On Jun 7, 2004, at 11:40 PM, Efrén del Valle wrote:
This is my first listen and I played it at the office, so my impressions aren't still built up. They're one of my favorite bands ever but I'm a bit disappointed so far. The O'Rourke production is really clean but I liked it better on "NYC Ghosts & Flowers". The sound is very cohesive, tight, but it's grounded in rock music in some strange way, different from that on "Murray Street", just to name a preceeding straightforward SY work. I'll have to wait for more listenings to see if this sinks in, but I'm concerned that the melodies won't appeal me that much. God, too many "buts"...
Give it more time. It is quite a laid-back album, and not as good as "Murray Street" (there are a few floating moments); the sequencing is a little strange, and the first few tracks don't flow very well. But (a good "but") there are many good songs, and on the whole it is very enjoyable. It could have used a little editing as some songs drag on a little; at one hour, it is a little too long. I like it very much though, and go back to it with great pleasure. Julien