Sinister: rose-tinted spectacles

[Paul Arathoon]

Well, this has been on my mind for a bit now and prompted by the rash of 
album reviews on Sinister I thought I might as well speak my mind...

Bascially my first problem with the various assessments of the new album is 
that they almost all look back at the previous 3 with the proverbial rose 
tinted spectacles. They seem to ignore the fact that neither Tigermilk, 
Sinister or Arab Strap are flawless. Just think about Electronic 
Renaissance, You're just a Baby, Me and the Major,and
Chickfactor. Good songs, yes. Great songs, no. (insert counter-arguments 
here). The songs on Fold your Hands are easily up there with anything on any 
other release and it is a far more cogent, cohesive album than Arab Strap. 
It is far from flawless but maybe that's part of the beauty. Whatever, take 
off the rose tinted specs.


My second thought is vaguely linked to that: For most listees I imagine that 
all of B&S' previous releases have some kind of context. They remind people 
of summer/winter/great parties/breaking up with people/being young/falling 
in love/falling down stairs etc etc. I doubt that Fold Your Hands can have 
any context at all for anyone. No one can really have had a copy for more 
than 2 months or so (I ahve had it for a bout 6 weeks).That's why for some 
of you, some of the songs dissapoint or sound less good than you expected- 
they don't remind you of any emotion. You are listening to it cold with no 
point of reference. Looking back on IYFS all the songs remind me 
times/people and therefore I judge the songs within the context I think of 
them in and I think that's the way music should be judged. Not necessarily 
how it sounds but how it makes you feel. Wait 6 months and then post a 
review.
If I had the guts I would say here "Music should come from the heart, not 
from the head". However that sentance makes me want to be sick. It sounds as 
if it came from a rockumentary on Kenny G or soemthing.

Paul
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