Album of the day (#1246): The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III - Music

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Today's album of the day

The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) by Janelle Monáe (View album | Buy this album)

Year: 2010.
Country:

Overall rank: 522
Average rating: 80/100 (from 234 votes).

Tracks:
1. Overture Ii
2. Dance Or Die (Feat. Saul Williams)
3. Faster
4. Locked Inside
5. Sir Greendown
6. Cold War
7. Tightrope (Feat. Big Boi)
8. Neon Gumbo
9. Oh, Maker
10. Come Alive (War Of The Roses)
11. Mushrooms & Roses
12. Overture Iii
13. Neon Valley Street
14. Make The Bus (Feat. Of Montreal)
15. Wondaland
16. 57821 (Feat. Deep Cotton)
17. Say You’ll Go
18. Babopbyeya

About album of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com album of the day is the album appearing most prominently in member charts in the previous 24 hours. If an album, or artist, has previously been selected within a x day period, the next highest album is picked instead (and so on) to ensure a bit of variety. A full history of album of the day can be viewed here.

Guest

I honestly think she's the single most overrated new artist to emerge in the last five years. This album is fine, I just don't understand the hype whatsoever (same goes for her latest). If somebody fancies explaining the appeal, I'm all ears.

BrandonMiaow

Love the fuck out of (some of) this. Cold War and Come Alive (War of the Roses) are my jam. Could do without all the Beatles-esque tracks though, and the of Montreal song makes me never want to listen of Montreal. Someday she should release a greatest hits album because it would probably be her best, honestly. Yeah I know this album and the one after it (and an ep too I think) have a narrative but I just really want to listen to a Janelle Monae album without the baroque pop tracks (aka the Beatles-esque ones)

yourself

BrandonMiaow wrote:

the of Montreal song makes me never want to listen of Montreal.

Lord is that song irritating. Wondaland really bugs me too.

Rest of the album is fairly solid though.

HazeyTwilight
boyfriend in your wet dreams

Gender: Male
Age: 26
Location: Elmo Knows Where You Live

BrandonMiaow wrote:

the of Montreal song makes me never want to listen of Montreal.

Hissing Fauna is dope, though! Mad

Anyway, I haven't listened to this yet. I've heard a lot of great things. But this is suites II and III, is listening to the other suites a necessity to understand the concept better or could you not care about it and just go into it without knowing the previous suite?
_________________

RIHYONCE

lethalnezzle wrote:

I honestly think she's the single most overrated new artist to emerge in the last five years.

This tbh, one of the most overhyped albums in recent memory as far as I'm concerned.

Hammy

One of my favorites, it's been on my chart since I first joined.

BrandonMiaow wrote:

honestly. Yeah I know this album and the one after it (and an ep too I think) have a narrative but I just really want to listen to a Janelle Monae album without the baroque pop tracks (aka the Beatles-esque ones)

Which tracks are "Beatles-esque", this album has more in common with Baroque Suites of say the 1700's than the Beatles honestly. (Consciously designed as dance music that's meant to be listened to/ themes presented in the overtures/ linked compositions or songs meant to be played as one piece/ etc.)

lethalnezzle wrote:

I honestly think she's the single most overrated new artist to emerge in the last five years. This album is fine, I just don't understand the hype whatsoever (same goes for her latest). If somebody fancies explaining the appeal, I'm all ears.

I wouldn't know anything about her hype, as I don't really read music publications. Compared to what I've heard from other similar artists, her voice is far more emotive and or poignant. The album, ArchAndroid, far more sophisticated than any other "pop" album of the past few years. The narrative is questionable, though not integral to the enjoyment of her work. It's honestly just damn enjoyable music, see Dance or Die to Tightrope on this particular album.

I guess the appeal to critics is her ability and her writer's, to work so many styles into a single album/suite.

I'm sort of looking forward to when she's done with this "Metropolis Concept" though.

yourself

Tonality wrote:

Which tracks are "Beatles-esque", this album has more in common with Baroque Suites of say the 1700's than the Beatles honestly. (Consciously designed as dance music that's meant to be listened to/ themes presented in the overtures/ linked compositions or songs meant to be played as one piece/ etc.)

I wouldn't know anything about her hype, as I don't really read music publications. Compared to what I've heard from other similar artists, her voice is far more emotive and or poignant. The album, ArchAndroid, far more sophisticated than any other "pop" album of the past few years. The narrative is questionable, though not integral to the enjoyment of her work. It's honestly just damn enjoyable music, see Dance or Die to Tightrope on this particular album. .

At times its more sophisticated than average sure...but its still pop music at heart compositionally. Its tasteful and sometimes densely arranged, but this isn't a "baroque suite" by virtue of having some pompous film-score intro sections.

Anyways someone might this analysis/breakdown of tightrope interesting:
http://www.ethanhein.com/wp/2012/sonic-...lle-monae/

Hammy

yourself wrote:

At times its more sophisticated than average sure...but its still pop music at heart compositionally. Its tasteful and sometimes densely arranged, but this isn't a "baroque suite" by virtue of having some pompous film-score intro sections. That sounds like something scaruffi would cough up for no reason.

Bold isn't the reason I believe it is designed like a Baroque Suite at all though. ( It's similar in structure, I know this is pop music at heart.)

My own words, though, not anyone else's.

yourself

Tonality wrote:

Bold isn't the reason I believe it is designed like a Baroque Suite at all though. ( It's similar in structure, I know this is pop music at heart.)

My own words, though, not anyone else's.

Well the words "more in common" stood out to me. And insofar as one of the reasons you gave was "themes presented in overtures", the comparison does require the overture tracks to work strongly.

Er Sorry I don't mean to sound confrontational, comparisons of popular music to classical tend to bug me/seem unnatural to me for whatever reason. Laughing

It a good album and I agree with what you said about her voice quite a bit.