10-17-2006, 08:16 AM
Early impressions:
Great songs. Nice to hear the Hip stretching out a bit stylistically too.
Production is very, very slick. The vocals are massaged (pitch control is all over this thing) and there's a background 'pad' to everything (it seems to be concocted of acoustic guitars and, perhaps, synths?). The sound, then, is very 'of the moment,' i.e., it captures the rock and roll sound of the hour. which is very much a high-energy pop/rock kind of sound. I understand the parallel to 'Fully Completely:' it sounds nothing like that album, but it's analogous, because that record also had very commercial production values.
That, of course, is the problem. But I understand why people who listen to the radio like it: it sounds like the other stuff out there, so it won't make anyone uncomfortable. I'll be surprised if it doesn't do quite well.
Great songs. Nice to hear the Hip stretching out a bit stylistically too.
Production is very, very slick. The vocals are massaged (pitch control is all over this thing) and there's a background 'pad' to everything (it seems to be concocted of acoustic guitars and, perhaps, synths?). The sound, then, is very 'of the moment,' i.e., it captures the rock and roll sound of the hour. which is very much a high-energy pop/rock kind of sound. I understand the parallel to 'Fully Completely:' it sounds nothing like that album, but it's analogous, because that record also had very commercial production values.
That, of course, is the problem. But I understand why people who listen to the radio like it: it sounds like the other stuff out there, so it won't make anyone uncomfortable. I'll be surprised if it doesn't do quite well.