Best Ever Albums

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

baystateoftheart — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 20:05:31 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 08/26/2019 00:05

Honey defeats And Nothing Hurt 11-9 and advances to the sweet sixteen.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

baystateoftheart — Fri, 9 Aug 2019 23:22:19 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 08/10/2019 03:22

My opinion hasn't changed since last year's first listen for either record. Both are above-average albums, but it's a fairly comfortable win for Robyn. Honey is never less than very good, and catches pop lightning in a bottle a few times, leading to some stunning highlights. My hot take is that Honey would beat any album in either artist's discography (although I have a few albums left to tackle, admittedly).

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

Repo — Wed, 7 Aug 2019 08:08:02 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 08/07/2019 12:08

I worship spiritualized's 90s albums and this new one is great and certainly holds it own. Sure it's nothing new, but Jason owns this sound and this is another GREAT release.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

Repo — Tue, 6 Aug 2019 19:04:31 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 08/06/2019 23:04

CryingGameDahlin wrote:

Yeah this isn't my absolute favorite from Robyn or even my favorite of '18 but I was listening to it quite a bit around the time of the nomination s and it just really fits a perfect mood, definitely finding a place for lean, moody, unabashedly middle-age synthpop album. .

Totally! It's also quite a grower. One of our favorites from our recent road trip although we still liked her other two albums a lot more.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

Fischman — Mon, 5 Aug 2019 09:11:15 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 08/05/2019 13:11

This is far from my favorite Spiritualized, but it still easily outdistances Robyn's fluff.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

Hayden — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 11:57:50 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 07/31/2019 15:57

Quote:

Being said, sometimes it works out. I'm extremely fond of Slowdive's 2017 effort, and comfortably consider it their second best.

The Spiritualized album is the only album in the tournament I haven't given a spin yet, but I'll get on it soon. Won't say anything further until I do (but it's going to take quite a bit to beat Robyn).

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

dihansse — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 11:15:49 GMT

Author: dihansse

Posted: 07/31/2019 15:15

Gowi wrote:

Quote:

is their absolute best

I admit I have this feeling a lot, ie where I think that older artists are releasing their best albums now. I know they mostly do it for the money, I know that in most cases they don’t bring anything new, and I know that in most cases their vocal range hasn’t improved;
But I just find that their new albums tend to be more focused and I just (re-) discover that the production quality of those older albums was not 100%.
But rest assured there’s also many examples of the opposite: I don’t expect that the upcoming Pixies album will be better than Doolittle or Surfer Rosa.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

Purplepash — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 04:57:42 GMT

Author: Purplepash

Posted: 07/31/2019 08:57

As somebody who has liked Jason Pierce since Spacemen 3's debut album, and has Ladies And Gentlemen... in my all time chart, I'm still a huge fan of the latest Spiritualized album. While it might not be as great as some of their earlier albums they did set an extremely high bar, and this is still a wonderful album in it's own right. Top 20 for the year for me and a definite vote over Robyn.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

RoundTheBend — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 23:08:38 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 07/31/2019 03:08

Robyn has a clearly solid sound with beautifully piercing vocals and fantastic production, but I struggled with it's dynamics and tonality as something that never really took off.

So while Spiritualized is kind of a regurgitation of things (both a pro and a con) I like, it gets the win for me.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

Skinny — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 20:13:38 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 07/31/2019 00:13

Also naaaaaw this clearly doesnt touch spiritualizeds best

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

Skinny — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 20:12:20 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 07/31/2019 00:12

Yo i saw robyn on this tour and top five gig ever so unless you've nominated my nomination you got no chance

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

mickilennial — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 19:19:04 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 07/30/2019 23:19

it seems like a pretty absurd view to me as someone with a long track record with spiritualized.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

baystateoftheart — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 18:33:36 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 07/30/2019 22:33

Gowi wrote:

Quote:

is their absolute best

You mock, but after listening to their two most acclaimed albums (Lazer Guided Melodies & Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space) this doesn't seem like an unreasonable point of view to me. Not saying I agree, but it has strengths and weaknesses comparatively so that I can see why someone would have that view.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

cestuneblague — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:33:45 GMT

Author: cestuneblague

Posted: 07/30/2019 21:33

Yeah this isn't my absolute favorite from Robyn or even my favorite of '18 but I was listening to it quite a bit around the time of the nomination s and it just really fits a perfect mood, definitely finding a place for lean, moody, unabashedly middle-age synthpop album. Spiritualized was a dissapointment somewhat cause it was being hyped as something much more than just another solid 21st century Jason Pierce release, but it really wasn't. Still affable and grand-sounding enough, but nothing too interesting after all. Easy vote for Honey.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

mickilennial — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 17:26:30 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 07/30/2019 21:26

Quote:

is their absolute best

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

dihansse — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 16:04:25 GMT

Author: dihansse

Posted: 07/30/2019 20:04

I didn't grow up with Spiritualized so I don't really have an emotional bond with their earlier albums.
Of course in the meantime I did listen to most of their albums and to me their 2018 album which I nominated for this contest is their absolute best with many lengths.
Of course I can only ask to form your own opinion.

I also listened to the Robyn album and for me this is too lightweight pop and it's absolutely nothing that I listen to for my pleasure.

So I guess from this my choice is obvious.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

brun027 — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 11:50:04 GMT

Author: brun027

Posted: 07/29/2019 15:50

I would go see them live but I see no reason to keep listening to this album again when I can just listen to their other albums... it sounds like i've heard this music in 10 Spiritualized albums before. This may be a precipitated judgement, but it is set. Never again.

Honey is a dream come true, it's not such an immediate album, but once I got into the textures and bleep blops I just couldn't get over it, it's so pleasurable and sexy, I love what she is talking, about love, relationships, broken hearts sex and all that, it's such great reference material. I didn't see a big fuss over this album last year but it's just a tidy well made great pop album, it should win for the cover alone.

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

mickilennial — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 09:06:10 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 07/29/2019 13:06

i honestly think this is Robyn's best album yet and one of Spiritualized's weakest

Re: Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

Repo — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 08:38:48 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 07/29/2019 12:38

My kids & I are not as impressed by the latest Robyn. It's less fun as my kids say. It's still quite good, but not as delirious, creative nor addicting as her past two albums.

Spiritualized were one of my favorite bands from the 90s and this release doesn't disappoint so it's rather an easy pick for me.

Spiritualized

Round 1: Robyn v. Spiritualized

baystateoftheart — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 21:07:20 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 07/29/2019 01:07

Seed #10:

Honey by Robyn

Nominated by: CryingGameDahlin
Genres [RYM]: Dance-Pop, Electropop, House

Seed #11:

And Nothing Hurt by Spiritualized

Nominated by: dihansse
Genres [RYM]: Neo-Psychedelia, Art Rock

Instructions:

If you have not already, please listen to both albums in full before voting. Share your thoughts and/or your vote in this thread. This poll will be tallied in no fewer than twenty-eight days. See Tournament Spreadsheet for the full bracket.