Welcome to Episode 67 of This Is Not Happening. An Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Joey brings a slice of sophisticated, R&B tinged pop with Eliza's Jill latest album 'The Darkening Green'.In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is 'Sophisticated Pop'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Eliza | The Darkening Green ——Eliza is an enigma. She has recorded under a different name but has been recording under 'Eliza' for the past 10 years or so.After 3 long, very complex albums on the pod we take a new direction, 9 tracks and 35 minutes of sophisticated pop, stylish soul driven vibes. Its full of grooves, it's full of tunes and its full of all of the emotions. I have become quite obsessed with this and am recommending it to everyone.Listen to the original album here.Read some interviews and bits here and here.If you love this album like I do … buy it here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music —————- The theme is Sophisticaed Pop … but we also get a bit confused between this and 'sophisti-pop' and to be honest, Nolan looses his shit. The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?Nolan chose 'Dance Little Sister' by Sanada Maitreya.David chose 'Uncertain Smile' by The The.Joey chose 'Sweetest Taboo' by Sade.Guy chose 'Hold me Now' by Thompson Twins.We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 47 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play ‘Spin it or Bin it’. This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question ‘Spin It or Bin It’?
This month, in Part 1, Joey has picked the most obvious choice for 4 middle aged dads, Brat by Charli XCX. It is impossible to ignore the critical response for this album so we all dive headfirst into the first Charli album that any of us has experienced. And it’s a belter … but I am pretty sure it will also divide opinion.
In Part 2, Spin It or Bin It, the theme is simple … ‘New Music’ (tracks released since 01.05.24. However, one of us picked a 49 year old track. Take a listen to hear him justify this decision.
Part 1 | Charli XCX | Brat
With a whopping 95% score on Metacritic, this album has had a massive impact from critics right across the music press’s broad spectrum of publications. It’s 15 tracks with an average length well under 3 minutes. And it has some serious weight behind a savage combo of pure pop punches. But there is WAY WAY more to it that sugar-coated pop prettiness as we get stuck right into.
Every 3 months (or so) we pick to do ‘New Tracks’ which we define as being released 2-3 months before our podcast record date (01.05.24). We’ve got 4 interesting tracks this month. We’ve got two very different female sole artist indie tracks, one undeniable piece of piano driven, laid back housey, post-club loveliness and of course something French from David.
The general narrative of mainstream pop-mega-stars and pop-mega-stardom has changed massively since the perfect, pre-packaged, plastic pop Princes and Princesses of the ’90s and early ’00s. With the rise of the internet, the blogosphere and then social media we were given a (faux) proximity to our pop stars that we never had before. This changed our relationship with them and them with us. Instead of pop stars being portrayed as untouchable, unknowable mega-beings. They were portrayed to us as ‘just like us’ normal everyday beings that happened to be some of the best known people in the world. Likeableness and nicessness became a commodity that they traded in, regardless of its authenticity. If they are (were?) ‘just like us’ then this mirror reflection of ourselves should be a nice, likeable reflection.
Charlie XCX has just chucked a grenade into the middle of all of this shit.
We start every review of an Album of the Month with the question ‘what did you expect and what did you get?’. Never has the cover art of an AOTM helped us answer the first part of the question so much. The album cover very clearly tells you what to expect; expect luminous green, expect brash, expect brat-ishness, expect green-with-envy, expect bitchiness and expect bold, brave honesty’. You do get all of this, but I’d argue, not as unlike-ably bratish as I was expecting.
It’s impossible to ignore the critical reaction to this album. It is currently sitting as Metacritic’s no.1 ranked album of the year with a 95/100 score from 24 reviews – take a look. The first 7 reviews are 100%. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that. This is Charlie’s 6th album, the culmination of 15 years of making music and 10 years and 5 previous albums of recording music. She’s managed to create a cult, niche status and persona despite massive commercial success. Charlie’s rise to stardom started with making music in her bedroom, sharing on social media, playing at raves and parties … the club is strong in her past and her present. This is pop record for the clubs. You can feel, smell and taste the sweat on your skin if you let yourself. There’s always been something of an edge to her that seems to cut deeper than the record company’s desired facade.
So what is this album? It’s 16 tracks. It’s 41 minutes. That means the average track length is comfortably under 3 mins. The longest track is only 3 mins 23. The shortest 1 min 49. But none of them are interludes. It must be said, if you don’t like a specific track, it’s gone before you know. I genuinely wouldn’t lose a single track. And I would not change the sequence of tracks at all. There are some that resonate more than others of course, but even the most brash, the most brat-ish tracks do something for me that I really like. Yeah get scuzzy, sleazy, bleary eyed nights out but you also get anxiety, envy, self-conciousness, self-awareness and moments of pure self confidence and agency all wrapped in a perfect pop sheen.
Let’s talk about envy, many of the tracks on this album are about Charli’s status as a pop star and how this compares to her contemporary mega-stars. But there are two that stand out ‘Girl, So Confusing’ (clearly about Lorde) and ‘Sympathy is a Knife’ (clearly about old Swifty). There are a lot of emotions to talk about here. None of them are emotions that most people are proud of and far fewer willing to write songs about. In a recent podcast (listen here) she talks about this in majestic honesty and with great impact …
‘This is my favourite part of the high-art-ness of music and the low-art-ness of popstar, pop-culture, this brings the three dimensional world to songs’ i.e. it’s the real, the honest, the real-life and real-emotions of human existence that make things relatable and real. She also goes on to say ‘I don’t think you’re a bad feminist just cause you don’t see eye to eye with every woman.’
I think this album is massively strong lyrically speaking, it’s the secret sauce. She is not a poet. She is not trying to be. She’s talked about writing lyrics differently for this album, which is something I’d noticed before hearing that interview. She writes lyrics like she’s texting or updating the group chat. I chose these examples carefully as the lyrics feel like intimate messages to people close to her conveyed on digital media … but not public facing digital media. It’s personal, real and raw. Its everyday language. She references people by their first names, her fiance, her producer and friends and collaborators that she’s lost. You feel like she’s sharing, letting you in … but again, with no or minimal facade. She is self conscious and self-deprecating in a very similar way to Amy Winehouse, I find this fascinating, and if I’m honest, a little spooky. Given that I’ve never heard a Charli XCX album before this, I feel like she’s let me know her. An almost identical feeling to hearing ‘Frank’ for this first time.
Let’s end on production. This album could have been recorded WAY WAY scuzzier than it was. The songs are strong enough to carry some major imperfections. There are imperfections, perfectly placed and curated to generate maximum impact. But this a pristine, piece of pop music with the production you would expect from something that will take Charli to the next level of stardom (and is certainly doing that). So, there is plenty of auto-tune, plenty of voice modulation and filters. I’m ok with this. It’s pop music. It’s ‘hyper-pop’, it fits. When discussing Auto Tune on the Tape Notes podcast (listen here) she basically says that she swaps vocal perfection for immediacy, for ‘real’ and that she’s lazy, smokes and drinks so … you know, auto-tune. Fair play Charlie.
Love it or hate it, you’ve got admire it.
I love it. It’s taken some research, some understanding, some exploration of a world I knew very little about to come to that opinion. But this is my kind of pop music. It bangs.
Welcome to Episode 67 of This Is Not Happening. An Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Joey brings a slice of sophisticated, R&B tinged pop with Eliza's Jill latest album 'The Darkening Green'.In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is 'Sophisticated Pop'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Eliza | The Darkening Green ——Eliza is an enigma. She has recorded under a different name but has been recording under 'Eliza' for the past 10 years or so.After 3 long, very complex albums on the pod we take a new direction, 9 tracks and 35 minutes of sophisticated pop, stylish soul driven vibes. Its full of grooves, it's full of tunes and its full of all of the emotions. I have become quite obsessed with this and am recommending it to everyone.Listen to the original album here.Read some interviews and bits here and here.If you love this album like I do … buy it here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music —————- The theme is Sophisticaed Pop … but we also get a bit confused between this and 'sophisti-pop' and to be honest, Nolan looses his shit. The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?Nolan chose 'Dance Little Sister' by Sanada Maitreya.David chose 'Uncertain Smile' by The The.Joey chose 'Sweetest Taboo' by Sade.Guy chose 'Hold me Now' by Thompson Twins.We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 45 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play ‘Spin it or Bin it’. This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question ‘Spin It or Bin It’?
This month, in Part 1, David bravely returns to the scene a previous crime on our podcast. He brings the second St. Vincent album to a group of people who historically have not reacted well to St. Vincent. Wow. How might this one go? In all seriousness, this is a very different experience to ‘Daddy’s Home’ and a really good chat about the good, the not so good and our collective love of Pop Reggae.
This month, in Part 2, Spin It or Bin It, the theme is ‘Crying in Aldi’ or ‘music that makes you cry’. As the theme suggests, things got pretty emotional.
Part 1 | St. Vincent | All Born Screaming
I think the full continuum of emotions or lack of emotions is expressed in this review. David brings unconditional love for St. Vincent plus a thinly veiled threat that his wife might tell us off again if we say mean things. The rest of bring various thoughts and ideas to the table that range from the inquisitive to the annoyed.
Watch some videos hereincluding the Jimmy Kimmel live performance.
We reference the Tape Notes podcast (and also videos) which delve into the making of the album … this is seriously informative and entertaining discussion. Take a look at it here.
Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | ‘Crying in Aldi’
The most ‘in’ of ‘in jokes’ is that Joey often cries to sad songs while doing the big shop in Aldi. He’s been banned from 3 stores now and is considering to switching to Lidl. In support of our brother, we’ve all been researching which songs make us cry and testing them out in various big-box supermarket chains.
Welcome to Episode 45 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play ‘Spin it or Bin it’. This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question ‘Spin It or Bin It’?
This month, in Part 1, we dive right into the deep-end of ‘Only God Was Above Us’ the new album from TINH favourite (at least 3 of us) Vampire Weekend. This month we’re in the capable hands of Nolan who has introduces the album and guides us through some key questions and an interesting conversation. In Part 2 we play Spin it or Bin It with songs that are all. ‘a little bit country’.
Part 1 | Vampire Weekend | Only God Was Above Us
My god Vampire Weekend can write a song! And this album really proves that. We answer (or at least attempt to answer) some big questions – is this best Vampire Weekend album? How do you pick a favourite track when they’re all so good and do such different things.
Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | ‘A little bit country’
Country is massive in 2024 … and Guy hates it. So, what other theme could we choose? The clue is in the title, the tracks only have to be ‘a little bit country’. 4 Track playlist of our chosen tracks is here.
Welcome to Episode 67 of This Is Not Happening. An Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Joey brings a slice of sophisticated, R&B tinged pop with Eliza's Jill latest album 'The Darkening Green'.In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is 'Sophisticated Pop'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Eliza | The Darkening Green ——Eliza is an enigma. She has recorded under a different name but has been recording under 'Eliza' for the past 10 years or so.After 3 long, very complex albums on the pod we take a new direction, 9 tracks and 35 minutes of sophisticated pop, stylish soul driven vibes. Its full of grooves, it's full of tunes and its full of all of the emotions. I have become quite obsessed with this and am recommending it to everyone.Listen to the original album here.Read some interviews and bits here and here.If you love this album like I do … buy it here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music —————- The theme is Sophisticaed Pop … but we also get a bit confused between this and 'sophisti-pop' and to be honest, Nolan looses his shit. The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?Nolan chose 'Dance Little Sister' by Sanada Maitreya.David chose 'Uncertain Smile' by The The.Joey chose 'Sweetest Taboo' by Sade.Guy chose 'Hold me Now' by Thompson Twins.We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 44 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play ‘Spin it or Bin it’. This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question ‘Spin It or Bin It’?
This month, in Part 1, we wrestle with the 2nd album from Yard Act titled ‘Where’s My Utopia?’. This month we’re in the capable hands of Guy who has been a Yard Act fan for some time, choosing their debut album as his Album of the Year in 2022. 66.6% of the team agree with him but 33.3% of the team has found the album more of a struggle.
Part 1 | Yard Act | Where’s My Utopia?
Yard act are an interesting proposition, they are perhaps the most knowingly Northern band since Oasis. They seem to be everywhere and it’s tough to find someone who doesn’t like them. They are very clearly ‘Post Punk’ but their definition of what this means has changed somewhat with this album. We ask the standard question, what did you expect and what did you get plus questions about
Read some stuff here and listen to some pods here and here.
Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | ‘Spoken Word’
Given the AOTM is Yard Act, we chose to look at our favourite Spoken Word tracks. And 3 of us actually chose a Spoken Word track … one of us chose something else but let’s leave that and let us know if you agree with me that it was not Spoken Word. Our chosen 4 tracks can be found on a play listhere. In order to chose a track we each shortlist 4 tracks each, a combined 16 track playlist can be found here.
Welcome to Episode 67 of This Is Not Happening. An Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Joey brings a slice of sophisticated, R&B tinged pop with Eliza's Jill latest album 'The Darkening Green'.In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is 'Sophisticated Pop'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Eliza | The Darkening Green ——Eliza is an enigma. She has recorded under a different name but has been recording under 'Eliza' for the past 10 years or so.After 3 long, very complex albums on the pod we take a new direction, 9 tracks and 35 minutes of sophisticated pop, stylish soul driven vibes. Its full of grooves, it's full of tunes and its full of all of the emotions. I have become quite obsessed with this and am recommending it to everyone.Listen to the original album here.Read some interviews and bits here and here.If you love this album like I do … buy it here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music —————- The theme is Sophisticaed Pop … but we also get a bit confused between this and 'sophisti-pop' and to be honest, Nolan looses his shit. The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?Nolan chose 'Dance Little Sister' by Sanada Maitreya.David chose 'Uncertain Smile' by The The.Joey chose 'Sweetest Taboo' by Sade.Guy chose 'Hold me Now' by Thompson Twins.We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 42 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play ‘Spin it or Bin it’. This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question ‘Spin It or Bin It’?
This month, in Part 1, we get stuck right into Integrated Tech Solutions by Aesop Rock. Nolan and I (Joey) think this is one of 2023’s underrated albums and definitely a hidden hip hop gem. David is missing this month so we only have to convince Guy! In Part 2, the Spin it or Bin it theme is ‘Technology’ where we all chose a track that we think fits the theme and ask the others ‘Spin It or Bin It’.
Part 1 | Aesop Rock | Integrated Tech Solutions.
This one’s special (in my opinion). Nolan has always tried to sell Aesop Rock to me but there’s so much music and so little time that I never quite got it. That changed in the Autumn when Mindful Solutionism, the lead single from this album dropped. I chose it as a Spin It or Bin It track and won that month. There’s another 17 tracks on this album. It’s dense, intelligent, socially conciuous, amusing, moving and thought provoking hip hop. Get stuck in if you haven’t already.
Taking inspiration from the album of the month, a really interesting theme of ‘technology’. Interpretation was wide open on this one. Our chosen 4 tracks can be found on a play list here. In order to chose a track we each shortlist 4 tracks each, a combined 16 track playlist can be found here.
For anyone who knows me and my musical tastes well, this choice for Album of The Month (AOTM) will be no surprise. Not that Helado Negro is an artist that I shout from the roof tops about but because it’s so ‘me’. Is it in an early morning album? Is it a late night album? Is there a difference? For me there is, I go to bed early so ‘Late Night Albums kind of become ‘Early Morning Albums’ by default. Many of my favourite albums and AOTM choices have been characteristically crepuscular. And Phasor is no different.
Roberto Carlos Lange, aka Helado Negro is a 44 year old American-Latinx artist who has been recording music under this name for 15 years. Lange heralds from Ecuadorian heritage, born in Florida but found his way to New York, Brooklyn to be precise.
Lange studied Computer Art and Sound design, his first creative outputs being experimental installations and by my understanding, followed the sound design, experimentation route and started to make his own music.
2017 Tiny Desk Performance.
Phasor is Helado Negro’s 8th full studio album, quite an output in 15 years given how many collaborations and side projects he’s also been involved with. It’s the 3rd of his album’s that I’ve got to know in detail and is my favourite by some way. It’s the kind of album that I challenge anyone not to like. It’s buoyant and bubbly but in the most muted and understated, almost restrained kind of way. Nothing is ever turned up or overstated, everything sits within a level of comfort and accessible presentation. The drum track on ‘Wish you could be here’ is a great example, it’s a big old beat, in different hands it could make this track a banger but it’s pulled back and almost caged. This is a similar story on every track, there is something that could be bigger, more focal but it’s always dialled back a little so that nothing else is overshadowed.
It’s a very tight album, it’s only 9 tracks, only 35 minutes but it does a lot in it’s short stay. Lyrics are sung in Spanish and English. There is an equal balance of electronic sounds and acoustic instrumentation. They are melded perfectly. There is jazz. There is quite a lot of jazz. There is not too much jazz. Don’t worry.
Here are a bunch of words that describe this album … stringing them together perhaps diminishes their effect as a review so here they are in all their naked glory; Contemplative. Simple. Quiet. Slow. Environmental. Faint. Clouds. Intimate. Rise. Artistic. Silhouette. Fragments. Rare. Precious.
It’s a vibe. It’s a reflective chill vibe. I love every track. I could make a decent argument for every track being a ‘standout track’. At this point in time, I wouldn’t change a thing. At this point in time, I can’t see this not being in my 2024 top 10. Surely, it’s so ‘Joey’. It’s so good. It’s go so much percussion. It’s got so much tuned percussion.
Welcome to Episode 67 of This Is Not Happening. An Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Joey brings a slice of sophisticated, R&B tinged pop with Eliza's Jill latest album 'The Darkening Green'.In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is 'Sophisticated Pop'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Eliza | The Darkening Green ——Eliza is an enigma. She has recorded under a different name but has been recording under 'Eliza' for the past 10 years or so.After 3 long, very complex albums on the pod we take a new direction, 9 tracks and 35 minutes of sophisticated pop, stylish soul driven vibes. Its full of grooves, it's full of tunes and its full of all of the emotions. I have become quite obsessed with this and am recommending it to everyone.Listen to the original album here.Read some interviews and bits here and here.If you love this album like I do … buy it here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music —————- The theme is Sophisticaed Pop … but we also get a bit confused between this and 'sophisti-pop' and to be honest, Nolan looses his shit. The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?Nolan chose 'Dance Little Sister' by Sanada Maitreya.David chose 'Uncertain Smile' by The The.Joey chose 'Sweetest Taboo' by Sade.Guy chose 'Hold me Now' by Thompson Twins.We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 41 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play ‘Spin it or Bin it’. This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question ‘Spin It or Bin It’?
This month, in Part 1, we go deep with Lana Del Ray for the first time on TINH. LDR is one of the industry major players, few move units or split opinions like her. Find out what we think. In Part 2, the Spin it or Bin it theme is ‘A Song for January’ where we all chose a track that we think fits the theme and ask the others ‘Spin It or Bin It’.
Part 1 | Lana Del Rey | Did you know there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd.
This is album no.9 for LDR and its a whopper. It’s got a lot to say and says it across 16 tracks. There are common LDR tropes and new twists on what you might expect. We think it contains some of the best music released in 2023 but is it all good? Can a 78 minute be brilliant from start to finish?
A really interesting interview on Billboard can be found here.
Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | ‘A song for January’
Well, that was an odd Episode of Spin It or Bin It! The usual structure goes to the wall this month and it all gets a bit loose. Nolan get’s the hump, Joey gets all serious but thankfully David and Guy clean up the mess and no blood was spilled.
Welcome to Episode 67 of This Is Not Happening. An Album of the Month podcast. In Part 1, we do a deep drive review of our Album of the Month. This month Joey brings a slice of sophisticated, R&B tinged pop with Eliza's Jill latest album 'The Darkening Green'.In Part 2, we play Spin It or Bin It, we pick a theme and all pick songs that represent that theme. This month the theme is 'Sophisticated Pop'. —— Part 1 | Album of the Month | Eliza | The Darkening Green ——Eliza is an enigma. She has recorded under a different name but has been recording under 'Eliza' for the past 10 years or so.After 3 long, very complex albums on the pod we take a new direction, 9 tracks and 35 minutes of sophisticated pop, stylish soul driven vibes. Its full of grooves, it's full of tunes and its full of all of the emotions. I have become quite obsessed with this and am recommending it to everyone.Listen to the original album here.Read some interviews and bits here and here.If you love this album like I do … buy it here. —————- Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | New Music —————- The theme is Sophisticaed Pop … but we also get a bit confused between this and 'sophisti-pop' and to be honest, Nolan looses his shit. The task is pick a track that fits the theme, the objective, get more 'spins' than your friends. We each pick four tracks for a 16 track play list . We then each pick select 1 track and ask the simple question 'Spin It Or Bin It'?Nolan chose 'Dance Little Sister' by Sanada Maitreya.David chose 'Uncertain Smile' by The The.Joey chose 'Sweetest Taboo' by Sade.Guy chose 'Hold me Now' by Thompson Twins.We've been writing the blog for years come and have a look – https://thisisnothappening.net/
Welcome to Episode 39 of This is Not Happening. An Album of the Month Podcast where in Part 1 we deep dive into an Album that one of us has chosen and in Part 2 we play ‘Spin it or Bin it’. This is where we pick a theme and each select a song that represents that theme. We judge each others selections by asking the question ‘Spin It or Bin It’?
This month, in Part 1, we get stuck in TINH favourite, Sufjan Steven’s latest release ‘Javelin’. Wow. Is there a lot to talk about. I hope we do it justice. In Part 2, the Spin it or Bin it theme is ‘Unconventional Love Songs’ where we all chose a track that we think fits the theme and ask the others ‘Spin It or Bin It’.
Part 1 | Sufjan Stevens | Javelin
It’s David’s choice this month and a record 3rd time that we’ve reviewed an album by the same artist. On one hand this Sufjan doing Sufjan things … and then on the other, it’s a heart breaking, gut punch of an album that takes you to beautifully uncomfortable places. It’s genuinely spectacular.
In the chat we reference Sufjan’s Instagram, that can be found here.
A rare and recent (ish) interview with Sufjan on his health condition is here.
Part 2 | Spin It or Bin It | Unconventional Love Songs
Who are we to judge what ‘conventional’ means, what ‘love’ means … what a ‘song’ is? The interpretation of ‘unconventional love songs’ was left wide open this month.
We all chose a 4 track shortlist to chose our track, you can here all 16 tracks on this playlist here.
Nolan chose – ‘The Night’ by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
We all like to believe that we can listen to an artist’s music on its own merits, without knowing the back story. But the truth is that context is everything in trying to make sense of an artist’s work, and while we may well spend plenty of time listening to music without knowing the story ‘behind it’, with records we love and cherish, the story of how that music came to be and what’s it’s about are a huge part of our connection with the music itself.
Likewise, finding out that an artist is a dick or holds repulsive views can have a huge impact on our listening habits – see Morrissey, or indeed even the recent Roisin Murphy palaver. I’ve barely listened to her album and I’m a big fan, I just needed a break after a bit of a bad taste in the mouth.
And so it is with the Sufjan story. What an interesting place he inhabits in the pop firmament. Adored by Pitchfork and the entire indie universe, but he seems to have fans from well outside that world – he’s one of those rare artists where he seems to have broken into the public consciousness. And that’s fascinating, when you consider his output. He made his name in the early 00s as a kind of old-timey Americana folk troubadour, with albums like Michigan, Seven Swans and his breakout album Illinois. The songs had titles so long they sounded like they were titles from 19th Century novels. And let’s not forget his pledge to make an album exploring the history of every single state in the US. Alas, he’s only managed Michigan and Illinois so far, but I wouldn’t it put it past him to return to the project! And then there was his Christianity – it’s not unheard of a contemporary white indie singer songwriter to have a faith, thought it’s probably quite unusual – but it’s the fact that his religious beliefs play such a central part of his songwriting and his themes.
What’s even more interesting is that his reputation has continued to grow, despite him making a bewildering series of creative left turns – the 42 songs Xmas album! The second 58 song Xmas album! Difficult, broken electronica on The Age of Adz, and again more recently on last album, The Ascension, which we reviewed on an early pod and it’s fair to say we struggled with! Then there’s the ambient records, the soundtracks, the collaborations. He certainly covers a lot of ground, and he doesn’t seem to mind if his audience follow him or not.
But perhaps he holds his place in the musical landscape because he’s such a fucking good songwriter. His gorgeous gossamer-light voice can float above a solo piano, or simple guitar or banjo, and you think you’re listening to an angel (He’s certainly closer to God than most of us, perhaps he has access that we don’t!). On 2015’s Carrie & Lowell, it felt like Sufjan hit a musical high point, creating a breathtaking and heartbreaking collection of songs that delved deep into his difficult relationship with his mother and her partner. I read somewhere (Pitchfork?) recently that he sometime sounds like he feels things so acutely, you almost can’t bear to listen. That’s what Carrie & Lowell sounded like to me.
So here we are 3 years on from the dense, challenging and slightly underwhelming The Ascension, and here comes Javelin, and immediately, you are struck by the beauty and the scale of it. The songwriting and style is reminiscent of Carrie & Lowell, but the arrangements are so much bigger – choirs, orchestra, and interestingly, electronics too – it finally feels like he’s taken that electronica side of his work and married it beautifully to the best of his songwriting. Early single Will Anybody Ever Love Me? was stunning – as Pitchfork said, an immediate addition to the best songs he’s written – but it was only when I sat down and listened to it on headphones for the first time that I realised just how incredible it is. What a fucking song!
Listening to the album, you’re immediately hit by the themes of loss – Goodbye Evergreen, Genuflecting Ghost (such a Sufjan title!). But then again that’s not weird, Stevens has always been obsessed with life and death, the afterlife and the now. And going into listening to this, I think we were all aware of one of the big life stories that you can’t help but add to the context of listening to the record. Stevens has been suffering from a rare autoimmune disease that has left him – temporarily hopefully – in a wheelchair. Of course he’s been thinking about death, you think. He’s just had the fright of his life.
The reviews are in and they are glowing, everyone riffs on the usual Sufjan themes, it gets called a masterpiece, and you think, OK, I think I’m beginning to understand this record. And then…and then…and then…after the release, this…
Jesus fucking Christ. Not only has he been wheelchair bound for the last year, but he lost the love of his life – a man and a relationship – and let’s be clear, a sexuality – that he had hidden from the world. It is, of course, hardly a surprise that Sufjan is queer, but the fact that he went through something so unbelievably traumatic and has only just shared it with the world, after making arguably the finest music of his life. I mean, I can’t even process.
And then you listen to the album again. And you hear the opening lines:
Goodbye, Evergreen You know I love you But everything heaven sent Must burn out in the end
And you realise this album is about Evans Richardson and the love that Sufjan felt for him. Fucking hell. And then you listen to Will Anybody Ever Love Me? again…
Tie me to the final wooden stake Burn my body, celebrate the afterglow Wash away the summer sins I made Watch me drift and watch me struggle, let me go
And then Genuflecting Ghost…
Give myself as a sacrifice Genuflecting ghost I kiss no more
Penultimate track Shit Talk is one of those 8 minute Sufjan songs. I approached it with trepidation, but I think it might be the most complete, brilliant and perfect 8 minute song he’s ever written. Of course, I thought it was about relationship arguments, and maybe it is, but it’s about an argument with someone who’s dead or dying.
No more fighting I’ve nothing left to give I’ve nothing but atrophy Did I cross you? Did I fail to believe in positive thoughts? Our romantic second chance is dead I buried it with the hatchet Quit your antics Put them at the foot of the bed And set it, on fire I will always love you But I cannot look at you
I’m listening as I write – again! – and it still moves me to tears nearly every time. Maybe it feels a bit premature to start talking about this as the album of the year – and there other contenders – but I can’t imagine Stevens putting any more of himself into his music, and turning what must be unimaginable trauma into one of the most beautiful albums I’ve heard in years.
thisisnothappening.net 