#my favourite lyrical imagery in the whole album

[fawnforevergone]

hozier referencing 'inferno' part 3 : 'unknown / nth'

although this second verse is specifically referencing the scene of lucifer chewing on judas, i found some cool referencing in the scene where count ugolino is chewing on the skull of archbishop ruggieri (more on that with part 4 of this lil' series). the part that most caught my eye was the "caught between my teeth" which mirrors one of the most vivid pieces of imagery in 'unreal unearth' - hozier's lover chewing on his heart.

also, an extra lil' extract - the scene that verse two of 'unknown / nth' is based on:

[genderlessghoul]

HI. IT'S ME AGAIN. YA BITCH. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. OH YEAH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GHOST COSTUMES.

Well... One Ghost costume in particular. Because I've talked at great lengths about how the costumes are made and what they're made out of but I haven't talked much, if at all, about the inspiration behind them. So today we're gonna take a look at Papa's Kaiserion costume.

Impera, Ghost's fifth studio album, builds itself on the themes of the rise and fall of empires. Kaiserion, the first song of the album with lyrics, leans heavily and explicitly on those themes. It makes sense, as being also the first song played live during this era, that Papa's outfit would reflect that empirical meaning.

Copia has always been so interesting to me in terms of stage costumes as he never really tried to fit into the role carved by his predecessors. The band's image, before Terzo was relieved of his Papal duties (and his head), relied on Satanism and depicting themselves as an opposite for Christianity. Taking inspiration into religious costumes and giving them a stylish twist à la Satan. Terzo started this trend of diverging from this image but he only had one stage outfit that wasn't his robes. Copia has had several from the very start.

This one costume is no exception. You will find Satanic and occultist symbols in the embroidery on his vest but it's not trying to be a religious garment in any way, shape or form. It rather reminds me of French military uniforms from the late 1700s to the late 1800s.

Obviously it's not a perfect replica of any historical uniform but I still find the comparison fascinating and I have a deep appreciation for the imagery it creates. It leads us straight into the atmosphere created by the song and it infers on Copia a sense of authority fitted for the meaning of the album. For the span of those 5 minutes of the concert, he's not just a spiritual leader, he's a ruler commanding an army.

That sentiment is aided by one of my favourite details. Epaulettes were often used to mark stature on uniforms. Not only if you had them but what they looked like. You didn't think I was gonna make a whole post about Papa and not mention the ghouls once, were you?

Not only is the overall construction of Papa's jacket made to be more imposing than the ghouls, his golden epaulettes imply a greater status, a higher rank.

I would also like to point out the state of the jacket. Which of course, matches the decrepitude of the pants he wears for the entire concert. To me, it implies a meaning hidden in the concept of the album itself. The military inspired jacket paints him as a commander ready for conquest, ready to go to war for him Empire. To me, all that intentional distressing says "this is what it'll look like once we fall, this is what it'll look like when the Empire fails."

All of this really makes me question the fate awaiting Copia now that this era is over. "The empire has been built." it feels like half of the prophecy fulfilled. We're yet to see it fall, but the fall was promised.

Aight didn't mean to get all ominous on ya at the end but oh well 😅😅😅 that's all for me today! Thank you and good night!

[mini-jiminie]

About your comment on jkkers associating Letter with jungkook, I agree with you and I lowkey feel like its because Letter is the only song that jkkers really can associate with jkk out of all jimin's solo work in chapter 2. On a different blog, some anon was saying they didn't think the content of jimin's solo work was compatible with jikook being real or something along those lines, and a jkker blog literally used Letter as proof against that saying that it was obviously a love song for jungkook. Outside of the songs he explicitly says he made for army, jimin's solo work doesn't exactly paint a happy picture, especially when you read translations of his notebook pages from when he was working on Face. That shit is dark and lonely, him questioning if there's anyone he can trust and then questioning if he can ever love someone to his producers while working on Muse. Not saying jikook isn't real by any means, but jimin's solo work definitely doesn't readily lend itself to shipping, not just with jungkook, but with anyone, so I think jkkers cling to Letter. I also agree with that anon's post in that jimin didn't have to comment on it at all really, it was meant to be a hidden track anyway. So the fact that he explicitly states who the track was about and some jkkers twist that does feel shitty. Of course art can have multiple meanings, but to deny the meaning jimin himself stated is just taking his autonomy away for the sake of shipping and is no different than the tkkers who twist taehyung and jungkook's actions or say the company makes them do everything. All of it is shippers disregarding the boys words/actions in favor of their own beliefs.

Before I get cancelled (again lol) this ask was in response to a comment I made under @jeonscatalyst’s post:

Look, I can’t claim to know 100% what the boys’ music personally means to them and why they choose to write and create art in certain ways.

When we look at Face, it's so clear that the album is an extremely self-introspective body of work where jm has allowed us to witness such a raw and vulnerable part of himself. What I love about bts is that the boys have always created music about themselves, their own stories and experiences. I'm so grateful that the rap line set such a wonderful precedent for the other boys to really use their solo music as an outlet.

Back to you anon, I 100% agree with you on this part:

"Outside of the songs he explicitly says he made for army, jimin's solo work doesn't exactly paint a happy picture, especially when you read translations of his notebook pages from when he was working on Face. That shit is dark and lonely, him questioning if there's anyone he can trust and then questioning if he can ever love someone to his producers while working on Muse."

I feel like face (as a whole) is such a polarising album. It's really interesting. We start off with 'face-off' and the delivery is aggressive and it clearly comes from a dark place. Like crazy is..like crazy. To this day, it's my favourite song ever. I just love the connotations and imagery behind it. I've read many analyses of the song, its mv and the choreo. One consistent thing across all of them is this reoccurring theme of reflection. This is him attempting to confront himself and the state he's in. Looking at the lyrics of like crazy, he feels lost and is struggling to cope with his reality. In the english version, there's the line 'emotions on ice' which really struck me when I first heard it. I know it's not the direct translation of the original line in the Korean version however, it's a perfect reflection the song as a whole. I've seen people interpret that line through the theme of dilution; 'on ice'. I personally read this as him feeling lost and numb. It's almost as if his emotions are an imitation of what they're meant to be. He wants to be stuck in a dream-like state and not have to face his daunting reality.

Alone also has a similar storyline (these translations are from doolset). The chorus goes:

Day & night 반복되는 fall Day & night, the repeated fall

(Mayday 날 꺼내줘) (Mayday, get me out of here)

Again, there's that need for escapism. Further into the song, we get lyrics such as:

똑같은 하루가 The same day all over

또다시 흘러가 goes by, yet again

뭘 어떻게 해야 What even should I do

이 어둠이 끝이 날까? to make this darkness come to an end

Smf is such a powerful end to the album. Its definitely a heroic song and such a poignant finish to his introspective process. He knows what he needs to do to heal and grow.

Finally, letter is clearly so dear to jm. It being a hidden song and so beautifully written says enough. It has the same delicate quality as the hidden track ‘sea’ from ly:her (another incredible song). When I say Face is such a polarising album, I say this in consideration of letter. If smf was the catalyst to his healing, letter is jm during that process of healing. In my original comment, I said that it irks me when jkkrs try to link every one of the boys' solo endeavours and actions to their relationship. And I don't mean people can't speculate that letter might be about a s/o. I'm also not trying to diminish jkk's relationship in any way but, jm has explicitly shared the meaning of the song and how it's a song dedicated to army. Yes, music is subjective however, when an artist explicitly shares the meaning of their song and their intentions, we do have to respect that.

Apparently, people have been calling him a liar?? jm -the original writer - a liar??

Jm has outright expressed what letter means to him. That's what he wants us, as listeners of his story, to get out of that song. If we the fans were part of his healing process, that's so beautiful. I don't understand why some people are so quick to brush this off. As I've said, Face is such a deeply personal album. It's jm, as an individual, laid bare and untethered. When we try to force the ship onto it, it just seems so reductive of jm's art.

Jm has expressed that face was a culmination of his struggles during the pandemic as well the relationships he's with the people in his life. For such a short album, I think he's done a wonderful job of conveying the sheer breath of emotions and struggles he experienced leading up to the production.

[silawastaken]

I love seeing people compare music to their favourite characters and go like 'oh yeah this verse might be this character... and then this one is the other one... and then this little bit here is them both honestly. Or something like that' because I HAVE gone through every taylor swift song on evermore and folklore and compared it to skk. Sorry to be autistic on the writing account, but this is a fanfic writing account and I'm writing my second novel length fic about them so what did you expect.

folklore/evermore are very canon skk, and verge into fanon and some songs are the reason for very specific head canons, or some of the ways I write the way they perceive each other. 1989... DON'T GET ME STARTED OMFG HAVE YOU EVER LISTENED TO BLANK SPACE? I THINK IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT HAVE AND OMG IT'S SO SKK CODED LIKE WTF. I HAVE VERY FIRM OPINIONS ABOUT WHICH LYRICS ARE THEIRS. Also the vault tracks literally exist what more do you want from me. 'i think about jumping off of very tall somethings just to see you come running and say the one thing I've been wanting' okay dazai pack it up you did that already, beast exists. 'i call my mom sister she said that it was for the best remind myself the more i gave you'd want me less' yeah yeah chuuya we know he left you get over it, it wasn't personal(think that line could go for either of them but the other line 'the way you faded till i left' feels more Dazai personally). Plus suburban legends. For personal reasons I struggle to listen to song without SPIRALING FUCK YOU THAT ONE PERSON SEHDHSSJNS but very skk as well 'we were born to be national treasures' is very soulmates of them. And out of the woods screams them in fanfic when they try to get better. Red, straight away all too well. They both remember it all too well. All too well skk cover with switching vocals anyone? The last time. The one with gary lightbody. Underrated song, is my favourite on that album, and SO THEM. 'this is the last time you tell me ive got it wrong, this is the last time i wont hurt you anymore' because they're fated to be together and are constantly drawn to each other and yet keep HURTING EACH OTHER RAGH. also 'we are never getting back together' is pretty funny and nice when applied to them. also state of grace. any taylor song with a mild drop of religious imagery is them cause yeah. but 'i never saw you coming, and I'll never be the same'... okay pack it up, we don't have time for your yearning. 'you were never a saint' (dazai abt chuuya) 'and i loved in shades of wrong' (bc hes toxic and doesnt know how to healthily like people) 'we learned to live with the pain, mosaic broken hearts' (bc they continue anyway and stick it out, living with the pain of being bad for each other because of how deeply they care). I almost do. Dazai after leaving. moving on to more religion, holy ground. 'for the first time i had something to lose' 'and i guess we fell apart in the usual way, and the storys got dust on every page' AAAAAA IT'S THEM. Can't really speak on debut- but I've listened to our song and picture to burn and if picture to burn isn't a vengeful chuuya idk what is. BOY OH BOY SPEAK NOW.

excuse me. one moment.

Mine- literally a skk au

Sparks fly- 'the way you move is like a rainstorm and im a house full of cards, you're the kind of reckless that should send me running' that entire verse screams dazai's fascination with corrupted chuuya, and the whole song is well yeah

back to december- dazai when they reunite just trust me on it just trust me on it. the repetition was intentional, that's how serious i am. 'i go back to december all the time' 'I got back to december to make it all right'

speak now- might just be me but it really makes me think of teen skk in fanfic harbouring urges to ruin the others relationship for 'some reason. I don't know, seeing him with her just... irks me'.

the story of us- first verse is chuuya, second verse is dazai, and the third is them both because they're LOSERS and they LOVE EACH OTHER and FUCK I'm CRYING NOW. 'id tell you i miss you but i don't know how' EMOTIONALLY CONSTIPATED BASTARD.

enchanted- self explanatory. for more context, i really think it's from dazai's pov in this case, could probably be both, but dazai fell first and harder so it's really like god he's been in love ever since he got kicked into that wall he wants him around forever. He held Chuuya's hand in the fight with rimbaud and then had all those close moments in the manga and went home to lie on his bed kicking his feet and giggling don't lie. (god im still crying this isn't helping)

better than revenge- they're both pretty vengeful idk it makes me think of iwsynttr for some reason

haunted- chuuya pov. 'i thought i had you figured out, something's gone terribly wrong' 'stood there and watched you walk away from everything we had' they're so sad, but the general idea of chuuya thinking he has figured out dazai and knowing how he thinks and then dazai just leaves suddenly and he's like 'Wow! I thought i knew you. How do i forget this'. 'wont finish what you started' bringing chuuya into the mafia then leaving it.

last kiss- 'you told me you love me so why did you go away' chuuya pov again oh god it hurts why am i doing this to myself? 'never imagined we'd end like this, your name, forever the name on my lips' yep yep ow.

LONG LIVE.- LISTEN. TO. THE. SONG. AND TELL ME IT'S NOT DAZAI AND CHUUYA. I COULD DO A WHOLE ANALYSIS ON JUST THIS SONG. 'promise me this, that you'll stand by me forever, but if god forbid fate should step in, and force us into a goodbye...please tell them my name, tell them how the crowds went wild, tell them how i hope they shine, long live the walls we crashed through, i had the time of my life with you' FUCK IT'S DAZAI AN HE'S IN LOVE WITH CHUUYA AND DOESNT KNOW ODAS GONNA DIE YET, JUST THINKS HE DOESNT GET TO KEEP ANYTHING HE WANTS. FUUUUUCK. THEY'RE IN LOVE AND DAZAI WANTS IT REMEMBERED PLEASE I'M SO SAD.

anyway, i can't pretend I'm normal about skk anymore i haven't even covered fearless, reputation, lover or midnights please somebody encourage me to actually write full things dedicated to each album and the most fitting songs from said albums please i'll do it and plus i need to actually gather proof for my autism diagnosis appointment so this would be a good way to to that probably. anyway yeah this'll never make it out my drafts lol

[absurdly-overpowered-astronaut]

top five non english songs go

Ughuhu just five? So hard :< To narrow it down/make it easier on myself I’m excluding milgram and limiting myself to one harumakigohan song because otherwise those would just be the whole list

5 - Nobody Makes Sense / ぼくらはみんな意味不明

This is a rather recent favourite but I absolutely adore it because I think it does just such a great job at conveying its message? It spends the majority of the time talking about how the world is arbitrary and hence pointless. Why try in a world where nothing matters because everything is arbitrary. “a cats name is tama, but I couldn’t tell you why” but then at the end it contradicts and answers that argument things aren’t arbitrary and even if they humans find meaning in them they do things that seem silly and meaningless like folding cranes or skipping parts of zebra crossings but they bring joy even if they seem meaningless. I love how the song words its message and loops it back round at the end but the message also means alot to me. Its a message thats resonates with me alot and which I often find myself forgetting so I come back to this song alot to remind myself and to just listen it in general because it sounds so good! The art for the album of zero-go and of the pv is also just incredible.

4 - os-alien / Os-宇宙人

I absolutely adore the lyrics for this song! Like I love all the lyrics of all these songs but like this one especially is just very relatable to me. I also really like how the instrumental compliments the vocal style and tone of the song but unfortunately it’s the op for an incest anime that is really bad but my brain had already lacked on it and it was too late! I just pretend the songs about autism <3

3 - additional memory

Ayano is one of my favourite characters of all time so this song is one of my favourites of all time. The imagery and symbolism especially the mentions of the final call/end credits and how the song is tuned and the little instrumental bit where everything just intensifies I love it all so much ごめんね、大好きだよ -> さよなら、大好きだよ :’) AND WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT AYANO AS A CHARACTER AND HOW IT MAKES ME WANT TO BALL MY EYES OUT EVERY TIME I HEAR IT! Love! love! love so much

2 - I’m like myself/As myself/自分らしく

Gender is weird and this song resonates with my experience with it in a way that nothing else really has. I also just really like how shinsei kamattechan does their vocals especially the songs around the middle of their discography. I really like the tone of the song “people’s harsh looks are a bit painful” / “people say you should live as a man or a woman but I can’t do this” / “I want to be like him but also her like a human even though hated” Its kinda simple but in a good way

1 - 3rd heart

Contrary to what my blog might lead you to believe mirage isn’t my whole personality the 3rd heart is my whole personality and reason for being. IT IS MY FAVOURITE SONG EVER EVER OF ALL TIME! Especially harumakigohan’s self cover of it but also the vocaloid cover is just incredible I love how harumakigohan tunes and how he writes his instrumentals and music and draws his mv’s. THE MV FOR 3RD HEART MAKES ME WANT TO EXPLODE. I know I keep talking about the lyrics being parts I love but the lyrics of 3rd heart and perfect and beautiful and I love themmmmm so much ahghggh. To get personal I relate to this song and mikage alot and this song is very special to me because of that.

.the song is about autism to me

I want to frame every single shot and put it on my wall! I want to eat the instrumental!I want to give mikage a hug! I want to one day to be able to create art/stories and string together words as beautiful as this

AFGHFHGGHJBJHJHJHJHJHHIIHHI

Thank you for the asks and for reading my unhinged ramblings ^^;

[winterrhayle]

it is time for you to rank midnights if you haven’t already (i feel like midnights is such a you album ykwim i can imagine you listening to it on a rainy day it has your vibes)

LOLL TY it's 8th in my album ranking but i still love it sm

dear reader - idk what it is with this song but it's so addictive,, whenever i listen to it something comes over me and suddenly i can't focus on anything else

labyrinth - it reminds me sm of the archer (in the way it's produced) and it's just such a nice song to listen to with all the lights off just sitting on my bed

sweet nothing - U KNOW THE PART WHERE SHES LIKE ooooooOoooOOOOooh i FELT THAT

karma - karma is a CAT fr (this is literally the sacred text)

wouldve couldve shouldve - as a speak now stan this song BROKE ME. THE RELIGIOUS IMAGERY AND DIRECT DEAR JOHN / OURS / SUPERMAN ETC ETC ETC REFERENCES?????????? GN

bigger than the whole sky -

maroon - ohhh when her voice goes all deep at 2:58 seconds im hhhhajhflhsdgfl blushing,,, also im obsessed with the red album refs too

you're on your own kid - THEEE MOST ERAS SONG (yoyok 🤝🏽 long live). it has such a nostalgic feel but also its always so interesting to see specifics that only apply to taylor ahhhhhgdfsdfghfdsasdfg

lavendar haze - omg i remember when i first heard this song on october 21st at 5am (thats when midnights was released in my timezone😭) i pressed play and heard the intro and meet me at midnights and i was literally SHAKING like omg

snow on the beach - ohh this song makes me feel like im watching the ocean,,, my fave part is when its like 'can this be a real thing can it *ocean wave sound* are we falling like *BEAT DROP(?)) SNOWW AT THE BEACH'

you're losing me - RIP TOE boy girl (i live an hour outside of london but whatever its close enough)

anti hero - when she made the snake hissing sound when she said 'everybody agreeeessssssSSSSSS' it was giving big reputation biiiig reputation ooh you and me we got a biig reputation ahhh

the great war - this song is so upsetting bc they did not in fact win the great war😭 also this song has big afterglow vibes i love that

midnight rain - ok the james charles sounding parts def had to grow on me and i love it now. also im a midnight rain is about taylor lautner truther but ik most people think its about tom hiddleston (theyre probably right but what can i say im a delusional girl)

paris - THIS ONE IS SO FUN TO ACT OUT WHILE IM ON WALKS LMAOOO I WAS MOUTHING THE LYRICS REALLY AGGRESSIVELY WHEN I WAS WALKING HOME FROM SCHOOL AND THIS OLD MAN PULLED OVER AND ASKED IF I WAS OKAYYY☠️ I HAD TO TELL HIM THAT I HAD AIRPODS IN BUT I PROBABLY LOOKED SO WEIRD LOL

glitch - underrated bop fr. i remember when midnights first was released i would play the whole album on repeat for WEEKS and while i was lying in bed trying to fall asleep it was still playing through my speaker,,, and that one part of glitch where its like 'just dance....' and then suddenly she was like 'GLITCH' my soul always exited my body omg

question...? - can i ask you a question?????? are we out of the woods yet????????? loveveveveveev the 1989 vibes on this one

mastermind - i hated this one at first ngl but i like it now!!!!!!!!! its a perfect album closer for the standard edition and i lovveveve the contrast it has with the 3am closer dear reader

bejewelled (lolll my autocorrect made it a double l bc thats how u spell it here) - he didnt let her bejwelled😔 i love this song but something about the production seems incomplete? idk what it is though

vigilante shhhhh - this song is so camp LMAOOO

high infidelity - ok this is actually my least favourite taylor song ever i really dont like it😭 its boring idk,, i like the april 29th part i guess

sooo thats all pls dont hate me😜😍😘💕

[some-greatreward]

do you have a top 5/top 3/just a top 1 smiths song? if yes, which one and why? :)

See this is actually hard bc my list of smiths songs that I adore is longer than the list of ones I don't. I'd say in terms of favourites, I have a few that will probably always be up there, and some that i decide to rotate being obsessed with. but top 3 in no particular order are:

I Know It's Over - I tend to be a person who will obsessively listen to tracks, but not for long, because I get tired of songs very quickly. for some reason, IKIO is the exception to that rule - each time I listen to it it feels like I'm hearing it for the first time again, and I think it's because of the absolute complexity and depth of emotion - it's not so much of a song as it is a musical journey, a raw expression of pure emotional anguish. it's also a remarkably hard song to sing/imitate, at least initially, because it really doesn't have that typical verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus structure, and Morrissey's vocal delivery is incredibly free-flowing, rubato and expressive - it feels like the kind of delivery you'd get from a live performance, as though we're directly getting the emotions he's feeling at that moment, instead of something carefully constructed, which we know it is. also just the visual imagery of the lyrics - the soil, the sea that takes, the knife that slits, the sad veiled bride - it's all so evocative!!

also i am physically incapable of hearing the lines "it's so easy to laugh it's so easy to hate, it takes strength to be gentle and kind" and not fall in love at least a little bit.

I Won't Share You - for IKIO I talked a lot about the lyrics and Morrissey's vocal performance, and whilst that's also part of why I love I Won't Share You, this one's honestly more to do with the music - the vocal line is gorgeous but I don't think Morrissey could have written it if he wasn't being pulled in that direction by Johnny's music. idk, it's the chords or something I think??? Anyway this is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I know, I did cry the first time I heard it, and I still do sometimes when it randomly decides to hit extra hard. Can you blame me??? I'm listening to the last song of the last smiths studio album and it ends with the lovely, gentle lament of "I'll see you somewhere, I'll see you sometime, darling..." It's a shame that Morrissey never does the last verse when he sings this song live, but I get it, it hurts too much. like same moz, it hurts for us too. and yeah, goes without saying but this is obviously a marrissey classic

Reel Around the Fountain - so this is the inverse, first track of first studio album lol. I first heard this track on an early autumn morning when the sun hadn't risen yet, and I put the smiths self titled cd into my car (it was one of the first cds I ever bought for myself). and I cannot. describe what a surreal feeling it is to hear those opening guitar chords hit after that drum beat as you're driving out in the complete darkness. (also!! those piano chords at the 4 min mark!!!!) it's an INCREDIBLE opener and such a beautiful representation of the smiths' music in general. It's also another one that tugs at my heartstrings - it's a pretty tune but there's also such a resigned feeling to the whole track. It's also the song that has the best demonstration of an aspect I like a lot in smiths songs, and that's the fact that a lot of the time it really feels like these songs have their own stories and characters? (even tho they’re not specifically narrative songs if you get me) the "you" in smiths songs is often not a generalised you (but rather a specific character that lives within the song), nor is the "i" always morrissey. I just always find myself wandering about the "you" and "i" of Reel Around the Fountain - i feel a great need to know them, which is silly

ok that was wayyyyy too much, sorry for the rambling lol. @morrisseyhaterr what are your own favourites?

[xombiriot]

TOP 3 Metal Albums I Didn’t Enjoy from 2023

I don’t listen to albums I know I’ll hate. If I can’t listen to an album in good faith, I don’t listen to it. My ethos has always been to find things I like, discover new stuff I’ll enjoy and celebrate that music rather than listen to shit I’ll hate just to have an opinion on why I hate it. That being said there were some albums I hoped to enjoy or hoped would pleasantly surprise me but ended up not liking. These are the top 3.

3. Remember… You Must Die - Suicide Silence

I loved Suicide Silence. Ask me who my favourite deathcore band was in 2010 and there’s a good chance I would’ve said Suicide Silence. I also would’ve put All Shall Perish on the list, and although it isn’t perfect ASP’s 2008 album Awaken the Dreamers hit me at the right time and “Stabbing to Purge Dissimulation” is still one of my favourite deathcore songs. So when Eddie took over vocals after Mitch died I was optimistic. The results have been middling. And that’s what makes Remember… You Must Die so disappointing. It’s generic deathcore without any innovation by one of the genre’s biggest acts, sees Suicide Silence really coasting and resting on their laurels, and Eddie’s vocals are difficult to listen to, especially when you listen to how energetic and brutal they were in the past like on “Stabbing to Purge Dissimulation”.

2. Terrasite - Cattle Decapitation

Cattle Decap are a band I should like. They’re music is fantastic, falling into a tech-deathy sort of place I really like. I’ve listened to Terrasite several times but really have issues with its lyrical themes. I don’t know if Travis Ryan realizes it or not and I don’t know if he believes what he’s saying but his lyrics have an eco-fascism to them that I can’t get over and wouldn’t even if I could. The whole “the human race is a disease we need to cure” line of thinking is shitty and Cattle Decap’s delivery lacks the artfulness of Cannibal Corpse’s violent imagery that is very much presented as over-the-top gory fantasy.

1. Life is But a Dream… - Avenged Sevenfold

Sorry to their fans but A7X’s Life is But a Dream… is an awful piece of shit. I started listening to A7X in eighth grade with Waking the Fallen. I mourned the loss of The Rev. I tried to find the good in the subsequent albums I didn’t like as much—both Hail to the King (which felt like hero worship and like they didn’t have their own identity) and The Stage (which tried)—but there is nothing good about this new joint. M. Shadows sings in a key that sounds like he’s screeching. The industrial elements are generic and synths sound amateurish, and like with Hail to the King it sounds like they’re copying their heroes (this time Mike Patton) and doing a piss poor job of aping better bands, the experimentation unexciting and not all that experimental. At this point I don’t think I’m a fan anymore. I’m just listening to their albums out of nostalgia for who they used to be.

[jakeperalta]

hii just wondering your thoughts and interpretation on the bridge of self respect from the new bleachers/i guess the whole song? i was just really looking at the lyrics for the first time and idk i feel like the bridge completely changed my thoughts on that song and not necessarily in a good way lol

the song as a whole is one of my favourites on the album! my first impression of the bridge was just "this will be so fun live" lol and I do think it functions on that level (I was listening to the zane lowe interview where it's mentioned as part of the discussion of self-mythologizing, alongside like the band member shoutouts in modern girl) but it's interesting that it sort of plays on expectations a bit when it's like wait the crowd going wild maybe isn't a good thing here. it feels fitting that it's a florence cowrite because this part in particular reminds me of the similar imagery we get in some of her work (like "is this how it's always been? to exist in the face of suffering and death and somehow still keep singing?" + "I'm still crazy and I'm still scared but if I make it to the stage I'll show you what it means to be spared"). I am curious about the mention of destroying someone's life, although I guess it fits with the overall idea of the song sort of embracing the mess and the bad decisions and regret.

[seconddoubt]

Hiiii for the album ask: The Top - The Cure & Nevermind - Nirvana ⭐️

hiii thank you <3

Nevermind:

my favorite lyric: breed, it has everything, pleasant phonetics, whimsy but the funny answer is because i'm anti-natalist

Even if you have, even if you need I don't mean to stare, we don't have to breed We could plant a house, we could build a tree I don't even care, we could have all three

my favorite song: basic bitch answer but it's without a doubt lithium

the song that makes me cry: none

the song that’s a fucking bop: smells like teen spirit and stay away

the song i most dislike/least love: might be smells like teen spirit for being so overplayed, like it's OBVIOUSLY a fantastic song but i've just heard it so much and in every kind of context that it gets grating, but otherwise, considering it's a hidden track would it be cheating to say endless, nameless?

The Top:

ok brace yourself for the long answers.

my favorite lyric: the lyrics throughout this album are sooo good, the shrooms really came through, it flirts with surrealist imagery which is something i love so much (also i'm always interested in recs for surrealist lit, poetry and prose) so you know this hits the spot, i do think these lyrics from give me it are my favourite though:

Slit the cats like cheese Then eat the sweet sticky things Suck harder! suck harder! Suck your insides Insides out!

i wrote a whole trauma dump story as to why it resonates with me that i deleted but the gist of it is this reminds me of a nightmare i once had.

but god i am weak so here are some honourable mentions:

from birdmad girl:

Night time night time Sets my house on fire I’ll turn into the melting man I’ll lose my life To feel I feel desire Oh I should feel Like a polar bear… It’s impossible She flies outside this cage Singing girlmad words I keep her dark thoughts deep inside As black as stone And mad as birds

from piggy in the mirror:

I’m trapped in my face and I’m changing Too much I can’t climb out the way I fell in

from caterpillar girl:

Caterpillar girl Flowing in And filling up my hopeless heart Oh never, never go I dust my lemon lies With powder pink and sweet The day I stop is the day you change And fly away from me

the top (as in the song), all of it

my favorite song: toss up between birdmad girl and piggy in the mirror

the song that makes me cry: usually none but i know i broke down once to this album and that time give me it was the breaking point

the song that’s a fucking bop: caterpillar girl was the single for a reason!

the song i most dislike/least love: what kind of evil question is this :C gun to my head maybe dressing up? no fuck this listening to it now. none of them, brilliant no skip album.

[sophaeros]

3 13 15 20!!!!

3. humbug or tbh+c?

THIS IS AN EVIL EVIL QUESTION AND I CANNOT BELIEVE OP WOULD WRITE IT OR THAT YOU WOULD ASK ME THIS!!!!!! humbug is so very immortal for its moody unabashed horniness but tbhc is so..Is So.....when it hits you it really hits you. it's so cinematic and i can't help but love that. BUT HUMBUG..ITS PIVOTAL TURN AND OBLIQUE LYRICS......but also the narrative and Imagery of tbhc. i dont know i dont know i dont want to give a cop out answer. OK IDK MAYBE HUMBUG??it has a range of sounds that are nonetheless cohesive + i love how he switches between obfuscating clever wordplay and kitchen sink slices of miserable time. very hashtag inspiration. my new homescreen in progress is literally tbhc tho so WAILING EMOJI

13. what are some of your favourite lyrics alex has written? (doesn't have to be arctic monkeys, can also include tlsp/ other artist collaborations/the submarine soundtrack)

OK SO I HAVE A CHANNEL IN MY PERSONAL DISCORD SERVER FOR LINES THAT INSPIRE ME BC SOME OF THEM PISS ME OFF IN HOW THEY FEEL LIKE I COULD HAVE WRITTEN THEM IF I WAS JUST A LITTLE BETTER AND MORE WIRED. here are some

when the heat starts growing horns / she's thunderstorms

in the backroom of a bad dream (i'll feel bad if it turns out miles wrote this one)

like in my heart there's that hotel suite / and you've lived there so long / it's kind of strange now you're gone

is that vague sense of longing kinda tryna cause a scene?

LIKE FUCKIN..first one drives me insane forever i dont even know why. for one thing i'm forever in awe of how he slots words into melodies like i can't write music man maybe i'll learn this year but it blows my fucking mind how he makes them sound so good And that they rhyme. and his imagery is just off the charts like u listen to it and ur like fuck that makes so much SENSE even as ur hit w HOW THE FUCK DID HE THINK OF THAT. i can't even articulate what it is about shes thunderstorms that gets me so bad.

2 and 3 are just. idk i love how he conceptualises these abstract places. like it brings these nebulous feelings and vibes and locates them in a solid place but also with surreal imagery. idkidk it just blows my mind im so mad maybe i should make a compilation of lines like these

4 just hits hard bc it's saur relatable LMAO. just fuckin the phrase "cause a scene" with the vague feeling of longing.......URGH. song made for aimless artists having an identity and existential crisis.

15. favourite arctic monkeys b-side?

UMUM UM . SO VERY MANY. ok the on brand answer would be catapult but TRUTHFULLY i find myself always going back to too much to ask. every time it comes on i have to loop it at least twice. im just soooo very enraptured by how he captures the mundane and the slow frustration the impending sense of doom. the whole song has such a like..inevitable vibe. the song trucks on at a steady pace all leading toward the ending realisation that really you could already see coming from the very first line.

20. favourite record ender track?

GOD it's gotta be a three way tie between that's where youre wrong, i wanna be yours and the ultracheese. actually perfect sense is in there too. four way tie.

thats where youre wrong to me really encapsulates this breezy sense of melancholy thats so distinctive of the sias album. it just moves so lightly like a clear day when spring is shading into summer but it's so undeniably Sad. it coming after sias is the perfect one two punch of this exact vibe.

BUT I WANNA BE YOURS. MY BABY. I LOVE HER BADLY the simplicity of it the pure unadulterated longing and desperation. i would fucking do ANYTHING to be yours i would make myself so useful and devoted just for you to deign to say you need me. it just brings you to another dimension man. blast it on your headphones at 3am and you will unlock a never seen before depth of hell called longing. it just strips the whole am album down to its core (ie pleaesepleasepleaspelepalseplease text me back)

the ultracheese. lies down. it's everybody's favourite. and for GOOD REASON. the insanity of ending on a gutwrenchingly honest confession after an entire album about fantasy and escape. WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT KIND OF ACTUAL FUCKING SICKO ENDS ON "but i haven't stopped loving you once." ARGHHHH and musically it's like it's so very tbhc. is the best way i can say it. the tbhc album's sound and atmosphere put to fucking Work.

perfect sense makes me want to walk off a cliff and lie down in the dirt forever and ever and ever. if ultracheese was a confession perfect sense is a rumination. i was going to say it's like relief if relief tasted like whiskey but idk if i can even really say relief it's just like. i think it's also quite special to me because i do sincerely believe that by and large things will work out in the end and something unremarkable in your past will come to be the perfect solution in your future and back then it appeared just as it was meant to. it's like going on a long journey so that you could learn that where you began is what you needed and that doesnt mean the journey was a waste because you needed it yknow. i know there were people being like ohhh oh no tc is their last album and like perfect sense has such end of movie vibes but only the kind of ending where you know the characters are going to continue on past the end of the reel. yknow.

so idk maybe i will say either perfect sense or thats where youre wrong because i listen to thats where youre wrong a lot but clearly i have Feelings about perfect sense

thanks for the ask bug!! <3

[romulus]

comrade monte @personalmephistopheles tagged me so i have no choice but to do this.

the meme is to pick your favourite song off every album by an artist of your choice so of course i am choosing my good friend miss sufjan.

for selection criteria i excluded based on lack of familiarity with the album (enjoy your rabbit, run rabbit run, aporia) and general inability to recall songs distinctly from one another (convocations). otherwise all album releases are covered here.

let us begin

A Sun Came (1999): A Sun Came

this one came down between "a sun came" and "kill", and though i love murder, the title track came out in front. the album as a whole misses more than it hits, but i think it's impressive how his first album demonstrates so many of his musical sensibilities and many of his production and instrumentation choices can be traced back to here. i'm a big fan of the stripped back, double tracked with falsetto sound, as you can see here. i find "a sun came" just that much more interesting than "kill" in terms of melody and lyricism.

(Greetings from) Michigan (2003): Romulus

its me!

Seven Swans (2004): Sister

im choosing this largely in part due to my fondness for sufjan bootlegs and several live performances of this where the crowd participation really elevates the song. check out the archive @/sufjanlive if you would like to find these live versions! though i enjoy the studio track here immensely as well

(Come On Feel The) Illinoise (2005): The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!

im a simple man. for a very long time i had planned for my first tattoo to be a wasp on my arm because of this song and im happy to say that wish has been fulfilled

The Avalanche (2006): Pittsfield

the vulnerability of the lyrics of this song, how it combines resignation with courage, does a phenomenal job telling this story of the innocence of youth being lost as a result of the shortcomings of a parent, but also of how that loss can be liberating. the hopeful, almost triumphant outro always gets to me. i also feel this is a song where sufjan's falsetto truly shines. i understand the reasoning behind why it wasn't included on Illinois, but i do wish it got more recognition outside of sufjan fans.

Songs for Christmas (2006): Sister Winter

acknowledging that i would exclude all songs that were not sufjan originals from this selection, even if i were not, sister winter would be my choice. it's not just one of my favourite of his christmas songs, but one of my favourite songs from his whole discography! what can i say i love a sufjan song that builds into an anthem

The BQE (2009): Postlude—Critical Mass

this is revenge for the all delighted people piano pieces being unavailable online

The Age of Adz (2010): I Want To Be Well

one of the most songs to lose your voice screaming along to. yeah sufjan!!! i am NOT fucking around!!

All Delighted People (2010): All Delighted People (Original Version) / The Owl And The Tanager

technically this is an ep, not an album, but there's no way i wasn't going to cover it. "all delighted people (original version)" plays my brain and my emotions in a most phenomenal way. the orchestration! the choir! i had so much to give in spite of all the terror and abuse!! i love the structure between the verses and the chorus and how the song changes as it progresses. "the owl and the tanager" evokes such brilliant imagery along with these heart-rending lyrics, and the way sufjan's vocal delivery goes between a whisper and a wail. i couldn't exclude it from this list; it's one of my favourite songs of his, and another one to seek out live performances of.

Silver & Gold (2012): Carol of St. Benjamin The Bearded One

this is another wonderful vocal performance from sufjan. i'm not a trained vocalist, but i can hold my own while singing most things. this is a real challenge for me! and the delivery and lyrics complement one another so well. an honourable mention to "barcarola (you must be a christmas tree)" because it makes me insane

Carrie & Lowell (2015): John My Beloved / Eugene

the summer of 2015 i think this was just about the only thing i listened to. i included two selections from this album for several reasons. the first is that it's my favourite sufjan album, and probably album of all time. the second is that "john my beloved" is my favourite sufjan song and definitely my favourite song of all time, so it wouldnt be fair to other songs on the album. the third is that if i were to list all sufjan songs from most to least favourite, all of this album ranks in the top 25. my most physical and visceral reaction to music was the first time i heard "eugene", a sensation which i can recall with perfect clarity. so it must be included

Carrie & Lowell Live (2017): Blue Bucket of Gold / Blue Bucket Outro - Live

i would kill a man if it would allow me to time travel and see this performed live and im serious

Planetarium (2017): Mercury

i was so excited when they announced they were releasing a studio version of planetarium! those who are not sufjanistas will never again have to suffer like a pre-2017 sufjan fan navigating all the performances of the project. i saw this video while they were doing press for the album and its just wonderful. another beautiful vocal performance from sufjan!! man i love him so much

The Greatest Gift (2017): Wallowa Lake Monster

i love a 7 minute narrative song where the last 3 minutes are an instrumental outro. im going to say it again but the vocals on this song!!! fucking!!! again, another b-sides album exemption i can understand, but the lyrics and imagery and instrumentation are so heady and lush that i wish it hadn't been delegated to a secondary release.

The Decalogue (2019): IV / V

i would get into ballet for sufjan. not the dance itself but watching it. i feel this is a good place to ask anyone if they know where to find everywhere we go because for the life of me i cannot track it down

The Ascension (2020): The Ascension

i first listened to this song while watching the youtube premiere with a bunch of other sufjan fans! this was my favourite off the album then and it still is now. on an album that structurally diverges in many places from his other work, it combines a familiar sufjan format (a longer song that builds over the song) with the pop sensibilities he's expressing on this album in a way that i find to be very successful.

A Beginner's Mind (2021): Lacrimae

perhaps its improper to choose a song off this album that is more of an angelo de augustine vessel than a sufjan track but i really love this one. because the songs are loosely inspired by movies, i find a lot of them to be fixated on the source material, sometimes to their detriment. this one is considerably stripped back compared to other songs and i think it's a fantastic way to end the album. i was tempted to choose "olympus" but i enjoy the vocals of "lacrimae" too much to choose anything else.

if you read all of this thank you! i'm not going to tag anyone at this time, but if we are mutuals and you enjoy doing these kind of things on tumblr let me know and i'll keep you in mind for the future! go and enjoy the abundance of the world around you

[carryonlikewedidbefore]

Now on the 3rd listen of Ramblin' On and I'm a lot more awake now.

Track 1 - Right Kind of Trouble. I do like the build at the end of Right Kind of Trouble. That is really fun.

Track 2 - Forever Ain't Long. oooooh I love the lyric 'Take me forever. Forever Ain't long" that's poetry.

Track 3 - Every Light. Such a great rhythm. Its a good road trip song with the way it rolls. Even the lyrics back it up as a road trip song. The dual images of being on the road, but not wanting to leave.

Track 4 - Ain't No Tellin'. Jensen's voice in this is amazing. And the bordering on soul sections with the choir in the back, fantastic.

Track 5 - You Made Me Blue. Such old school country. A perfect song to do the Texas Two-Step to. Lyrics-wise it has one of my favourite country music tropes, the I'm over you - good riddance song.

Track 6 - Keep on Ramblin'. How much Sturgill Simpson has Jensen been listening to? His vocal inflections are almost identical in this. Another great road trip song. The wandering cowboy kinda deal. And the guitar solo is very Willie Nelson/Django Reinhardt, Trigger would sound amazing playing it.

Track 7 - Sweet Escape. This is fun and considering the darker imagery in the lyrics with howlin at the moon, blocking out the negative voices etc its a lot more upbeat and cheery than you'd expect. Steve's voice is great and the fiddle has a sweet sound.

Track 8 - Return to Me. There is something warm about the sound in this song. The kind of track you can imagine sitting in front of a fire while listening to it, which considering the sad lyrics is an acomplishment. It feels like it finishes too suddenly though as if there should be another verse or a bridge.

Track 9 - Restless Man. Well this feels autobiographical Jensen. Considering the jetting around to different jobs he's been doing in the past couple of years and him talking about that keeping him happy, this feels more personal than the other two "being on the road" songs on the album.

Track 10 - Velvet Sky. Oh the fiddle at the start of this. Its so reminiscent of Jay Ungar and his traditional mountain music. This is probably the strongest final track of all the albums.

Over all, its a different feel from the first 2 albums since its a hell of a lot more country, but similar enough that it will weave together well if you play them shuffled. It just feels like a progression of their sound rather than a whole new beast

I think Every Light is starting to stand out at the best song on the album. Keep on Ramblin' would make an excellent single.

[gracefullou]

I loved every moment you mentioned too! The greatest is so good, it was one of my immediate favourites on the album on first listen so hearing it as the opener was awesome. SIBWAWC delivered as expected!!! So good. It was just such a strong setlist! I agree about the 1D songs, I never really listened to 1D (other than how everyone my age did, in the sense that the music was everywhere so you picked stuff up) so I wasnt that familiar with WDBHG but Louis made it fun! I'd be fine with only one 1D cover (especially if it gave us headline, common people or TTWLG which im keeping my fingers crossed will get rotated in)

The production was really good, I'm a fairly new fan so haven't seen too much of Louis' last tour (mostly just clips) so it was really cool to see all the screens and lights. You can tell a lot of thought goes into making it feel cohesive.

I was soooo pleased to hear Copy, it's just SUCH a good song and he looked confident singing it.

Also back to you!!! I really didn't expect that, it was such a good version. And "Miss you" was one of the first Louis songs I discovered and really loved (very late discovery as this was like...last year? Haha) and I've always thought it would be SUCH a great song to experience live so that gives me a bit of hope that maybe we'll get a version of it at some point on this tour. (Whishful thinking maybe!)

Also got to mention going from saved by a stranger (Also so good) to WAOYF...the emotional whiplash!!!! It worked though!

Honestly, I could probably run through every song with something I liked (I've barely mentioned HOTH and Saturdays and silver Tongues!) but I've already ranted in your inbox enough but what a great first show!!!! So excited for the next one!!!

I'm glad to see the greatest appreciation, it was one of my favs at first listen too. Louis writes the best tour openers. He really did transport us to another world with sibwawc didn't he 😌 his mind is just superior. The production was mind blowing and a true step up from last tour (ltwt's production was still amazing though). Copy is a masterpiece no doubt about that the imagerie of the lyrics is insane. BTY in 2023? If someone told me that before the show i would never believe them but it made me so happy for many reasons. There is hope for miss you after all 😭 ( i think at some point he's going to replace bty with miss you and if it happens idk how i'll survive). There was so many surprises last night but honestly the biggest one for me was him singing saved by a stranger ❤️‍🩹(the bravery, the grace!!). Not only that he also made it kind of rock and followed it with waoyf (that fan in the live stream who was silent the whole time but felt the need to shout "can we pls go back to fucking" instead of " loving" didn't go unnoticed🔪🔪). Tbh, i always thought if he really had to perform a 1d song, night changes would be a good one (his solo is so angelic in it) and i enjoyed it when he performed it in the past. But this time, even i was surprised that the 1d covers didn't work for me. I think fitf is just a beast on a whole other level and performing 1d songs among such a brillant setlist emphasizes the quality differece between Louis' solo songs and the band's, sorry. Night changes followed by Chicago and wdbhg put between ooms and saturdays (and then silver tongues) was almost humilating for them if it weren't for Louis' perfect delivery and witt (and angelic voice). I can talk about the show forever and in detail about each and every song but i didn't want to make this any longer. Feel free to rant about Louis' music and performances in my inbox i love those kind of rants 🥰. The second show is today and i couldn't be more excited 💙

[lorenlily]

hey, feb anon here

sorry for not messaging for a couple days, i meant to but kept being distracted and forgetting, sorry

yeah, i think that i might watch the new ant man movie cause i do like those ones, but overally marvel and disney+ just annoys me now, especially since everything i want to watch is on it and i don't have it (yes i may be slightly bitter, but no mind)

i really need to get round to watching the amazing spiderman movies, they seem really good.

oh i love the songs maisie has on the trying soundtrack, especially party and i want you to change. the list is also like one of the most comforting songs ever, i listen to it all the time when i'm feeling bad.

i think right now my favourite maisie song is details. i love the ones where she's just being really honest about not necessarily being in the right and being kinda mean and rude and abdigfahbab i just love the song

like yeah, i don't want to hear about the mixtapes, or the cigarettes she smokes, and i don't want to hear about the one time you met up in that park we'd always go, so i'll ignore her and she'll be really nice to me, and i know i'm being bitter and jealous and mean.

sorry i've gone on about maisie for too long now

OH WAIT, SHE ANNOUNCED THAT THE ALBUM NAME IS THE GOOD WITCH, AND SHE KEEPS USING TORNADO EMOJIS WHEN POSTING ABOUT THE ALBUM, SO I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE LOTS OF WIZARD OF OZ IMAGERY AND LYRICS AND YEAH I'M REALLY EXCITED

ok yeah, now i'm done with the chatter about maisie.

derry girls is amazing, i'm watching it as i'm writing this actually! if you haven't tried it yet then you really should, it's absolutely hilarious!!!!!

i have to get around to reading djats, it sounds really good.

ok, onto taylor. i appreciate the support for my top three, and it hurts my heart to see people hating on my beloved coney island and labyrinth. no taste, they have absoluteluy no taste.

i am most excited for speak now when it comes to rerecordings because it has some of her most intense songs, both lyrically and vocally, so hearing her grown up 33 year old voice when she's belting in haunted and dear john and mine and sparks fly is something i'm so excited for, not even to mention hearing a 33 year old taylor singing dear john and innocent and never grow up with 14 years to have spent looking back and growing up and learning. it'll just be amazing.

when it comes to vault tracks, funnily enough i think it's 1989. because we know now that she was struggling a lot with her mental health in that era, but she didn't really want to release songs about it or talk about it in the public eye like she does now, and the only song on that album that even gets close to adressing stuff like that is clean. but now, i think she will feel more comfortable talking about that and i think there will be a lot more emotionally intense songs, or just songs referencing those situations. like how in red tv we got things like nothing new and forever winter, that she never would have released in 2012.

also, by that time in her career she was a lot better about not having leaks occur, so we really have no clue about possible 1989 vault songs, unlike speak now or debut.

i haven't watched any of the movies or tv shows you said but i'll have to check some of them out. i'm really excited for maybe a trailer from pjo series as well though!!! i can't wait!!!!!! i think that you would write an amazing book!!!!!! but i get the whole not being able to actually get the ideas down on paper. i started writing a couple stories (ff) in 2021, and i haven't updated them since februrary of that year, which is slightly crazy, but yeah that's how long it's been.

omg, i just realized what day it is.

exactly two years ago yesterday, i was watching a gyoutube video where the woman making it went off on a tangent about how amazing and heartbreaking the song dear john was. i immediatly went and listened to the song, over and over, and then watched every reaction to that song on the internet. then i, over the next few months, listened to the entirety of taylor's discography. goddamn, i can't believe it's been two years, that's crazy.

good thing i did though, it's the reason i even know who you are and am sending this message.

anyways, wow that was a lot of rambling, i swear when i write these on a computer it just completely gets away from me and i end up writing a ridiculous amount

hey maybe you should try writing your stories in asks to your friends, i can vouch that it makes you write a ridiculous amount.

how are you doing today? and how was your valentines day? i hope it was good and i am sending you flowers and chocolates and little heart pillows and just general happiness.

so yeah, i hope all is good with you and this puts a smile on your face.

and hey, you are over halfway through februrary, and i am so incredibly proud of you <3

hiiiiiii

yep absolutely the amazing spiderman movies are my faves but prepare for a lot of tears in the second one (sorrry!)

i really love the list i just saw a video of her performing it when i was on tiktok and details omg i really love when songs are a little mean!! like high infidelity and skip that part by x ambassadors ft jensen mcrae (that one is really mean!)

the good witch is such a great name for an album and i really really really love the whole album cover for it! i'm very excited for it and the rest of the imagery and sound especially saying the songs sound like spells and hexes (ahhhh more mean songs pls!!)

coney island and labyrinth my beloveds <3 and omg i love how you found her through reaction videos there's so many now especially with more people listening to album tracks! dear john is still my favourite track 5 and until folklore/evermore and onwards, speak now has always had my favourite vocals from her albums and i can feel like speak now tv vocals could be so incredible especially her deeper tone on songs like last kiss and haunted and innocent and never grow up omg it's going to sound like an older sister singing it to you

i too am most excited for speak now tv (duh!) but 1989 has always had my favourite deluxe tracks so the vault i have high expectations and i didn't think about how it could have songs like forever winter (thats my favourite vault track rn) and i really hope sweeter than fiction gets a chance to be on 1989 tv (and safe and sound and eyes open get to be on speak now tv!!)

i hope you had a good day! did you take part in valentunes? that was really fun for me and how is it already mid feb??? that means you also got through it and i'm really happy you sent that first message <3

[shinygoku]

Let it Be (1970)

Oh god, here we go. This album [and the Docu-film of the same name] is one big magical mess, with multiple different versions, the "main" one being coated in the musical version of Glitter Glue by a strange disgusting weirdo, so I guess I gotta check my expectations. This album and the larger ideas for the project were heavily affected by the rampant discord in the group due to many factors, too complex and quite frankly depressing to get into here. These reasons, and the songs themselves being another mixed bag, are why I'm adamant to get it outta the way before the Actual Last Album, the release date can suck it up.

The concept behind this, of the four in their own little photos, is fine (if unintentionally symbolism for the division among 'em...) but oh my god, the execution here sucks. John looks like a wet dog, Paul is getting blocked by his mic, something else is in front of Ringo and George.... well George seems to be having a funky good time! But why the hell were these snapshots chosen over the thousands of other photoshoots, or even nicer individual frames from the Documentary? Insane but in a banal, boring way. Worst cover of their whole set of Albums, easy.

SIDE ONE

Two of Us: After an unrelated introduction by John, a more folksy ballad starts up. Describing comfy mundanities between a pair, and intercut with solo Paul sections, mentioning a road that stretches on ahead (foreshadowing?). It's a nice one and so very John and Paul coded its title was used for the RPF movie made by the Fujoshi who was there to watch and film 'em for the Docu.

Dig a Pony: A western style opening leads to a mellow John monologue that seems to be another series of codes with a mostly coherent line having an odd ending, for example the title itself. "Pick a Moondog" might be a reference to the prototype early Group Name, back in the 50's... Overall though this feels like hearing an easy listening song but it's in a language you only know some vocab of. There's hard to hear talking both before and after the track, which I don't object to (Studio chatter can be very charming and/or insightful!) but can't pick out well.

Across the Universe: This is absolutely one of the strongest songs on the album and some beautiful lyric weaving of John's.... so how come it sounds like I'm hearing it through a wall? While some quiet orchestra music is also playing? A song this thoughtful deserves crisp, clean audio!! The metaphors and evocative imagery are complemented with some spiffy guitar work and I easily see why it's a Favourite but the 2021 remix (while still having the chorus overlay ¬¬;; ) is the better option for this one.

I Me Mine: George's vagueblogging about John and Paul and their hyperfocus on each other, coupled with the expense of their true feelings and also other people in general? It sure could be! A nice waltz and then rocking section that calms back down. There's also some hard hitting drums here, so I'm digging it B3

Dig It: I swear I didn't plan my previous words to lead into this lmaooo - Anyway! At less than 1 minute this is an odd one. Seems to be more a warm up exersise and/or larking around rather than a song. I don't really care for this tbh

Let it Be: We're finally at the title track! Another song Paul got from a Dream, though not as powerful and interesting lyric-wise as Yesterday. Still, the piano makes a lovely start, and I really like how the other instruments come on in sequence spaced out along the song. The High Hat(?) and later the blazing guitar work, ooooh that's some good stuff!!

Maggie Mae: For the first time in ages, a cover! Seems this one just like, Existed in Liverpool for many years, though I've only heard the Beatles' take of the whole song. That is, 40 seconds of a jaunty tune. It's fine and has some good R trilling, but kind of just ends. However I like how it has all the lads lean into their Scouse Roots so I rate it higher for that <3

SIDE TWO

I've Got a Feeling: Paul and John do their wombo combo thing. I can't understand some of Paul's yelling but overall I like it! But not love. Cheeky moments and surging energy helps make it a funky experience. Another moment where there's talking after the song itself wraps... are these takes from the Rooftop Concert? o3o;;

One After 909: I think this counts as Rockabilly. Again I like it but I'm not wild, though that may be a genre thing as the wordplay is still clever and fun. Splendid instruments keep a great energy to go with the lyrics about rushing here and there. And then a smidge of Danny Boy? .....ok.......

The Long and Winding Road: Hello, operator? I'd like to report a crime! This song has been absolutely butchered!!

One of Paul's most raw, emotional, very thinly veiled messages to John. But under Spector's editing, absurdly overdone. Flippin' heavenly choirs getting slapped on top. Stupid soaring instruments that overinflate the whole experience. It pisses me off that this is the "main" version, making it on compilations like #1s and The Blue Album, when Paul's redone it himself in the Naked edition and it's actually clean and lovely.

Still, one of the strongest on the album if you can get past the orchestral bullshit. Its beautiful if sombre words make the Naked version one of my favourites of Paul's of all time, and this way I can actually hear the band's subdued instrumentation and the range of emotion in Paul's voice.

For You Blue: After more murmuring, George's second song of the album kicks in, with an odd Sproing-y tune and I guess bluesy ditty. Even includes George making a spoken word comment in the midst. It's fine but I know George can do better, like the aforementioned I Me Mine.

Get Back: The other title track, if we're thinking about the epically long version of the Documentary. Yet more Chatter opens this one, including a twist on some of the lyrics to come lol. Another US Country kind of flavoured tune, with ambiguous lyrics about being told to ...get back to where they once belonged being easy to misunderstand between being affirmation or shooing (even John suspected that Paul was directing it at Yoko), and also the verse about Loretta being trans as people in the 60's understood it, so it's shaky by today's standards but for the time having someone following their own idea of gender is pretty progressive.

And finally some talking I can hear without replaying it! John's remark about passing the audition, it's pretty famous ;3

CONCLUSION

Best 3: Two Of Us, Across the Universe, The Long and Winding Road (Paul's work)

Blurst 3: Dig It, For You Blue, The Long and Winding Road (With stupid ass Dubbing. Spector out here trying to be Proto-Funimation!)

This album was conceived as an attempt for the band to go back to their roots, with blues and rock and acoustic guitars. Maybe not as far as Hamburg level of raw grit, but still re-finding themselves after their increasing reliance on cutting edge technology and techniques. But it didn't quite work out that way, both seen in the Documentary footage of a group of blokes at a bit of a loss, and in this production with overdubbed orchestral and choirs that muddy the music further. Damn does it ever suck this was the last full album released when the four of 'em were all alive!

With this real world subtext and the general tone of most of the songs, I dub this the Sombre album. Not to say it's completely lacking in va va voom, but it's mostly known for the sad, wistful Road, the Acceptance song, and their final concert on a humble rooftop.

🪲🪲🪲🪲

Fortunately the actual last album the lads made is actually a Grand Finale! For a beautiful silver lining to a rather large cloud, look no further than above the streets of Abbey Road~