After a day of listening to nothing else, I have a few thoughts...
The first couple tracks have not blown me away yet. I enjoy them a lot, but I think there's still a lot of space for them to grow. In other words- not immediately astounding to me the way Thin Air and Untouchable were, but I'm still very optimistic about their potential.
Dusk (Darkness is Descending) is an interesting one, as I'm not super excited by the first half but love the second half. In fact, those last couple minutes are possibly my favorite from the entire album. It's interesting, too, that the song has its initial build up then comes back down again at the half point mark, only to build yet again. I know Anathema has been criticized for using somewhat repetitive and formulaic song structures on the past couple albums, and I think this was kind of a nice break from that with it's quieter middle section. Still, I'm hoping to start enjoying the first half more as well.
Ariel was an early favorite, and it still is. I like how Lee, Vincent, and Danny all offer vocals, but all in very distinct parts. This is especially true on the outro, when Danny comes in to sing the final lines. Really beautiful song.
Lost Song Part 3 is as good as it has ever been, and that's pretty darn good. Still, I'm not sure why they decided to split it up the way they did, rather than using it as the third track. It's also a little bit of a let down, I think, coming directly after Ariel, but that's what you get for putting one of the strongest tracks in the front half of the album.
Anathema is another beauty, and it definitely seems like one of the more emotional songs on the album. Listening to the lyrics, it makes sense that the song should be self titled. I like everything about this song a lot, and I look forward to many more listens.
The transition from Anathema to You're Not Alone is actually quite smooth, yet at the same time this one feels a little out of place. Still, I do enjoy the quirkiness of this song, and I love that Anathema is trying new things. My main complaint with this song is that it has a very abrupt end, and then all of the sudden leaves the listener in the midst of the most peaceful song on the album: Firelight. This is the
real Storm Before the Calm, and it's a rather abrupt switch. It would be interesting to hear how this might sound if You're Not Alone had more of a fade out. Firelight, on it's own, is really great. Simple, smooth, very atmospheric, and incredibly relaxing. I listened to this one during the sunrise this morning, and it really had an effect on me. Also- perfect introduction to what I currently think is the best song on the album.
And that would be Distant Satellites. Of all the songs with an electronica influence, it is this one which uses those tools the most effectively imo. I also think it has the best vocals on the album. While I enjoyed the acoustic version of this song, this one really blows me away. I am not speaking in hyperbole when I say that this one very nearly brings me to tears. I also imagine that it could be a really special live song, if executed well.
Take Shelter is another really nice one, and a strong closer I think. With that being said, it doesn't strike me as the perfect closing track (as ColdFireYYZ mentioned). There is a feeling of finality that permeates the song, which I think makes for a good ending, but it doesn't quite deliver the climax I would have hoped for. I doubt I will ever love another closing track (or Anathema song, for that matter) as much as I love Internal Landscapes, but that's the comparison I can't get out of my mind. Take Shelter is no Internal Landscapes, but that's hardly its fault. It's still a really nice song, and I'm sure it will grow on me more as time passes.
On the whole, I think this is a really strong album, and I think it's only going to get stronger. I legitimately enjoy all of the individual tracks, and the same honestly can't be said for all Anathema albums. In that sense, I think this one might be a more consistent release in terms of quality. The same can be said for its production, I think. I suppose relative to the last two albums, one could call this one dark, but on its own it still feels very positive. I appreciate that.
Perhaps my biggest complaint is the overall flow of the album, which (once again) CFYYZ metioned. One thing about WS that makes it one of my favorite albums of all time is that it has really well placed climaxes. The climax of The Storm Before the Calm does an awesome job of tying up the first half of the album, and then it builds again with The Beginning and The End and Lost Child, before finishing with the most powerful track. Here it feels a little more disjointed. Lost Song Part 3 kind of wrecks the momentum of the first four tracks, and the ending of You're Not Alone sticks out like a sore thumb. Finally, I think it may enjoy it more if it ended with the combo of Firelight/Distant Satellites, rather than Take Shelter.
Obviously, all of that could very easily (and probably will) change as I listen to the album more and more. These are my first impressions alone, and should be taken with a handful of salt. These are all very minor, and transient (like time), complaints.
1.75 thumbs up
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