my first impressions weren’t all that enthusiastic - while i thought the mix sounded good, i thought there was more sound separation than their previous releases, which removed some of the mystery. their samples had never been more clear - and all of the religious context was a little too on-the-nose. i wasn’t sure what they were trying to get at, but at times it just felt like “religion is spoooooky” (and it is). the thematic elements felt a bit obvious, and cynically i thought that this was a sort of move towards a broader audience, something that was accessible enough that the casuals and newly curious could “get” within a listen or two. plus, i’ve lived through a few different iterations of evangelist sampling - it didn’t feel overly novel to me.
but with some time to sit with it and listen to it in it’s full context, it’s pretty great. for all the attention they get for sound design and sample manipulation, melody is their real secret weapon. they absolutely know how to employ an emotional musical motif, even when it’s complex. there’s hooks in this shit. but, they’re abstrat and reveal themselves after repeated listenings. had all the vocal samples been removed, i’d still really like this record - it’s compelling music.
being all the way out here on the west coast, my (bandcamp) vinyl copy hasn’t arrived yet - when i order records like this, i often avoid “pre-listening” to a purchase too many times so i don’t get burnt out on it by the time my physical copy arrives. couldn’t help it this time. plus, i’m sure the vinyl will get plenty of spins once it actually shows up.
Mall Grab used that Daisy Dee vocal sample and it was huge hit on parties last couple of years. I remember finding myself as an grumpy old man talking: Fuck, Andronicus is much better
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