the people on the jester-records board hate the new album

[FuSoYa]

posted by Ananael:

Kayo Dot - A Dissapointment



I hate to say this but I have just heard the new Kayo Dot album and I'm not impressed. I had high hopes but I think they were just shot down...extremely. The album reeks of pretentiousness so much that the songs go nowhere at over 10 min a piece. That and Tobe whines worse than your cliched indie rock band...and after a while the whining and wailing gets very grating and annoying. The songs tend to drag and go nowhere...and the whole thing sounds like they tried way too hard to be avantgarde.


It has some shining moments but they don't last long. For the most part it seems like a very weak release to me..I will give it a couple more listens but I just don't have much of a desire to. If I end up liking it later I will recant this said post.



dizzamn, yo!

 

[FuSoYa]

notably, i expected as much.

 

[The Dope]

At least you have a new, trendy spelling for your name.

 

[IanDork107]

That from Jester Records cronies, probably the most pretentious (the way they use the word) of all.

 

[YaYo]

After first listen i thought this CD was very hmm... i didnt know what to think. I listened, it played, it ended. A whole bunch of weird stuff in between. It seemed like you had all the quiet moments, all the crazy moments, and none of the actual substance to put it into context. And i swear if you'd asked me how many vocals there were on the album i wouldve looked at you and said "huh? there were vocals?".

Then i listened a few more times and now i fucking love it! And with every listen the vocals seem to have more of a role, it's like each time i play the CD more vocals are added! And now i find meaning and substance in the music, where before i didnt. This CD just takes me away, i dont listen and hear a band playing in a studio, or a band playing anywhere, i just hear the music and see great imagery. It's such a different musical experience to that which i've had before, and i thank you all for that.

And i love the production, such a natural sound, yet so full and produced.

Well done on every aspect of this release. It's really refreshing to see a band with a lot of talent actually challenging themselves and pushing themselves, rather than simply pumping out whatever comes easy.

Would you mind if i kidnapped your drummer and used him for my project? hehe

 

[FalseTodd]

If it means a free trip to Australia, no kidnapping will be necessary.

 

[IanDork107]

Yayo's back! people are wondering about you over at the opeth board.

 

[YaYo]

If it means a free trip to Australia, no kidnapping will be necessary.

If only i could afford such a thing! Can't find any drummers (or vocalists) who actually want to do anything for me.

Anyway, it's only really a recording thing, not entirely necessary for a trip here

Yayo's back! people are wondering about you over at the opeth board.

Yeh, i replied earlier today!

 

[xfer]

I would hesitate to disparage people who don't love the album straightaway, actually. I think it gets better and better with every listen, and it's not easily penetrable. This will drive off the callow and pop-liking listeners who don't bother to listen a couple more times, but it will infinitely improve the experience for everyone else. So I would say give them time, and if people are closed-minded enough not to give it a few listens and realise why it's great, fuck 'em. But give 'em the time to hang or redeem themselves.

Also: every criticism I've heard of the album that was remotely coherent (and not just GAY-shouting) has faulted it for being too arty and too intelligent. I don't want to be the guy complaining a new record's not dumb enough for me, and criticism like that just reinforce my notion that you guys did a great job.

 

[YaYo]

Also: every criticism I've heard of the album that was remotely coherent (and not just GAY-shouting) has faulted it for being too arty and too intelligent. I don't want to be the guy complaining a new record's not dumb enough for me, and criticism like that just reinforce my notion that you guys did a great job.

Yes indeedy. It seems many people follow the thought pattern: "if its technically really good, and i dont like it, then it's pretentious"

I think such comments are only valid if the extra skill placed into the music achieves no real musical outcome, if it's there simply to make a normal record seem better. This is certainly not the case with kayo dot, this is a unique experience that could not be created with a band with standard instruments, or with every riff repeating 4 times or such. It certainly takes a lot more effort to get into, there's a reason pop-songs repeat everything as many times as possible, it helps us remember things instantly on first listen. But the rewards from the listening to an album like kayo dot are far greater, and last far longer.

Simplistic music has its place, as does 'intelligent' 'arty' music. I, for one, am glad that i can enjoy both extremes. The people who make such comments are probably not the people this album was made for, and as such it shouldnt bother the kayo dot guys at all.

 

[xfer]

I also think it serves to show that the band's move to Tzadik away from the traditional metal scene was perfect.

 

[Demonspell]

I agree, I think most people misuse the word pretentious to describe something they can appreciate musically, but are left confused by the methods of composition and are unable to fully grasp its content after a casual listening session. I don't know exactly when ambition becomes pretension, probably when technicality is seen as an end in itself.

 

[ChromeLife]

I also think it serves to show that the band's move to Tzadik away from the traditional metal scene was perfect.

Definitly... all the questions I had about the stuff the band has been doing were answered by the record.

 

[Static]

This may sound egotistical, but I feel that I'm a pretty open-minded music fan. I like anything from simplistic semi-pop tunes to insane technical metal to weird random techno music, but this album takes the cake when it comes to originality...I've never heard music that sounds like this. At first it was very alienating and strange, and after many listens I admit I still don't fully get it. I now understand the name change though...this definately isn't Maudlin of the Well, you guys have genuinely progressed.

I still can't make complete heads or tails of this album, but the joy is in exploring it. If it wasn't for my love of Maudlin I don't know whether I would be getting into this music, but I'm glad that I have the opportunity to hear something so different and original. For the most part, this album is great. The vocals still confuse me a bit though.

 

[Ominous Luminous]

I'd just like to point out that I post on the jester records forum and I like the album. http://neovoid.org/jester/get.asp?M=54658&P=54635&T=54612
In fact I like it so much that I still haven't gotten around to listening to half of the other new albums I listed in that link.
I think since Tuesday I have listened to Choirs about 15-20 times.