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PO Now: American Football - LP3 (3/22/2019)


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14 minutes ago, Derek™ said:

I know this is going to sound nerdy as hell, but as someone who’s a little ritualistic with the first listen of new albums I’m hyped on, I really like to kick back and give them as much of my full attention as I can.  To add to the immersion, I recently got a hold of a few LIFX smart bulbs and have been programming them to reflect the album art or packaging of albums that I listen to.  It really helps to bathe the room in as much atmosphere as possible, and switching the lights back to normal when the album ends really heightens the “whoa” experience.  I’ve already got LP3 dialed in and it’s a beaut.

I can be the same way for first listens of things I'm really excited for like this album. That's why I like the idea of waiting for my record to arrive :)

 

I head into the record room, dim the lights, usually get the dog up on the  couch with me and give it a good listen. If it's something with heavy bass one of our cats usually joins me at some point, and if the album is a little brighter, the other cat usually comes in instead.

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1 hour ago, Derek™ said:

I know this is going to sound nerdy as hell, but as someone who’s a little ritualistic with the first listen of new albums I’m hyped on, I really like to kick back and give them as much of my full attention as I can.  To add to the immersion, I recently got a hold of a few LIFX smart bulbs and have been programming them to reflect the album art or packaging of albums that I listen to.  It really helps to bathe the room in as much atmosphere as possible, and switching the lights back to normal when the album ends really heightens the “whoa” experience.  I’ve already got LP3 dialed in and it’s a beaut.

I'm gonna wanna see pictures of that when the time comes

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4 hours ago, Derek™ said:

I know this is going to sound nerdy as hell, but as someone who’s a little ritualistic with the first listen of new albums I’m hyped on, I really like to kick back and give them as much of my full attention as I can.  To add to the immersion, I recently got a hold of a few LIFX smart bulbs and have been programming them to reflect the album art or packaging of albums that I listen to.  It really helps to bathe the room in as much atmosphere as possible, and switching the lights back to normal when the album ends really heightens the “whoa” experience.  I’ve already got LP3 dialed in and it’s a beaut.

This is why I'm trying to hold out! I love digging through and hearing new stuff each week, but if it's an album I'm excited for you know it's gotta be done right. My living room has lots of natural light but no overhead lighting, so the second it gets darker and a couple of lamps go on I'm quite lucky to have a real nice space for exactly this.  I'm still real jealous of the smart lighting though, hoping for pics of this so I can live vicariously through them!

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3 hours ago, DecayToDeath said:

I'm gonna wanna see pictures of that when the time comes

 

2 minutes ago, Mattallurgist said:

This is why I'm trying to hold out! I love digging through and hearing new stuff each week, but if it's an album I'm excited for you know it's gotta be done right. My living room has lots of natural light but no overhead lighting, so the second it gets darker and a couple of lamps go on I'm quite lucky to have a real nice space for exactly this.  I'm still real jealous of the smart lighting though, hoping for pics of this so I can live vicariously through them!

At the moment I’ve only got 2 hooked up to a ceiling light, so it’s nothing elaborate.  But even the 2 are pretty effective – I tested it out with a couple of shades of green and yellow-green for a trial listen of Isis’ Oceanic, and it was killer.  (Just wish there was a way to have them slowly shift and transition into one another.  Maybe with an app.)  They’re not cheap so they’re not a priority at the moment, but I’d like to eventually get one of those 5’ floor lamps that can house 4 or more, starting from the ground up.  That’s the dream.  I’ve played around with a few apps that are supposed to synchronize them with the music detected by your phone but I haven’t found one that feels right just yet.

 

Anyway, I digress.  It’s cool to see so many others serious about their first listens though.  I think it’s a bit of a lost art these days.

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I checked the spectrals again and they’re worse than I originally thought.  Any 320 out there was transcoded from 128 kbps into 192, and then again into 320.  That’s a rough listen.  Glad it’s getting the job done for you, but I’m surprised [and kind of bummed] that a proper leak is proving to be so resilient.  Oh well; < 3 weeks left at this point.

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10 minutes ago, Derek™ said:

I checked the spectrals again and they’re worse than I originally thought.  Any 320 out there was transcoded from 128 kbps into 192, and then again into 320.  That’s a rough listen.  Glad it’s getting the job done for you, but I’m surprised [and kind of bummed] that a proper leak is proving to be so resilient.  Oh well; < 3 weeks left at this point.

Yeah, as a father of 4 with 2 jobs, sitting in a well lit room with proper listening atmosphere is near impossible for me. I take the transcoded leak in my Bluetooth plantronics headset and try to enjoy it the best I can while I’m working. I’m Super excited for you though, this album is gonna rule in that space

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15 minutes ago, Tommy said:

Yeah, as a father of 4 with 2 jobs, sitting in a well lit room with proper listening atmosphere is near impossible for me. I take the transcoded leak in my Bluetooth plantronics headset and try to enjoy it the best I can while I’m working. I’m Super excited for you though, this album is gonna rule in that space

Yeah, not harping on you, especially with a family and additional responsibilities you’ve got going on.  You have to take what you can get.  At least it’ll sound significantly better once you’re able to spin it, stream it, or download a proper copy.  Either way, I’m glad the reception has been so positive from you.  I wouldn’t read as much into it if it were just a random take.

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@Tommy: now that you’ve had it for a week or so, how would you say it fits into their discography?  I’m a realist and well aware that they’re not going to hone into the magic that made LP1 what it is.  Too much time has passed and I’ve listened to too much Owen to not draw comparisons there.  I would be happy if it felt more like an AF record than LP2 did, though.  Based off the single I’ve checked out, that’s the vibe I pick up on. Like a more matured, spacier American Football.  Wondering if that’s consistent throughout the album and how those guest spots tie into it all.

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4 hours ago, Derek™ said:

@Tommy: now that you’ve had it for a week or so, how would you say it fits into their discography?  I’m a realist and well aware that they’re not going to hone into the magic that made LP1 what it is.  Too much time has passed and I’ve listened to too much Owen to not draw comparisons there.  I would be happy if it felt more like an AF record than LP2 did, though.  Based off the single I’ve checked out, that’s the vibe I pick up on. Like a more matured, spacier American Football.  Wondering if that’s consistent throughout the album and how those guest spots tie into it all.

You know, I’ve had it for a week and I’ve heard it through a couple times. I’ve really listened to tracks 1-5 more than the back half (Mostly due to getting distracted with work and not because it’s any better or worse). But my take so far is that it’s way more AF than LP2 (which I’ve stated in other threads, I believe was a straight Owen record with better backing instrumentation.) The vocals are more buried, reverbed and shoegazey. Production is off the charts good and clear. Songwriting is phenomenal. I still can’t rank one album over the other, LP2 was very special to me. 

Edited by Tommy
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3 minutes ago, Tommy said:

You know, I’ve had it for a week and I’ve heard it through a couple times. I’ve really listened to tracks 1-5 more than the back half (Mostly due to getting distracted with work and not because it’s any better or worse). But my take so far is that it’s way more AF than LP2 (which as I’ve stated in other threads, I believe was a straight Owen record with better backing instrumentation. The vocals are more buries, reverbed and shoegazey. Production is off the charts good and clear. Songwriting is phenomenal. I still can’t rank one album over the other, LP2 was very special to me. 

That seems fair.  I think we’re in a minority since I got tons of mileage out of LP2, and it seemed to leave a sour taste in most folks’ mouths.  100% agree that it feels like an Owen album with more elaborate instrumentation and passages.  The fact I can relate to your thoughts on LP2 well makes me extra hyped to spend time with LP3.  I may have held out on listening to further singles, but I haven’t held out on reading first impressions.  And with that being said, it sounds like the back half is more of a subtle grower.  Lots of high praise for Doom in Full Bloom, like you said.

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I, too, have held off on listening to anything after the initial single. All the positive words really make me excited. LP2, despite being a total Owen record, holds a very special place to me too. I also have been using a couple of smart lights in color coordination with my first listens of records. Really ups the expierence for a first listen. 

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1 hour ago, Tommy said:

You know, I’ve had it for a week and I’ve heard it through a couple times. I’ve really listened to tracks 1-5 more than the back half (Mostly due to getting distracted with work and not because it’s any better or worse). But my take so far is that it’s way more AF than LP2 (which I’ve stated in other threads, I believe was a straight Owen record with better backing instrumentation.) The vocals are more buried, reverbed and shoegazey. Production is off the charts good and clear. Songwriting is phenomenal. I still can’t rank one album over the other, LP2 was very special to me. 

 

1 hour ago, Derek™ said:

That seems fair.  I think we’re in a minority since I got tons of mileage out of LP2, and it seemed to leave a sour taste in most folks’ mouths.  100% agree that it feels like an Owen album with more elaborate instrumentation and passages.  The fact I can relate to your thoughts on LP2 well makes me extra hyped to spend time with LP3.  I may have held out on listening to further singles, but I haven’t held out on reading first impressions.  And with that being said, it sounds like the back half is more of a subtle grower.  Lots of high praise for Doom in Full Bloom, like you said.

 

42 minutes ago, The Butcha said:

I, too, have held off on listening to anything after the initial single. All the positive words really make me excited. LP2, despite being a total Owen record, holds a very special place to me too. I also have been using a couple of smart lights in color coordination with my first listens of records. Really ups the expierence for a first listen. 

I also enjoy LP2 greatly. Can't wait to get this one in.

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17 minutes ago, batman said:

+1 for LP2 love. Those songs were so damn good live too. Gives me chills just thinking about it. 

That tour was so good. I had mild expectations as I heard mikes vocals on some YouTube videos beforehand. The show in Orlando was absolutely perfect 

 

link on my insta story https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3ODQ2MDY3MTU3Mjg1NzE5/?utm_source=ig_story_highlights_share&igshid=1sm920qjkd0u2

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Just like to echo the sentiments that LP2 was great, admittedly I came to this band very late having only really picked up their stuff and Owen maybe 2 or 3 years ago because of the conversation in a thread like this. Maybe it's the core nineties fan base that just didn't get on with it, I imagine after such a long stretching hiatus the expectations were insurmountable for some to look past? I agree that it does sound very different to LP1 but in my experience whenever a band disappears and then reappears after so long there's sadly always an element of elitism to be found in the fan base.

 

The instrumentation on LP2 is solid, the lyrics let it down in very few patches and its in no way a bad album. It's just different and I am always happy to have an album which mixes things up.

My hopes are high for LP3 but after two listens of Silhouettes and one of the track with Hayley Williams I'm holding off now. Not long to wait.

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15 hours ago, Derek™ said:

it sounds like the back half is more of a subtle grower

Ok, I just spent the past hour on these last 3 tracks. Here's my take: If the first 1-5 are 9-10s, tracks 6/7 are maybe 8s. Last track is super solid, a great closer but nowhere near as good as 'Everyone is Dressed Up' on LP2. I would say that tracks 6/7 are right on the lines of LP2 in terms of vibe and quality of content. I also feel that coming off of Doom in Full Bloom, nothing is gonna sound as good in contrast, that song is otherworldly

 

edit: ah fuck me, 6/7 are actually phenomenal after 5th time listening. This album is gonna be AOTY for me

Edited by Tommy
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3 hours ago, Tommy said:

Ok, I just spent the past hour on these last 3 tracks. Here's my take: If the first 1-5 are 9-10s, tracks 6/7 are maybe 8s. Last track is super solid, a great closer but nowhere near as good as 'Everyone is Dressed Up' on LP2. I would say that tracks 6/7 are right on the lines of LP2 in terms of vibe and quality of content. I also feel that coming off of Doom in Full Bloom, nothing is gonna sound as good in contrast, that song is otherworldly

 

edit: ah fuck me, 6/7 are actually phenomenal after 5th time listening. This album is gonna be AOTY for me

Ah shit, the AOTY gauntlet has been thrown.  Excellent to hear there are some subtle growers to work at; I tend to get way more mileage out of albums that aren’t immediate hooks across the board.  I think that’s why I got so many plays out of LP2.

 

Also nice to see the general appreciation for AF in these last few posts.  Far too many social media “they shoulda’ stayed on hiatus...” comments when their last album dropped.

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