#Track by Track

[braverytattoos]

Faith in the Future - Track by Track Part 1

[ladycharles]

Oh Boy Track by Track #3

Goncharov (album version)

When I first came to Tumblr after getting chewed up and spit out by the instagram algorithm, a certain fake movie was making the rounds. A movie about a Russian gangster who flees to Italy, and soon gets sucked back into his old ways or something.

I love cinema and alternate reality memes, and in a moment of great pandering decided I wanted to have a go at a funky 70s style Goncharov theme song.

I drew a lot of influence from Curtis Mayfield, particularly Billy Jack and Freddie's Dead. His soundtrack to Superfly is a gold standard - socially conscious, tender and brutal at turns, funky as all hell, and the grooves have a lot of power.

I also wanted to add some cheesy "Russian" motifs. The 70s were a time when a lot of the musical motifs associated with cultures were super cliche (Kung Fu Fighting is an example) and so I gave the track the most generic run up a harmonic minor scale I could.

It came together quite fast and didn't really amount to much at the time but when an additional piece of music was needed in the play to be heard inside the disco bar, the production team suggested Goncharov. I got Francy Karema to work her magic on drums (her part is incredible and I could listen to it on its own for hours) and Erin Tonkon of Blackstar fame mixed it, Joao Carvalho mastered it (he did Death From Above 1979's first album).

I am proud of how funky this one is, I honestly like it a lot and my guitar leads are really aggressive despite having some struggles with a hand injury.

[madisoncounty]

OUT OF THE BLUE — BRYNN CARTELLI released march 1, 2024

[lovemkx]

MILES KANE X NIHAL ARTHANAYAKE - ONE MAN BAND, TRACK BY TRACK - OUT NOW!!!

[hldailyupdate]

“I wanted to do a real kind of honest love song about mates, and mates talking to another mate about, you know, saying, ‘Maybe you haven’t seen that guy in the last three months’ and you eventually say, ‘We’re gonna drag you out, and by the end of it maybe you’ll get over this.’ Maybe it feels a little bit harsh, a little bit blunt at times but that is often the way that we deal with things. I went into the studio that day, and it’s a song that I’ve always been a massive fan of conceptually Dry Your Eyes, The Streets, I went into the room that day and said, ‘et’s do something conceptually that feels like that, feels like a mate talking to a mate about a lost love or whatever it might be.’ There isn’t a song like that which I do find interesting.”

“I also thought it was an interesting way to end the album because, again, if I go and put my unsophisticated head on, I want to end with a wall of sound that leaves you wanting more, but there’s something kind of confident, I think, about finishing on a down moment like that. I’m really confident in the song, I think it’s a really beautiful song, and we did about 4 or 5 different versions of this album where the track list, it slightly differs, but on every album that we’ve released to Faith In The Future, that’s the closer ‘cos it just feels perfect for that reason. I think we did a good song of representing something that’s pretty honest.”

-Louis on That’s The Way Love Goes. (20 December 2022)

via Track By Track

[medicinelarrie]

Love Louis talking so passionately about making music. He's so knowledgeable and articulate about the whole process. It's no wonder he can write, sing and help produce such a banging record.

[these-high-walls-came-up-short]

[waterparksdrama]

ok track by track review of Intellectual Property. GO!

as you wish anon. be warned this is literally like one of maybe 4 times i've listened to this album in full again

st*rfucker - a bit too saccharine on first listen but it has better replay value as time goes on. the beginning of the shoehorned jesus lyrics and the continuation of limo imagery to represent fame which is actually fitting admittedly bc just like a limo that is supposed to represent glamour and celebrity living, they are just as widespread and accessible as him and aren't really that glamorous at all. also this is me saying again wow he complains a lot about fame for someone who isn't really that famous. i still hate the cutoff at the end bc. cmon man. 7/10

real super dark - ok i did like the gilbert gottfried inspired melody i think that's fun actually. the song lyrics? uhhhhhh. just more complaining. if you have listened to any of the albums since fandom you are not missing much there other than the otto serial killer jokes he has inserted here? which is a choice i guess. instrumental is great tho. i feel incredibly stupid listening to a lot of the other parts of the song tho. 7/10

funeral grey - god i can't bear listening to this one on my own i'm sorry. live it's fine, but the studio recording i would rather kill myself than listen to again. IT'S SO ANNOYING. the terrible overenunciated vocals. awsten's attempt at humor by writing these wattpad fic lyrics that make me cringe to my core because i know there's a part of him being genuine. the one direction ripoff hook because he managed to get one of 1d's actual songwriters to help write the track. the only saving grace is the ending but at that point it's too late for any redemption. 2/10

brainwashed - ironically this was written with the 1d guy again and. i'm actually fine with this one LOL. it's simple and lowkey so it's considerably less annoying than funeral grey. considering awsten said the lyrics on this album were hypersexual, but it's 2023 so this is fairly tame, it just makes me wonder how much he has repressed in his psyche. 6/10

2 best friends - ok now we're back to simple annoying. if you tune out the lyrics enough, it sounds like disney channel filler music. but it's actually about ~~sExxxx~~ hahahahaha everything about this album so far is like reading fanfics clearly written by middle schoolers. awsten's sad about his situationship so he goes out with his 2 best friends to forget but it doesn't work :( but he could just fuck his friends bc it wouldn't hurt to try at this point. hey what if this was what the song was actually about that because in travis' insane songfic he made jawn and awsten hook up during this chapter #neverforget #riptravisficeventhoughmebitchingontumblrmadehimkillit 4/10

end of the water (feel) - hearing awsten try to hit those high notes reminded me of people saying brendon straining on his high notes on the last panic tour was like hearing a dog that needed to be shot out back for its own good. this is very obviously a charlie puth ripoff to the t because not only does he hit high notes that no man should ever reach, but i'm pretty sure the verse instrumentals rip off "light switch" by charlie. anyways more of "ughhhhh i'm not getting a text backkkkkk" that makes me want to throw awsten's phone into the pacific. i still don't know why kurtis conner is here and how this is supposed to relate to any of this at all. also actually now that i'm crossing checking the genius pages for these, the descriptions for these songs make them sound much better than they actually are lol. 3/10

self-sabotage - this one is mid on it's own but funny because i remember the amount of twitter discourse this song has spawned. "awsten's being toxic and misogynistic" did we not listen to some of the songs off fandom "awsten has bpd" what if he just sucks sometimes. the memories of this are more memorable than the song itself. 5/10

ritual - remember when i found out the soundbyte at the beginning was from an aids psa. good times. fine song other than the shoehorned soundbyte. the entire song is just a repetition of the verses and chorus like a ~~ritual~~ spooky! i like the flair vincente void adds with his screams i feel like this feature makes more sense because it's a song about protecting yourself from the doctrines of religion that harmed you when you were growing up and apparently vincente has known awsten since he was 13???? only thing i hate is the corpse ripoff ending so much so that i have a personal version where i edited that out. 8/10

fuck about it - BORINGGGGGG OH MY GODD. if you've heard one blackbear feature, congrats you've heard them all because they all sound the same and blackbear adds no energy whatsoever. he made a bayside instrumental sound boring you really can't underestimate him. anyways back to the song itself; the situationship has dissolved into pure sex and disinterest and annoyance outside of that and with the way awsten sounds like he plans having hate sex, i don't think he's ever had hate sex before. there's the ending synth i think is fun and that's the only reason this gets a point at all. 1/10

closer - it's a sweet song but um. haven't we heard this in a way before? *cough cough 21 questions* i think this is the closest (lol) parx comes to at a return to pre-fandom form, but when i listen to the chords too much i'm just like "did he lowkey rip off that one smashing pumpkins song". anyways it's just about needing to be closer to someone or ending the relationship completely. simple but effective but not nearly as effective as 21 questions for me sorry. 7/10

a night out on earth - ok i had physical tickets to the last tour bc i won them on idobi so i was like "THIS SONG BETTER BE AT LEAST DECENT BC I STILL HANG UP THE TICKET WITH THIS NAME" and it was at the least. it's like. a good waterparks song, but i feel like i've heard it already? my mind goes back to see you in the future but for these i can't tell who's ripping off who more lol. yeah i feel like other than some interesting production here and there it's a rehash of shit we already heard before. shoehorned religious lyric. fake ass band guys. "i turn my agony into songs and people only like when i'm hurt". "i've been dead since 2016" (part two). "i'm evil now. idgaf. wat ever."

and then i think the part that makes me go awwww but also confuses me is the im a natural blue radio interview snippet? like why does this all tie in together now. geoff's not even here bro how is this the only release where otto's the only one namedropped when awsten hasn't even named dropped him until last album. 80% the album is about some random relationship how is this supposed to tie into all of these.

idk i feel like i've just had this on my mind when when of my mutuals made their own analysis on awsten's mindsets towards life and said how he uses fear as motivation but his perfectionism keeps him from using failure as an editor and how this song was the peak example of this; the rehash of the same ideas over and over because despite his stubbornness, despite "ultimately -not- giving in to the perception that you’re worth ‘Demonizing'", he never confronts the problem for real, just compartmentalizes the problem away and doesn't truly overcome the root of his problems. that's what i feel like manifests in this album for me to be put off by it at its core. nothing ever changes, he just finds a new situation to complain at. maybe that's also why his fans never change even as new ones come though. maybe that's why we also stay stagnant in this with him.

again i get it, he's a public figure; if he did dive too deep into this and didn't choose to generalize the lyrics for his own sake, he would probably end up incriminating himself way too much and have a hard time performing some of these songs. but i can't help but wonder. if he's truly getting over a mental obstacle like that, or keeps himself so set on the future that he ignores the problems he never solved. like he always does. like he always seems to be doomed to. anyways, 7/10 song.

all in all, it's an album that tries to reach a concept of coming to terms with your sexuality and religious trauma all entwined in fame but in reality it's mostly just about a sucky situationship and awsten complaining again while putting in random religious references sometimes and the beginning and ending are about fame. my hot takes are: tennis imagery = gay sex, there's not enough of a distinction between "soulsucker" and awsten to make "album lore" when the overarching concept of parx's discography is "awsten's life sucks", and darth vader is luke's father. - iz

[louisupdates]

BIGGER THAN ME

Faith in the Future: Track by Track (3/16)

[theageoftheunderstatement]

Arctic Monkeys - The Car track by track | X-Posure | Radio X

[braverytattoos]

Louis - Faith in the Future Track by Track Part 1

[boonesfarmsangria]

(Credits: Far Out / Kate Friend)

Orlando Weeks – ‘Loja’ album review: an artist stepping into the sunshine

THE SKINNY: For me, and likely many others my age, it’s very difficult not to see a bracket after reading Orlando Weeks‘ name that says “former Maccabees singer”. Weeks’ work with the indie darlings is impossibly connected to his life. Since then he has offered a string of superb, variated solo albums. However, with Loja, the songwriter must surely be seen most clearly in his own right.

During my teens, I had the pleasure of following The Maccabees for tens of gigs during their earliest moments. Trying to find the location of the venue that ended up looking like a disused school gym, travelling up and down motorways to see them support The Futureheads and travelling to the arse-end of middle England to scoot between their sets and that of Hot Club De Paris (ask your parents). However, even I can now happily attest that Orlando Weeks is far more than just the singer of that important band.

Loja is the sum of Weeks’ long and winding road. It captures not only the brilliance of The Gritterman, A Quickening and Hop Up, which each took massive strides forward for him as an artist, but also the journey Weeks has experienced as a man. No longer the shiny-faced young adult with a collar so tightened to the top one feared his head might pop off, Weeks is now creating records that act as maps to the landscape of his adult life.

Effortlessly blending electronic modernism with the rich organic crema that one can only find in the cafes of Lisbon, Weeks is clearly evolving beyond anything his audience may have imagined. There’s a dexterity to Loja that hasn’t been seen before, as he not only provides a sense of welcoming warmth but doesn’t ignore the chill of the shadows it can cast.

Similarly, it’s difficult not to see Loja – an ode to the new artist studio he resides in – as Week’s striding out of the shadow of his former work and enveloping himself in the blissful sunshine of a new chapter. It is a record that feels liberated enough to do what it pleases.

For fans of: The Maccabees, still, probably.

A concluding comment from my wife: “Why do you look so proud?”

Orlando Weeks – Loja track by track

‘Longing’: Opening with his enigmatic vocal is a smart way for Orlando Weeks to confirm his evolution away from “former Maccabees singer” into his own artistic presence. the fact that ‘Longing’ continues to sonically raise the listener’s spirit is a happy coincidence. [3.5/5]

‘Best Night’: There are two paths for an album to take. They can either undulate between genre and rhythm, delivering something that never stays still, or they can flow from river to sea with a simple grace. Weeks has brought out the latter, and ‘Best Night’ sees us floating down toward the ocean. [4/5]

‘Wake Up’: Weeks’ captivating lyrics and always cherishable vocals continue to provide solace in an otherwise lonesome soundscape on ‘Wake Up’. Ethereal as the morning dew dripping off a strange window before kicking into a chainsaw riff that provides a welcome dose of grit. [4/5]

‘Dig’: While the record is certainly blessed with a light touch and Weeks’ noted artistry, there is also a pulsing rhythm to the LP that many will overlook. ‘Dig’, complimented by Wet Leg’s Rhian Teasdale, is one of the album’s best visions of this, built out of the breathy tension of the two singers biting at one another. [4.5/5]

‘You & The Packhorse Blues’: It may feel easy to pick out this track as one of the lighter moments of the LP, but there’s a certain venom to the song that belies this idea. But the flow continues to take us through a new dusty landscape and towards the sea. [4/5]

‘Good To See You’: This is the first time Weeks moves away from the more organic sound that permeates the record and welcomes the electro wobble that has filtered into most of his post-Maccabees work. However, this time, it feels more easily placed than ever. A sense of warmth and welcoming overcomes the potentially cold introduction to produce smiles and swaying hips. [4.5/5]

‘My Love Is (Daylight Saving)’: Meanwhile, as electronic glitches become more prominent, balanced with a crunchy guitar, Weeks produces a slow-build beauty that has all the chops to completely captivate you. [4/5]

‘Please Hold’: As the river flows, there is always the chance of the odd rock and rapid capsizing you. ‘Please Hold’ is certainly the most heartbreaking track on the LP, as Weeks pleads to hold on: “It’s winter now, but the spring is coming,” he belts with a purpose. [4.5/5]

‘Sorry’: Weeks’ ability to blend electronic and organic sounds together has been a mainstay of his previous work, and ‘Sorry’ is so effortless it’s difficult to call the drum machine he uses anything other than an extension of his creativity. The duality allows every song to be both rich in pathos and gilded with a sense of hope. [4.5/5]

‘Tomorrow’: Almost home. The speed increases, and Weeks’ delivery takes heed, pushing the tempo and allowing the almost-choral breaks to be punctuated with a sense of purpose. It’s hard not to feel enlivened by such a moving track, add headphones to that concoction and you have something potentially life-changing. [5/5]

‘Beautiful Place’: The sweet embrace of the ocean. At the end of the 11-track journey, Weeks sees us out with something unstoppably tender and enveloping, pushing his prominent vocal to the fore and concluding a record worthy of his heavenly tone. [4/5]

[ashtonsunshine]

boy - Track By Track

[lovemkx]

Miles Kane on X-Posure with John Kennedy on RadioX - 04.08.2023