Coming to town soon. Am in 2 minds. The band line up sounds interesting and Ash Naylor should sparkle things up, But I found with Hypnogogue there was a lot going on for not much purpose.
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I’m glad you posted this Junes, even if I stand no chance of seeing them anytime soon as UK and European dates don’t seem to be happening. There was talk of another Church weekend in London in September but that seems to have gone by the wayside.
Tour reviews in the US and Oz seem to be universally excellent so if I were you I’d go! It’s obviously not the classic lineup but they seem to be playing stuff from throughout their career.
The new album? I like it but I don’t love it. Probably one of their better late period releases. No one on this here site has mentioned it…
Listening to it now. Will probably benefit from a big venue, stage and lights , which is where he is playing in Melb. On record there is always a lack of clarity in his voice. I know he has a mellow voice but even with my new hearing aids it is all a bit blurred.
Yep, know what you mean about his voice. I actually think he’s singing a bit differently on the new album and maybe that’s why I don’t think it’ll be a classic like some of the others. Definitely has a Prog vibe at times but like you say, perhaps it translates well to a live environment.
Celeb Whore Brag Alert!
I’ve had the album for a long time, many months before its release. Steve sent it to me in the early stages, but it’s not much different to the final release. I have no idea why it was delayed so long. He told me it was his “masterpiece”. I was, and continue to be, disappoint. God knows I tried – that’s brand loyalty for you – but at some point I let myself off the hook. I don’t like it. I didn’t like the previous one, either. I still love and play the early albums, up to Starfish (my least favourite), but after that it’s a blur of diminishing returns.
Those early albums had a special sound, and a certain magic to them. And their best songs. But it’s all a long, long, time ago. They still deliver live, but I’m pretty certain this will be their last studio album – Steve said so. He could always change his mind.
I dont like it. Given it a half Tigger: 3 spins. Just goes on and on lacking any catchiness and a bit muddy esp vocals as discussed.
Very busy , lot of playing , lot of good playing but a bit boring. So I guess it is a prog album.
Give it another couple of goes! There are hooks there but it’s certainly not classic Church to these ears.
So not his masterpiece then.
Nope, I wouldn’t say so.
There is some good guitar work on the album but I think in the past a lot of the magic came from Koppes and MWP plus Kilbey’s stream of consciousness lyrics. This album is a bit more straight forward than that.
I’ll still definitely go and see them if they get anywhere close to where I live.
The Church is a rare reversal on you guys. You have the hundreds of top acts like a passing parade year on year. I know Steve will be back in one form or another in a few months.
He’s certainly prolific.
Do you not sleep Junes?
At the moment no. Been sick Fred. Don’t get much sleep due to the coughing.
Sorry to hear that. You need to get better for the Ashes…
I picked up a ticket to see them at The Enmore in Sydney, in a bizarre mother’s day 20% off special.
Given the album a couple of spins, it’s no Priest=Aura, but there’s some good stuff in there.
That IS bizarre! A bit Spinal Tap Puppet Show.
And probably illegal if he’s not actually a mother.
I’m afraid I’m out. I really love (and re-re-played) many of what might be called the ‘post-peak’ albums: After Everything Now This was excellent, as was Uninvited Like the Clouds. Hologram of Baal is up there with Starfish and Priest=Aura in my book. Even a big big fan of Sometime Anywhere (BOTH discs!!) and Box of Birds. They just had ‘it’ for so long.
Probably around Untitled 23 was where I started being unsurprised and unengrossed. Tried hard with Further/Deeper but it was all a bit amorphous.
All of which to say, I’m no Church tourist. But MWP leaving was just too much I think. Yes, it’s SK’s vision and he has the right to do as he pleases, but some member’s absences (and I include PK) are just too great a weight to bear.
I won’t NOT listen to The Hypnagogue on principle, but I’m just not moved. Especially sad for a band with such power to transport and transcend.
That’s pretty much my experience, which covers almost the last 20 years! The new one reminds me of Further/Deeper: it just drifts along with little to grab me.
Slight disagreement from me inasmuch as F/D is their best out of the last 4 or so. Bit of a murky sound but a couple of classic Churchy ones on their…Delirious and Miami (one of their epic show closers now.)
@danp
Excellent post. Kinda nailed it I think.