I was hoping it would sound like Phoenix did it but that they created something unique. A band can release great songs that sound like them without sounding like the same song.

That’s kinda what I was getting at in http://stereogum.com/1258391/phoenix-bankrupt-details/top-stories/comment-page-1/#comment-8020712

Pretty fun band…but not exactly unpredictable these days.

My Bloody Diarrhea

MBD

Dondon Titty Soup,

I blow off Last Night, too…but Hard to Explain has a dope chorus. And the way it ends the song is great…abrupt and bratty without being too contrived.

I also liked that album. And I don’t dislike Wolfgang. I’ll add that this Corky character is an annoying asshole…

BUT

Because I’m a man of principle, I can’t just sit here and say that Wolfgang did not repeat a ton of musical ideas. Songs have measurable values and you don’t even have to be a musician to tell that Thomas regurgitates tiredly similar melodies (he loves putting minor third intervals a bunch of times in a vocal line) from one song to the next. I’m looking forward to hearing the new one and am hopeful…I’m not at all hating on Wolfgang – it was a fun album with a few pop gems – but facts are facts. There’s a difference between carrying consistent character from one song to another and having songs that just aren’t constructed uniquely from one another.

I’ll say the same about Bloc Party; Silent Alarm was a huuuuge deal for me but hearing Kele sing the same damn parts over and over (and boringly similar guitar parts) on the next albums was a real bummer. There are plenty of awesome artists that when you hear a song of theirs, you instantly recognize it’s them…but not necessarily because they repeat the same musical motives.

I come in peace. xo