We will be doing the approval rating system. Right now, I am getting no responses to it, so I gotta motivate the troops. I figured getting the reviews up was more important.

I’ve been looking forward to this take; I suppose we aren’t doing approval votes any longer? Because this would’ve earned my approval if only for their potential. I don’t think much of this album when I’m not listening to it (I don’t think of it at all, in fact), but when I listen to it somehow I’m drawn in. I like their mood and their groove, even if it is basically the same thing all the way through (I don’t know why I don’t find it boring when it clearly should be, but I say this as someone who listens to Stars of the Lid, so grain of salt).

I like the “give it up” song (is there more than one? Their lyrics don’t register to me, generally)! I never thought of it as being slangy or overreaching (esp since they are 20; maybe if they were Yo La Tengo it would seem so), and it’s the one time I really see them succeeding on all counts, the perfect crystallization of this haunting tone that pervades throughout the record. The boy’s “Give it up” exhortation followed by the girl’s “I can’t give it up” is really spooky and terrifying, like the dark rapey version of “I Got A Man.” And Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” guitar too, which always coded as sleazy rather than sexy to me (dude should have never been able to be w/ Helena Christensen).

I didn’t know the lead guitarist was in a psychiatric institution. Is he also the singer? That is interesting insofar as he does sound actually like a sociopath. I didn’t realize their backstory was a huge thing. The only thing I knew before listening was that they are fans of Aaliyah. I guess that’s almost enough for me to approve; more indie-ish bands would benefit from liking Aaliyah.

I’ll stop barfing all over this comment section now.

I’ve got tickets to see them next month, I’m curious to see how it translates live.

In other news, I am retarded.