[WCS] Songs of the Sea! | Quests & Challenges

@Tserin Listened to Ayreon's ‎01011001, and wrote a lot of my thoughts down as I did, but there's so much of them (this is not a straightforward album, jesus, and it's almost two hours too).

I want to go over those thoughts again tomorrow and make them a bit more coherent, but the tl;dr for now on the small essay I noted down is: strong composition but the story didn't quite hit with me; oh hey this is a Dutch thing, oh I like this female vocalist, oh hey this other female vocalist is Nightwish's singer that's neat, oh hey and this other other one is Epica's singer that's also neat but WHY ARE THERE LITERALLY TWO DOZEN VOCALISTS ON THIS I'm relatively certain I've seen like half these people at Graspop at some point or another

I was never bored, though. Which is a feat in and of itself because again, nearly two hours.

Beatoriche

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April 27, 2024 19:03:35

@Tserin Listened to Ayreon's ‎01011001, and wrote a lot of my thoughts down as I did, but there's so much of them (this is not a straightforward album, jesus, and it's almost two hours too).

I want to go over those thoughts again tomorrow and make them a bit more coherent, but the tl;dr for now on the small essay I noted down is: strong composition but the story didn't quite hit with me; oh hey this is a Dutch thing, oh I like this female vocalist, oh hey this other female vocalist is Nightwish's singer that's neat, oh hey and this other other one is Epica's singer that's also neat but WHY ARE THERE LITERALLY TWO DOZEN VOCALISTS ON THIS I'm relatively certain I've seen like half these people at Graspop at some point or another

I was never bored, though. Which is a feat in and of itself because again, nearly two hours.

~~

Call me Beato!

@dragonowl21 Thank you for the rec! I have enjoyed the album :D Rating: will listen to again! Sorry it took me a bit to get to; I have been tired.

Notes on songs that particularly drove me to write notes (it took me a bit to get into the swing of Writing Notes - my main point before this is that I like the almost-windchime sounds of the guitar that come in just before the last two lines in Ashes):

Jaylen Hotdogfingers Settles The Score: I LOVE THIS SONG'S TITLE. also the emotion in the singing contrasting with just. guitar. kinda reminds me of the mountain goats.

Godspeed: I forgot this album was about blaseball until now! it feels like there's a massive tone shift between the first couple of songs being v angsty and now we are winning a blaseball championship. I am not actually sure what blaseball is. I've decided based off this song that it's like baseball but the winning team - or possibly the losing team - gets sent to space for a bit, as a treat!

Between Violences (A Late-Night Turnipfingers Speculative): Again with the fantastic song-titles! I love the tension at the start of the song - the juxtaposition between talk of the batter's tragic past (perhaps a return to the earlier angst), and blaseball, and the relationship between the batter and the ...pitcher? a touching meditation on blaseball as a release-of-violence and a refuge-from-the-world, a place where you can truly open up to your team (and the batter on the opposing team) - and yet you're never quite free from your troubles, even here in the magical world of blaseball, as we see from the pitcher being haunted by the memory of 'the ones she's lost'.

Curse of Crows: I spent most of the song thinking this was maybe about eldritch horrors, but I think it's actually about crows maybe, now I look at the title? I will forever wonder exactly what the birds want. maybe they just want to see a really good game of blaseball. the lines 'they might have come for you / they might have smelled your fear / you can't run for safety' suggests they have darker motives, perhaps: and yet this is immediately followed by 'you've already struck out', suggesting the birds are perhaps bound by the rules of blaseball itself. is a crow audience mandated by the rules of blaseball? it's strange that an animal so strongly associated with mischief and the Trickster Spirit is perhaps so closely tied to the rigid structure of a sportsball game. the line 'but they will set us free, and they won't hear your plea' suggests to me that the Blaseball Crows are perhaps the ones to bring about the end of the game. perhaps it may not seem in the spirit of The Trickster to bring about the ending of something fun, something which brings some illusion of freedom from the wider world - but perhaps to a degree the ending of the game is decided in part by the whims of the crows? or perhaps the crows, in tying the world of The Game and the world of Not The Game together, act as almost-psychopomps, guiding the poor souls of the blaseball players between the two realms? perhaps the players' souls are transported between the worlds at the crows' whims, and the singer views this as being set free... certainly the mention of the 'just reward' at the end of the 'final run' brings to mind the rewards of the afterlife in certain belief systems, supporting the view of the crow as the guiding spirit between worlds (interestingly, this would place the world-outside-the-game - which I intuitively refer to as the 'real world' - in the position of the afterlife! not sure what this says about the singer or my literary analysis abilities). I would also like to say that crows are cool and if I were a sports ball player and a large number of crows turned up to watch, I would feel so incredibly honoured.

Peace and Prosperity: we return to a world of gods and of war! or, a world of no gods and a war that's over. technically it only implies that the gods being gone are connected to the singer's team (the singer's blaseball team, perhaps?) winning. which means I could technically read it as the two being mostly-unconnected: perhaps the fighting and winning refers only to the blaseball teams' battle against each other, and the gods who have been and gone are the crows! woah. crow gods. nice. they played a much more central role in this world than I'd expected - very trickster of them indeed. on a slightly plausible level of analysis, perhaps the other blaseball team is - was - made up of the gods. the singer also raises interesting questions with 'do we need an enemy? a foe to beat? do we fight, just to be happy? where do we go from here?' - while many aspects of many sportsballs can be practised simply with one's team (such as making sure one can throw the ball to one's team-mate successfully), sportsballs are generally played competitively. I assume this includes blaseball (I am still not sure if this is a real sport). in a fairer world - a world where people were able to work together, a world with no conflict - a world with no hatred, no wars - no gods, perhaps - in a world where we have shed the horrors of battle and hierarchy - would we shed too our friendly competition? would we lose that which brings meaning to so much of life (including, but not limited to, sportsball)? how does this play into the singer's previous connection - conflation, even - of blaseball with the violent swing of the blaseball bat and the memories of the horrors of the non-blaseball world? fascinating questions indeed!

A Warning: I assume the blaseball team has a new manager and they don't like it, which tracks with their previous aims of winning against the gods and deposing the fierce and wretched hierarchy of The World and perhaps also of The Game Of Blaseball (And Other Sportsballs). perhaps they should look into a co-operative ownership structure? also to note, I read 'cash cows' as 'cash crows'.

We Killed a God: The switch to instrumental with the blaseball crowd cheering in the background for this one feels powerful - what is there to say, really, about the death of a god? What is there to say, really, about the end of the game?

Stars of the Hall: 'leaves blow through the hall we've once filled with life' - again our narrator equates the World of Blaseball With Life, and the World Outside Blaseball with the Afterlife. although they may have won their blaseball game against the gods, our heroes suffer the same fate in the end: the return to the ordinary life - or the afterlife. The crow-crowd comes for us all in the end, winners or losers, gods or humans: perhaps this is the true break in the hierarchy. All are equal once the game is over!

Crashing: ''cause now we're crashing back to earth after it all' - I'd forgotten about the winners and/or losers perhaps getting sent to space for a bit! I hope they had a good time and have a smoother landing than this lyric suggests :P

We May Not Look Like Much: I like this one! Not much to say other than 'The Shelled One has pulled together its pods / And The Monitor has summoned their stars' could link to the eldritch horror undertones in Curse of Crows... or perhaps the Shelled One and the Monitor are well-known crows. I also like the singer's defiant atheism in a world which has thus far been presented as Objectively Having Gods! A reminder to us listeners that the narrators may not be reliable? Or simply a mortal trying to insult the gods?

OLL-E (Flesh Boy): Ah! Our first confirmation, I believe, that the gods' opponents are humans (as opposed to, for example, crows)! Perhaps the people who call Ollie a robot instead of a human are to be compared to the singers in We May Not Look Like Much denying the nature of the gods? I also relate to Ollie's dislike for CAPTCHAs. I hate them too, and he is correct to note that poorly-implemented CAPTCHAs may produce a serious barrier to accessibility! ...AHA Ollie has now come out as a robot! I am glad he is able to speak his truth :) If we assume the parallels between this song and WMNLLM are intentional, could this in fact be commentary on the true nature of the gods? Are they perhaps less distant - more human - than we first imagined? Maybe so, if they can be beaten through means of a blaseball match! Anyway, I love Ollie :)

Hall Pass: I like what the low piano line is doing in this :) Funky

I've decided the lack of coherence in all that is A Feature. I am very sleepy and very Not A Literary Analysis Person :) I think the crows are going to stick with me. I want answers on the crows!

Edit: Wikipedia has provided me with some interesting context - I am glad I read this after listening to the album!

@Vulturereyy I'm glad you enjoyed my rec! I get what you mean about them being credits songs, and also good for a road trip :D I first listened to them on a wander type of walk in a place I hadn't been to before and it Added A Lot Of Atmosphere!

Fragariavesca

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April 27, 2024 19:53:12

@dragonowl21 Thank you for the rec! I have enjoyed the album :D Rating: will listen to again! Sorry it took me a bit to get to; I have been tired.

Notes on songs that particularly drove me to write notes (it took me a bit to get into the swing of Writing Notes - my main point before this is that I like the almost-windchime sounds of the guitar that come in just before the last two lines in Ashes):

Jaylen Hotdogfingers Settles The Score: I LOVE THIS SONG'S TITLE. also the emotion in the singing contrasting with just. guitar. kinda reminds me of the mountain goats.

Godspeed: I forgot this album was about blaseball until now! it feels like there's a massive tone shift between the first couple of songs being v angsty and now we are winning a blaseball championship. I am not actually sure what blaseball is. I've decided based off this song that it's like baseball but the winning team - or possibly the losing team - gets sent to space for a bit, as a treat!

Between Violences (A Late-Night Turnipfingers Speculative): Again with the fantastic song-titles! I love the tension at the start of the song - the juxtaposition between talk of the batter's tragic past (perhaps a return to the earlier angst), and blaseball, and the relationship between the batter and the ...pitcher? a touching meditation on blaseball as a release-of-violence and a refuge-from-the-world, a place where you can truly open up to your team (and the batter on the opposing team) - and yet you're never quite free from your troubles, even here in the magical world of blaseball, as we see from the pitcher being haunted by the memory of 'the ones she's lost'.

Curse of Crows: I spent most of the song thinking this was maybe about eldritch horrors, but I think it's actually about crows maybe, now I look at the title? I will forever wonder exactly what the birds want. maybe they just want to see a really good game of blaseball. the lines 'they might have come for you / they might have smelled your fear / you can't run for safety' suggests they have darker motives, perhaps: and yet this is immediately followed by 'you've already struck out', suggesting the birds are perhaps bound by the rules of blaseball itself. is a crow audience mandated by the rules of blaseball? it's strange that an animal so strongly associated with mischief and the Trickster Spirit is perhaps so closely tied to the rigid structure of a sportsball game. the line 'but they will set us free, and they won't hear your plea' suggests to me that the Blaseball Crows are perhaps the ones to bring about the end of the game. perhaps it may not seem in the spirit of The Trickster to bring about the ending of something fun, something which brings some illusion of freedom from the wider world - but perhaps to a degree the ending of the game is decided in part by the whims of the crows? or perhaps the crows, in tying the world of The Game and the world of Not The Game together, act as almost-psychopomps, guiding the poor souls of the blaseball players between the two realms? perhaps the players' souls are transported between the worlds at the crows' whims, and the singer views this as being set free... certainly the mention of the 'just reward' at the end of the 'final run' brings to mind the rewards of the afterlife in certain belief systems, supporting the view of the crow as the guiding spirit between worlds (interestingly, this would place the world-outside-the-game - which I intuitively refer to as the 'real world' - in the position of the afterlife! not sure what this says about the singer or my literary analysis abilities). I would also like to say that crows are cool and if I were a sports ball player and a large number of crows turned up to watch, I would feel so incredibly honoured.

Peace and Prosperity: we return to a world of gods and of war! or, a world of no gods and a war that's over. technically it only implies that the gods being gone are connected to the singer's team (the singer's blaseball team, perhaps?) winning. which means I could technically read it as the two being mostly-unconnected: perhaps the fighting and winning refers only to the blaseball teams' battle against each other, and the gods who have been and gone are the crows! woah. crow gods. nice. they played a much more central role in this world than I'd expected - very trickster of them indeed. on a slightly plausible level of analysis, perhaps the other blaseball team is - was - made up of the gods. the singer also raises interesting questions with 'do we need an enemy? a foe to beat? do we fight, just to be happy? where do we go from here?' - while many aspects of many sportsballs can be practised simply with one's team (such as making sure one can throw the ball to one's team-mate successfully), sportsballs are generally played competitively. I assume this includes blaseball (I am still not sure if this is a real sport). in a fairer world - a world where people were able to work together, a world with no conflict - a world with no hatred, no wars - no gods, perhaps - in a world where we have shed the horrors of battle and hierarchy - would we shed too our friendly competition? would we lose that which brings meaning to so much of life (including, but not limited to, sportsball)? how does this play into the singer's previous connection - conflation, even - of blaseball with the violent swing of the blaseball bat and the memories of the horrors of the non-blaseball world? fascinating questions indeed!

A Warning: I assume the blaseball team has a new manager and they don't like it, which tracks with their previous aims of winning against the gods and deposing the fierce and wretched hierarchy of The World and perhaps also of The Game Of Blaseball (And Other Sportsballs). perhaps they should look into a co-operative ownership structure? also to note, I read 'cash cows' as 'cash crows'.

We Killed a God: The switch to instrumental with the blaseball crowd cheering in the background for this one feels powerful - what is there to say, really, about the death of a god? What is there to say, really, about the end of the game?

Stars of the Hall: 'leaves blow through the hall we've once filled with life' - again our narrator equates the World of Blaseball With Life, and the World Outside Blaseball with the Afterlife. although they may have won their blaseball game against the gods, our heroes suffer the same fate in the end: the return to the ordinary life - or the afterlife. The crow-crowd comes for us all in the end, winners or losers, gods or humans: perhaps this is the true break in the hierarchy. All are equal once the game is over!

Crashing: ''cause now we're crashing back to earth after it all' - I'd forgotten about the winners and/or losers perhaps getting sent to space for a bit! I hope they had a good time and have a smoother landing than this lyric suggests :P

We May Not Look Like Much: I like this one! Not much to say other than 'The Shelled One has pulled together its pods / And The Monitor has summoned their stars' could link to the eldritch horror undertones in Curse of Crows... or perhaps the Shelled One and the Monitor are well-known crows. I also like the singer's defiant atheism in a world which has thus far been presented as Objectively Having Gods! A reminder to us listeners that the narrators may not be reliable? Or simply a mortal trying to insult the gods?

OLL-E (Flesh Boy): Ah! Our first confirmation, I believe, that the gods' opponents are humans (as opposed to, for example, crows)! Perhaps the people who call Ollie a robot instead of a human are to be compared to the singers in We May Not Look Like Much denying the nature of the gods? I also relate to Ollie's dislike for CAPTCHAs. I hate them too, and he is correct to note that poorly-implemented CAPTCHAs may produce a serious barrier to accessibility! ...AHA Ollie has now come out as a robot! I am glad he is able to speak his truth :) If we assume the parallels between this song and WMNLLM are intentional, could this in fact be commentary on the true nature of the gods? Are they perhaps less distant - more human - than we first imagined? Maybe so, if they can be beaten through means of a blaseball match! Anyway, I love Ollie :)

Hall Pass: I like what the low piano line is doing in this :) Funky

I've decided the lack of coherence in all that is A Feature. I am very sleepy and very Not A Literary Analysis Person :) I think the crows are going to stick with me. I want answers on the crows!

Edit: Wikipedia has provided me with some interesting context - I am glad I read this after listening to the album!

@Vulturereyy I'm glad you enjoyed my rec! I get what you mean about them being credits songs, and also good for a road trip :D I first listened to them on a wander type of walk in a place I hadn't been to before and it Added A Lot Of Atmosphere!

Last edited on Apr 27, 2024 20:01:33 by Fragariavesca

[quote name="CANTDANCEFLYNN" date="2024-04-27 10:40:14" ] OH MY GOSH WAIT I THOUGHT I POSTED MY OPINIONS AGES AGO IM SRY @ladyartemis AHHHHHHHHHHH FLAPPY HANDS!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH ITS SO GOOD!! ID HEARD STILL FEEL AND CREATURE BEFORE BUT I HAD NO CLUE THEY WERE BY THIS ARTIST AND ALL THE OTHERS SONGS BLEW MY MIND??? BREAKFAST IS PROLLY MY FAVORITE THAT I HADNT HEARD BEFORE AND ITS JUST GORGEOUS, INSTANT LOOP JUST!!! ITS RLY GOOD!!!!! [/quote] RAHHHHHHH I'M GLAD !!! i adore this album SO much. i think they released an acoustic version of creature not too long ago and omgg it's so beautiful. super glad you enjoyed the album !! still feel and creature are literal gems

ladyartemis

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April 27, 2024 20:00:27

CANTDANCEFLYNN wrote on 2024-04-27 10:40:14:

OH MY GOSH WAIT I THOUGHT I POSTED MY OPINIONS AGES AGO IM SRY

@ladyartemis AHHHHHHHHHHH FLAPPY HANDS!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH ITS SO GOOD!! ID HEARD STILL FEEL AND CREATURE BEFORE BUT I HAD NO CLUE THEY WERE BY THIS ARTIST AND ALL THE OTHERS SONGS BLEW MY MIND??? BREAKFAST IS PROLLY MY FAVORITE THAT I HADNT HEARD BEFORE AND ITS JUST GORGEOUS, INSTANT LOOP JUST!!! ITS RLY GOOD!!!!!

RAHHHHHHH I'M GLAD !!! i adore this album SO much. i think they released an acoustic version of creature not too long ago and omgg it's so beautiful. super glad you enjoyed the album !! still feel and creature are literal gems

@ZephyrNonsense
I picked the Art Angels album because honestly the genre/description sounds fascinating, and along the lines of my favorite types of music without being one of the safer genres I listen to. Creating a personal challenge to ignore my initial reaction to the album cover didn't hurt either lol

Artangels and laughing and not being normal were the first two songs from the album I listened to, and they had my attention so fast

I adore the angelic sound of laughing and not being normal, it's so beautiful. I almost wish it was longer, though that's my knee-jerk reaction to most songs that short.

Honestly, Belly of the Beat might be my favorite track in the album; the name is fun, I love the sound, and I think I'm even more in love with the lyrics. From personal experiences, and being a creator myself, this sort of discussion of legacy is probably one of my favorite topics in media. I'm also a sucker for being slightly morbid about it

I can totally understand the love for Kill v Maim... WHAT IS THIS SONG?? I say that lovingly, of course. It's so chaotic, and I'm here for it.

Pin is probably my second favorite track, if not Venus Fly. Once again, the lyrics hit home personally, and overall it's a lovely, if sad song.

Venus Fly has just such a fun sound, and the idea of turning features monstrous as described is awesome. I also just love the music video, the outfits and imagery are amazing.

Final Thoughts: I had a ton of fun with this album, and I'm very glad I chose it. It was far enough out of my comfort zone to be something I probably wouldn't find on my own, so I definitely appreciate the recommendation. Generally, I loved the lyrics too; most were super interesting, and plenty hit close to home. I only mentioned my favorites, but I adore all of the album. I have to agree that this album is unique and impressive, even without knowledge of the artist.

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April 27, 2024 20:17:29

@ZephyrNonsense
I picked the Art Angels album because honestly the genre/description sounds fascinating, and along the lines of my favorite types of music without being one of the safer genres I listen to. Creating a personal challenge to ignore my initial reaction to the album cover didn't hurt either lol

Artangels and laughing and not being normal were the first two songs from the album I listened to, and they had my attention so fast

I adore the angelic sound of laughing and not being normal, it's so beautiful. I almost wish it was longer, though that's my knee-jerk reaction to most songs that short.

Honestly, Belly of the Beat might be my favorite track in the album; the name is fun, I love the sound, and I think I'm even more in love with the lyrics. From personal experiences, and being a creator myself, this sort of discussion of legacy is probably one of my favorite topics in media. I'm also a sucker for being slightly morbid about it

I can totally understand the love for Kill v Maim... WHAT IS THIS SONG?? I say that lovingly, of course. It's so chaotic, and I'm here for it.

Pin is probably my second favorite track, if not Venus Fly. Once again, the lyrics hit home personally, and overall it's a lovely, if sad song.

Venus Fly has just such a fun sound, and the idea of turning features monstrous as described is awesome. I also just love the music video, the outfits and imagery are amazing.

Final Thoughts: I had a ton of fun with this album, and I'm very glad I chose it. It was far enough out of my comfort zone to be something I probably wouldn't find on my own, so I definitely appreciate the recommendation. Generally, I loved the lyrics too; most were super interesting, and plenty hit close to home. I only mentioned my favorites, but I adore all of the album. I have to agree that this album is unique and impressive, even without knowledge of the artist.

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Wayword/Wander
He/They/It
Flight Rising +2

Status: Offline

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Last edited on Apr 27, 2024 20:18:10 by Wayword

@Beatoriche Hello! As with many other posters here, I'm going to be writing as I go through the album. :)

Something that was important to me was that I would claim an album outside of my usual genres, and NIN seemed perfect. A band I knew about but didn't know! I went into this album with the impression that NIN was scream-y and angry, and hell yeah Hyperpower set that up so well.
I'm bad at telling rock sub-genres apart, but Survivalism is a good example of the "industrial" sound that I saw you labeled them with.

I didn't even notice the transition between The Good Soldier and Vessel?? That was smooth, love when songs in an album lead into each other that nicely. It's things like that that make albums feel like cohesive projects and not just a compilation of songs, y'know?

Oh I do not like that streaky sound in Vessel. Which, I'll touch on a couple negatives to me- there's a reason I don't usually listen to music like this, haha. I am on the more sensitive side to audio effects like that. I like Trent Reznor's voice, so I'm finding myself enjoying the songs with less of that electro-industrial influence. That is, I am happy that it is out there, but it isn't going on my playlist to listen to more often. Parts of this are definitely reminding me of the Aphex Twin songs I struggle with, despite appreciating them from an artistic point of view.

The Greater Good's change in sound in the middle surprised me enough that I had to check to make sure it wasn't a new song- the quiet whispering/singing has made me intrigued at the idea of Nine Inch Nails ASMR? I wouldn't be opposed. And I had to laugh a little when The Great Destroyer came on because it felt the most period-typical of the album so far, reminding me of the 'feel' of 2007 music...and then I have to wonder, how much of that feel came FROM this album, and from NIN as a whole? It's one of the fun things about engaging with media that was the influence for a lot of people.

Was Another Version of the Truth supposed to make me feel anxious, and like something scary is coming?? Because it ACHIEVED THAT. Very pretty piano though, which was also a nice contrast to the harsher music in the album preceeding it.

I didn't look into the ARG thing that went with this album, nor did I sit down to analyze the themes I know he put in here- but I love when bands do extra stuff with their music! But I wanted to judge it just as the music, even if I learned there was more too it.

Verdict: Won't add to my usual playlist, but I definitely would work out to quite a few of these songs when I need to feel like I can kick some butt.
Favorite songs: The Good Soldier, God Given, Zero Sum

oneluckyduck

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April 27, 2024 21:46:22

@Beatoriche Hello! As with many other posters here, I'm going to be writing as I go through the album. :)

Something that was important to me was that I would claim an album outside of my usual genres, and NIN seemed perfect. A band I knew about but didn't know! I went into this album with the impression that NIN was scream-y and angry, and hell yeah Hyperpower set that up so well.
I'm bad at telling rock sub-genres apart, but Survivalism is a good example of the "industrial" sound that I saw you labeled them with.

I didn't even notice the transition between The Good Soldier and Vessel?? That was smooth, love when songs in an album lead into each other that nicely. It's things like that that make albums feel like cohesive projects and not just a compilation of songs, y'know?

Oh I do not like that streaky sound in Vessel. Which, I'll touch on a couple negatives to me- there's a reason I don't usually listen to music like this, haha. I am on the more sensitive side to audio effects like that. I like Trent Reznor's voice, so I'm finding myself enjoying the songs with less of that electro-industrial influence. That is, I am happy that it is out there, but it isn't going on my playlist to listen to more often. Parts of this are definitely reminding me of the Aphex Twin songs I struggle with, despite appreciating them from an artistic point of view.

The Greater Good's change in sound in the middle surprised me enough that I had to check to make sure it wasn't a new song- the quiet whispering/singing has made me intrigued at the idea of Nine Inch Nails ASMR? I wouldn't be opposed. And I had to laugh a little when The Great Destroyer came on because it felt the most period-typical of the album so far, reminding me of the 'feel' of 2007 music...and then I have to wonder, how much of that feel came FROM this album, and from NIN as a whole? It's one of the fun things about engaging with media that was the influence for a lot of people.

Was Another Version of the Truth supposed to make me feel anxious, and like something scary is coming?? Because it ACHIEVED THAT. Very pretty piano though, which was also a nice contrast to the harsher music in the album preceeding it.

I didn't look into the ARG thing that went with this album, nor did I sit down to analyze the themes I know he put in here- but I love when bands do extra stuff with their music! But I wanted to judge it just as the music, even if I learned there was more too it.

Verdict: Won't add to my usual playlist, but I definitely would work out to quite a few of these songs when I need to feel like I can kick some butt.
Favorite songs: The Good Soldier, God Given, Zero Sum

FR+3

@DismasYves
Apologies for the word vomit, I might come back and clean it up later, but I wanted to give you my initial thoughts.

[have fun]
love the fade in
the push and pull of the backing track is great
ooooh this outro is so fun! the strong percussion in the back of this song is very nice to listen to with the guitar noodling around in front (positive noodling of course)
7/10

[i'm not surprised]
love a good song transition, that was super seamless
OHHHH the guitar and bass mix!!! I love a good bass
THERE'S THE SCREAMING!!! I thought there would be some in here, and I'm glad I was right. The vocals are amazing and the screams come in at just the right places. I don't normally listen to metal, so this is super fun!
8/10

[silly how i feel]
ooh the echoes between chorus and verses!! Those are super fun
i love the beat, the backing track, the vocals, they all mix together wonderfully.
8/10

[digital junkie]
ahhh the intro again!! these all start fantastically
WOAH WHERE DID THAT COME FROM
the chorus in the back is stellar!!
Pretty pretty slinky. My brother is a SOAD fan, this outro gave me the same vibes haha
9/10

[against the timeline]
Ooooh, I like this one. I think predetermination is super interesting lol
The humming with the instrumental scratches my ears just right, that was cool
I'm too busy listening to give good notes!!
9/10

[ i don't daydream anymore]
(not about the song, but this title made my entire post italics due to formatting haha)
6/10

[harlequin]
I don't know why, but i had a hard time getting into this one!! i think it just didn't grab me as well as the others; definitely not a Bad song, probably just not for me.
5/10

[fool's paradise]
ooh, slower intro, then the groovable drumline is fun
lots of mentions of pixels and pixelation through these songs, i like the themes of removing yourself from reality and using technology as a coping device.
6/10

[smoke in my heart]
nice slowdown in the middle of the album, really lets you come down from the fast, upbeat (music-wise lol) first half
6/10

[it goes inside my head]
ooh, first listen was just vibing, but reading the youtube description, this song makes a lot more sense!!
very fun outro, the chorus will definitely be stuck in my head for a couple days
6/10

[shelf life]
ooh, very good commentary on the modern fast-everything culture!!
... also my brain summoned a toy story AMV to this song so. we get to live with that now!
7/10

[crash and burn]
"crash and burn, don't expect a phoenix to return" WOW! i think that's my favorite lyric of this album. very strong emothins in this one
7/10

[sorry to bother you]
Oh wow, change of pace! Unlike Pluto has a very good singing voice, this is obvious, but the falsetto in this song shows just how well rounded he is
7/10

[cold weather]
good pick-me-up music. definitely feels like when you step out of the house in the morning and there's been a cold snap
8/10

[comatose scenery]
6/10

Album Rating: 8/10
This was super fun!! A little out of my usual range, for the better. I think all these songs work so well on an album together, the major theming and the flow between songs is delicious. My favorite is probably Digital Junkie, just because the bass comes up so strongly and grabs you.

I'm reading the lyrics on Genius as each song comes up, and the covers of each song are super cool! I love how they all come together in the album cover. (A little ashamed of myself, I didn't figure it out until Harlequin because of the huge wing on the side haha)

The only Unlike Pluto song I've listened to before this is Everything Black, so I'm glad to have more good songs by this artist!! Thank you for the recommendation!!

dragonowl21

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@DismasYves
Apologies for the word vomit, I might come back and clean it up later, but I wanted to give you my initial thoughts.

[have fun]
love the fade in
the push and pull of the backing track is great
ooooh this outro is so fun! the strong percussion in the back of this song is very nice to listen to with the guitar noodling around in front (positive noodling of course)
7/10

[i'm not surprised]
love a good song transition, that was super seamless
OHHHH the guitar and bass mix!!! I love a good bass
THERE'S THE SCREAMING!!! I thought there would be some in here, and I'm glad I was right. The vocals are amazing and the screams come in at just the right places. I don't normally listen to metal, so this is super fun!
8/10

[silly how i feel]
ooh the echoes between chorus and verses!! Those are super fun
i love the beat, the backing track, the vocals, they all mix together wonderfully.
8/10

[digital junkie]
ahhh the intro again!! these all start fantastically
WOAH WHERE DID THAT COME FROM
the chorus in the back is stellar!!
Pretty pretty slinky. My brother is a SOAD fan, this outro gave me the same vibes haha
9/10

[against the timeline]
Ooooh, I like this one. I think predetermination is super interesting lol
The humming with the instrumental scratches my ears just right, that was cool
I'm too busy listening to give good notes!!
9/10

[ i don't daydream anymore]
(not about the song, but this title made my entire post italics due to formatting haha)
6/10

[harlequin]
I don't know why, but i had a hard time getting into this one!! i think it just didn't grab me as well as the others; definitely not a Bad song, probably just not for me.
5/10

[fool's paradise]
ooh, slower intro, then the groovable drumline is fun
lots of mentions of pixels and pixelation through these songs, i like the themes of removing yourself from reality and using technology as a coping device.
6/10

[smoke in my heart]
nice slowdown in the middle of the album, really lets you come down from the fast, upbeat (music-wise lol) first half
6/10

[it goes inside my head]
ooh, first listen was just vibing, but reading the youtube description, this song makes a lot more sense!!
very fun outro, the chorus will definitely be stuck in my head for a couple days
6/10

[shelf life]
ooh, very good commentary on the modern fast-everything culture!!
... also my brain summoned a toy story AMV to this song so. we get to live with that now!
7/10

[crash and burn]
"crash and burn, don't expect a phoenix to return" WOW! i think that's my favorite lyric of this album. very strong emothins in this one
7/10

[sorry to bother you]
Oh wow, change of pace! Unlike Pluto has a very good singing voice, this is obvious, but the falsetto in this song shows just how well rounded he is
7/10

[cold weather]
good pick-me-up music. definitely feels like when you step out of the house in the morning and there's been a cold snap
8/10

[comatose scenery]
6/10

Album Rating: 8/10
This was super fun!! A little out of my usual range, for the better. I think all these songs work so well on an album together, the major theming and the flow between songs is delicious. My favorite is probably Digital Junkie, just because the bass comes up so strongly and grabs you.

I'm reading the lyrics on Genius as each song comes up, and the covers of each song are super cool! I love how they all come together in the album cover. (A little ashamed of myself, I didn't figure it out until Harlequin because of the huge wing on the side haha)

The only Unlike Pluto song I've listened to before this is Everything Black, so I'm glad to have more good songs by this artist!! Thank you for the recommendation!!

Capricorn || +0 FR Time
ey/em or they/them

view my currently reading and book stats on the storygraph!
external website

@Sick okay, time to dive into Nonagon Infinity! I've heard a couple of KGATWL tracks before (The River and, well, a remix, Neu Butterfly 3000), but that's all. They've been on my radar but I've never sat down to actually *listen* to them, and a 'controversial' ARIA winner sounds like a good start!

Robot Stop: Oh, we're jumping straight in! Good and aggressive, and it does feel very much like an introduction to a live show - it has this energy to it.

Big Fig Wasp: I think I like this track more than Robot Stop, but the flow between them is really great (I have a track listing up while I listen to it and had to actually skip back to hear when this track started). I think I'm going to have to relisten to a lot of these and see what some of them sound like individually, or if it'd be better to listen to it as one single unit.

Gamma Knife: Bit more distinctive opening here! I really like the frenetic energy here, it feels like a good track to put on if you have a deadline, haha.

People-Vultures: Slightly darker feel, now. This one kind of makes me uncomfortable, there's this up-down up-down rhythm that almost reminds me of sirens, so it puts me a bit on edge. Not necessarily in a bad way, sometimes you need to feel unsettled with music, but it's certainly not easy to listen to.

Mr. Beat: Really dig this one! It feels just a little more calm after the last track, although it still has good energy to it. It feels like a good mid-album breather.

Evil Death Roll: There's a bit of a sharper cut here, I think this is where an LP would be split between sides. Last track had a bit of calm to it, this jumps straight back into the frenetic energy. Like Robot Stop, it has this sort of inviting, "Hey, we're about to rock out here, come and join in" air to it.

Invisible Face: I didn't vibe with this track as much as the others, but the later bit of the track (the bit that starts around 32.40 if you're listening to the whole thing at once, with that funky percussion that starts building back up) super reminds me of The River!

Wah Wah: Oh okay, so that's continuing into this track! Apparently The River came out in 2015 and this album was 2016, so I wonder if they're intentionally revisiting some of those musical themes they used earlier? Either way, I really dig this one!

Road Train: This absolutely feels like A Closing Track - a finale in the best sort of way. I can just sort of picture a live audience really moshing along to this, hyped up after forty minutes of awesome music but a little melancholy that it's coming to a close.

Final thoughts: I really enjoyed that! There were some tracks I didn't quite vibe with as much (People-Vultures and most of Invisible Face), but others I loved (Big Fig Wasp, Mr. Beat, and Wah Wah), and the album as a whole feels really cohesive. I'll have to go back and check out some of the tracks individually to see if I'd add them to my everyday-listening playlists or just listen to the whole album in one, it feels like a really good album to put on when you need a boost of energy. Thanks for the recommendation!

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April 28, 2024 00:54:21

@Sick okay, time to dive into Nonagon Infinity! I've heard a couple of KGATWL tracks before (The River and, well, a remix, Neu Butterfly 3000), but that's all. They've been on my radar but I've never sat down to actually *listen* to them, and a 'controversial' ARIA winner sounds like a good start!

Robot Stop: Oh, we're jumping straight in! Good and aggressive, and it does feel very much like an introduction to a live show - it has this energy to it.

Big Fig Wasp: I think I like this track more than Robot Stop, but the flow between them is really great (I have a track listing up while I listen to it and had to actually skip back to hear when this track started). I think I'm going to have to relisten to a lot of these and see what some of them sound like individually, or if it'd be better to listen to it as one single unit.

Gamma Knife: Bit more distinctive opening here! I really like the frenetic energy here, it feels like a good track to put on if you have a deadline, haha.

People-Vultures: Slightly darker feel, now. This one kind of makes me uncomfortable, there's this up-down up-down rhythm that almost reminds me of sirens, so it puts me a bit on edge. Not necessarily in a bad way, sometimes you need to feel unsettled with music, but it's certainly not easy to listen to.

Mr. Beat: Really dig this one! It feels just a little more calm after the last track, although it still has good energy to it. It feels like a good mid-album breather.

Evil Death Roll: There's a bit of a sharper cut here, I think this is where an LP would be split between sides. Last track had a bit of calm to it, this jumps straight back into the frenetic energy. Like Robot Stop, it has this sort of inviting, "Hey, we're about to rock out here, come and join in" air to it.

Invisible Face: I didn't vibe with this track as much as the others, but the later bit of the track (the bit that starts around 32.40 if you're listening to the whole thing at once, with that funky percussion that starts building back up) super reminds me of The River!

Wah Wah: Oh okay, so that's continuing into this track! Apparently The River came out in 2015 and this album was 2016, so I wonder if they're intentionally revisiting some of those musical themes they used earlier? Either way, I really dig this one!

Road Train: This absolutely feels like A Closing Track - a finale in the best sort of way. I can just sort of picture a live audience really moshing along to this, hyped up after forty minutes of awesome music but a little melancholy that it's coming to a close.

Final thoughts: I really enjoyed that! There were some tracks I didn't quite vibe with as much (People-Vultures and most of Invisible Face), but others I loved (Big Fig Wasp, Mr. Beat, and Wah Wah), and the album as a whole feels really cohesive. I'll have to go back and check out some of the tracks individually to see if I'd add them to my everyday-listening playlists or just listen to the whole album in one, it feels like a really good album to put on when you need a boost of energy. Thanks for the recommendation!

[quote name="@DismasYves" date="2024-04-22 22:24:41" ] @/mgcltwo Here's my review of Gloom Division! To be honest, Youtube has been recommending this band to me for a few months so I decided to finally try listening. I really like the funky vibes, all of their songs are so catchy! I actually ended up listening to the other album I saw which was Razzmatazz as well, so I'll give reviews on some of those songs too. For Gloom Division, the first song Downside already got me. The little scale upward when he says "darling I need you here tonight" sounds soooo good. Reminds me a little of Panic at the Disco? Gloomtown Brats I think is my favorite song from this album, or at least in the top 3. It's SO catchy, I was driving home while listening to this and I was jamming lol. Infatuation and What Love have this sort of dreamy quality to them. I like the change in vibe from the first two songs, somehow it really matches. What Love in particular reminds me of the backrooms and I'm not sure why??? Specifically the beach/pools in the sky level (it was in the game The Backrooms that's hosted on Playstation Dreams). You can see it here at around 53 minutes in. SIXFT is really good! Kind of uhhh reggae I think? Very catchy, also one of my favorites. Kiss and Tell is also really catchy! C'est la vie!! A Letter and Satanic Panic made me feel like they were really just kinda going ham at the end of the album XD They're just doing whatever they want. Very experimental sound! And Sunnyside is a bop as well! ~ For Razzmatazz: The harmonies on Clusterhug sound SO good omg. Kiss Goodnight is one of my favorites, so catchy I found myself singing along! Need You Here actually made me cry, the first time I was listening I thought it was just a generic love song lyric wise, but then that part in the middle where the girl is speaking recontextualized EVERYTHING. And then the second and third times I listening I cried hard. And then that high note toward the end... OOF perfection. I think this is my favorite song by them, it made me feel things TuT And Razzmatazz was really good as well! Super catchy, although I was still recovering from Need You Here LOL. Thanks for the rec! It was a fun time listening. [/quote] !!!!!!!!! Sorry it took me so long to respond, this week ended up being busier than I had expected!!! (I've not listened to my chosen album too... will do so right after this :P :D ) SO GLAD YOU ENJOYED THE ALBUMS!!!!! My favourite from GD is Gloomtown Brats and from Razzmatazz, Leave Me Alone. I agree that GD is so vocally varied!!! Love it when he jumps up or down suddenly. The 2nd half of the album, there's almost an ominous feeling in the lyrics, beneath the bops, like in SIXFT. Very Mx Sinister :P Oh my gosh!!! That's a really emotionally raw reaction to Razzmatazz <333333 I've always preferred the more upbeat songs in this album but that review made me listen to the slower songs again. I liked this album for the, imo, unique beats, but the lyrics really are something to listen for as well :DDDD <3333

mgcltwo

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April 28, 2024 05:26:49

@DismasYves wrote on 2024-04-22 22:24:41:

@/mgcltwo Here's my review of Gloom Division!

To be honest, Youtube has been recommending this band to me for a few months so I decided to finally try listening. I really like the funky vibes, all of their songs are so catchy! I actually ended up listening to the other album I saw which was Razzmatazz as well, so I'll give reviews on some of those songs too.

For Gloom Division, the first song Downside already got me. The little scale upward when he says "darling I need you here tonight" sounds soooo good. Reminds me a little of Panic at the Disco?

Gloomtown Brats I think is my favorite song from this album, or at least in the top 3. It's SO catchy, I was driving home while listening to this and I was jamming lol.

Infatuation and What Love have this sort of dreamy quality to them. I like the change in vibe from the first two songs, somehow it really matches. What Love in particular reminds me of the backrooms and I'm not sure why??? Specifically the beach/pools in the sky level (it was in the game The Backrooms that's hosted on Playstation Dreams).
You can see it here at around 53 minutes in.

SIXFT is really good! Kind of uhhh reggae I think? Very catchy, also one of my favorites.

Kiss and Tell is also really catchy! C'est la vie!!

A Letter and Satanic Panic made me feel like they were really just kinda going ham at the end of the album XD They're just doing whatever they want. Very experimental sound!

And Sunnyside is a bop as well!

~

For Razzmatazz:

The harmonies on Clusterhug sound SO good omg.

Kiss Goodnight is one of my favorites, so catchy I found myself singing along!

Need You Here actually made me cry, the first time I was listening I thought it was just a generic love song lyric wise, but then that part in the middle where the girl is speaking recontextualized EVERYTHING. And then the second and third times I listening I cried hard. And then that high note toward the end... OOF perfection. I think this is my favorite song by them, it made me feel things TuT

And Razzmatazz was really good as well! Super catchy, although I was still recovering from Need You Here LOL.

Thanks for the rec! It was a fun time listening.

!!!!!!!!! Sorry it took me so long to respond, this week ended up being busier than I had expected!!! (I've not listened to my chosen album too... will do so right after this :P :D )

SO GLAD YOU ENJOYED THE ALBUMS!!!!! My favourite from GD is Gloomtown Brats and from Razzmatazz, Leave Me Alone. I agree that GD is so vocally varied!!! Love it when he jumps up or down suddenly. The 2nd half of the album, there's almost an ominous feeling in the lyrics, beneath the bops, like in SIXFT. Very Mx Sinister :P

Oh my gosh!!! That's a really emotionally raw reaction to Razzmatazz <333333 I've always preferred the more upbeat songs in this album but that review made me listen to the slower songs again. I liked this album for the, imo, unique beats, but the lyrics really are something to listen for as well :DDDD <3333

Last edited on Apr 28, 2024 05:27:01 by mgcltwo

[quote name="Farore" date="2024-04-22 05:36:58" ] I'd like to claim: @/chuchus900 's pick: Weathers - Pillows & Therapy :) [/quote] @chuchus900 Sorry this is so last minute! The week got away from me!! [b]Hello[/b] A bop! Great song to start the album, especially after listening to the rest of the album. I mean, they’re literally saying hello, but it covers the themes of the rest of the album well. [b]Talking is Hard[/b] They’re very right: talking IS hard, hahaha. I’m actually going through a situation with a friend right now who I really care about and I’m having trouble talking to them about it… so yeah, felt. The voice effects/music change right before the chorus each time kinda gave me k-pop vibes, which I was totally into. [b]Karma[/b] “So if you’re gonna sink or swim, just drown” is dark but it made me breathy-snort cuz I totally get that feeling. I bopped my head along. [b]Rehab[/b] I really liked this one! Awesome beat and really dynamic in how it changes up musically. Loved the guitar riffs. Lyrically, I definitely got the push-pull desire. You want someone/thing that you know is not good for you but you can’t help but want more. [b]American Dream[/b] REAL REAL REAL REAL That desire to “just wake me from this dream” is so real and so strong. I thought that the repeating of the title was really effective. The broken-record effect it gives really connects with the feeling of the lyrics/overall theme of the song. [b]Strange Dayz[/b] There’s a video game called Day Z and it’s a zombie game, so the opening lines made me chuckle. The song gave me some eerie vibes. I wasn’t super into it but I think it did a good job producing the desired effect? So still cool! [b]In Love with Myself[/b] As someone who is currently trying to get more comfortable with spending time with myself, I thought this was an interesting song. I’m not sure I have much to say about it right now, but I’ll be thinking about it! [b]Hard Times[/b] Wow, I really loved this one. Insisting that you’re not going to give up on someone (or yourself) during hard times is tough but can be crucial. Not sure how to explain it, but the music made me feel like times when I say I don’t want something (like a hug or shoulder to cry on) but the other person says “nope, I’m doing it anyway!” And at first you’re like no what the heck stop but you quickly realize, oh, ok, I actually needed that. [b]Losing Blood[/b] I thought the way the lyrics and music played off one another was really cool. Like most of the times they sang “blood” it felt like it was dripping/flowing. And “seeing stars/at the edges of my vision” also gave that sensation through the music. Very neat. [b]C’est la vie[/b] Oooh, I thought the beginning in particular was fun. Both kind of abrasive but made me want to keep listening. Kinda like life! ——— Overall, I really liked this album and I’m so glad I picked it! Thank you for sharing it!! I think Hard Times and Rehab were my favorite songs. I like how Weathers’s sound reminds me of this mix of Vampire Weekend, Ok Go, and Twenty One Pilots but also clear that they’re doing their own thing. Will definitely listen again!

Farore

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April 28, 2024 05:46:01

Farore wrote on 2024-04-22 05:36:58:

I'd like to claim:
@/chuchus900 's pick: Weathers - Pillows & Therapy
:)

@chuchus900

Sorry this is so last minute! The week got away from me!!

Hello
A bop! Great song to start the album, especially after listening to the rest of the album. I mean, they’re literally saying hello, but it covers the themes of the rest of the album well.

Talking is Hard
They’re very right: talking IS hard, hahaha. I’m actually going through a situation with a friend right now who I really care about and I’m having trouble talking to them about it… so yeah, felt.
The voice effects/music change right before the chorus each time kinda gave me k-pop vibes, which I was totally into.

Karma
“So if you’re gonna sink or swim, just drown” is dark but it made me breathy-snort cuz I totally get that feeling. I bopped my head along.

Rehab
I really liked this one! Awesome beat and really dynamic in how it changes up musically. Loved the guitar riffs. Lyrically, I definitely got the push-pull desire. You want someone/thing that you know is not good for you but you can’t help but want more.

American Dream
REAL REAL REAL REAL
That desire to “just wake me from this dream” is so real and so strong. I thought that the repeating of the title was really effective. The broken-record effect it gives really connects with the feeling of the lyrics/overall theme of the song.

Strange Dayz
There’s a video game called Day Z and it’s a zombie game, so the opening lines made me chuckle. The song gave me some eerie vibes. I wasn’t super into it but I think it did a good job producing the desired effect? So still cool!

In Love with Myself
As someone who is currently trying to get more comfortable with spending time with myself, I thought this was an interesting song. I’m not sure I have much to say about it right now, but I’ll be thinking about it!

Hard Times
Wow, I really loved this one. Insisting that you’re not going to give up on someone (or yourself) during hard times is tough but can be crucial. Not sure how to explain it, but the music made me feel like times when I say I don’t want something (like a hug or shoulder to cry on) but the other person says “nope, I’m doing it anyway!” And at first you’re like no what the heck stop but you quickly realize, oh, ok, I actually needed that.

Losing Blood
I thought the way the lyrics and music played off one another was really cool. Like most of the times they sang “blood” it felt like it was dripping/flowing. And “seeing stars/at the edges of my vision” also gave that sensation through the music. Very neat.

C’est la vie
Oooh, I thought the beginning in particular was fun. Both kind of abrasive but made me want to keep listening. Kinda like life!

———
Overall, I really liked this album and I’m so glad I picked it! Thank you for sharing it!!
I think Hard Times and Rehab were my favorite songs.
I like how Weathers’s sound reminds me of this mix of Vampire Weekend, Ok Go, and Twenty One Pilots but also clear that they’re doing their own thing. Will definitely listen again!

@CosmicHurricane - I forgot to ever put a claim on it, whoops... but thankfully no one else took it hahaha

@PallasiteMatrix's "Tycho - Dive"
This was a great background/chill/interesting sound to have while I did other stuff this week. I listened to it over a speaker mostly... That being said, I think I'm gonna dedicate some time to listening to it again with headphones. It makes me want to lie in the middle of my floor and just feel. I liked Melanine the best I think.

So glad I picked this one to listen to. I really enjoyed it and looking forward to enjoying it again!!

Farore

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April 28, 2024 05:57:27

@CosmicHurricane - I forgot to ever put a claim on it, whoops... but thankfully no one else took it hahaha

@PallasiteMatrix's "Tycho - Dive"
This was a great background/chill/interesting sound to have while I did other stuff this week. I listened to it over a speaker mostly... That being said, I think I'm gonna dedicate some time to listening to it again with headphones. It makes me want to lie in the middle of my floor and just feel. I liked Melanine the best I think.

So glad I picked this one to listen to. I really enjoyed it and looking forward to enjoying it again!!