Best Ever Albums

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Anonymous — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 16:29:41 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/27/2013 20:29

junodog4 wrote:

Getting caught up...

This one's not really my cup of tea. I found my attention waning, and having to go back and relisten to tracks again. Maybe I'm tired, but it seemed like too much effort.

Same for me. I was wandering why I was persisting at times. Continued and found myself accepting it was on. Can't be getting in my top 100 if I'm only "accepting".

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

junodog4 — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:35:42 GMT

Author: junodog4

Posted: 07/26/2013 17:35

Getting caught up...

This one's not really my cup of tea. I found my attention waning, and having to go back and relisten to tracks again. Maybe I'm tired, but it seemed like too much effort.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:00:09 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/22/2013 20:00

Funny noises on this album. Works in places.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 19:30:19 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/16/2013 23:30

Like most, dunno what to make of this. I really like the individual songs... but after several of them, it just seems to drag a little. This album is much more enjoyable for me a few songs at a time, but I can't get through it all in one go.

72/100

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Anonymous — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 10:15:24 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/16/2013 14:15

Catching up on these...

So I've loved Akron/Family since I first heard them in an amazing scene from the underrated 'World's Greatest Dad' back in 2009. I went through their back catalog and enjoyed everything I heard. Then their 2011 album The Cosmic Birth...etc came out and that was some of their best work yet.

Unfortunately I can't say the same for this record. It's meandering and unfocused and incredibly unsure what it wants to be. A/F don't seem to even have any sort of idea where they want to go even in individual songs, often letting them run for a lot longer than they really deserve.

Still, there is a lot to like here. They still maintain that 'Family' collective vibe despite clearly using lots of delay and reverb. Speaking of collective, the first third is quite reminiscent of AnCo's 'Fall Be Kind' EP an immediate indication this is a darker affair than A/F's previous work. The middle section is where the album really loses itself but by the end we get some great tracks again.

Overall it's got enough charm to get by the old muddle of the middle, and fortunately the strong tracks are very strong.

Key tracks: Until The Morning, Whole World Is Watching, When I Was Young

ALC Ranking:
1. Sub Verses - Akron/Family
2. Other Life - Sean Nicolas Savage

My 2013 Ranking
...
49. The Golden Age - Woodkid
50. Sub Verses - Akron/Family
51. Suchness - We Are Loud Whispers
...

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

GeevyDallas — Mon, 8 Jul 2013 17:15:47 GMT

Author: GeevyDallas

Posted: 07/08/2013 21:15

It's been sunny here so I've not been listening to a whole lot of music over the last week, so I'm only getting around to writing this now, my apologies. I've tried to listen to this a few times though, I still have the same complaint, it's a bit boring. I really like the band's sound and there is lots of interesting noises and textures in the background, I was expecting a Bonnie Bear type thing, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. That being said, the dude singing is boring af, I would genuinely consider this one of the best releases of the year without his voice, I try to think of it as someone in the room with me talking and not a part of the music which has yielded mixed results, however it beats actually concentrating on what he says and how he says it. I'll probably leave this record for a while, and hope that I somehow learn to love the vocals, because if I do grow to appreciate them I could have a new contender for a place in the top end of my 2013 chart.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

EyeKanFly — Fri, 5 Jul 2013 13:41:03 GMT

Author: EyeKanFly

Posted: 07/05/2013 17:41

tekin wrote:

I can safely say that I liked it overall but it would've been a great listen if the second half was just a conservative (but albeit well-executed) extension of the first half (i.e. if it remained in my comfort zone).

I agree, the second half got a little iffy for my ears, but I still enjoyed it. I like what you said about "Way Up" and "Until the Morning". I think the former is my favorite on the album.

Also, listened to this a few more times. I really like it.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Anonymous — Fri, 5 Jul 2013 12:08:57 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/05/2013 16:08

Well it seems whatever it was that I had done with this album it certainly cannot be called "listening". This time I actually listened and enjoyed it . . . to a certain extent. The first three songs were great esp. "Way Up" which sounded like Animal collective covering Beach Boys and also "Until the Morning" which was like a collaboration between Grizzly Bear and Fleet Foxes (well to be honest they've always been good with vocal harmonies but it seemed more tended towards a folksy aesthetics on this song). After that it was all downhill for me except the last song which was a nice enough tame melancholic song. In this record overall they seem to have sacrificed textures either in favour of pop sensibility or harsh and gritty guitar and bass (I'm not sure how much of it was actually my fucked-up headphones). But when they start to do their hypnotic percussive songs they lose me (which at times is like Deerhoof doing The Doors, of course without the keyboards which is a bad thing), except for those scarce bluesy blissful moments that don't last long (I don't know if it's just me or they really are more interested in blues on this album because I hear obvious blues influences). Overall there's nothing wrong with the songs (about three of them were kinda weak but other than that they were either great or OK) but maybe their brand of neo-psych rock isn't my thing (I hate to talk like that: "[read with flaring nostrils and pouted lips] It's not my cup of tea blah blah blah.") which is maybe to say I'm not familiar with it and haven't had a history with it to grow a heart-felt affection towards at least the typical primary sounds of the genre (i.e. first step to enjoy at least the classics) but it's not in my control. I can safely say that I liked it overall but it would've been a great listen if the second half was just a conservative (but albeit well-executed) extension of the first half (i.e. if it remained in my comfort zone).

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

alelsupreme — Thu, 4 Jul 2013 06:09:52 GMT

Author: alelsupreme

Posted: 07/04/2013 10:09

I don't know why, but I got to the 5th track and just couldn't be bothered to listen to anymore. Gonna give it another go, but not got high hopes for it.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

videoheadcleaner — Wed, 3 Jul 2013 05:21:42 GMT

Author: videoheadcleaner

Posted: 07/03/2013 09:21

A decent album which seems to have the hallmarks of an album to slowly rise up through the ranks of the 2013 collection.

Ranked inbetween The Strokes' Comedown Machine and Bernard Fanning's Departures.

2013 ALC Ranking
1. Akron/Family's Sub-Verses
2. Sean Nicholas Savage's Other Life

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

EyeKanFly — Wed, 3 Jul 2013 01:42:45 GMT

Author: EyeKanFly

Posted: 07/03/2013 05:42

First listen was very nice. I can see the Grizzly Bear vibes, especially on...shit I've forgotten which track it was. One of them sounded a lot like Grizzly Bear... Anyway, it was a little more electronic and less folky than Grizzly Bear I guess, but also pretty experimental.

I'm midway through a second listen, and so far my favorite tracks are "Way Up" and "Holy Boredom".

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

videoheadcleaner — Tue, 2 Jul 2013 07:50:36 GMT

Author: videoheadcleaner

Posted: 07/02/2013 11:50

Listening now. Was not sure what to expect. I've seen the name before but never ventured to find out more.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Norman Bates — Tue, 2 Jul 2013 07:13:30 GMT

Author: Norman Bates

Posted: 07/02/2013 11:13

First listen was pleasant. More later.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

tbakeman — Tue, 2 Jul 2013 02:06:22 GMT

Author: tbakeman

Posted: 07/02/2013 06:06

Solid pick MrFrogger! Mondays are slowly turning into days to look forward to for me. I'm really digging this one. I'm thinking 75/100 on first listen. I'll give a little more insight into what I'm thinking after another listen or two.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Anonymous — Mon, 1 Jul 2013 21:07:57 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/02/2013 01:07

A bit difficult to get through it. I found it pretty boring. Nice sounding though, not fast enough is what I think. If they played things faster and maybe a bit heavier, would've been a great album.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

meccalecca — Mon, 1 Jul 2013 15:37:36 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 07/01/2013 19:37

Nice choice MrFrogger. I've always been a bit on the fence with Akron/Family, but when I heard this album a few weeks back I was immediately impressed. It's easily one of my favorite record of the year.

Akron/Family were the backing band for the later records by Michael Gira's post-Swans project Angels of Light. And this album really fits with the aesthetic of those records. heavy, dark, folk music with an added element of psychedelia.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

meccalecca — Mon, 1 Jul 2013 15:34:14 GMT

Author: meccalecca

Posted: 07/01/2013 19:34

Norman Bates wrote:

I already now Meek Warrior, which I found average, and Love Is Simple, which I found much better (with the awesome 'Ed Is A Portal'). It'll be nice to see where they're at now. Thanks for the rec, will listen tomorrow.

This one's pretty different than those two much darker

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Jasonconfused — Mon, 1 Jul 2013 15:33:59 GMT

Author: Jasonconfused

Posted: 07/01/2013 19:33

Didn't really like it. Sounds like someone just discovered a looper pedal and GarageBand drum kit samples.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Anonymous — Mon, 1 Jul 2013 15:06:04 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 07/01/2013 19:06

Listened to this once, didn't feel compelled to listen to it again. Will give it another chance.

Re: 2013 ALC #2: Akron/Family - Sub Verses

Norman Bates — Mon, 1 Jul 2013 13:42:16 GMT

Author: Norman Bates

Posted: 07/01/2013 17:42

I already now Meek Warrior, which I found average, and Love Is Simple, which I found much better (with the awesome 'Ed Is A Portal'). It'll be nice to see where they're at now. Thanks for the rec, will listen tomorrow.