Best Ever Albums

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 19:44:29 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/13/2014 23:44

Nothing that amazing, but it's a nice listen from time to time.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

mickilennial — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 18:03:23 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 04/13/2014 22:03

Puncture Repair wrote:

Don't worry Mercury, I'm another lover.

I don't think the album is ever trying to be something it isn't, and I think it whole-heartedly embraces it's influences rather than feeling like it's plagiarizing them. But I still think Tallest Man still has a unique sound, his open chord guitar picking is distinctly plinky and really good fun, and only he could make something like Kids On The Run sound so ballsy. It's short length really works in it's favour, it's never trying to be anything other than pleasant, it's just a focused collection of, as far as I'm concerned, flawless pop-folk songs. If you're listening to it disappointed that it's not enough of a roller coaster ride of innovation, then I think you have the wrong mindset to enjoy it. This album is the 'Is This It' of contemporary folk.

Except I like it.

Quote:

Okay, I must say I just felt a boost of love for you, Gowie. Sorry about some of the annoying or mean things I have said.

Indie folk is great, yo. Hell, dude might be in my top five of the modern "indie folk" songwriter spell for me.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 17:39:16 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/13/2014 21:39

Don't worry Mercury, I'm another lover.

I don't think the album is ever trying to be something it isn't, and I think it whole-heartedly embraces it's influences rather than feeling like it's plagiarizing them. But I still think Tallest Man still has a unique sound, his open chord guitar picking is distinctly plinky and really good fun, and only he could make something like Kids On The Run sound so ballsy. It's short length really works in it's favour, it's never trying to be anything other than pleasant, it's just a focused collection of, as far as I'm concerned, flawless pop-folk songs. If you're listening to it disappointed that it's not enough of a roller coaster ride of innovation, then I think you have the wrong mindset to enjoy it. This album is the 'Is This It' of contemporary folk.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Mercury — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 17:38:47 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 04/13/2014 21:38

Gowienczyk wrote:

Quote:

Matsson's voice is annoying to some,

Yeah, my roommates loathe it when I throw him on. Screw them, they are clearly deaf.

Quote:

And it's passionate, best exemplified in "Love Is All". His guitar playing is incredible and his lyrics are really impressive.

To put it lightly I think he's heck of a songwriter and lyricist as well. At this point there is a lot of emulation of everything since we are fifty years since contemporary rock music hit it's stride away from the rockabilly foundations and a lot of stuff has been done so there's a lot to look back on. I'm not one of those people that think "retro" is lazy or anything either, so I certainly can appreciate plenty doing a style that's a few decades old.

Okay, I must say I just felt a boost of love for you, Gowie. Sorry about some of the annoying or mean things I have said.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

mickilennial — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 17:17:20 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 04/13/2014 21:17

Quote:

Matsson's voice is annoying to some,

Yeah, my roommates loathe it when I throw him on. Screw them, they are clearly deaf.

Quote:

And it's passionate, best exemplified in "Love Is All". His guitar playing is incredible and his lyrics are really impressive.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Mother Nature's Son — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 17:10:12 GMT

Author: Mother Nature's Son

Posted: 04/13/2014 21:10

BrandonMiaow wrote:

Of Mercury's obsessions, I am more intrigued by the Spice Girls. XD

Speaking of obsessions and of Spice Girls, a guy a couple of weeks ago said that one Spice Girls song uses an augmented chord, but I have no clue what song it is. Unfortunately, I'm not obsessed enough to go through their entire discography (I see it's an overwhelming number of 3 albums) with the risk of not noticing the chord (or even worse, risk the guy has confused Spice Girls with a similar teen pop group). Can anybody help me find the song?

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Mercury — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 16:33:08 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 04/13/2014 20:33

BrandonMiaow wrote:

By the way, my comment was less a stab at this record and more excitement to hear the Spice Girls. :lol:

Okay, cool.

And your excitement is warranted. Some excellent pop.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 16:23:47 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/13/2014 20:23

BrandonMiaow wrote:

Of Mercury's obsessions, I am more intrigued by the Spice Girls. XD

By the way, my comment was less a stab at this record and more excitement to hear the Spice Girls. 🤣

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

RockyRaccoon — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 15:27:30 GMT

Author: RockyRaccoon

Posted: 04/13/2014 19:27

I specifically remember the first time I heard this album, this is one of the few albums that I distinctly remember hearing for the first time. I got the album back when I used to do a radio show, we had the album in our rack and I thought it seemed interesting, so I put it on my computer. A little less than a year later I had my iPod on shuffle and "Burden Of Tomorrow" came on and I was stunned by the song, I loved it. So immediately, I decided I had to listen to this album. I believe it was the next day, on my way to work at Applebee's I put on the album, and I listened to it on repeat for the next, like, week. It's gotten to the point where I know all of the words to all of the songs on this album, I even learned to play some of them. Matsson's voice is annoying to some, but I think it's fantastic, it's honest, it doesn't feel polished, it feels genuine, like he's just a guy. And it's passionate, best exemplified in "Love Is All". His guitar playing is incredible and his lyrics are really impressive.

In short, I love this man and I think that, while he's put out nothing but fantastic music, this is his best album.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 15:02:45 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/13/2014 19:02

Mercury wrote:

Fair enough. Clearly, I'm obsessed. And indeed I may be blinded by my obsession. But yeah, I getcha.

Nah, you're not blinded by obsession, you've just found something in this record that I haven't. an_outlaw finding something to like about some of those dreary, mid-career Manics records (Know Your Enemy, I'm looking at you); now that's being blinded by obsession.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Mercury — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 14:55:31 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 04/13/2014 18:55

lethalnezzle wrote:

I dunno, this album doesn't feel like humble homage or playful plagiarism so much as impersonal imitation. But we all hear different things in everything. I just can't get past the Dylan fixation. I've read various arguments for why Matsson is his own man, with his own style, some of which are extremely convincing. But when I hear his music, all I hear is a Bob Dylan tribute act. And in fairness, you could say that some of my favourite artists and albums are just rip-offs, be it Pavement ripping off The Fall, or Roc Marciano ripping off Mobb Deep, or Ganger ripping off Tortoise, or The Libertines ripping off The Strokes/The Clash, and it would pretty hard to argue with those assertions. But in this case I just can't get past it. It doesn't make for bad music. As I said, it's pleasant enough. Little more than that though, unfortunately.

Fair enough. Clearly, I'm obsessed. And indeed I may be blinded by my obsession. But yeah, I getcha.

I'm really looking forward to what he does with his next album. In one hand he's kept it consistent and I love his sound so I don't want it to change and in the other hand if he really just did a total u-turn and just went off and developed a whole new sound I'd be pretty fucking stoked, as long as it isn't shit.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 14:49:39 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/13/2014 18:49

Mercury wrote:

2. No, this is no more a swagger jacker than Freewheelin' was in its own way. So, in that everyone is influenced by someone then you can call everyone a swagger jacker.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Mercury — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 14:32:13 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 04/13/2014 18:32

lethalnezzle wrote:

Nobody likes a swagger jacker.

EDIT: This warning applies to this album too.

1. LOL
2. No, this is no more a swagger jacker than Freewheelin' was in its own way. So, in that everyone is influenced by someone then you can call everyone a swagger jacker.

3. I just love that line sooooo much! Don't get it confused.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 13:51:07 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/13/2014 17:51

Mercury wrote:

Don't get it confused.

Nobody likes a swagger jacker.

EDIT: This warning applies to this album too.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

MrFrogger — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 13:48:36 GMT

Author: MrFrogger

Posted: 04/13/2014 17:48

It's alright. Nothing jumps out at me as being anything more than ok.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Mercury — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 13:47:45 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 04/13/2014 17:47

This album is a folk, indie, singer-songwriter masterpiece. Seriously, this is one of the greatest albums ever made.

Don't get it confused.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 13:02:20 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/13/2014 17:02

Of Mercury's obsessions, I am more intrigued by the Spice Girls. XD

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Anonymous — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 06:13:27 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 04/13/2014 10:13

Meh. Pleasant enough.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

Mercury — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 15:54:46 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 04/12/2014 19:54

Well, this is my favorite album by any artist I've ever heard. There is really on the surface not much happening here that hasn't been heard many times before. Pretty simple format of a man with a guitar. Rough vocals, really great acoustic guitar, some really beautiful lyrics that paint really lovely pictures. And there is the occasional little banjo or keyboard flourish thrown in and of course there is the beautiful piano ballad at the end of the record.

I really like what Kristian Mattson manages to do with so little. For example, considering his primary use of just a voice and guitar it's remarkable how many guitar styles and moods he evokes with just that instrument. The playing is somewhat frantic and upset on "You're Going Back", it's joyous and buoyant on "King Of Spain", it's a shifting, mournful thing on "Love Is All" and it's beautiful and virtuosic and fingerpicked on "Drying Of The Lawns" and "Troubles Will Be Gone". Indeed all the songs on here have a unique feel and style even though they may, on first listen, seem very similar.

I don't want to go into the lyrics much because my interpretation of them is completely personal and also depends completely on when I hear the album. All I really want to say is one of the great things about the words is they don't spell anything out for you. You really are left to interpret them as you see fit. And this makes the record just fit whoever decides to get into it.

His voice, as always, is absolutely stunning and passionate throughout this record. He's superb at conveying emotions through these songs.

Anyway, yeah, this album is really great, people. It's also really unique as far as I can see in that it is a totally uplifting and joyous folk singer songwriter album. From my experience the majority of albums of this type are introverted, sad albums. Well, this artist takes his clear influences (Nick Drake, Mississippi John Hurt, Dave Van Ronk, Bob Dylan) and makes music with an entirely different bent to it.

Highly recommended.

Re: User Pick of the Day (#27): The Wild Hunt [Mercury]

drakonium — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 15:16:12 GMT

Author: drakonium

Posted: 04/12/2014 19:16

It's pretty FANTASTIC OMG

I prefer his debut, though, but I seem to be in an extreme minority in this case. I think it's just the same formula, but rawer and more honest, thus better.