The Love Language – The Love Language
I suppose I’d descibe this as a very, very old school sunshine pop album which has been recorded through a blanket of fuzz. In fact, this sound has been achieved by capturing the music on a four-track before it was handed over to anything at all computerised, retaining that trademark growly sound, particularly on the vocals, which I am so fond of at the moment.
If I had a criticism of the album at all it would be that it is slightly downbeat for just a little too much of the time. The problem with writing a stand-out hit like Lalita is that, when it is in pretty stark contrast to the rest of the album in terms of energy and atmosphere, you can end up wrong-footing your audience somewhat. I spent the first listen waiting for the band to go mental again, and they don’t.
Once you realise that the album is more brooding than you’d thought, perhaps a little more gentle, then you can start to appreciate it for what it actually is: a splendidly crackly perversion of something that was supposed to be innocent and sincere. They’ve taken something nice, and broken it slightly.
I can’t really deal with genuinely carefree pop most of the time, and the fact that The Love Language have knocked the corners off it slightly puts this right into my kind of territory. Really good.
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Lalita just makes me want to turn the song off and listen to the Guillemots’ Trains To Brazil, instead.
I suspect that the DIY recording ethic is the only thing giving that particular song any character. I’m sure if it was recorded clean it would be instantly forgettable.
The second one, however, is far more promising. If the rest of the album is more like that I’d be happy to have to hit track skip for Lalita.
Yeah, the first track sounds like they thought they needed a single. The second is much more pleasant, and frankly interesting.
The first track is fucking brilliant.
Anyone who wants to abandon anything for the fucking Guillemots needs their head examined.
‘a very, very old school sunshine pop album which has been recorded through a blanket of fuzz’
that’s me sold.
Damn I need italic lessons.
[i]text for italics[/i] except with pointy brackets like these: >
Dear Love Language, if you’re reading this, pay no attention to the syphilitic ravings of that lunatic leek-chugger. Lalita is a superb tune.
The peculiar production does make me wonder, though, how the songs will translate live. Unless the singer wears a bucket over his head onstage I’d imagine it sounds quite different.
Yeah, Dylan does have a point in that I certainly am left wondering how much of the charm comes from the scruffy recording and how much from the songs. Still, I’m really enjoying the album so I’ll not worry about that for now I don’t think.
See? I’m always right.
One-post mentalism.
Whatever, minger.
let me assure that their live show meets any and all expectations you might have listening to the record, exceeding them in many areas. being a 7 piece band, they have a ridiculous amount of energy, even on the slower, more contemplative numbers. it doesn’t hurt either that they’re also quite a good looking band.
ps- as far as the “they needed a single” theory with ‘lalita,’ that was one of the first songs stu wrote when he conceived the love language, so it was hardly a floundering, last-minute album addition
Without meaning to be rude, what do all seven people do? The arrangements are not all that complex are they, as to require seven folk. Hmm, not sure when I’ll get the chance to see them – maybe August in Portland. That would be good.
Without meaning to be rude, what do all seven people do?
Brilliant, the only not rude bit about that was that you didn’t put the words ‘the fuck’ in the middle of the sentence.
oh yes go ‘italic’ me
thanks
It’s your standard four-piece guitar/vocal/bass/drums set-up, but with three people to fire hair-dryers straight into the microphones and put microwave ovens next to the PA stacks.
You can stop being a prick now, Dylan. I was genuinely asking a question, not trying to be a smart-arse.
I thought I was being quite funny!
I laughed
Their label chap is a good friend of mine, so I am being sensitive.
I do genuinely wonder what all seven do though – it’s not listed on their MySpace.
That’ll explain why I was so confused then.
there are two keyboard players, one of whom handles the frilly parts, another to keep a grounded pulse, a bass player, two guitar players and one drummer.
its really good, really tight….check em out. there’s youtube clips.
That all makes sense. Still, I’d almost expect a band that big to make a great big stadium rock sound. I’m glad they don’t, of course.