it just seems plain... plain. It's the simplistic beat and the repetitive/generic melody. I don't get it. Why do people like this song? Who knows maybe my aggressive is just coming from how it got into the Best Of album instead of... literally anything else in this album except–

6.) Have You Ever Been in Love

First Impression: "God, this reminds me of the songs my mom would play constantly when I was in middle school."

This song is kinda also boring. Like yeah, it really does gives me vibes of something my mom would listen to but like the kind that you get tired of listen to in the background after about 5 listens. Who knows maybe I'll get into this song when I'm in my late twenties and feel the need to post life aesthetics on Instagram because I need to have my JustGirlyThings moment. Actually this song is JustGirlyThings manifested. Huh, better than Songs of Love to be honest but both are in Best Of what the fuck.

7.) Assume the Perpendicular

First Impression: "It's a little more subdued but I like it."

Banger, banger, banger– This song gives such a good energy. In general, it's a friendly song that makes you feel like you're on a vacation with your friends and just fucking around with the stuff you're seeing and having the most fun you can. And the music is a good example of a major pro with this album: a lot of it is really danceable. This song in particular makes me wanna get up and move my feet a little at having a good time. The lyrics also match up with what I think the themes are with this album, which focuses on doing whatever you want and embracing the silly or simple things in the world no matter how chaotic. And while this song decided to do it using architecture oddly enough, it manages to encapsulate those concepts in such a charming way with just the chorus that even I can relate to its own philosophy. But perhaps I just love this song in a way that makes me very obviously #quirkygirl though, oh well.

8.) The Lost Art of Conversation

First Impression: "The title makes me think this is a boomer song."

I think it could've been better. It gives me boomer energies in like 15 angles but at least one of those angles is like, vague classic rock, which is a good thing. This is also just a song with a bunch of pop culture references. because. I guess it makes sense in this case since they'd be conversation topics? I don't know, the lyrics don't really impress me but at least it's a pretty casual song for background tune.

9.) Island Life

First Impression: "The guitar and voice gives very nice folk-pop vibes."

Mm, good vibes. The beginning is a wondering introduction even if it's really long, but it sets up the dream-like atmosphere that soon enters into the folky vacation that would be a dream in the first place. This is the lawful good version of Lost in my head. Like this is the beach version of cottagecore and I'm here for it. I too would like to gather wood for the breakfast brew and watch for ships from the tallest tree. That or quarantine can just fuck up a bitch like that.

10.) When a Man Cries

First Impression: "Goddamnit it's doing the back and forth again but the emo melody is pretty."

I had to rewind this song like 5 times once because I kept spacing out and not paying attention to it at all. This song almost exists as an anomaly to me. The music box is very satisfying to hear even if it's purposefully out of time, and overall the angsty sections sound nice. It reminds me of like old, dramatic hispanic ballads in that regard. The more upbeat section is okay but I much prefer the angsty sections and isn't as exciting as the one in Down in the Street Below. In fact I say it has a similar tonal shift issue like Street Below because of that. But uh, the lyrics are honestly really good and does carry the song quite a bit.

11.) Can You Stand Upon One Leg

First Impression: "I don't know the verses are just so mid."

Forgive me sir, but I think this song is trying too hard to be quirky. I get it's trying to fit with the theme of the album since it's being silly and absurd, but like you can do that in an entertaining way. Lowkey it feels like its trying to be the Wiggles and failing. The chorus and bridge are good, but my first thought is still the same, the verses are plain. Also the ending is... well, the ending.

12.) I Like

First Impression: "Head boppy."

I like it musically, especially in the verses but alas gimmick songs have gimmicky lyrics. It's so simple compared to everything else, which is probably the point but. huh. The lyrics kinda make it underwhelming in comparison to the music. It could be better but it's in the value of circumstance for this one I presume. Pick up to the chorus is a banger, though.

I mean, I guess it was okay.

I don't know, the album didn't really wow me in the past week. It didn't give me any crisis like the others apart from the incident where someone worded their interpretation of a song as "coming out" and I went on a rapid google search for a couple minutes.

I enjoy the theme of the album but my main gripe with it as a whole is that it doesn't have that Divine Comedy™ spark in my eyes at times. Like, Regeneration was trying too hard to be indie while this album tried to be pop-y. In ways, it benefitted to its favor since, as I said, this album is danceable, but that doesn't save the songs that musically and sometimes lyrically are plain in comparison. But perhaps it was the right move at the time since those songs I called boring are the ones that ended up being popular it seems.

These songs made me realize that– yeah, Absent Friends is good, because while you could tell that the indie-ness of 2001 was still there, AF still had a personality to it that was able to create beautiful compositions with a string ensemble playing those melodies 42 hours a day. This had... medieval? No that was maybe two songs. Vacation? Well, solid guess but not really. Quirky??? Oh huh I think I just cracked the code, this was made in fucking 2010: the year/decade to be odd but still in a manufactured, trend-setting way.

That oddly explains far more than it should, but at least it explains a reason this album is iffy to me. The thing about The Divine Comedy and its music is that it's relatively timeless. Genuinely, before I knew the band well, I thought Something for the Weekend, Lady for a Certain Age, and You'll Never Work in this Town Again were all four years apart from one another at the max. You could imagine the shock I had when I discovered two of those songs have a 20+ year gap. So, for me and TDC, hearing songs where you can tell when they're from and how they've aged in so-so fashion is somewhat of a detriment for it.

One thing I can comment on about all the 2000s albums though is that they definitely give a reasonable explanation for why Hannon was chosen to songwrite for Wonka. No matter what directions the movie takes, this decade proved he could pull off either/any angle. If they want to recreate the Gene Wilder rendition of Wonka, Absent Friends shows a childlike whimsy with its classical yet homey/warm tone; If they go a more Tim Burton route, there's the gothic aspects of Knighthood and the dramatic flair of Victory right there. Neil Hannon ended up establishing a vibe this decade that's oddly perfect for some English book about chocolate.

But anywho, I'm hoping Foreverland will be fun at least. Like I said in the beginning, it's said to be the "Hannon-aissance" so I'm hoping it lives up to its claims. I might post a review of Absent Friends too considering how my thoughts have evolved in the past week about it.

Three Best Songs of the Album:

1.) Assume the Perpendicular

2.) Neapolitan Girl

3.) Down in the Street Below

Album Rankings Worst (affectionate) to Best (more affectionate):

7.) Regeneration (2001)

6.) A Short Album About Love (1997)

5.) Bang Goes the Knighthood (2010)

4.) Fin de Siecle (1998)

3.) Absent Friends (2004)

2.) Casanova (1996)

1.) Victory for the Comic Muse (2006)

If there's any thoughts you want posted from me, lmk.

#neil hannon #the divine comedy #bang goes the knighthood #music #gizl reviews

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