I'm a 200 pound octopus under a sheet

Continuing my trip up The Guardian's Top 50 Albums of 2021

#16 : Infinite Granite - Deafheaven

For their most mainstream album yet, the band’s screams abated, the drums slowed their gallop, and the guitars took on a prettiness that recalled Coldplay at times. For certain metalheads, these are unforgivable sins and Deafheaven remain a divisive band – but for the rest of us, this is a stirring blend of arena rock and shoegaze that seems to fill the sky.

Last time we met Deafheaven, I said (and I quote) "this is an odd one because I'd really like this with a different vocal style" - and from the sounds of the description above, it sounds like that's what I'm going to get.  And, having checked it out, it is indeed what we've got - The Guardian's description of "a stirring blend of arena rock and shoegaze" is pretty accurate.  I can see that some of their original fans will be left shaking their heads thinking "what is going on here?", but it's much more up my street and I liked it.  And I liked the album cover as well - it's purty!

Wikipedia comments on the "dramatic departure from the black metal influences of the band's previous albums" but apart from that doesn't have an awful lot to say on the matter.  It was well received by the critics though but doesn't appear to have overly troubled the charts - I suspect if could do so given enough promotion.

"Customers also listened to" various people I've never heard of - and other Deafheaven albums, which aren't (from my vast experience of the band) anything like this.  If you like a bit of shoegaze or early Coldplay, then you might well like this - but if you like Deafheaven, then you probably won't.

#16 : CARNAGE - Nick Cave And Warren Ellis

The spirit of Scott Walker fills this idiosyncratic and brilliant album, which pumps with blood as bright and oxygenated as its red cover text. Freed from the occasionally sentimental and over-sumptuous backings of recent Bad Seeds albums, Cave and Ellis stalk off into a wilderness fringed with cyberpunk detritus: strange bits of production prowl at the edges of these violent songs. In its second half, the sky turns gentler as Cave ponders ageing across four ambient ballads: “I’m 200 pounds of packed ice / Sitting on a chair and in the morning sun” is as good an image for the inevitability of death as you’ll find.

Last time we met Nick Cave, I liked it more than I was expecting and noted it's Bowie-ness in places.  And I'd say we're pretty much there again (definite tones of Blackstar in places, particularly with its ruminations on mortality) - and The Guardian's not far off where it mentions Scott Walker either.  I'm not sure I entirely liked it, but it's certainly an interesting listen.  I'm intrigued by the album cover as well - I feel there's meaning there that I'm not getting.

Wikipedia doesn't have an awful lot to say about the album other than it was well received critically (which doesn't surprise me - there's a lot to unpack here if you are so inclined) and commercially - #3 in the UK and top ten in lots of places (#1 in Scotland and Portugal).  Except in the US - which was the same as I noted last time, maybe he just doesn't try there?

"Customers also listened to" various other Nick Cave projects, which often feature Warren Ellis and one of them has a photo on the cover of them both looking a lot younger, which made me check how long they'd been working together and it's "only" been 28 years now!  This was an interesting rather than enjoyable listen for me though.

#18/17 - Two slightly odd albums
#14/13 - Lots of style on display here