#one or two aren't exactly catchy but they're really really good

[seaofreverie]

Sparkstember Day 12: In Outer Space (Cool Places)

Oh boy, it's finally here!! Having been a Sparks fan for nearly a year by that point, I finally got to an album I just straight up don't like! I honestly forgot by then that this was even a possibility. But a world where I can enjoy everything in such a vast catalogue of a favourite band of mine would be too perfect. It would be pretty strange and unsettling even. Not to always make it about my other favourite band whenever I'm talking about the first, but with TMBG also I eventually got to that one studio album release that I just couldn't bring myself to like, no matter what. So I think I discovered a bit of a personal repeating pattern here.

Alright then. My verdict on this album, which already got a pretty mixed response from fans as far as I know, is that it's not very good, or at the very least, it's not for me. Even the songs I like here I mostly like in the sense of, well, this one I could listen to again outside of the album every once in a while, but they're nowhere near being an actual favourite (besides one song, or two, mayyyybe four if I'm feeling particularly generous).

So I think that my main problem here comes down to how the arrangements / instrumentals seem rather empty to me but not in a cool minimalistic way. And, dare I say, they're pretty damn uninteresting - very few elements of suprise or anticipation to be found here. This is the only Sparks album that just... doesn't feel Sparks to me. (And that's coming right after Angst, which might really just be one of the most Sparks-like of Sparks albums in a way). Something is TERRIBLY missing here and a couple catchy melodies and fun synth lines aren't enough to make up for that. It drags on quite a bit and is underwhelming to listen to as a whole. With only a couple moments of change and something more interesting and engaging. It's this sort of situation where I feel like the whole time I'm waiting for some kind of resolution that never happens ultimately. First instance of me putting on a new Sparks album and forcing myself to sit through the whole thing. And last one I hope! (and expect...? well, better not jinx it)

Ok, having said all that... This will be a historical event because I can't finish this post before I have my obligatory listen to the album of the day on its day. So, time for some real time documentation of my changing opinion, or lack thereof. Time to hear IOS in it's entirety for the first time since april!

...Ok, I'm glad that I didn't say all this in vain at least, LOL! Because I'm still underwhelmed! No major change here. Definitely still not something I'm going to return to more often than very occasionally and the "waiting for nothing" effect was very present and real once again. And it just dawned on be, but do most of these songs not have a bridge?? Maybe that could be part of why it all feels pretty predictable! But alright, as per tradition, let's look at some highlights anyway.

Favourite songs (and other highlights):

Cool Places: never felt in any strong way about it but repeated listens made it an enjoyable little ditty over time, lol. One of my first impressions here was how LOW Russell's voice is, this must be the lowest he's ever sung, right?? And oh, quick shoutout to the 21×21 version of it too

All You Ever Think About Is Sex: ok, this one's really cool and exactly what convinced me that the rest of the album would be enjoyable in the same way. Not for me unfortunately!!

Please, Baby, Please: my definitive fav here that I like a whole lot and that for whatever reason doesn't seem to have any of this album's problems that I described earlier. And I'll always be partial towards songs that I can interpret as being aspec-coded, thanks to my predisposition to do that as often as possible

I Wish I Looked A Little Better: very similar case to All You Ever Think About Is Sex

Dance Godammit: it's funny. It's fun to listen to sometimes

[aotopmha]

This is my random Dawntrail thoughts dumping ground post, stuff I didn't find enough to say about to make a separate post about.

Some general area spoilers!

I mentioned this briefly before, but I think Dawntrail might have a bunch of my favourite zones in the game.

I think Tuliyollal is most certainly my favourite city next to Radz-at-Han and Kugane.

I adore the Crystarium, Ishgard, Ultima Thule, Amaurot and Garlemald narratively, but they're also not exactly locations I want to be in "constantly".

I adore Lakeland, Il Mheg, Rak'tika, Thavnair and the Azim Steppe because they're pretty and they definitely fulfilled this role previously for me, but I just enjoy hanging out in Kozama'uka, Urqopacha, Shaaloani and Yak T'el so much more as "locations" and in terms of atmosphere, not for story reasons.

They're great "MMO" zones for me.

I'm almost done with maxing out the Shared FATEs and even the last two zones aren't exactly ones I just want to chill in, either, but the others?

Great stuff and a niché that hadn't been specifically filled for me before this expansion.

I'd farm FATEs for eternity here with or without battle music.

Next, I think Dawntrail might also have my favourite soundtrack so far. So much variety and with the exception of some vocals, it's all great.

I love the other soundtracks, of course, but ShB and EW in particular were much less diverse in terms of styles at play, mostly leaning into lyric tracks, traditional orchestral or piano arrangements with some outliers.

They're amazing at what they're going for, but DT has great jazz, great traditional orchestral stuff, great techno, great rock.

And it's all really, really good.

And HW and StB are somewhere in the middle where they have a bunch of different styles of music, but not quite as much variety within them.

HW has Alexander, which is very different from any of the base game stuff and StB has lots of old FF music in Omega and Ivalice, but outside of that also mostly leans on traditional orchestral music with a touch of the cultures you encounter and lyric tracks.

And obviously, only the base expansion and first raid tier are out, but DT had a track in a different style for every single floor of the first raid tier. The variety is unmatched.

As said, my negative would actually be the lyric tracks because they just sound off this expac for some reason.

I've always found it to be the weakest part of the OSTs because when they're good, they're good, but there are points where they tend to be muffled or a strange kind of crackly or in DT's case just not sound good. Smile and the song for Arcadion M2 are solid compositions, latter is wonderfully catchy, but the singing itself is just kind of off to me.

I felt it to a lesser extent for M4, too.

But it's a very small part of the OST so far, so I think it barely pushes out ShB as my favourite OST.

Next, I want to briefly mention the job design.

I got all of the jobs I've leveled to 100 (so far 6 different ones).

To preface this: I'm entirely casual, so I have no idea how these feel in high-end play, but in terms of casual play, most just feel "streamlined".

I'll go down the list:

My enjoyment of Dragoon in particular increased quite a bit because, most simply put, some of it was just annoying to keep track of and keep doing. I'm so happy Dragonsight is gone because it was just annoying to apply it.

On the other hand, as smoother as I feel the gap closer is in terms of gameplay experience and as much as I love the new combo, Disesteem being a 2 min and there being no actual attack oGCD in place of Plunge somehow makes Dark Knight feel emptier.

Now that I reflect on it, I liked that you had another button to push, just not that it was a gap closer. Now it just feels like you just have less to do because a gap closer is situational.

Even as annoying as Blood Weapon was, it was a button to push.

Dark Knight is the job I've enjoyed playing the most out of all of the ones I've leveled and I still do, but it's the one I feel is the simplest now and not in a good way.

I think it actually really needs more oGCDs that aren't conditional procs or a resource skill or anything more than it currently does or something else going for it besides the gauge timer abilities and Delirium. It feels so simple, yet unlike Viper less satisfying.

It's my #1 pick for adjustments or a full rework for 8.0 or earlier, even if I might not like it afterwards.

I actually have very little commentary on Red Mage and Sage outside of it being neat that you have more attacks now.

I hear the new Manafication setup for Red Mage is pretty annoying in hardcore context. I'm pretty indifferent about it, so I wouldn't mind if they adjusted it.

Bard's new attacks are great and having the ability to use your songs without targeting is fantastic.

And Viper is 100% my new favourite melee, I think. You can just follow the shiny buttons or focus on trying to not overcap as best as you can, hitting all of the positionals the best you can and perfecting all of your button inputs because there are scenarios where you can lose a bunch of damage if you press the wrong button.

The ranged options and movement options are fantastic.

Awakening is a blast to try and use well mid-battle.

(Please don't remove too many of the positionals. They're a fun optimisation option.)

And I think that's about it for some of the scattered topics.

I have 90% of my Dawntrail thoughts out now.

I thought about it and I think separate dungeon posts are a pretty mild priority and I'll just enjoy the game and take a break from talking about it for at least a little bit.

Also depends on if I'll get any other ideas on topics I want to talk about, I suppose.

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 23rd October

Sometimes the charts confuse me. This is one such week. What happened to bring this rather nondescript song into the public eye? I can only imagine this is a bit of a hangover from Volare - people were just feeling the Italian vibe, I guess?

Come Prima - Marino Marini (peaked at Number 2)

It's a big Italian ballad, sung in the same sort of ballad style as Volare. And indeed, Marino Marini (not a stage name, his actual birth name, it seems!) did do a cover of Volare, so there is a bit of a link. Still, whereas Volare is all sweeping, catchy dreaminess and surrealism, this ballad, in comparison, is just kind of... fine. It's slow, melodically predictable and lyrically kind of bland, swelling just enough to feel rousing at the end, but not much more than that. There's even a key change that fails to make this song more exciting, which is almost an achievement in dullness.

I don't think the recording I'm listened to is particularly helped by its poor audio quality, or the choice of backing instruments, as Marino is accompanied by a rather twangy-sounding guitar right at the start, a slightly fuzzy-souding piano, and whatever the heck it is playing the solo in the middle. The latter is particularly mystifying to me, because it sounds like nothing less than a particularly unconvincing MIDI harmonica, as played through a 1950s sound system. Which cannot have been the case, but search me if I can work out exactly what I'm listening to. It's not the most robust or the most romantic sound, sadly.

The song wasn't a Marino Marini original, but rather a cover of a ballad originally written by one Mario Panzeri, and subsequently covered in a whole bunch of languages, as seems to frequently be the case with these mid-century European hits. It's kind of cool, honestly - nowadays, you don't get much representation from other European languages in the UK charts, aside from one or two tracks that scrape in off Eurovision (Zitti e buoni, looking at you!) And yet this song seems to have been released in Italian, French, English, Dutch and (rather improbably) Japanese. And all of that despite the fact that it was submitted for the Sanremo festival and rejected, initially.

Lyrically, there's not much going on. It's romantic enough, but in a rather bland way: As before, / More than before, / I will love you, / For life, / My life / I will give to you. It sounds a fair sight better in Italian, as most things do, but still. Not much going on here. But then again, I guess that's kind of the point with foreign-language songs. You don't listen to really understand the lyrics (or listeners who aren't weird about languages like I am don't, in any case). They're songs you put on purely for the vibes, and "romantic Italian ballad" is clearly a good enough vibe to sell to a British public already warmed up by Domenico Modugno's recent Eurovision success.

I'm coming round on this song, the more I listen to it. I still don't think it's Number 2 material, but there you go. It's pretty relaxing, and would be pleasant background music, I guess. Though whatever instrument's playing that solo really is unpleasant.

Okay-est song of the bunch: Come prima

[zoeylcwrence]

And to think Black Friday is just a holiday to exploit how we're wired and how we all can't say no to a good deal. Shame on the companies! Unless you're a small business. Then, you gotta do what you gotta do. Yeah! I know that things can range so high in prices, but if it's down from what it's usually at, I wouldn't see why you wouldn't get it then! Especially if it's something you really want. You're right! And I hear that some things aren't made to last so you then have to keep buying it every other year. I think just getting something you know that will last you years and years to come is your best bet. Oh, I'd love that! I only made small batches of each scent, so if you come early, I'll let you choose what you want before anyone else. I'll be sure to stop by Creekside to get some gifts, too. What would it take to commission two night stands and a bed headboard? One with four posts? Asking for a friend. I've always loved holiday markets, but Merrock just makes it all feel so nice and cozy. Exactly! It depends. I will eat cheese if it looks to good too pass up. Like fondue or a good cheese platter. Honestly? Can't remember the last time Spence cooked for me! And that might be for the best. But yeah! Bryan's pretty good in the kitchen. Definitely a perk to having him as a little brother. Oh, what kind of cake was it? I bet it was delicious. We had one of those, too! Always had a New Kids On The Block CD in at least one of them. But I always loved the one in the car because you could always switch them out as you went somewhere. But now you just have the touch of your phone and it's all there at your fingertips. I know a lot of people love the Christmas tunes this time of year, and I have to admit that they're pretty catchy. I am, yes! Got all my dinners prepped and ready. Plus I'm excited to play and probably lose Dreidel.

It's human nature, who would have thought? And yeah, I feel the same way. Especially if you find yourself in a position where it's something you can't normally afford and the other person really, really wants it, why not go out of your way to get it on that day, right? Exactly, I do have some older tool sets that have held up remarkably well, but I think the same could be said of anything. The older stuff lasts forever, the newer stuff is built to be replaced. Well, you can bet that I'll be stopping by to grab a few more candles, might even pick some up to put in Christmas gifts, 'cuz you can never have too many of those. I am really looking forward to the market, though, it's one of my favorite parts of Christmas, every year. Then you have to weigh the pros and cons to figure out if the cheese is worth it in that moment, right? I get it. I was going to ask if Spencer was a good cook, but you're probably talking about Bryan, come to think of it -- which hey, take advantage. I'm the same way with Clem. If I need something baked, I go to her rather than try it myself. I did make a cake last night that I was proud of, though. Oh yeah, we had one of those huge CD players in the house where you could load like six CDs in, but not in the car! Me too, I pick up a few vinyls every now and then, especially during this time of year. You're welcome! Are you all ready for Hanukkah? That starts this weekend, right?

[oikawas-toris]

>:0!! anything that is energetic, loud and has a nice and catchy chorus will do! jahsisjz hope I am not too picky =w=;;;

>:D also yes! That will do! Kshsizjzk thankie! <3 you da best

Omg no no you're not dw ><

Hmmm listen to

Wave

Pirate King

The real

Hala hala

A little space (three of the members feature in a Pentatonix song)

Deja vu

Eternal Sunshine

Turbulence

Dreamers

Star 1117

Ahhh I'm so sorry if it's a lot but these are my favorites! >< and naurrr YOU da best <3

[zeawkwardpterodactyl]

Stray Kids' ODDINARY (I am deceased)

I said I would be back with a review of the album, and I am back with a review of the album, just probably 24+ hours later because it's late and I have school tomorrow, and I feel like I should proofread this before posting it on the internet.

AKA: yes, yes I did just write a thousand words on why my favorite kpop group's new comeback is amazing so I could post it on TUMBLR

Track 1: Venom - Overall rating: 9/10. This is FIRE, definitely title track material. I mean have had Hyunjin's "gomijul" stuck in my head since the first teaser, so all of my expectations have been fulfilled with this song. Pretty much it's amazing and you should go listen to it. Favorite part: Seungmin has these two lines right before the song ends that absolutely CAPTIVATED me. His vocal skills are definitely underestimated for the SHEER LEVEL they are on.

Track 2: Maniac - Overall rating: 8/10. I already wrote a whole review on this with my favorite parts, how each member did with the song, and my overall thoughts on the MV and song. The only reason it gets 8/10 rather than 10/10 is because Minho and Jeongin didn't get THAT MANY lines, but they still ate and left no crumbs so there's not a ton to complain about.

Track 3: Charmer - Overall rating: 7/10. Okay, ngl, this one threw me off a little bit. I'm used to the very fun, hype, almost "immature, party" vibes that skz gives off with their songs, and this was a little different than I expected. Of course, they experiment in their music a lot, so it wasn't a huge deal, and I really enjoy how they've expanded to do a sexier song, if that makes sense. I mean, their youngest member is 21 years old internationally, so they'll have to do quite a bit of maturing as time goes on, and if that really is what they were going for, they nailed it. I also really appreciate how experimentative (is that a word?) the raps sound, it's just very unique. Out of all the lines, I enjoyed Minho's the most (he just holds a special place in my heart), but my favorite part of the song was the INSTRUMENTAL, so good!

Track 4: Freeze - Overall rating: 9/10. I was looking forward to this one the most after the teaser dropped. I'm a simple person, I see fuel for a Mafia AU and I'm hooked. There's not much to say except that they did not disappoint. They showcased exactly WHY I love skz as much as I do, it's catchy, and I know it'll take forever for me to get sick of it, if I ever do. Also, bonus points for Seungmin and Jeongin's parts since I feel like they don't usually get that much attention on harder-hitting songs like this.

Track 5: Lonely St. - Overall rating: 10/10. The slap in the face I got when this song came on was the worst and also the best, if that makes sense. There are so many bops on this album and this one came out of nowhere to be a bop, but just the kind of bop you cry to. Bang Chan and Changbin wrote the lyrics, and you can really see how their personality shines through in their word choice. I'm not fluent in Korean, so I ended up reading the translations and I'm not even joking when I say I'm on the verge of tears. This is one of those songs where, as corny as it may sound to some, you can connect with the artist. The lyrics painted a picture that all of us are now able to gaze upon. It's not a sappy love song, it shows what struggles our boys have had to go through as kpop idols, living the life that they do. I can't say for sure what it's about, since I don't know them personally, but the line that really got me was "still astray", because, for one, they're Stray Kids. The whole point is that they were lost and found hope in each other. But just because the Stray Kids aren't completely alone now doesn't mean they aren't still Stray Kids. Even as successful as they are, even with each other, they can still be "astray". And that just hits different in some sort of way. I could talk for hours about the song, but I'll just say that for now. Also, Changbin's vocals in the beginning are GOLD.

Track 6: Waiting for Us - Overall rating: 10/10. Another sad bop, yet surprisingly wholesome. I don't know how to describe this song, but it wormed its way into my heart and holds a special place there now. I can already see myself finding so many different ways to relate with this song, and I know it will cheer me up on bad days. This is the kind of song I would want at my wedding, if I ever get married, y'know? It just feels so comforting and relatable.

Track 7: Muddy Water - Overall rating 6/10. Now, I was super excited to listen to this one, just because of the whole "Shrek" joke that went around with the title reveal + teaser posters. However, I think my expectations for the vibe of the song were a little off. I think it's safe for me to say that this song is my least favorite on the album, though this does not mean it's bad, it's just not the type of song I'm used to listening to. However, I find the lyrics really clever, and it feels like something that will grow on me over time, so there's not too much for me to say right now.

General consensus: THIS IS AN AMAZING ALBUM WTF. It's distinctly Stray Kids, it has a song for every type of Stay, it showcases why we love these boys so much, and it will be on repeat for the next several weeks in my house and other's. The general vibe is a little different than their past albums, but it's so incredibly them. I think it would be a good example of what makes Stray Kids, well, Stray Kids. It may not be the best album for getting into skz, but it's great after getting to know them a little bit.