Album Club - Week 3

[EighteenSixty7]

Album 1

Album
Sails by The Travelling Band

Tracklist
1. Moments Like Switches
2. Wasted Eyes
3. Into the Water
4. Mopping Forwards
5. Loser
6. Unlike You
7. Last Night (I Dreamt of Killing You)
8. Out of the Water
9. Failure is a Bastard
10. Leftover Lines

Picked by

@Gnomicide

"This was more difficult than I expected, do I go with something new,
something old, something only I listen to and everyone else will hate?

In the end I've gone for an album by a band I think are criminally
underrated so at least they'll get a few more streams if nothing else.

My choice is Sails by The Travelling Band. Their 4th studio album,
released in 2017. They'll be known by a few on here as they've performed
at Glastonbury several times, sadly with decreasing stage sizes.
They played The Other in 2008 after winning The New Bands Competition
and have since been on The Park, Avalon Cafe and Shi-tv amongst others.

Described as Americana with Mancunian grit, it's all lush harmonies,
dreamy melodies and mighty fine musicianship. Michael Eavis no less
described them as "Marvellous music to savour and enjoy

Suggested questions to answer:

Was it horrific?
Did it sound as I expected?
Overall thoughts
Would I watch them at a festival?
Would I listen to it again?
Will I investigate them further?
Score out of 5

 

 

Album 2

 

Album
Slowdive by Slowdive

Tracklist
1. Slomo
2. Star Roving
3. Don't Know Why
4. Sugar for the Pill
5. Everyone Knows
6. No Longer Making Time
7. Go Get It
8. Falling Ashes

Picked by

@Homer

"When I saw the original thread, this was album that I instantaneously thought of.
Seriously, when does a band ever come back from a quarter of a century hiatus and
absolutely fucking nail it? I’ll answer that for you: never… apart from when Slowdive did.
The stupid thing is that Slowdive passed me by in the 90s but I absolutely
love this album. Even more kudos for being the perfect (relaxing) pandemic album.

Best songs: When her vocal comes in at the end of Slomo

(Also: Sugar For the Pill)"

 

----------

The Back Catalogue

 

Last Week

 

The Jukebox

 

Now That's What I Call eFest Album Club!

 

---------

 

Welcome to Week 3 of Album Club!

I hope you're still enjoying this, apologies for the slight delay. Week 4 will begin next Monday.

Thanks for your continued participation and I hope you enjoy another set of albums! 🙂

 

[Homer]

Thanks guys, I didn't know the Travelling Band had a 'new' album! I lost track after the one with Sundial on. Fond memories of seeing them at a small venue in Bristol and them walking off stage at the end while still playing and carrying on the gig in the street.

Edited March 1, 2021 by Homer

[Gnomicide]

17 minutes ago, Homer said:

Thanks guys, I didn't know the Travelling Band had a 'new' album! I lost track after the one with Sundial on. Fond memories of seeing them at a small venue in Bristol and them walking off stage at the end while still playing and carrying on the gig in the street.

They've had 2 since that one, the other is possibly better but I figured I'd go with their most recent effort.

Slowdive are one of those bands I've long been aware of but never knowingly listened to, I look forward to giving it a go.

[Haan]

Nice, you both chose 2017 albums! I haven't heard of either band, so excited to get into these

[northernringo]

Average scores after Week 2:

Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman (20 votes) - 4.05

I'm All Ears by Let's Eat Grandma (28 v) - 3.61

The Shadow of their Suns by Wax Tailor (20 v) - 2.95

The Blackest Joy by Akua Naru (28 v) - 2.68

[fred quimby]

Look forward to these. Slowdrive I know  but admit not really sat down and listened and not actually listened for a while now.

Never heard of the travelling band so looking forward to that

[Homer]

54 minutes ago, fred quimby said:

Look forward to these. Slowdrive I know  but admit not really sat down and listened and not actually listened for a while now.

Never heard of the travelling band so looking forward to that

They won the Glastonbury battle of the bands comp back in the day FYI (Travelling Band, not Slowdive!). Remember seeing TB opening the Park stage years ago.

[Quark]

Looking forward to this, two completely new albums for me. Don't think I've ever heard of Travelling Band (sorry Gnom) and Slowdive are one of those bands that completely passed my by in my youth but I've been meaning to look at recently since I started properly discovering the shoegaze dreamy noise.

Another good week coming up!

[EighteenSixty7]

I really like the album cover for Sails and the Slowdive album was a pick for one of the weeks when I did this elsewhere. I ended up buying the album so I must've enjoyed it but not really gone back to it. Looking forward to both!

[Gnomicide]

42 minutes ago, Quark said:

Don't think I've ever heard of Travelling Band (sorry Gnom).

Don't be sorry, I know they're not well known, part of the reason I chose them.

34 minutes ago, EighteenSixty7 said:

I really like the album cover for Sails...

It spells out Sails (if you use the code on the inside sleeve and miss the blue squares.

Bonus white vinyl....

[lessthanwill1]

Not heard of the first one. Thanks! 

Love the Slowdive album - one of my all time favourite bands. Your comments about the length of the hiatus and then nailing it are spot on. Really incredible how it wasn’t a disappointment given how heralded their 90s albums were. 

Interestingly the last song on the album Falling Ashes has a very very similar piano part to Daydreaming by Radiohead! 

Edited March 1, 2021 by lessthanwill1

[northernringo]

Album 1

Was it horrific?
Definitely not, it was an enjoyable listen

Did it sound as I expected?
I had never heard of them before but based on the description in the OP, then yes, it did sound as expected

Overall thoughts
Decent album, certainly a lot better than a lot of albums I've listened to over the past year or two that have done a lot better commercially

Would I watch them at a festival?
Wouldn't go out of my way to see them but would like to listen to them if I were already at the stage/there weren't any clashes

Would I listen to it again?
Probably not

Will I investigate them further?
Probably not

Score out of 5
Probably somewhere between 3/4, maybe just below 3.5 though so will have to give the album a 3

[a6l6e6x]

Another 2 albums I've never listened to, looking forward to getting stuck in once I can stop playing architects latest on loop

[John the Moth]

Not heard Travelling Band, but I know I gave Slowdive a spin when it came out. I remember the feeling of liking it, but I don’t clearly remember the album itself. Does that make sense.

Anyway, looking forward to getting stuck into both later.

oh and @Gnomicide , I’ve got similar angst over what to choose and it’s not even my turn yet 😆

[EighteenSixty7]

Sails is very easy listening which is good.

[crocodiles]

Looking forward to listening to this week's suggestions one band totally new to me and another whose album is new . Its a great idea this thread opens up some different musical experiences 

[Homer]

21 minutes ago, John the Moth said:

Not heard Travelling Band, but I know I gave Slowdive a spin when it came out. I remember the feeling of liking it, but I don’t clearly remember the album itself. Does that make sense.

Anyway, looking forward to getting stuck into both later.

oh and @Gnomicide , I’ve got similar angst over what to choose and it’s not even my turn yet 😆

Yeah, makes total sense. There's a Slowdive KEXP gig on Youtube and in the interview between songs they say that the process (after getting back together after so long) was all about creating 'soundscapes' (as opposed to huge riffs). Put it this way, there's a lot of reverb!

[Quark]

24 minutes ago, John the Moth said:

oh and @Gnomicide , I’ve got similar angst over what to choose and it’s not even my turn yet 😆

I assumed everyone was going through this 😄

[Haan]

13 minutes ago, Quark said:

I assumed everyone was going through this 😄

I've whittled it down to three but I just know I will instantly regret the one I end up choosing!

[st dan]

1 minute ago, Haan said:

I've whittled it down to three but I just know I will instantly regret the one I end up choosing!

Yep - It’s like choosing what to bring in for show and tell at primary school. The dejection if nobody is impressed will be hard to take. 

[fred quimby]

17 hours ago, Haan said:

I've whittled it down to three but I just know I will instantly regret the one I end up choosing!

This was me

[Haan]

41 minutes ago, fred quimby said:

This was me

flashbacks to when I would show my friends a movie I loved and they were on their phone during the best scene

[EighteenSixty7]

Unlike You and Last Night (I Dreamt of Killing You) are my faves on Sails at the moment

[st dan]

How are people playing this so far then? Dedicate the first few days to just one album and then swap? Or mixing up between listens?

Just trying to gauge which is the best way to give each one a fair crack of the whip. 

[Homer]

I'm just listening back to Slowdive to check if it's any good (luckily it is); just wanted to add 'No Longer making Time' to the best songs list!