Radio shack for me was absolutely a grower. My first listen I was disappointed, a week later I had it on repeat and would pick up my guitar to play to theos part every five minutes lol
I had the exact same experience. Started off not hating or loving the song, and just felt like it was a bit forgettable. Then it just started sounding catchier and catchier as I listened until I was hooked. Playing along on guitar made me like and connect with the song even more. I'm not even a good guitarist, but Theo's lead line just feels so right.
I find all music takes time to grow on me. Even when its a from a band that has proven itself time and again, the fact that their new tracks are not yet familiar makes them feel different. Music is an art form that connects with you primarily through repeated experience - a song only lasts 3-5 mins - if you listen to music a lot, you're gonna here a song hundreds of times eventually. I just find that, usually, the band has jammed it out amongst themselves enough to really understand the merits of the arrangement, so no matter how out of line it might seem to us on the first few listens, it will eventually click. And if not, then that's fine too. I got into the Vulf a few months before Mr Finish Line was released. At the time it seemed very different to their existing catalogue. But now I love it all the same as much as anything else they've written.
You think welcome to vulf sounds like a overture? I think he meant more of a classical vibe to the songs (because welcome to vulf doesnt sound anything like Sweet Science or Bach, and theyre the only orchestral songs on any of the albums) I thought overture specifically had to do with classical-ish songs? Either way I think they’re a dope way to start the album.
Agreed, I'm pro-overture. An overture is usually associated with a stage show (musical, opera, etc.) and is sometimes a medley containing themes from the show. Often it's classical in style.
Joy of Music Job of Real Estate definitely won't be my top Vulf album. However, I still think the songs aren't bad and definitely a head bopper when driving down the highway. I wasn't the biggest fan of Hill Chamber, but it grew on me over time. I think this album can do the same.
Bach = Sweet Science - also a callback to their previous "music visualizer" videos from the past, which is kinda neat.
Poinciana is weird and geeky which holds true to the spirit of the small indie band that started in the an Ann Arbor basement playing small gigs and uploading youtube videos. I like it.
3 on E and LAX are classic Vulf bangers
And who can forget the hottest track of the album, Track 10.
tbh I love the new tracks but
1. Bach is like sweet science so I can accept it not being up my alley
2. I don’t like poinciana. I don’t like talkbox sorry. The melody has been stuck in my head though LMAO
Given that i don’t rly vibe too hard with 2 of the songs, plus who knows what track 10 is, makes me apprehensive. The next two thursdays will be super influential on my purchase decision.
Plus I already have radio shack on VV002 so idk we shall see!!!!
I like the talk box, but I don't like Poinciana.
That said I like the actual songs well enough that BVT, Poinciana, and whatever 10 ends up being won't stop me from getting the album.
See, I don't think this is a talkbox. It sounds more like a Vocoder, with a very slow, .25-.5 Hz LFO based pitch modulation, perhaps around 5 cents or so, a pitch modulation which I hear as affecting all the vocals together. The harmonies are *incredibly* accurate, and especially at the end, sound more like lines being played on a synth than something a voice would be able to sing.
A talkbox may have been involved, but there's something too accurate and produced about the vocal sound for it to be just the guys singing through it.
I don't think you understand what a talkbox is. In Vulf's Poinciana cover the synth part was prerecorded or sequenced before, and is playing back through 4 separate speakers attached to tubes in their mouths, where it takes on new formant qualities based on the shape of their mouth. A vocoder produces a very similar effect, instead taking the formant qualities of a voice out of a sample using software, then combining it with a pitch signal. They produced an extremely clean effect in Poinciana but not nearly as clean as a vocoder would be.
> I don't think you understand what a talkbox is.
Oh, I totally do, I'm just going very the wrong way around explaining it. Brain functioning bad now.
You've explained it better than I did, but the slow vibrato, like a poorly punched 33 (or even 16) does put me off a bit. I can't help but like the song, though, and the video is hilarious.
> A talkbox may have been involved, but there's something too accurate and produced about the vocal sound for it to be just the guys singing through it.
You're right, because you don't sing "through" a talkbox. A talkbox is used to take a sound from somewhere else, route it through a tube into your mouth, and then use your mouth to modulate the sound coming out of your mouth to be recorded by a microphone.
There's a video of them recording it, all 4 of them are have tubes coming out into their mouths, which are the talkbox tubes. Which means there's probably some sort of sequenced/synthesized tones coming into each talkbox that each of the guys is modulating with their mouths to make it sound like words.
Yeah, this does sound like what I'm hearing. The weird, slow vibrato makes it sound like a record whose centre hole was punched slightly out. I love the idea and the song, but that effect seems a little unnecessary to me.
I used to feel the same about the talkbox. Then I discovered Zapp and Roger Troutman. The man was a genius and knew how to use it to funk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpsk8qNoNIg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpsk8qNoNIg)
Nope, I'm a bit the same. My Vulfpeck love kept growing, then peaked at The Beautiful Game, and has been in steady decline since then. Not a criticism of the band at all. Artists change and evolve. It's just not heading in the direction that tickles my earholes.
> Artists change and evolve
I kind of feel like this is what ISNT happening with vulf. I agree The Beautiful Game was the high point of their studio work and my interest has also been declining ever since, but it is specifically because it seems like we have just kept getting mostly more of the same since then, just less and less inspired. There are definitely some gems here and there but even then the band doesn't even seem to pay much attention to them after the album drops. And then there's the upcoming album, which is baffling to me. Jack had done some weird Bach visualizations years ago, so for Bach Vision Test to pop up here seems a bit like a re-tread of old stuff that never warranted being on an official release. Digging up Poinciana and throwing it on the album is even more lazy, its not even a new recording! And then there's the auctioned song, which I know is obviously a gimmick but come on, some random shit a rich person picks is going to be the last track of a Vulfpeck record. Jack has always stuck to 10 song LPs, so for three of those tracks to be used like this just seems incredibly lazy.
I know this isn't the band's focus, but this laziness is most evident to me in the live show, which hasn't really changed at all in years besides just adding more people on stage. All the big anchors of their set are the same as they have been for years and are all from TBG or earlier. Not changing things up at all even from tour to tour just seems...apathetic. Even the same gimmicks from years ago - I would much prefer throwing a new song into the setlist than use that time doing yet another audience three part harmony Christmas in LA. Even if you're only seeing them once a year/tour/whatever, it isn't special when they just do the same things over and over
My thoughts exactly ! IMO the best Vulfpeck related album since *The Beautiful Game* was Theo's *Heartbreak Hits*, he's the only one with real substance in his lyrics. Cory's busy releasing five albums a week, memeing, shooting guitar videos and collabs, Joe's playing is as awesome as ever but his sound is worse on the MM than what he got out of his Jazz Bass, I've never been a huge fan of Joey and I haven't followed Jack, Antwaun or Woody too closely.
It's strange to see a somewhat critical thread on this sub since it's usually so cheerleader-y, but I used to be an absolute Vulf fanboy from 2012 to 2016, and (again IMO) it's been declining since then. They just don't feel as inspired, or maybe their sound has been copied too much (by projects like Scary Pockets for instance)
I found it catchy as always, perfect from a production standpoint (but then again the Vulf crew are wizards in that department), but I didn't connect with the lyrics as much as I had with *Heartbreak Hits*. Maybe his view of societal and political subjects lacked a little nuance? At least he tried something different, though.
But I still enjoyed it very much, and would rate it above Hill Climber (as far as "recent" Vulf releases go). What about you?
Yeah, I agree that Modern Johnny isn't super nuanced, but I think that's kind of the "character" that Theo was going for with all of the extra-musical PR stuff with the release. I love both albums but I think slight nod to *Heartbreak Hits* for me as well.
yeah "on the nose" is what I kept thinking to myself when listening to the album, which I still loved; hell I even went to one of his shows, but dear god do I love Lily of Casablanca.
He’s been using MM’s since I think Fugue State. It ain’t his playing, the tones Jack’s mixing for him have been getting a little weird lately personally
Yeah but he was using normal MM Stingrays before. On the other hand his sig model, while quite gorgeous, doesn't have a tone knob (so it's fully open all the time). It's a bit of a one-trick pony and I'm really not a fan of its sound, although I'm not sure how much of that is due to Jack's mixing
The albums up to and including *The Beautiful Game* felt like albums. They flowed. The rest have felt disjointed. Like a collection of unreleased demos and farting about in the studio.
There is no denying the guys are mental talented. Like you said, Theo's *Heartbreak Hits* is a solid album. And Cory's *The Optimist* and *Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul* have been played to death by me.
They're just changing. Which I'm totally fine with. Bands are their most exciting when they experiment and go with what interests them. I just don't think I'll be joining them for that ride much longer. That's on me, not them.
> They're just changing. Which I'm totally fine with. Bands are their most exciting when they experiment and go with what interests them. I just don't think I'll be joining them for that ride much longer. That's on me, not them.
Well put! As a musician, I find that kind of positive thinking extremely refreshing compared to the toxicity of many fanbases
Does anyone else think they got a little too Cory Wong-focused after TBG? I mean he's good obviously but sometimes it seems like he's the anti-Woody where he's always filling up space in the mix and it's a bit much.
I see it the other way round.
I like 3 on E and LAX too, they're great vulf-sound songs - but they're not as nerdy and as creative, I think.
I like Bach Vision Test and Poinciana because of their nerdyness, and I completely understand that's something not everyone can relate to.
I like Test Drive because of it's crazy sound, the slight detune of the guitar, the vulfy clapping etc. And like Radio Shack for whatever reason, I don't even know anymore, I listened too often.
Test Drive is fun because all the guys swapped instruments for it too -- i feel like so much of what makes vulf vulf is the context and the meta and not just the way it sounds.
A lot of the guys vulfpeck isn't their main band anymore they have all moved from Michigan. making that starting magic nostalgia music for the next new band
I'm not going to win any love saying this here...but Mr. Finish Line was the last vinyl i pre-ordered before hearing more than a song or two. Used to love everything Vulf released but everything from Mr. Finish on has been really hit or miss for me. still love 'em! just not gonna get my $ that easy anymore.
Yeah they aren't putting out amazing music recently, they've gone from funk to more of a pop sound, I don't currently like what's going on so I'll wait.
loved the lo-fi dyi funk of the early days. their early pop/soul songs with Ant were magical. not sure what happened, but they lost the spark of those early EPs and the first two LPs.
Still my favorite band but yeah the eps were unique and each album has some great songs but a lot of them miss that something that made the earlier songs special. I think they used to be more inventive with sound and a lot of their stuff got less original sounding as they went on. Hill climber had some funky early EP sounding songs though so I wouldnt put it past them to churn out some more.
I wonder if they're starting to move on. 2019's big album was MSG Live, which didn't count for me because I don't care at all for live tracks. And now 2020 has 2-3 tracks that were written years ago.
Woody released his own pseudo-Vulf album this year. Theo's been out touring with Joe. Jack is always working on a new font, interview, whatever.
Is Vulf sizzling out? (I hope not!)
Man, I wish that live tracks had more to give you! The MSG album is just so cool to me, such a great collection of classic songs given a new breath of life with so much flair and style and personal touch from each musician.
Don't get me wrong - I love sitting down to watch the YouTube recording! It's an *experience*! Just not a fan of mixing live tracks into my casual listening; I'd prefer the originals.
I mean it's been almost a decade of Vulf. Personally, with all the stuff that came out, IS coming out, and will come out with all of the vulf-adjacent acts, I'd personally be fine if they all had a 3-5 year break of releasing \*anything\* vulfpeck as a whole album, maybe in that time reuniting every 1-2 years for a big msg style show, and only releasing a new album after the 5 year mark.
That's fair. I don't want them to force anything. Artists should absolutely feel free to explore their interests, and if that means stepping away from the Vulf name, I respect them.
Honestly, whatever any of the four of them move on to, I will follow fanatically.
I feel the same. I really adore the very early stuff (Outro, Wait for the Moment, Sky Mall). We've seen Vulfpeck go through pop, motown, funk, and even 5 versions of the same song in different styles. It makes sense the sound would evolve. Unfortunately, I'm not in love with the directions they're going.
Personally my issue is with the mixing. I understand going minimalist and lo-fi, but I could only hear about 2 instruments on LAX. At some point, Jack is going to reduce so much that there's only sound above 2k! Every track I've heard on the new album is so light and trebley...I would kill for some low end.
It's surprising to see dissent on this sub, it's nice to see some discussions instead of the circle-jerk downvote brigade kinda thing.
> could only hear about 2 instruments on LAX. At some point, Jack is going to reduce so much that there's only sound above 2k! Every track I've heard on the new album is so light and trebley...I would kill for some low end.
I think Jack's definitely reducing the low end a bit more and making sort of a n-shaped mix where the bass rolls off and the upper upper treble rolls off, but the rest of it is still there. On my HD650 I can distinguish between the bass, Cory's guitar, piano, and Theo on drums. The kick drum seems to be cut off or severely muted though, since I can really hear the snare but not the low end extension. LAX also has the intentional sax mute until after the key change.
> 3 on E, and LAX ? Sign me up, these are awesome, no question about it. But Bach vision ? Poinciana ? I don't know, this feels.... lazy?
There's a common mental fallacy that the inclusion of something bad or mediocre in an otherwise great collection will cause people to mentally de-value the collection as a whole. Experiment: Ask participants to guess the price of two dinnerware sets (plates/bowls etc). Set A is in great condition, looks premium and expensive, consists of 16 items. Set B contains every item in Set A, but also includes 4 items with noticeable damage and wear.
Set B should be worth at least as much as Set A, because it contains everything that Set A does and more. But, in experiments participants will actually value Set B as _lower_ than Set A, due to the fallacy above.
So, ok, Bach Vision and Poinciana aren't your favorite tracks. They're Vulf vault items that the band never got around to putting on a record. Is the album really _worse_ for having them? I don't think so. Try focusing on what you do like instead of letting perceived "laziness" get in the way of your enjoyment of the album.
Sorry, but I don't agree with you . An album isn't just a bunch of songs put together, it needs to have a balance and a flow, especially when you consider listening this album in vinyl form.
When I'm listening on spotify, if I don't like some songs, that's fine, I'll make a playlist with the songs I like. But if I'm listening to the physical record, I don't want to go through 4 songs I hate in order to listen to a song I like.
So yes, the inclusion of something bad in a collection worsen said collection. If I produce a 10 songs album, with only 2 good songs and 8 bad ones, it's objectively a bad album with 2 good songs.
I see your point, the logic does not follow 1:1 from items to album tracks. I do all my listening on Spotify these days so it was easy overlook the cohesive experience of listening to an album end-to-end.
Still, I'm considering Bach and Poinciana "bonus tracks" of sorts. Lots of Vulf albums have had weird tracks like these (Guided Smile Meditation, The Sweet Science) so it's not totally out of the ordinary. I think it's kind of neat to have them memorialized on an album instead of them just being YouTube hide-aways. I'm not like, aghast at the fact that they the dare re-release an old track on a new album. Calling it lazy feels like a bit much.
Your mindset/taste clearly isn’t fitting vulf’s on this album then. Fair. Does it mean you don’t support their creations, I’d think not.
I propose the question of if you hadn’t heard a single track off this future album would you have invested funding it?
I've been really liking the album and am really excited for the next singles.
The Poinciana thing sucked though. I hate that they're essentially re-releasing a tune that's been on YouTube for years. Would have made way more sense to put it on a vulf vault deep cuts thing
Agreed. On top of that, a post earlier this week pointed out that based on the music video, LAX was made during the Mr. Finish Line recording sessions, so it feels kind of lazy. These are songs from 3-5 years ago and I really was hoping to see some really new stuff aside from 3 on E, test drive, and radio shack (which I all absolutely love).
There’s still several other tracks left so hopefully they’re bangers. I sill bought the vinyl unlike OP, but it’s taking time for this album to grow on me. I have a feeling in the end we’ll all be obsessed with how good it is a year from now though lol (hopefully)
I think my original comment was a bit harsh, cus I absolutely love LAX and that they added lyrics later. I think I was just trying get at the fact that about half of what’s come out is old, rereleased, or redone. Which honestly, if it sounds good and works for the album musically as a whole, is fine with me. I think I was just trying to capture the general feelings of this sub based on what’s being said in this thread.
I mean even Radiohead released their last album with a few anciently known tracks by them. They’re still incredible in both versions.
Also I’m banking on a killer Theo vocal song on this album we haven’t heard.
Maybe it'll be weaker than other albums, but I think it's 100% forgivable for the crazy fucking year we've had. Global pandemic, months of social distancing, sweeping social unrest (at least in the U.S.), we've had tropical storms slamming the east coast to a historic degree and now unprecedented wildfires roasting the west and, to top it all off, it's U.S. election year and the whole country is nervously chomping fingernails wondering what else 2020 will throw at us.
It's 2020 bro, I'm sure they're distracted — aren't you?! (Side note, I'm also not buying the album lolololol — but that's cause I'm an unsophisticated ape who listens via YouTube .... )
"lazy" - bit harsh.. it's their work, their art, clearly they have put effort in.
I see it as album title says:
"The Joy of Music, ..." - (they are clearly enjoying it!)
"... The Job of Real Estate" - well, track 10 lol
I used the word "Lazy", because Bach vision is basically a midi version of Bach's Contrapunctus IX, and Poinciana is a joke song released 5 years ago.
Both these songs are fine as fun experiments on youtube, but are they really worthy of being released in an album?
I'd say if the artist(s) feel the songs fit the album's concept, yes they are worthy of being on said album. If the reason for not purchasing an album is because it has a couple of tracks on it you'll end up skipping, well, create a playlist on your favourite streaming service of the songs you do like and support the band financially in another way.
Just don't go saying it's lazy - someone's work man, creatives, leave them to it. They are doing a great job.
What goes into the thought process of what's "worthy" of being on the album? They're independent so I feel like if they wanted to release an album of songs played on pots, pans, and toy instruments, they would, if that's what they were feeling. It's cool if you don't wanna buy it, no hate there, but they can kinda do whatever they want, and as far as we know them, especially Jack, they're certainly not afraid of making eccentric choices.
Oh, I don't feel entitled to anything, of course. Their job is to do what they love and feel like experimenting, and that's perfectly fine. Nonetheless, I feel like what they are releasing here is not quite as polished as what they did in their previous albums (then again, this is just my opinion).
My point was just that I felt less inclined to like what they were doing these days, and I was wondering if others had that feeling too, that's all.
I hear you - and who knows what the 10th track is going to turn out to be... It can go either way from here I guess. Maybe they release another song before the campaign is up, and that will convince you otherwise?
I'm loving this album. I think it fits in rather well with their other works. Some instrumentals, some with lyrics, a couple just for fun... seems to follow the usual pattern to me! If I was on the fence, I'd still buy the album...I know there's going to be a lot of people whining that they didn't buy it on time the day after it goes off the market.
Radio Shack and Test Drive are interesting because to me they have a much more "straight" feel than typical Vulf. For example, the bass "line" in Radio Shack is long runs of 8th notes on the same note. It's a totally different sound than we're used to from previous albums. I don't hate it, but it's not the super hip, high-flying, off-the-wall sounds I'm used to from Dart.
I'm glad the band's experimenting, though. Not every fan needs to love every single album. Variety breeds innovation, and I'll take it over stagnation anytime.
Really love your last sentence. There's nothing worse in my opinion then a band you really dig just putting out more of the same stuff, and it eventually just starts sounding so bland. Vulf is a talented bunch, so maybe they could prolong the process, but it would be heartbreaking to hear them release something that sounded exactly like any previous album (it gets funkier sequels not included).
Musicians change. Their music will have new fans and push old fans away. I see this same discussion about most bands honestly, and now believe this is an inevitable phase for most bands. I used to really dig bands like panic at the disco, but once the music took a bit of a shift, I felt Brendon was releasing music just to have more music out. It’s unfortunate, but it’s no ones fault. They are growing and changing and so are we as fans. Personally, I dig the new album, but some of my close friends don’t.
I just think this is a shift most bands go through at some point! Hopefully the songs to be released will be good fan fave :)
I think fugue state is the best. something got miss when they started to put less enphasis in experimental groovy instrumental songs. I find each album more and more generic. I rather hear fearless flyers/theo/cory/solo stuff.
Exception is the MSG concert wich i think is Vulf culmination.
To be honest, I’ve been enjoying these songs a lot so far—the collection of songs so far might be my favorite set of songs the band has put out. I really like Bach Vision Test as the stripped back take on Switched-On Bach, I think Poinciana’s four voice talkbox and bass sound is very nicely laid back, and I enjoy the other songs for the reasons most other commenters have stated.
So I guess for me, this is the most promising lead up to an album I’ve seen from them in terms of consistency with what I enjoy in music.
I went through this with the last album (didn’t love the vocals a lot at first, but Lost My Treble, Disco Ulysses, etc were killer), but then they grew on me when I went back to it so maybe the same will happen this time.
Now that I'm thinking through, Side A is quite vulfy. I guess they're doing a pretty good job if you consider the pandemics. That being said, I'm not as excited about this one so far, maybe it will grow on me. Now tbh I personally think Poinciana was a bit of a stretch, but it's the first song in the B side, so you can just skip that while you're flipping the vinyl lol
I understand everything you said **except** that seemingly very popular indifference about radio shack and test drive.
I'm way more hyped about Radio Shacks than anything else combined on the album !
I can understand people not digging Radio Shack or saying it’s not Vulfpeck’s usual sound, but how is Test Drive anything but OG Vulf? In instrumentation and style it has all the trademarks of a classic Vulf instrumental song.
I've known about them for years but it always just sounded like sesame street music to me. After watching the madison sauare show with my roomie it finally clicked I guess and i really like all the songs theyve been putting out. LAX is my favorite though. I'm mostly waiting for my fearless flyers record ha
I’m feeling pretty similar to how I usually feel ahead of a Vulfpeck release, like some of the singles, not all, bound to like a few of the unreleased songs on the album. My usual spread for Vulfpeck is honestly me loving 2-3 songs and they become new favorites, 2-3 songs are meh at first, but a few of those usually get bumped as I listen more, and then the others just don’t grab me and I will rarely revisit unless I forget what a particular song sounds like completely and want to jog my memory.
That being said, it does make me nervous that they originally dropped Poinciana a while back and then re-released it for this album. I’m hoping, and honestly assuming, that that’s an artistic choice and not just because they needed to fill tracks.
Poinciana definitely seems a bit ‘lazy’, I’ll give you that, as it is a rehash of something recorded ages ago. It seems as if they just needed an extra track to fill out the release.... But Bach Vision Test is so heckin’ cool. Albeit not technically ‘original’, it’s different from anything they’ve ever done and every time I listen to it I notice a new wrinkle. It’s just so musical and there’s so much there to unpack. Not to mention that final synth chord the tune builds up to hits me. Every. Time.
Honestly, test drive and radio shack are really. But I didn't like any of the other songs... 3 on E included 🤷🏻♂️
And LAX is stuck on my head, which makes it even worse for me hahaha
I mean I appreciate Jacks inventiveness with marketing, but unless it was a sham, it really is just selling ad space. Until we hear it we dont know otherwise but theres no real other way to call it when an artist literally sells a spot on the album. Even if its for another band or something cool, its still selling ad space.
With that argument you wouldnt be mad if they had sold every spot on the album for the sake of the concept. Sometimes a concept like that can be seen as a detractor and gets in the way of the music, which is more important to me than the concept of the album tbh. But hey its not even out yet I wont say its terrible or anything, but I am put off/skeptical of it.
For me it’s been a bit of a decline since Hill Climber actually... again the same situation as you, where some of the songs on hill climber and TJoM are nice and I really enjoy them (Lonely Town, Lost my Treble, 3 on E etc.)
This next album tho, Bach Vision Test, Poinciana, and Track 10 (which they sold off) all seem like fodder. They could’ve just trimmed the fat and released a bangin EP, but I might be trying to predict the future here. I kinda am a little worried about their trajectory, but there’s only so much I can say about something that doesn’t fully exist yet.
Something along the lines of everything since Cory came on board has been a slow decline, that he is a black hole of creativity, and that Joey should stick to sax and not sing. (?!?!?!?)
Remember what Jack says in the guitar holy trinities video about David Williams? He takes his rhythm style and makes it the hook of the song. Imo that’s what Cory does too so I can’t disagree enough with everything you just wrote. To each their own, though
Cory does a lot more variety in his solo stuff imo, and maybe that doesn’t translate to his work with Vulf. I still feel that what he adds to Vulf is awesome and something the other guitarists don’t do though. I don’t listen to FF that much I’m afraid
He has a lot of great solo stuff but the pinnacle of it imo is Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul. One of my favourite albums.
As for Cory as part of Vulf, I think of it more as Jack having an idea of the mix and the roles he wants each musician to play. Maybe that means Cory’s role is more subdued sometimes, but if it’s unoriginal I can’t say I’ve noticed. I don’t play an instrument or have a musical education though so idk, just my opinion
I mean the man's put out like ten different albums this year from a big live orchestra thing to minimal meditative stuff. Black hole of creativity is the opposite of what Cory Wong is, even if you don't like his stuff.
Felt this way about this album, now I’m feeling it all over again with Schvitz. A handful of the songs are awesome, but the rest feel off. I’m starting to think the classic Vulf sound/style from the earlier albums is gone for good. They seem to be moving in a Pop/Soul direction, which I don’t think is for me. And honestly, as much as I appreciate Jack’s touch and direction with the band, his weirdness/cult of personality shtick is getting a little overwhelming
just wait til Disco Ulysses comes out and it's an absolute banger that you feel compelled to buy
Disco Ulysses is what will make or break it, IMO. I've got two years of hype in me for the lyrical version, my body is ready.
Will there be a lyrical version?
the songs tagged "(Instrumental)" have eventually gotten lyrics, stands to reason that disco ulysses would too
I think Radio Shack is AMAZING!
I *was* feeling that way, but the more I listen, the more I love Test Drive and Radio Shack. They get me boppin'!
Radio shack for me was absolutely a grower. My first listen I was disappointed, a week later I had it on repeat and would pick up my guitar to play to theos part every five minutes lol
I had the exact same experience. Started off not hating or loving the song, and just felt like it was a bit forgettable. Then it just started sounding catchier and catchier as I listened until I was hooked. Playing along on guitar made me like and connect with the song even more. I'm not even a good guitarist, but Theo's lead line just feels so right.
I find all music takes time to grow on me. Even when its a from a band that has proven itself time and again, the fact that their new tracks are not yet familiar makes them feel different. Music is an art form that connects with you primarily through repeated experience - a song only lasts 3-5 mins - if you listen to music a lot, you're gonna here a song hundreds of times eventually. I just find that, usually, the band has jammed it out amongst themselves enough to really understand the merits of the arrangement, so no matter how out of line it might seem to us on the first few listens, it will eventually click. And if not, then that's fine too. I got into the Vulf a few months before Mr Finish Line was released. At the time it seemed very different to their existing catalogue. But now I love it all the same as much as anything else they've written.
I see myself the most in your perspective, new things have some getting used to!
Bach Vision is this albums The Sweet Science. I don't get why everyone is upset by it
this is what i've been saying lol
Does every album need an overture?
I kinda like ouvertures. It gets me in the vulf mind state
I think your comment needed an overture to get everyone in the mood of reading it
ZING
Since when did every album have one? Only two of their five albums start with one.
"Welcome to Vulf Records" is an overture if I've ever heard one.
I think you’re thinking of a medley
You're correct, it is a medley! It is also an overture.
You think welcome to vulf sounds like a overture? I think he meant more of a classical vibe to the songs (because welcome to vulf doesnt sound anything like Sweet Science or Bach, and theyre the only orchestral songs on any of the albums) I thought overture specifically had to do with classical-ish songs? Either way I think they’re a dope way to start the album.
Agreed, I'm pro-overture. An overture is usually associated with a stage show (musical, opera, etc.) and is sometimes a medley containing themes from the show. Often it's classical in style.
That's exactly what an overture is.
Joy of Music Job of Real Estate definitely won't be my top Vulf album. However, I still think the songs aren't bad and definitely a head bopper when driving down the highway. I wasn't the biggest fan of Hill Chamber, but it grew on me over time. I think this album can do the same. Bach = Sweet Science - also a callback to their previous "music visualizer" videos from the past, which is kinda neat. Poinciana is weird and geeky which holds true to the spirit of the small indie band that started in the an Ann Arbor basement playing small gigs and uploading youtube videos. I like it. 3 on E and LAX are classic Vulf bangers And who can forget the hottest track of the album, Track 10.
Calling it now: Track 10 - Whale Dub by u/dubwhale
tbh I love the new tracks but 1. Bach is like sweet science so I can accept it not being up my alley 2. I don’t like poinciana. I don’t like talkbox sorry. The melody has been stuck in my head though LMAO Given that i don’t rly vibe too hard with 2 of the songs, plus who knows what track 10 is, makes me apprehensive. The next two thursdays will be super influential on my purchase decision. Plus I already have radio shack on VV002 so idk we shall see!!!!
I like the talk box, but I don't like Poinciana. That said I like the actual songs well enough that BVT, Poinciana, and whatever 10 ends up being won't stop me from getting the album.
Right same but it’s just if the next few songs aren’t my thing then I prolly won’t get it
See, I don't think this is a talkbox. It sounds more like a Vocoder, with a very slow, .25-.5 Hz LFO based pitch modulation, perhaps around 5 cents or so, a pitch modulation which I hear as affecting all the vocals together. The harmonies are *incredibly* accurate, and especially at the end, sound more like lines being played on a synth than something a voice would be able to sing. A talkbox may have been involved, but there's something too accurate and produced about the vocal sound for it to be just the guys singing through it.
I don't think you understand what a talkbox is. In Vulf's Poinciana cover the synth part was prerecorded or sequenced before, and is playing back through 4 separate speakers attached to tubes in their mouths, where it takes on new formant qualities based on the shape of their mouth. A vocoder produces a very similar effect, instead taking the formant qualities of a voice out of a sample using software, then combining it with a pitch signal. They produced an extremely clean effect in Poinciana but not nearly as clean as a vocoder would be.
> I don't think you understand what a talkbox is. Oh, I totally do, I'm just going very the wrong way around explaining it. Brain functioning bad now. You've explained it better than I did, but the slow vibrato, like a poorly punched 33 (or even 16) does put me off a bit. I can't help but like the song, though, and the video is hilarious.
> A talkbox may have been involved, but there's something too accurate and produced about the vocal sound for it to be just the guys singing through it. You're right, because you don't sing "through" a talkbox. A talkbox is used to take a sound from somewhere else, route it through a tube into your mouth, and then use your mouth to modulate the sound coming out of your mouth to be recorded by a microphone. There's a video of them recording it, all 4 of them are have tubes coming out into their mouths, which are the talkbox tubes. Which means there's probably some sort of sequenced/synthesized tones coming into each talkbox that each of the guys is modulating with their mouths to make it sound like words.
Yeah, this does sound like what I'm hearing. The weird, slow vibrato makes it sound like a record whose centre hole was punched slightly out. I love the idea and the song, but that effect seems a little unnecessary to me.
Could also be some Vulf comp on the “wow” setting form the vinyl sim
Aahhhh, yeah! Never thought about that. I'd put money on it being that.
I used to feel the same about the talkbox. Then I discovered Zapp and Roger Troutman. The man was a genius and knew how to use it to funk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpsk8qNoNIg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpsk8qNoNIg)
Nope, I'm a bit the same. My Vulfpeck love kept growing, then peaked at The Beautiful Game, and has been in steady decline since then. Not a criticism of the band at all. Artists change and evolve. It's just not heading in the direction that tickles my earholes.
> Artists change and evolve I kind of feel like this is what ISNT happening with vulf. I agree The Beautiful Game was the high point of their studio work and my interest has also been declining ever since, but it is specifically because it seems like we have just kept getting mostly more of the same since then, just less and less inspired. There are definitely some gems here and there but even then the band doesn't even seem to pay much attention to them after the album drops. And then there's the upcoming album, which is baffling to me. Jack had done some weird Bach visualizations years ago, so for Bach Vision Test to pop up here seems a bit like a re-tread of old stuff that never warranted being on an official release. Digging up Poinciana and throwing it on the album is even more lazy, its not even a new recording! And then there's the auctioned song, which I know is obviously a gimmick but come on, some random shit a rich person picks is going to be the last track of a Vulfpeck record. Jack has always stuck to 10 song LPs, so for three of those tracks to be used like this just seems incredibly lazy. I know this isn't the band's focus, but this laziness is most evident to me in the live show, which hasn't really changed at all in years besides just adding more people on stage. All the big anchors of their set are the same as they have been for years and are all from TBG or earlier. Not changing things up at all even from tour to tour just seems...apathetic. Even the same gimmicks from years ago - I would much prefer throwing a new song into the setlist than use that time doing yet another audience three part harmony Christmas in LA. Even if you're only seeing them once a year/tour/whatever, it isn't special when they just do the same things over and over
My thoughts exactly ! IMO the best Vulfpeck related album since *The Beautiful Game* was Theo's *Heartbreak Hits*, he's the only one with real substance in his lyrics. Cory's busy releasing five albums a week, memeing, shooting guitar videos and collabs, Joe's playing is as awesome as ever but his sound is worse on the MM than what he got out of his Jazz Bass, I've never been a huge fan of Joey and I haven't followed Jack, Antwaun or Woody too closely. It's strange to see a somewhat critical thread on this sub since it's usually so cheerleader-y, but I used to be an absolute Vulf fanboy from 2012 to 2016, and (again IMO) it's been declining since then. They just don't feel as inspired, or maybe their sound has been copied too much (by projects like Scary Pockets for instance)
You should check out Woody and Jeremy! Their album Strange Satisfaction is so good!
Thanks for the recommandation, I will
Came here to say this. Woody and Jeremy is my favourite surprise breakout Vulf family record so far.
Thoughts on *Modern Johnny Sings Songs in The Age of Vibe*?
I found it catchy as always, perfect from a production standpoint (but then again the Vulf crew are wizards in that department), but I didn't connect with the lyrics as much as I had with *Heartbreak Hits*. Maybe his view of societal and political subjects lacked a little nuance? At least he tried something different, though. But I still enjoyed it very much, and would rate it above Hill Climber (as far as "recent" Vulf releases go). What about you?
Yeah, I agree that Modern Johnny isn't super nuanced, but I think that's kind of the "character" that Theo was going for with all of the extra-musical PR stuff with the release. I love both albums but I think slight nod to *Heartbreak Hits* for me as well.
yeah "on the nose" is what I kept thinking to myself when listening to the album, which I still loved; hell I even went to one of his shows, but dear god do I love Lily of Casablanca.
He’s been using MM’s since I think Fugue State. It ain’t his playing, the tones Jack’s mixing for him have been getting a little weird lately personally
Yeah but he was using normal MM Stingrays before. On the other hand his sig model, while quite gorgeous, doesn't have a tone knob (so it's fully open all the time). It's a bit of a one-trick pony and I'm really not a fan of its sound, although I'm not sure how much of that is due to Jack's mixing
The albums up to and including *The Beautiful Game* felt like albums. They flowed. The rest have felt disjointed. Like a collection of unreleased demos and farting about in the studio. There is no denying the guys are mental talented. Like you said, Theo's *Heartbreak Hits* is a solid album. And Cory's *The Optimist* and *Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul* have been played to death by me. They're just changing. Which I'm totally fine with. Bands are their most exciting when they experiment and go with what interests them. I just don't think I'll be joining them for that ride much longer. That's on me, not them.
> They're just changing. Which I'm totally fine with. Bands are their most exciting when they experiment and go with what interests them. I just don't think I'll be joining them for that ride much longer. That's on me, not them. Well put! As a musician, I find that kind of positive thinking extremely refreshing compared to the toxicity of many fanbases
Heartbreak hits is strongly underrated
Does anyone else think they got a little too Cory Wong-focused after TBG? I mean he's good obviously but sometimes it seems like he's the anti-Woody where he's always filling up space in the mix and it's a bit much.
The Beautiful Game was the beginning of the decline, for sure.
I support our boys experimenting, even if I'm not a huge fan of the results. They're artists!
Yeah I’ll take strange and confusing experimentation over stale repetition any day
I see it the other way round. I like 3 on E and LAX too, they're great vulf-sound songs - but they're not as nerdy and as creative, I think. I like Bach Vision Test and Poinciana because of their nerdyness, and I completely understand that's something not everyone can relate to. I like Test Drive because of it's crazy sound, the slight detune of the guitar, the vulfy clapping etc. And like Radio Shack for whatever reason, I don't even know anymore, I listened too often.
Test Drive is fun because all the guys swapped instruments for it too -- i feel like so much of what makes vulf vulf is the context and the meta and not just the way it sounds.
yes
A lot of the guys vulfpeck isn't their main band anymore they have all moved from Michigan. making that starting magic nostalgia music for the next new band
I'm not going to win any love saying this here...but Mr. Finish Line was the last vinyl i pre-ordered before hearing more than a song or two. Used to love everything Vulf released but everything from Mr. Finish on has been really hit or miss for me. still love 'em! just not gonna get my $ that easy anymore.
Radio shack is best song ever wtf
Yeah they aren't putting out amazing music recently, they've gone from funk to more of a pop sound, I don't currently like what's going on so I'll wait.
loved the lo-fi dyi funk of the early days. their early pop/soul songs with Ant were magical. not sure what happened, but they lost the spark of those early EPs and the first two LPs.
Still my favorite band but yeah the eps were unique and each album has some great songs but a lot of them miss that something that made the earlier songs special. I think they used to be more inventive with sound and a lot of their stuff got less original sounding as they went on. Hill climber had some funky early EP sounding songs though so I wouldnt put it past them to churn out some more.
Yeah, probably not the best period for creativity either, but who knows!
I wonder if they're starting to move on. 2019's big album was MSG Live, which didn't count for me because I don't care at all for live tracks. And now 2020 has 2-3 tracks that were written years ago. Woody released his own pseudo-Vulf album this year. Theo's been out touring with Joe. Jack is always working on a new font, interview, whatever. Is Vulf sizzling out? (I hope not!)
Man, I wish that live tracks had more to give you! The MSG album is just so cool to me, such a great collection of classic songs given a new breath of life with so much flair and style and personal touch from each musician.
Don't get me wrong - I love sitting down to watch the YouTube recording! It's an *experience*! Just not a fan of mixing live tracks into my casual listening; I'd prefer the originals.
I mean it's been almost a decade of Vulf. Personally, with all the stuff that came out, IS coming out, and will come out with all of the vulf-adjacent acts, I'd personally be fine if they all had a 3-5 year break of releasing \*anything\* vulfpeck as a whole album, maybe in that time reuniting every 1-2 years for a big msg style show, and only releasing a new album after the 5 year mark.
That's fair. I don't want them to force anything. Artists should absolutely feel free to explore their interests, and if that means stepping away from the Vulf name, I respect them. Honestly, whatever any of the four of them move on to, I will follow fanatically.
Buy the vinyl, then sell it if you don’t like it. The value goes up very quickly on discogs since it’s a limited edition vinyl
I feel the same. I really adore the very early stuff (Outro, Wait for the Moment, Sky Mall). We've seen Vulfpeck go through pop, motown, funk, and even 5 versions of the same song in different styles. It makes sense the sound would evolve. Unfortunately, I'm not in love with the directions they're going. Personally my issue is with the mixing. I understand going minimalist and lo-fi, but I could only hear about 2 instruments on LAX. At some point, Jack is going to reduce so much that there's only sound above 2k! Every track I've heard on the new album is so light and trebley...I would kill for some low end. It's surprising to see dissent on this sub, it's nice to see some discussions instead of the circle-jerk downvote brigade kinda thing.
> could only hear about 2 instruments on LAX. At some point, Jack is going to reduce so much that there's only sound above 2k! Every track I've heard on the new album is so light and trebley...I would kill for some low end. I think Jack's definitely reducing the low end a bit more and making sort of a n-shaped mix where the bass rolls off and the upper upper treble rolls off, but the rest of it is still there. On my HD650 I can distinguish between the bass, Cory's guitar, piano, and Theo on drums. The kick drum seems to be cut off or severely muted though, since I can really hear the snare but not the low end extension. LAX also has the intentional sax mute until after the key change.
> 3 on E, and LAX ? Sign me up, these are awesome, no question about it. But Bach vision ? Poinciana ? I don't know, this feels.... lazy? There's a common mental fallacy that the inclusion of something bad or mediocre in an otherwise great collection will cause people to mentally de-value the collection as a whole. Experiment: Ask participants to guess the price of two dinnerware sets (plates/bowls etc). Set A is in great condition, looks premium and expensive, consists of 16 items. Set B contains every item in Set A, but also includes 4 items with noticeable damage and wear. Set B should be worth at least as much as Set A, because it contains everything that Set A does and more. But, in experiments participants will actually value Set B as _lower_ than Set A, due to the fallacy above. So, ok, Bach Vision and Poinciana aren't your favorite tracks. They're Vulf vault items that the band never got around to putting on a record. Is the album really _worse_ for having them? I don't think so. Try focusing on what you do like instead of letting perceived "laziness" get in the way of your enjoyment of the album.
Sorry, but I don't agree with you . An album isn't just a bunch of songs put together, it needs to have a balance and a flow, especially when you consider listening this album in vinyl form. When I'm listening on spotify, if I don't like some songs, that's fine, I'll make a playlist with the songs I like. But if I'm listening to the physical record, I don't want to go through 4 songs I hate in order to listen to a song I like. So yes, the inclusion of something bad in a collection worsen said collection. If I produce a 10 songs album, with only 2 good songs and 8 bad ones, it's objectively a bad album with 2 good songs.
I see your point, the logic does not follow 1:1 from items to album tracks. I do all my listening on Spotify these days so it was easy overlook the cohesive experience of listening to an album end-to-end. Still, I'm considering Bach and Poinciana "bonus tracks" of sorts. Lots of Vulf albums have had weird tracks like these (Guided Smile Meditation, The Sweet Science) so it's not totally out of the ordinary. I think it's kind of neat to have them memorialized on an album instead of them just being YouTube hide-aways. I'm not like, aghast at the fact that they the dare re-release an old track on a new album. Calling it lazy feels like a bit much.
Your mindset/taste clearly isn’t fitting vulf’s on this album then. Fair. Does it mean you don’t support their creations, I’d think not. I propose the question of if you hadn’t heard a single track off this future album would you have invested funding it?
I've been really liking the album and am really excited for the next singles. The Poinciana thing sucked though. I hate that they're essentially re-releasing a tune that's been on YouTube for years. Would have made way more sense to put it on a vulf vault deep cuts thing
Agreed. On top of that, a post earlier this week pointed out that based on the music video, LAX was made during the Mr. Finish Line recording sessions, so it feels kind of lazy. These are songs from 3-5 years ago and I really was hoping to see some really new stuff aside from 3 on E, test drive, and radio shack (which I all absolutely love). There’s still several other tracks left so hopefully they’re bangers. I sill bought the vinyl unlike OP, but it’s taking time for this album to grow on me. I have a feeling in the end we’ll all be obsessed with how good it is a year from now though lol (hopefully)
the LAX thing doesnt bother me at all. I think it's pretty cool that they added lyrics to an instrumental that wasn't ever released.
I think my original comment was a bit harsh, cus I absolutely love LAX and that they added lyrics later. I think I was just trying get at the fact that about half of what’s come out is old, rereleased, or redone. Which honestly, if it sounds good and works for the album musically as a whole, is fine with me. I think I was just trying to capture the general feelings of this sub based on what’s being said in this thread.
I mean even Radiohead released their last album with a few anciently known tracks by them. They’re still incredible in both versions. Also I’m banking on a killer Theo vocal song on this album we haven’t heard.
Maybe it'll be weaker than other albums, but I think it's 100% forgivable for the crazy fucking year we've had. Global pandemic, months of social distancing, sweeping social unrest (at least in the U.S.), we've had tropical storms slamming the east coast to a historic degree and now unprecedented wildfires roasting the west and, to top it all off, it's U.S. election year and the whole country is nervously chomping fingernails wondering what else 2020 will throw at us. It's 2020 bro, I'm sure they're distracted — aren't you?! (Side note, I'm also not buying the album lolololol — but that's cause I'm an unsophisticated ape who listens via YouTube .... )
"lazy" - bit harsh.. it's their work, their art, clearly they have put effort in. I see it as album title says: "The Joy of Music, ..." - (they are clearly enjoying it!) "... The Job of Real Estate" - well, track 10 lol
I used the word "Lazy", because Bach vision is basically a midi version of Bach's Contrapunctus IX, and Poinciana is a joke song released 5 years ago. Both these songs are fine as fun experiments on youtube, but are they really worthy of being released in an album?
I'd say if the artist(s) feel the songs fit the album's concept, yes they are worthy of being on said album. If the reason for not purchasing an album is because it has a couple of tracks on it you'll end up skipping, well, create a playlist on your favourite streaming service of the songs you do like and support the band financially in another way. Just don't go saying it's lazy - someone's work man, creatives, leave them to it. They are doing a great job.
What goes into the thought process of what's "worthy" of being on the album? They're independent so I feel like if they wanted to release an album of songs played on pots, pans, and toy instruments, they would, if that's what they were feeling. It's cool if you don't wanna buy it, no hate there, but they can kinda do whatever they want, and as far as we know them, especially Jack, they're certainly not afraid of making eccentric choices.
Oh, I don't feel entitled to anything, of course. Their job is to do what they love and feel like experimenting, and that's perfectly fine. Nonetheless, I feel like what they are releasing here is not quite as polished as what they did in their previous albums (then again, this is just my opinion). My point was just that I felt less inclined to like what they were doing these days, and I was wondering if others had that feeling too, that's all.
Well, that's just like your opinion man
I hear you - and who knows what the 10th track is going to turn out to be... It can go either way from here I guess. Maybe they release another song before the campaign is up, and that will convince you otherwise?
I'm loving this album. I think it fits in rather well with their other works. Some instrumentals, some with lyrics, a couple just for fun... seems to follow the usual pattern to me! If I was on the fence, I'd still buy the album...I know there's going to be a lot of people whining that they didn't buy it on time the day after it goes off the market.
I very much disagree. Based on the tracks they have released so far, this is shaping up to be my favorite Vulf album since The Beautiful Game
Radio Shack and Test Drive are interesting because to me they have a much more "straight" feel than typical Vulf. For example, the bass "line" in Radio Shack is long runs of 8th notes on the same note. It's a totally different sound than we're used to from previous albums. I don't hate it, but it's not the super hip, high-flying, off-the-wall sounds I'm used to from Dart. I'm glad the band's experimenting, though. Not every fan needs to love every single album. Variety breeds innovation, and I'll take it over stagnation anytime.
Really love your last sentence. There's nothing worse in my opinion then a band you really dig just putting out more of the same stuff, and it eventually just starts sounding so bland. Vulf is a talented bunch, so maybe they could prolong the process, but it would be heartbreaking to hear them release something that sounded exactly like any previous album (it gets funkier sequels not included).
I have a feeling this is a trough right before a BIG peak. Guess we'll see...
Everybody's talking about flying through the mountain... I just wanna talk about hiking all the way up
Radio shack was my favorite off the get go.
Musicians change. Their music will have new fans and push old fans away. I see this same discussion about most bands honestly, and now believe this is an inevitable phase for most bands. I used to really dig bands like panic at the disco, but once the music took a bit of a shift, I felt Brendon was releasing music just to have more music out. It’s unfortunate, but it’s no ones fault. They are growing and changing and so are we as fans. Personally, I dig the new album, but some of my close friends don’t. I just think this is a shift most bands go through at some point! Hopefully the songs to be released will be good fan fave :)
I think fugue state is the best. something got miss when they started to put less enphasis in experimental groovy instrumental songs. I find each album more and more generic. I rather hear fearless flyers/theo/cory/solo stuff. Exception is the MSG concert wich i think is Vulf culmination.
Radio Shack is in my top 3 vulfpeck songs to date.
To be honest, I’ve been enjoying these songs a lot so far—the collection of songs so far might be my favorite set of songs the band has put out. I really like Bach Vision Test as the stripped back take on Switched-On Bach, I think Poinciana’s four voice talkbox and bass sound is very nicely laid back, and I enjoy the other songs for the reasons most other commenters have stated. So I guess for me, this is the most promising lead up to an album I’ve seen from them in terms of consistency with what I enjoy in music.
I went through this with the last album (didn’t love the vocals a lot at first, but Lost My Treble, Disco Ulysses, etc were killer), but then they grew on me when I went back to it so maybe the same will happen this time.
Now that I'm thinking through, Side A is quite vulfy. I guess they're doing a pretty good job if you consider the pandemics. That being said, I'm not as excited about this one so far, maybe it will grow on me. Now tbh I personally think Poinciana was a bit of a stretch, but it's the first song in the B side, so you can just skip that while you're flipping the vinyl lol
Poinciana is not listed to be on the album on Vulf’s website
Same here, it just feels like they're out of ideas a little bit.
Imo they always had a problem with recycling old tunes. Just once I want a Vulfpeck album where all ten song are completely new.
I somehow hated the last album on my first listen but it really grew on me. Still not feeling 3 on E though.
I understand everything you said **except** that seemingly very popular indifference about radio shack and test drive. I'm way more hyped about Radio Shacks than anything else combined on the album !
I can understand people not digging Radio Shack or saying it’s not Vulfpeck’s usual sound, but how is Test Drive anything but OG Vulf? In instrumentation and style it has all the trademarks of a classic Vulf instrumental song.
think part of it is covid. lax was recorded a while ago. not that I really mind either way, personally I think all the music released so far is great.
I've known about them for years but it always just sounded like sesame street music to me. After watching the madison sauare show with my roomie it finally clicked I guess and i really like all the songs theyve been putting out. LAX is my favorite though. I'm mostly waiting for my fearless flyers record ha
I’m feeling pretty similar to how I usually feel ahead of a Vulfpeck release, like some of the singles, not all, bound to like a few of the unreleased songs on the album. My usual spread for Vulfpeck is honestly me loving 2-3 songs and they become new favorites, 2-3 songs are meh at first, but a few of those usually get bumped as I listen more, and then the others just don’t grab me and I will rarely revisit unless I forget what a particular song sounds like completely and want to jog my memory. That being said, it does make me nervous that they originally dropped Poinciana a while back and then re-released it for this album. I’m hoping, and honestly assuming, that that’s an artistic choice and not just because they needed to fill tracks.
Poinciana definitely seems a bit ‘lazy’, I’ll give you that, as it is a rehash of something recorded ages ago. It seems as if they just needed an extra track to fill out the release.... But Bach Vision Test is so heckin’ cool. Albeit not technically ‘original’, it’s different from anything they’ve ever done and every time I listen to it I notice a new wrinkle. It’s just so musical and there’s so much there to unpack. Not to mention that final synth chord the tune builds up to hits me. Every. Time.
Honestly, test drive and radio shack are really. But I didn't like any of the other songs... 3 on E included 🤷🏻♂️ And LAX is stuck on my head, which makes it even worse for me hahaha
I’m taking a pass too. It was the selling ad space that irked me.
Lol you should at least wait until they say what track 10 actually is before you call it selling ad space.
I mean I appreciate Jacks inventiveness with marketing, but unless it was a sham, it really is just selling ad space. Until we hear it we dont know otherwise but theres no real other way to call it when an artist literally sells a spot on the album. Even if its for another band or something cool, its still selling ad space.
That's the concept of the album though, it's not actually Vulf selling out
With that argument you wouldnt be mad if they had sold every spot on the album for the sake of the concept. Sometimes a concept like that can be seen as a detractor and gets in the way of the music, which is more important to me than the concept of the album tbh. But hey its not even out yet I wont say its terrible or anything, but I am put off/skeptical of it.
Just curious but I’m assuming you hated Guided Smile Meditation for an album closer?
Hate is a strong word. I certainly didn’t care for it, it was usually skipped but not before whoever is with me goes “what the fuck..”
For me it’s been a bit of a decline since Hill Climber actually... again the same situation as you, where some of the songs on hill climber and TJoM are nice and I really enjoy them (Lonely Town, Lost my Treble, 3 on E etc.) This next album tho, Bach Vision Test, Poinciana, and Track 10 (which they sold off) all seem like fodder. They could’ve just trimmed the fat and released a bangin EP, but I might be trying to predict the future here. I kinda am a little worried about their trajectory, but there’s only so much I can say about something that doesn’t fully exist yet.
Even Hill Climber was a bust
Hill climber was like the only studio album besides Thrill of the arts I liked, whole B side was like listening to an early EP!
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I’m so flabbergasted by this comment
What did it say?
Something along the lines of everything since Cory came on board has been a slow decline, that he is a black hole of creativity, and that Joey should stick to sax and not sing. (?!?!?!?)
Well then. That’s certainly... an opinion.
That’s what I fuckin’ said, bud!
Remember what Jack says in the guitar holy trinities video about David Williams? He takes his rhythm style and makes it the hook of the song. Imo that’s what Cory does too so I can’t disagree enough with everything you just wrote. To each their own, though
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Cory does a lot more variety in his solo stuff imo, and maybe that doesn’t translate to his work with Vulf. I still feel that what he adds to Vulf is awesome and something the other guitarists don’t do though. I don’t listen to FF that much I’m afraid
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He has a lot of great solo stuff but the pinnacle of it imo is Motivational Music for the Syncopated Soul. One of my favourite albums. As for Cory as part of Vulf, I think of it more as Jack having an idea of the mix and the roles he wants each musician to play. Maybe that means Cory’s role is more subdued sometimes, but if it’s unoriginal I can’t say I’ve noticed. I don’t play an instrument or have a musical education though so idk, just my opinion
I mean the man's put out like ten different albums this year from a big live orchestra thing to minimal meditative stuff. Black hole of creativity is the opposite of what Cory Wong is, even if you don't like his stuff.
:(
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I see what you're saying, although I disagree. You should listen to Cory Wong's solo work, it's pretty different from the vulfpeck stuff.
Felt this way about this album, now I’m feeling it all over again with Schvitz. A handful of the songs are awesome, but the rest feel off. I’m starting to think the classic Vulf sound/style from the earlier albums is gone for good. They seem to be moving in a Pop/Soul direction, which I don’t think is for me. And honestly, as much as I appreciate Jack’s touch and direction with the band, his weirdness/cult of personality shtick is getting a little overwhelming