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Post by ledvedderman on Jun 1, 2017 23:09:05 GMT -5
I'm about to give it my first listen here in a couple of minutes. Let me just first say that it is impossible for a song to live up to 14 years of personal hype in one's head. I have to tell myself that going into my first listen of SSB as well as the OK Computer outtakes that Radiohead are finally releasing after 20 years of loving the live versions. So if I'm harsh on this song, I've built it up too much in my own mind over the years.
Kind of like the No Name Face song that didn't make that record. Chances are there's a reason it hasn't seen the light of day ever.
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Post by escalibur on Jun 2, 2017 1:50:37 GMT -5
Breathe Easy is still not on Spotify.  |
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Post by LHfanMI on Jun 2, 2017 8:02:43 GMT -5
It's unique, it's interesting...the melody is stuck in my head right away. I could really imagine this on a soundtrack for a certain type of movie (ie: like Donnie Dark but maybe something more thought provoking and less dark?).
I love it though. It's one of my favorites so far especially because of how unique it is. It's interesting songwriting like this that I think made me love Jason's music in the first place.
I also kind of see how this could fit right in with Goodbye. I hope that one is next, and I hope its sound is more along the lines of SSB than it is the current version of Goodbye we have. I love the current version we have, but I'd also love a new take because why not! Goodbye...another one that could fit right in with an eerie soundtrack!
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Post by Robert on Jun 2, 2017 8:35:49 GMT -5
I love it! Easily my favourite so far, and that's saying something because I absolutely adore the last three or four tracks. It's such a complex melody and structure, with the verses flowing into the choruses and the smart lyrics taking the forefront of the song. J's vocals are also sublime, loving the production on them. It took about three listens for me to really understand it, but I'm so glad it's released!!
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Post by Minka on Jun 2, 2017 13:00:35 GMT -5
Thanks Carl for always writing down the lyrics!
It's not up on Amazon yet, so I can only judge by the lyrics - which I really like - and the snippet on Jason's website, which I don't like that much.
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Post by Robert on Jun 3, 2017 21:03:32 GMT -5
Jason on 'Shiny Silver Beast':
Funny how he played it acoustically; my first thought when I pressed play for the first time was surprise that it was on electric. Man I really want to learn this one on guitar now, more than anything I've ever heard from Lifehouse!
I have to wonder whether Goodbye was from this group of songs too, particularly the eerie live version. Very sinister lullaby feel to it:
So we've now heard 2/3 of Paper Cuts, figure we should reflect on what's come out so far. I had no idea what to expect and the last several tracks have been so good I don't know where to begin. I imagine this time is similar to the one those of you who've been around a while experienced prior and just after the self-titled came out, when the B-sides from those sessions were coming out on the internet. Several tracks are pretty reminiscent of 2003-2004 Lifehouse to me, particularly Penelopieces and Chapter Two (obviously since it's from that time). I do find a surprising lack of consistency among the songs: the first three having a western vibe with some questionable production, the fourth being very poorly recorded, full percussion on Chapter Two and minimal or no percussion everywhere else, and wildly different production on the vocals track-to-track. I've also been finding the 2013 tracklist rather odd, as the songs that go back to back that we know so far haven't actually been sounding that great back to back (SSB -> Stretch transition is awkward to me, as is Chapter Two -> Breathe Easy). The first four work well though; I wonder whether he wants to use the order in which he's been putting them out as the new tracklist?
Here are my thoughts by song so far, having given them some time:
Paper Cuts: This is great song to start the album running. I love the beat and the instrumentation and lyrics as well as the power of J's voice in the chorus; unfortunately the mixing and vocal effects seem unfinished to me. I do think the song should have something else for added interest near the last chorus, whether it's a higher-octave harmony (think final chorus of Runaways) or some more guitar or percussion flourishes. 8.5/10
Satellites: A pretty laid-back song that doesn't need you to think too hard, a track with fewer lyrics is good coming off the very wordy intro song. It's pretty enough, but like everyone here I find it lyrically a bit too ambiguous to have much meaning and the vocals feel surprisingly uninspired. Some days when I'm feeling gloomy I'm surprised how well it does resonate with me though. 7.0/10
Clarity: It's a shame that this version is so unfinished compared to the perfection that was the OOTW track, since this one is the one more widely distributed being on iTunes. That blah shaker throughout the whole song totally ruins how otherwise brilliant it is, and really makes me realize what Ricky brings to Lifehouse songs when he's left to his own devices. Lyrics are phenomenal, who would have thought to have different emotions as characters coming up to the narrator in a bar? Harmonica adds a lot to the song, and I'm torn as to whether the extended outro in the Paper Cuts LP version is better than the ending on the Lifehouse one. 7.5/10, 10/10 for Lifehouse version
Along the Way: This one is interesting since we've lived with a version of it for 12 years. I think the really nice vocal and instrumental touches added throughout improve it compared to the demo, but poor and flat sound quality on the guitar (sounds like it was recorded with an original iPhone) and no key changing bridge as well as mediocre percussion make it somehow feel like a missed opportunity. Not sure whether I like the quicker, folkier "y-ye-yaaaah"s from the original or the more drawn out "yeah yeah, yeaaah"s from this one. 7.5/10
Chapter Two: I can't believe he managed to keep this one in the vault for so long, and that it wasn't one of the very first songs selected for the self-titled. How can this one get passed up for so many years? The instrumentation is impeccable, from the amazing guitars to the Beatlesesque drums and the flute and clarinet reminiscent of Serge's stuff on No Name Face. Vocals and bgvs sound *amazing*, the musical structure is great, and the outro is one of the highlights of the record for me. As was the case with many songs from 2003-2004, mixing is a B-; classic ST era Lifehouse. 9.5/10
Stretch: Good to hear that even during the less-inspired moments of the Smoke & Mirrors era, Jason could still write like this. The verse and chorus are both great; his harmonization with himself in the chorus sounds really nice, and the subtle accordion is a good touch with the very pretty guitar. Overall it's a nice warm and fuzzy feeling, great song all around and a shame it didn't make it onto S&M in some form. 9.0/10
Penelopieces: This title intrigued me the most of anything, and as such I came in with no expectations. Wow, this was a total out-from-left-field highlight; I cannot get enough of this song! The carousel vibe is relaxing beyond words, the instrumentation could not be better, the strings are fantastic, and even the vocal effects on the bridge took a little while to get used to yet somehow work very well. Maybe the lyrics aren't quite amazing the way the song is, but it's still an amazing track. 9.5/10
Breathe Easy: Surprisingly this one took some time to get into; at first I found it rather unremarkable but the most I listened the more I understood how nuanced it is and the power of Jason's writing. I love the chorus and the way it builds, the verses are great too and the vocals and bgvs are top-notch. Perhaps the highlight of the album for me is the slight delay past the beat on the end of each stanza in the chorus, like 'When my world gets too...loud, you still have your hand...out"; little things like this go a long way and this song and Paper Cuts have been the ones most stuck in my head since I heard them. It sounds like something from the Who We Are sessions, without a doubt the most Lifehouse-like song so far in my opinion 9.5/10
Shiny Silver Beast: It's hard for something to live up to the hype but this one certainly does for me; every aspect comes together in an unexpected way that surprises me every time I hear the song. The finger picking melody is very uncommon for Jason who's 99% of the time a rhythm guitarist and rhythm writer, and the vocals stretch Jason's ability in ways I haven't heard since my surprise during my first listen of Firing Squad. Lyrically it's one of the best poems I've ever heard from J, which clearly says something since we know what an amazing lyricist he is. Not just the perfection of the rhyming and timing, but the topic of the song being one of societal beauty standards and gender norms. I like the classical tones of the instrumentation, namely the strings + woodwinds leading up to the chorus. Vocally the way the verses rise into the chorus is also very soundtrack/classically inspired, another surprise. If I could summarize this song in one word it's 'delightful'. 10/10
What say you?
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Post by dillban on Jun 3, 2017 22:45:11 GMT -5
Honestly I really like how the album is turning out to be. The first few songs I feel like were a little over produced (papercuts, along the way, satellites). Something about jason, is his powerful voice and his ability on a acoustic guitar. I would have rather have seen tracks sculpted in that fashion. I'm really liking stretch, shiny silver beast, breathe easy sooo far. I'm hopping these last couple of tracks don't take on the overproduction side of things. Also curious if Central Park is going to make appearance or even Angeline and what's papercuts version take these songs on as.
Does anyone know if he's planning on recording "eighties" or "Joshua"
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Post by victoria on Jun 5, 2017 6:54:18 GMT -5
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Post by Robert on Jun 5, 2017 7:12:01 GMT -5
It's on iTunes and Amazon for 99 cents, as well as streaming services  |
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Post by victoria on Jun 6, 2017 1:24:11 GMT -5
It's on iTunes and Amazon for 99 cents, as well as streaming services Thank you, I found |
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Post by nicholassanders on Jun 8, 2017 7:57:14 GMT -5
The next song being released is Goodbye 😀 youtu.be/aR_tkWmA0DY (Video not available yet here in Australia) |
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Post by Shawn on Jun 8, 2017 7:58:12 GMT -5
The next song being released is Goodbye 😀 youtu.be/aR_tkWmA0DY (Video not available yet here in Australia) I just came on to ask you if you knew haha. I love Australia 😀 |
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Post by nicholassanders on Jun 8, 2017 8:52:34 GMT -5
The video I linked before of Goodbye is now available in Australia despite it being 10 minutes before midnight here and the song is very similar to the original recording of it but a lot more fuller instrumental wise and higher quality 😀
Now to wait for it to appear on iTunes 😊
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Post by ledvedderman on Jun 8, 2017 10:19:35 GMT -5
YES!!!!!! What a good piece of news for today!
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Post by dillban on Jun 8, 2017 22:15:11 GMT -5
"Goodbye" is on US iTunes
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