No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

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No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by fatlip »

I, for some reason, thought it'd be good to make like a potato and give it a listen. It's not my first listen, but it's my first listen in lossless with my headphones. After going back over what I wrote I feel lame like Jimmy or Cody for giving unrequested opinions. (Just kidding I love y'all). Anyway, here are my highly unsober, scattered thoughts song by song:

Too Much To Think - Right off the bat, they're back with the layers of sound where it actually matters. Talking about weed is still cool in my book. I think they picked the perfect song for their first single. The video, on the other hand, makes me want to go Oedipus on my eyeballs. The whole "as i walk the the valley fo the shadow of LA" is ridiculous. They make up for it with the depth in the instrumentals, as usual. I even hear a bit of organ in there. Of course it's their simple sound that would fit right in on a 50 First Dates soundtrack.

Wildfire - That bass sound is beautiful. I'm glad P-Nut finally strayed from the warwick. Such a fat sound. TBH, though, the mix for this song is actually lacking a bit of low end. The silver lining is that it's far easier to hear what's going on in the song. Nick's psuedopatois is kinda silly but I'm used to that stuff by now. I like how it builds up and resolves back into the main part for the entire begining of the song. Very creative... and then they break into what are normally album enders. Impressive. Really stepping out of their bounds starting with the second song. Transitioning out of the bridge into the breakdown is seamless. Rickenbackers. Invest in one. The dualing guitars don't sound cheesy the way they have in every dual post-beautiful disaster.

The Night is Young - Basic new-style 311 at the start until the first chorus. The gain profile isn't one i'd have chosen, personally. Crunchy riff tho. I also appreciate that the chorus vocals don't start immediately. This first vocal breakdown is gorgeous. Then back into the crunchy riff. Vocals are kinda weird in the chorus but I got used to it real quick. Breakdown reminds me of Hydroponic-esque heaviness. Sludgy. Feels good. Makes my ears itch with the headphones on. The added synth boosts the low end.

Island Sun - When I heard this one live I thought it was cool, but I wasn't overly impressed. The recording of it redeems it completely. Nice use of vocoders without getting too cheesy. Chorus is kinda Jimmy Buffet so I definitely feel like I'm 50. Then the guitar solo comes in with that western desperado tone and the shimmery background guitar that breaks into delay riffing... dude. Knocked it out of the park. It's like I'm floating. The breakdown with the warbles ruins the feel a bit but the shimmery guitars come back and distract me, much like their visual counterparts. This is good for the summer i guess. Second guitar solo not quite as good but it wraps the song up well.

Perfect Mistake - I absolutely hated this when it came out. linkin park mixed with lame at home djs mixed with POD/evenesecensenns choruses. Here's a fun story: I was listening to the album in my car with the windows down, blasting (beautiful day, how could i not?). So I turn down a street into a populated area while this song was on, and no joke, I had to lower the song because I was mortified. THAT SAID, the bass redeems the verse a bit. The warbles and the other synth towards the end sound like fucking korn. then the dropout with SA holding out his voice popping back into the chorus sounds like crabcore style garbage. this song was a disappointment but i don't hate it as much as i did when i first heard it, so that's good. I'll like it eventually.

Extension - Santana/Sublime feel off the top is a nice feel. They keep it simple when it's good to keep it simple. They haven't tread much into this territory until now. Nick's "sexy voice" is cringy. Luckily they burried it in the mix. That organ.. so important. The lyrics are also nice and positive. Synth pads fill out the background nicely. I wanted to go PC on nick for culturally appropriating rasta culture, but he doesnt even seem to be doing a fake accent as much as a rhythm. You get the pass this time, hexum.

Inside Our Home - OK so here's where it gets lame... Although I can't relate too much to the touring aspect, being in the relationship I am, the chorus hit me hard in an extremely cheesy sentimental way. We've been looking at places to wind up and the shit he talks about are what we've been looking for and then he says that shit about the inside being better and i'm not crying you're crying and it just hits home and stuff. The song is kinda average on it's own, but with the sentimental stuff I can get into it like the old man I truly am.

'Til the City's on Fire - what the fuck

seriously. what the fuck. this is unacceptable.
THAT SAID, i've woken up with it in my head every morning since I first heard it. I had to put on my big boy pants to find redeemable parts of this song: I can appreciate good pop. It's a catchy tune. However, the lyrical content is going to land nick on a sex offender registry. You're in yourrrrrr 50's? Girls? Boys? Who's going to drive you home? That's just irresponsible. This is another window-roller-upper if you're in public. Luckily I've yet to be. The mix of the song is full.. but at the expense over severe overproduction. I get trying to keep with the times but I just can't. I still like it, but I just hate myself for doing so. Maybe they should have saved this one for a soundtrack for a teen summer movie or something. The only redeeming factor about it's placement on this album is that it preceeds and sweeps into the gem known as...

Too Late - I fucking love this song. When I first heard this one from the video on the boat.. that was the first time I got excited for this album. Listening to it in lossless now is even better. You can hear all the little details of production. Epic transitions from part to part. Old school slappy P-Nut transitions. That chorus riff.. phewwww! Heavy. Nick gets a bad rap for being the lame one, but honestly, the deepest songs they have are written by him. I don't mean deepest strictly in the lyrical sense. I don't know wtf they're talking about but SA goes back to this alien space talk like he did on transistor and i liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike that. (nick rips off metallica). The rapping is kinda lame... nothing new. But seriously, heavy. Probably my favorite of the album (at the moment).

Hey Yo - Again, no big expectations after hearing it at 3/11 day but the recording redeems it. Dinky dualing solo is kinda cheesy. Chad's ride fills out the missing rhythm guitar nicely in the mix. Horns are a nice touch. P-Nut: simplicity > build > big. Again, the gain profile for the chorus; I'd have gone with their old school Mesa sounds from blue album to make it a bit heavier. SA's part is spooky af. Goes without saying for the most part but it matches the feel of the song at his part to a T. Chorus borders on lame but is redeemed by it's driving push. The breakdown is cool I guess. They don't usually resolve a song from a breakdown so that's a cool change.

Place That the Mind Goes - What an absolutely beautiful song. This is what Love Song should have been in the first place. Still talking about telephones though for some reason @dj3 (or @ray.. i don't remember who had the gripe against the phone stuff). This is not a 311 song. This is a NHQ song with a tropical feel. Guitarwork is impressive. It's main problem is that it's overproduced in a heavy-handed way. They keep the ball rolling by ending the song right where it should be no longer. Good choice. [Paused to finish typing. Silence.] The song's aftertaste has a dark ghostly residue to it. Lovely song overall but I'm stll not sold on it being a 311 song.

Face in the Wind - A+, Scotch. I like pedal exploration. Opening verse epic ala Golden Sunlight and then what's this cool ass delay-filled pause? a buildup to SA transistoring the fuck out of this song. Guitars sound beautiful. Tonally diverse like Soundsystem. I love the sectioning of this song, it reminds me of No Control in that sense. Very contrasting.

Forever Now - This intro is what I expected when they said the new album had a "reggae feel." The synthy low end and chuggy guitar make it kinda heavy but when it resolves into the instrumental part break the flow comes back. Speaking of flow, SA's part gets stuck in my head. Normally I'd slam Nick for "Lalala" and "Nanana"ing but it fits. I have cody's post up in the background with all the writing credits and i see Zack Hexum on there.... I didn't expect that but now that I see it, it all makes sense. Catchy tune. Basic tho.

Days of '88 - Took me a bit to get used to this one. But once I did, I look forward to it with each album listen. Again, great vocoder use. Heavy ass riff with light SA vocals during the chorus is nice and trippy. I'd say that segment is SA's "Eons" moment. Really easy to get lost in with headphones. Crucial. Funky transitions. Cool!

One and the Same - #chillygroovy verse. Then the verse.. whoa. Again the holdoff with the vocals makes it that much more awesome. Chorus oddly reminds me of SOAD. Such a heavy riff and vocals all over the place. In a good way though. Verse #2 slipping back into more chillygroovy trippy stuff but with SA making it extra groovy. It's like floating. Who doesn't love floating? Everyone does. Bridge reminds me of Livin' & Rockin'. Head banger for sure. Hope I get to see this live at some point.

Syntax Error - This song is fun. Definitely out of their normal bounds beyond demo versions of Soundsystem. IT FEELS LIKE COMPUTER MUSIC. I love the dynamic verse/chorus. Best of dancy 311 combined with heavy spacey 311. Can't fail. Cool riffs too. The more I hear this song the more I love it.

On a Roll - A well-deserved lovesong to themselves. As much as I want to knock the Fun-esque chanting, it's catchy and will work live. Bubbly prechoruses. ORGAN. My boys are really learning. If I were to search for meaning where there really is none and force something: the song is musically kinda meta. It shifts between a sound that is completely unfamiliar in 311 territory and exactly what you'd expect from them.

Overall, I like the exploration but lets see if it stands the test of time. I wrote a lot of shit. Why can't I have this focus for school work?
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by JESSE PUMA »

Nobody asked me either, but I liked being Transistored the fuck out of. I haven't enjoyed a 311 record this much in a loooooong time.
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by dj3stripes »

JESSE PUMA wrote: Sat Jun 24, 2017 1:49 am Nobody asked me either, but I liked being Transistored the fuck out of. I haven't enjoyed a 311 record this much in a loooooong time.
That's all anybody should need folks. Jesse's seal of approval!

Seriously man, make a seal with your face on it so we can stamp it on good posts
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by BrodelsAlive! »

Fatlip you nailed it on the head.
I dont hate this album, but there are obviously some songs that I don't love, like I'm seriously scratching my head going "Why the hell is this on here? This sounds like music they play in the club".
I do love how many songs there are one here, after all these years, they are still diverse, and mix all the different music styles. They are really playing the shit out of their instruments, from SA's turn table effects, to Tim's different distortions, the envelop filter, Nick exploring his POD500, trippy effects, Pnut's fat bass-lines, and chad is all over that damn kit.
There will always be a little bit of cheese factor, but overall, you can't hate 311, they are good at what they do.

Sorry, nobody asked me either, but I realized the BB is gone and its cool to see this place still up and running! :bounce:
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by $lmjimy311 »

City is a god damn gem. Fuck you and fuck you too.
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by $lmjimy311 »

JESSE PUMA!!!!!!!!!!!!11
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by bcolephases »

JESSE PUMA wrote: Sat Jun 24, 2017 1:49 am I haven't enjoyed a 311 record this much in a loooooong time.
You guys seriously say this every time. At least I'm consistent in my criticism.
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by Jordan311 »

enjoyed reading this.

fatlip, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't explore the production/mix on Extension a bit more in your review. Instead just focusing on nick's reggae-rap style. I think Extension is a highlight on the album in terms of production, layers and cool effects.


and holy fuck YES to your thoughts on Inside Our Home. so many fucking feels in those lyrics.


fatlip wrote:"SA goes back to this alien space talk like he did on transistor and i liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike that."

could not agree with this statement more haha.

Later
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by CodyComeaux »

fatlip wrote: Sat Jun 24, 2017 12:33 am I feel lame like Jimmy or Cody for giving unrequested opinions. (Just kidding I love y'all).


'Til the City's on Fire - what the fuck

seriously. what the fuck. this is unacceptable.
THAT SAID, i've woken up with it in my head every morning since I first heard it. I had to put on my big boy pants to find redeemable parts of this song: I can appreciate good pop. It's a catchy tune. However, the lyrical content is going to land nick on a sex offender registry. You're in yourrrrrr 50's? Girls? Boys? Who's going to drive you home? That's just irresponsible. This is another window-roller-upper if you're in public. Luckily I've yet to be. The mix of the song is full.. but at the expense over severe overproduction. I get trying to keep with the times but I just can't. I still like it, but I just hate myself for doing so. Maybe they should have saved this one for a soundtrack for a teen summer movie or something. The only redeeming factor about it's placement on this album is that it preceeds and sweeps into the gem known as...
😈😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🔥🔥🔥🔥
I Love You too
I read the review of City Fire and was rolling on the floor laughing my mother fucking ass off.
Literally.
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by CodyComeaux »

1. One and the Same
2. Face in the Wind
3. Syntax Error
4. Forever Now
5. 'Til the City's on Fire
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by fatlip »

Jordan311 wrote: Sun Jun 25, 2017 7:54 pm enjoyed reading this.

fatlip, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't explore the production/mix on Extension a bit more in your review. Instead just focusing on nick's reggae-rap style. I think Extension is a highlight on the album in terms of production, layers and cool effects.


and holy fuck YES to your thoughts on Inside Our Home. so many fucking feels in those lyrics.


fatlip wrote:"SA goes back to this alien space talk like he did on transistor and i liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike that."

could not agree with this statement more haha.

Later
I love the production on Extension (minus the lack of low end). I really, really like the song in general. I limited myself to the length of the song to write what I was thinking while listening so I didn't get to it because I was probably distracted by "zoning in."

[EDIT] Whoops, I thought you said Wildfire. I like this song too, though... a lot. Production is top notch. Definitely enough low end in this one. The bass for the verses kinda reminds me of Sublime. Probably not a real bass. Or if it is, has the shit EQ'd out of it. Gives it that dubby feeling. Feels good in the summer, mang.[/EDIT]

Secondly, neither of them are all that good about writing about real life stuff.. so when SA raps about aliens it makes me happy. If it's gonna be silly, might as well make it obvious.
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by $lmjimy311 »

Can we just re-reelase Mosaic without the stupid monotone sexy dick voice?
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by fatlip »

Can't stress enough how important lossless with headphones is when listening to new albums; not just 311. It's equal in importance to listening in the car on a nice long ride :bounce:

And with that said, my MOSAIC preference (if I had to choose between the two) is definitely the car. :iroc: :311:
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by CodyComeaux »

$lmjimy311 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2017 2:52 pm Can we just re-reelase Mosaic without the stupid monotone sexy dick voice?
Haha, the man's getting old bro.
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by Jordan311 »

$lmjimy311 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2017 2:52 pm Can we just re-reelase Mosaic without the stupid monotone sexy dick voice?
fuck you I love the deep dick sexum voice

Later
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by $lmjimy311 »

Jordan311 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2017 7:27 pm
$lmjimy311 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2017 2:52 pm Can we just re-reelase Mosaic without the stupid monotone sexy dick voice?
fuck you I love the deep dick sexum voice

Later
Wait, really? I guess deep voice dick to me is the edm breakdown of city's on fire to you.
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by Jordan311 »

$lmjimy311 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2017 9:30 pm
Jordan311 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2017 7:27 pm
$lmjimy311 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2017 2:52 pm Can we just re-reelase Mosaic without the stupid monotone sexy dick voice?
fuck you I love the deep dick sexum voice

Later
Wait, really? I guess deep voice dick to me is the edm breakdown of city's on fire to you.

I like the edm breakdown too. dick sexum can do no wrong.

Later
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Re: No one asked, but here it is anyway... (MOSAIC)

Post by CodyComeaux »

Jordan311 wrote: Tue Jun 27, 2017 7:35 pm
$lmjimy311 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2017 9:30 pm
Jordan311 wrote: Mon Jun 26, 2017 7:27 pm

fuck you I love the deep dick sexum voice

Later
Wait, really? I guess deep voice dick to me is the edm breakdown of city's on fire to you.

I like the edm breakdown too. dick sexum can do no wrong.

Later
roflmmfao!

Only around 173 posts left, off subject, of Ranking. ;)
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