NEW SINGLE: Came Back Haunted

[jbeam4]

finally heard it on sirius octane. i took the long way home and hit rewind four times

It was getting a lot of play on Alt Nation yesterday.

[pukkelpop]

I have that same player - you need a wired audio connection! You're cheating yourself w the FM transmitter believe me.

when does it hit the European radios?
not yet here in Belgium

[screwdriver]

Gonna be honest here: IMO, it's an okay track but I'm really having a hard time understanding what everyone else is hearing that's making them blow their load like this is the greatest thing ever. Sure, it's always exciting whenever there's new NIN released (especially when it's unexpected like this), but just taking CBH as a new single at face value....*shrug*.

Maybe it's the super rhyme-y lyric delivery?

...wiiiiide
...siiiiiide

...seeee
...meee

...black
...back

It just seems so stiff, clunky and awkward. And the music sounds like a re-hash of just about everything he's done in the past nine years with the same production tricks, right down to the abrupt ending of songs on a single word (ie: 'Getting Smaller', 'The Warning', etc). The groove feels weird and the drums sound like a casio keyboard factory preset.

Hell, I don't know. I don't DIS-like it, I'm just not hearing what everyone else is, apparently. That said, opinions are like assholes and this is one is mine. Fuck it. But I do love me some NIN and eagerly await the album even if this single hasn't gotten me all that pumped up for it.

all fair enough
I'm still fucking loving the song, and I'll tell you a few reasons why
1) it's the first track TR has done in years where I feel like the compositional structure match the production; he's gotten really, really good at ear-candy (see The Social Network, HTDA) but it seemed like that had come at the expense of song structures more complicated than A-A-A-A. There's quite a lot of awesome sections that weave in and out of this effortlessly. You can contrast it with basically anything off The Slip (which I love) and its got a lot more structure to chew on
2) on top of that, the ear-candy here is *amazing.* the synth work is just beautiful. it sounds so thick and full in a totally natural way. It reminds me of how TR said his goal with Broken was to make it sound like a rock band on first listen, but then you start to notice how many things are buried and you realize there's so much more than first glance. When you first hear this song, it sounds like a pretty straightforward synthpop sort of arrangement. But then you listen again and start to notice all the different timbres that pop up
3) I'm really not crazy about the lyrics, but if you set those aside, the vocal harmonies are awesome -- it makes me remember that TR's melodicism is one of NIN's best traits.

the vocal delivery is sort of jilted, but -- fuck, NIN's first single was "Down in it," and we're all used to it now, but there is some awkward vocalisms in there. Just give it time to adjust and it seems natural, and I think that's okay.

the lyrics? well... ok.

also, I want whatever casio keyboard you have

[hobochic]

I still haven't read or paid attention to the lyrics but I'm not getting good vibes from what I think I hear. They sound pretty bad, if not the worst nin lyrics, everrrr.

Trent needs a creative producer to guide him through and lower the suck.

[Jinsai]

the worst nin lyrics, everrrr.

Not quite...

"How could you turn me into this
After you just taught me how to kiss
I told you I'd never say goodbye
Now I'm slipping on the tears you made me cry"

You can't top that.

[xfocalinx]

are those the official lyrics or are they transcribed by ear?

can anybody answer me?

[Sapo]

god damn you guys are anal. just enjoy the fucking song.

[GavinCollins420]

can anybody answer me?

Not official lyrics. A few parts sound a bit off...

[BenAkenobi]

On my 4th listen, and “Not so pretty now” comes to mind rather than previously mentioned lead singles (Only etc.). Lot of differences, of course, but the vocal style and groove is hands down there.

[xfocalinx]

Not official lyrics. A few parts sound a bit off...

thank you. I didn't think they were..but normally there's a disclaimer on ninwiki stating that they're transcribed by ear.

[Fangster_]

Not quite...

"How could you turn me into this
After you just taught me how to kiss
I told you I'd never say goodbye
Now I'm slipping on the tears you made me cry"

You can't top that.

Ha. Was actually listening to this today, 4 AM, drunk, walking home from the bus stop, grinning at the cheesy lyrics (basically "Oh, you" and young Trent is the dog). Somehow they just hit me like never before. But I still have "Now all that I've been hearing must be true, I guess I'm not the only boy for you" above (or below, whatever) all else.

I'm really into CBH, though it is also lyrically a bit cringeworthy. "I got something you have to see, they put something inside of me" is kinda just bad, whatever the meaning. Maybe too much forced rhyming going on in general, which I think he should derail from at this stage.

[Khrz]

After YZ I really hoped he would stop that whole journal thing, to be honest. Even though he never was a great lyricist, it's less embarassing when there's an actual narrative, instead of feeling like you're reading an old diary from when you were 15...

[Rossva]

This song is fucking awesome. That is all.

[Highly Psychological]

I like some of the sounds on the song. Its on the same level as his work on Year Zero better than The Slip material, The nerdy beat reminds me of Devo. I can just imagine some mega geek working on this in their bedroom and bringing it to the high school prom and playing it doing a moonwalk to it thinking he was cool and doing a little dance and ultimately getting beaten by the jocks. like the beat throughout. I like the cold guitars over the chorus. However, i dont like TR's vocal delivery on the chorus, it sounds like he has been smoking 50 cigarettes before recording. The Gravel. and i dont like the guitar breakdown towards the end. Just feels like same sort of style he reverts to in a lot of his recent stuff, plenty about it i like, but obviously its just a little pop song not a game changing concept piece.

[Fixer808]

I like it a LOT more than My Violent Heart (just for a 'first single' reference). Coworker's a big NIN fan, as well, and was like "Of COURSE they put something inside of you, Trent, they ALWAYS do!". We're both really stoked for the Vancouver show!

[thelastdisciple]

I don't hear any gravel in TR's voice on this number.

Man.. everyone hears all these different things.

[Wolfkiller]

I'm all for criticism, I'm not one of those crazybots who declares that Trent can do no wrong. I skip over Vessel every time! But I'm crious as to why some of you are even here, going on about how bad and embarrassing Trent's poor lyric writing ability. Seems odd for a group of people who are supposedly huge fans.

[Fixer808]

I had to drive for an hour and a half from a job site back to our shop early this morning, and was aching to hear the single (listened when I got home a couple hours ago, love it, was in a motel for a week, so I'm behind the times), and when I left the motel they played some shit Mumford and Sons song, which was new.

Then an hour later they did a station ID, saying "New music, on The Fox!....... Mumford and Sons!" SAME SONG AN HOUR LATER FROM A BULLSHIT BAND.

Then (and here comes the punchline), we were parking work trucks in the shop and as I was about to turn my truck off they did an ID: "Fox music!....... Nine Inch Nails!"

Me: "Fuck EVERYTHING AROUND ME, I'm gonna listen the SHIT out of this, even though I wanted to go home and relax, then go on NIN.com to listen to it and it's playing now and... first 2 seconds sound really similar to OH FUCK YOU RADIO STATION, WHY ARE YOU PLAYING "HEAD LIKE A HOLE" RIGHT NOW?!

[Fixer808]

Not even joking, they played "Head Like a Hole" at a time when new NIN was available...

[mostlymad]

I'm not sure it'll be my favorite from the new album, but I can't get it out of my head. It's an earworm. It grew on me, though I didn't immediately hate it as some did.

[Khrz]

I'm all for criticism, I'm not one of those crazybots who declares that Trent can do no wrong. I skip over Vessel every time! But I'm crious as to why some of you are even here, going on about how bad and embarrassing Trent's poor lyric writing ability. Seems odd for a group of people who are supposedly huge fans.

Well I understand why you'd be puzzled, but it just seems like simple honesty (and sharing opinions on a forum doesn't feel so alien either). I love the sounds of NIN, but that's the strong point. The weak one is, and has always been, the lyrics. Being a fan doesn't mean being blind to that, quite the opposite in my opinion. Fans tend to praise, nitpick, analyze, and well, discard every bits and pieces... Pretty sure the Radiohead fans are just as bad.

[thefragile_jake]

I'm all for criticism, I'm not one of those crazybots who declares that Trent can do no wrong. I skip over Vessel every time! But I'm crious as to why some of you are even here, going on about how bad and embarrassing Trent's poor lyric writing ability. Seems odd for a group of people who are supposedly huge fans.

Well one of the things that attracted me to Nine Inch Nails at such a young age was his song writing ability, musically and lyrically. Trent somehow found ways to put into conceptual context a lot of things I was feeling at the time and the music was just so inspiring and interesting to me that I became hooked. On top of that all of the attention to detail visually and packaging wise Trent has put into NIN, it's easy to understand why fans for so long can kind of be a little critical. I mean, some of the lyrics feel like they've bled over from his lyrical notebook from the Slip...which isn't a bad thing in my opinion. I think Trent has found a writing style and production method that's comfortable with him. Some things hit people better than others, like you I'm not one that says Trent is ALLMIGHTY cause I clearly haven't been a fan of How to Destroy Angels (currently listening to it now to try it again and it's still not doing anything for me) and especially Me, I'm Not...which I skip every time as well.

I think it all comes down to preference and taste. Music is incredibly subjective. I can like a band who's been writing in a certain esthetic for the past three albums and if what they do is interesting to me, sometimes being comfortable isn't a bad thing. Beach House is a good example of this I think. However, there's other groups that when they seem to continuously write the same record over and over again...it's frustrating!

To me, the last three or four Nine Inch Nails albums have had a similar production style in the fact he's constantly working with Alan and Atticus but there has been three distinct differences in every one of them. Even if I think Trent may be treading familiar territory lyrically at times, as long as the music is interesting and I feel like there is something tangible to this record to latch onto both in the fact that it reminds me why I love what Trent Reznor does within Nine Inch Nails while offering something exciting...I'll be satisfied. I'm already completely on board with this single, the art direction, the name of the record, the tour name, the album name...I'm just incredibly pumped!!

[Fixer808]

I can't get it out of my head.

You're welcome.

[Fragile Teeth]

I feel the same way about this song as I do fur-lined. Trent should have spent more time on it. Differentiated the bass and the drums more for the choruses. The song would be poppier doing that but I think it would just flow better. The repetitive synth lines in CBH and bass in Fur-Lined make the song drag. They have nice grooves or could be nice sounding but lack a certain polish composition wise.

Most of the time I can see what Trent's going for so I just dig it but he NEEDS to spend more time doing outros, intros to songs, and making songs as dynamic as I know he can make them... I think atticus is the issue...

[Shadaloo]

After "I got my armsaflipflopflipflopflip" nothing Trent writes can affect me. He's done worse.

[Wretchedest]

You know the "he's done worse" argument doesnt jive with me. He has done worse, on occassion.

But hes also, more often, written incredible lyrics, that are insightful and play over really creative and original music.

So, yeah Trent wrote Not So Pretty Now, hes done some bad things in the past, but he also did "Just Like You Imagined" "Somewhat Damaged" "Sunspots" "Mr. Self Destruct" "The Big Comedown" and when I say that "Came Back Haunted" is garbage its in the contexf off that crazy high quality of music.

[gorast]

You know the "he's done worse" argument doesnt jive with me. He has done worse, on occassion.

But hes also, more often, written incredible lyrics, that are insightful and play over really creative and original music.

So, yeah Trent wrote Not So Pretty Now, hes done some bad things in the past, but he also did "Just Like You Imagined" "Somewhat Damaged" "Sunspots" "Mr. Self Destruct" "The Big Comedown" and when I say that "Came Back Haunted" is garbage its in the contexf off that crazy high quality of music.

And all of those examples, save for "Sunspots", were in the 90s. He's not that person any more.

[konstantin]

And all of those examples, save for "Sunspots", were in the 90s. He's not that person any more.

true. he's more like the Robert De Niro of the music industry now. unstoppable!

[nineismine]

Oh you guys and your taking everything so seriously...

[Fangster_]

You know the "he's done worse" argument doesnt jive with me. He has done worse, on occassion.

But hes also, more often, written incredible lyrics, that are insightful and play over really creative and original music.

So, yeah Trent wrote Not So Pretty Now, hes done some bad things in the past, but he also did "Just Like You Imagined" "Somewhat Damaged" "Sunspots" "Mr. Self Destruct" "The Big Comedown" and when I say that "Came Back Haunted" is garbage its in the contexf off that crazy high quality of music.

I like the part where he says aaaaaaAAAAAAA...