10/31 - Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, NJ - Post Show Discussion and Review

[Caravan2001]

The Wingsuit songs are growing on me... I would have posted a much more cynical review a week or two ago, when I was still partly hung up on the "is it lame they did this on Halloween?" issue.

Wingsuit -- I like the dreamy, floaty, Floyd-like (as has been noted) sound of this early on. The lyrics are hit and miss (I don't like the golf metaphor; the "wingsuit" refrain itself sounds a bit too much like sappy "spread your wings and fly!" motivational BS to me), but I don't hate this song.

Fuego -- The music is fine; it has some cool segments. What I don't really get are the lyrics. The second verse would indicate this song is about being frustrated/fed up... later it feels more like an ode to the laid-back SoCal youth lifestyle, like some kind of proggy Low Rider. Just seems odd. I may like this song more if I can figure out what it's about.

The Line -- Big fan of this. Interesting choice of subject matter, and it translates to great lyrics. It's a poppy, inspirational-sounding tune but it fits with the words and works well.

Monica -- This sounds like something from Moesha-era Trey Band, or maybe the Traveling Wilburys. The lyrics are actually really clever, which has me liking the song more each time I hear it.

Waiting All Night -- A little too sappy and sentimental for my tastes, and so far it hasn't done much for me otherwise.

Wombat -- The lyrics seem too simple, too incomplete. (Until they get into the "herbivorous, crepuscular" bit, which I do like.) The music during the verses doesn't do much for me, and the "jam" just kind of sounds like recycled standard Tube funk, as has been observed. I'd rather they just play an extended Tube if that's what they're going for.

Snow -- Simple, pretty. Kind of like Josie Wales with lyrics.

Devotion to a Dream -- Others have compared the Wingsuit material to that on Trey's Shine. I don't really get that vibe much except in this tune. I'm also probably the only person who doesn't hate Shine. At first blush, the upbeat, peppy sound of DTAD would seem to belie the weightiness of the subject matter (ending a relationship). But then you realize the narrator is celebrating the impending breakup -- feeling relieved and even reinvigorated by finally making the decision to move on. It's pretty exultant, and the BOTT-meets-Possum outro jam reinforces this. Perhaps my favorite tune of the bunch.

555 -- This reminds me of funky Little Feat (think Mercenary Territory meets Spanish Moon). Trey's solo has a nice melty quality to it, even if the whammy pedal introduces some sour notes here and there. The dissolve into ambient territory with some gnarly Trey chording foreshadows this song's potential as a dark and menacing jam vehicle.

Winterqueen -- The music has an almost wistful or forlorn quality, and it's nice; but I don't care much for the lyrics. It's kind of trying to be Hunter-esque but ends up sounding more like children's music.

Amidst the Peals of Laughter -- First, this isn't even a complete song so there's probably no point in spending much time on it. But I will say, the lyrics about work don't work, and the Jack and Jill bit just doesn't fit at all. I like the idea of it, and can relate, but the execution leaves much to be desired.

You Never Know -- Another solid offering. I enjoy the lyrics and the music likewise. A cautionary tale for would-be shysters out there.

Really good review.  I agree with most of it, though Wingsuit and Fuego might currently be my two favorite tracks....

[Multibeast12]

After my friend bashed the shit out of Wingsuit I finally decided to listen to it. And I must say. I absolutely love it. And hope they get good rotation. Love Fuego and Monica. Also waiting all night is a sick laid back tune. I've been listening to it for 2 days straight now. I do not get the hate for this album.

[WhatstheUse?]

My relationship with these songs has been weird.

HATED almost all of them when I was at the Halloween set.

Grew to like about 75% of the songs upon listening back to the set...

... But then didn't really enjoy hearing them that much again at MSG

Monica and The Line were fine, just songs, didn't leave me with much thoughts, good or bad.

Waiting all Night and Devotion to a Dream were songs I had really grown to like... But then their placement at MSG was terrible.. Waiting all night was right after Silent in the AM deep second set and Devotion was second song second set. Both were buzzkills for me.

Then there was Fuego, which was okay. I was really hoping they made some new arrangements to this tune between Halloween and MSG but there wasn't really. It feels so incomplete to me, just random parts smashed together -it didn't help that the MSG version was terribly played. The half attempt to jam it at the end was pretty awkward.

Wombat was the only new tune I really left MSG feeling psyched about. Jam was cool, better than the debut and showed promise, IMO.

Still pretty interested to see how the album turns out.

[Gundo]

I'm gonna go on record and say that I think Devotion To A Dream kicks ass!

Mike and Fish's bass and drum lines are crazy in da fuego!

[runawayjimbo]

Took this Carini while I was in my Fall 2013 highlight tour last night too. I'm happy to report it's still really fucking good.

[Superfreakie]

Took this Carini while I was in my Fall 2013 highlight tour last night too. I'm happy to report it's still really fucking good.

Oh yeah, this Carini>Ghost and the next nights Twist>Jiboo I've revisited more time than I care to admit.

[birdman]

Took this Carini while I was in my Fall 2013 highlight tour last night too. I'm happy to report it's still really fucking good.

Oh yeah, this Carini>Ghost and the next nights Twist>Jiboo I've revisited more time than I care to admit.

Newb

[Superfreakie]

Took this Carini while I was in my Fall 2013 highlight tour last night too. I'm happy to report it's still really fucking good.

Oh yeah, this Carini>Ghost and the next nights Twist>Jiboo I've revisited more time than I care to admit.

Newb

The Carini>Ghost roasted the French kids. They went down for the count.

[birdman]

Took this Carini while I was in my Fall 2013 highlight tour last night too. I'm happy to report it's still really fucking good.

Oh yeah, this Carini>Ghost and the next nights Twist>Jiboo I've revisited more time than I care to admit.

Newb

The Carini>Ghost roasted the French kids. They went down for the count.

The actual newbs never stood a chance with you around. I remember you dragging them back to safety in the hotel room.

[Superfreakie]

Took this Carini while I was in my Fall 2013 highlight tour last night too. I'm happy to report it's still really fucking good.

Oh yeah, this Carini>Ghost and the next nights Twist>Jiboo I've revisited more time than I care to admit.

Newb

The Carini>Ghost roasted the French kids. They went down for the count.

The actual newbs never stood a chance with you around. I remember you dragging them back to safety in the hotel room.

:hereitisyousentimentalbastard  It's good though, you have to learn respect for the power, and the only way to do that is to go over the edge. Everything is cool once you know where the edge is, and that you can come back.   :hereitisyousentimentalbastard

[gainesvillegreen]

I don't always listen to Carini, but when I do, this version is quite good.

[JPhishman]

Took this Carini while I was in my Fall 2013 highlight tour last night too. I'm happy to report it's still really fucking good.

Oh yeah, this Carini>Ghost and the next nights Twist>Jiboo I've revisited more time than I care to admit.

Newb

The Carini>Ghost roasted the French kids. They went down for the count.

The actual newbs never stood a chance with you around. I remember you dragging them back to safety in the hotel room.

:hereitisyousentimentalbastard  It's good though, you have to learn respect for the power, and the only way to do that is to go over the edge. Everything is cool once you know where the edge is, and that you can come back.   :hereitisyousentimentalbastard

Sage words my friend.