My Bloody Valentine

[october_midnight]

Just clocking when I hit the PayPal button....I think I'm having a minor stroke or something.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[BlueCalx]

Watching people freak out about this on Facebook has been... illuminating, in the way that Milgram's famous study was.

It sounds like My Bloody Valentine. Seriously looking forward to my vinyl copy showing up, you guys.

[Presideo]

Listening to it now - three songs in and it sounds pretty damn good!

My weekend will consist of playing this on a constant loop, likely with copious amounts of drugs in my system...

[Highly Psychological]

Fuck it im not waiting for a bunch of pothead webmasters to sort their shit out, About 10 good quality Zip files have popped up.

[october_midnight]

Yeah finally found a torrent...it's pretty much what I was expecting haha...annnnnd now I have to go out for the evening. Until tomorrow!

[Santos L Halper]

Whoohoo! Order went though and confirmed via email!

[xmd 5a]

Won't let me check out for some reason. Keeps saying my cart is empty... Want that vinyl bundle dammit!

[Highly Psychological]

In Another Way is a fucking awesome tune.

[Piko]

Right when I find a download, the site goes back up. Funny how that works. And 16 bucks for 8 tracks is kinda steep. Let's assume they make bank and don't take so long on another album.

[BlueCalx]

Go on. Be bad. Download it. You're going to pay for it anyway, if/when the jokesters they hired as webadmins get their shit together.

[blackholesun]

Slow download. This will be good to blast on a mini road trip tomorrow.

[Jinsai]

aaaaaand I finally got through and got the vinyl, but I'm not going to feel at ease until that download bar is complete.

[Rdm]

I finally got the vinyl can't wait till hear this shut when I get home!!!

[thevoid99]

I'm on the last track right now and... whatever is coming out for the rest of the year. Forget everything else. This is the album to get. I want more. I don't think I can wait another 21 years for another new album.

[Jinsai]

just finished my first listen through, and for me it does not disappoint (and considering how hyped I was for this, that's something). "nothing is" is the highlight for me, but the last three songs careen together in a way that is just awesome.

[ad infinitum]

Fucking wow. No other words right now adequately describe what I'm listening to.

[BRoswell]

Considering how recent a convert I am to the band, the wait hasn't been nearly as agonizing for me as it has been for some of you. I'm really digging the album, although I think it's going to take a while to sink in and be able to compare it to the other two albums.

[DigitalChaos]

between the 403's, general site outages, and this:

Please note: WAVs are a lot bigger than mp3s and may take considerably longer to download. We highly recommend you connect to the Internet via an Ethernet cable to reduce your chance of experiencing any connectivity issues during the download.

It sounds like their technical staff hasn't done anything since the last album either.


That was kind of fun to partake in though!

[Jinsai]

That was kind of fun to partake in though!

In hindsight it was, but at the time I was on the verge of literally tearing my hair out. Thankfully the album pays off for me.

I'm seeing some people online saying that they can't add the vinyl to their cart anymore. Wonder if it's sold out already?

[Alpha 60]

It kept saying my order could not process (for vinyl), I was trying to pay with a credit card (tried several times), but then I used Paypal and order went through about 5 minutes ago.

[Frozen Beach]

I'd figured I'd mention, but the mp3s sold from the store are transcoded from 128kbps mp3s, while all other files are accurately converted.

[frankie teardrop]

i'm torn. on one hand, the album is like a series of loveless/glider outtakes and therefore it hits the same sweet spot as always. however, i'm disappointed that after 22 years, the formula has strayed very little, if at all. so i'm going to balance it out after two straight listens with a good, but not glowing opinion of it. after so long, i guess i was expecting something next level, which this certainly isn't, but it's good for sure.

[xmd 5a]

Getting an Isn't Anything vibe from what I've heard so far. Sounds plenty like Loveless too, but I'm liking the old school influence a hell of a lot.

[Jinsai]

i'm torn. on one hand, the album is like a series of loveless/glider outtakes and therefore it hits the same sweet spot as always. however, i'm disappointed that after 22 years, the formula has strayed very little, if at all. so i'm going to balance it out after two straight listens with a good, but not glowing opinion of it. after so long, i guess i was expecting something next level, which this certainly isn't, but it's good for sure.

I hear what you're saying, but I think I'm glad that they stuck to their formula, and actually there's enough moments in there that feel like something completely new and unexpected to me. The bass tone in Only Tomorrow, and the way it modulates and shifts the mix in a weird microtonal way makes me want to giggle with happiness.

I wasn't looking for this album to create a new genre of music (again), but I was hoping it would assert why the band was capable of doing that in the first place. I think it succeeds in all the ways I hoped it would.

[frankie teardrop]

definitely agree with you, too. i err on the side of it being very good. i need a few listens tomorrow, especially with some headphones to let it truly sink in.

[perceptionnexus]

i'm torn. on one hand, the album is like a series of loveless/glider outtakes and therefore it hits the same sweet spot as always. however, i'm disappointed that after 22 years, the formula has strayed very little, if at all. so i'm going to balance it out after two straight listens with a good, but not glowing opinion of it. after so long, i guess i was expecting something next level, which this certainly isn't, but it's good for sure.

Word. It's good and definitely a solid LP, but I was also hoping they'd expand the formula a bit, to me this sounds like a slightly more experimental loveless, but on the other hand I don't know what I really ever thought a new MBV album would truly sound like. This one will likely be a grower with each listen. Evidently there's going to be more new stuff too coming, so i'm thinking maybe a couple EPs in the next two years, then LP 4 in 2035, fingers crossed.

[Jinsai]

I'd figured I'd mention, but the mp3s sold from the store are transcoded from 128kbps mp3s, while all other files are accurately converted.

I'm just curious how you know this? I opted for the 24 bit wav version, and I've wanted to A/B it with the other options. I wonder why they would do that?

[Leviathant]

I've had a listen through once so far, and while it's nice to hear more of the same by the same people who blew this sound up, I also forget everything about what I just listened to, except that if you're going to take 22 years to write an album of My Bloody Valentine music, putting something like "Nothing Is" - one measure, on loop, while someone adjusts the faders between tracks, for three and a half minutes - is inexcusable.

I'll probably throw it on my iPhone and listen to it a few times, but there's nothing that stands out the way "Only Shallow" did when I first heard it. And I mean, who knows, maybe they get this one out of their system, and get the urge to make some more stuff in the studio, and put out a follow-up that's a little more interesting and a little less formula.

This critique is brought to you by a guy who's really quite excited about a 35 year old synthesizer getting newly re-released with the exact same circuit paths as the original model.

[Jinsai]

"Nothing Is" - one measure, on loop, while someone adjusts the faders between tracks, for three and a half minutes - is inexcusable.

I would argue that there's a lot more going on there, besides the obvious fact that the guitar progressions subtly change and added layers are introduced and faded in and out. I can see why the song wouldn't do it for a lot of people, probably most people, but it makes me go cross eyed, and it's my favorite track on the album.

I guess I'd also argue that three and a half minutes isn't a very long time for a short instrumental track, but it needs that long (even through repetition) to fully get the effect. I love that song.

and yes, I am also excited about the new MS-20

[xmd 5a]

After the first complete listen I'd say this album compares most easily to the EP compilation in terms of sheer diversity. What a weird, wonderful mix of sounds. Not at all what I was expecting, but as good as I'd hoped. Diving back in for listen #2 straight away. It takes a special kind of album to give me that urge.

"Who Sees You", "Only Tomorrow" and "If I Am" are my immediate highlights, but there's not a dull track on this thing.