Strawberry Hotel - Dirty reviews

[potatobroth]

really hurts me to ask this however...
I've noticed the trend to make a lot of off-key vocals choices. Think this has to do with their voices aging? or just an artistic choice? Its no surprise that I do give them more leeway because well, I love UW. But if King of Haarlem was by some other band I'd roast it even harder than I did knowing it was UW. And there are a few other tracks on here where the vocals sound off key.

[kensey]

After a lot of listens, for me there's about 3/4 of a great Underworld album here.

Black Poppies is lovely, as it always was. Techno Shinkansen has really grown on me as a 'classic Underworld' track. And the colour red makes more sense in its place on the album to me. I love Sweet Lands Experience - it really works for me.

Lewis in Pomona was the first slight wtf moment. It's grown on me, but I still don't really get it tbh.

Then we're onto HiloSky, which was great at the RAH gig, and is still fantastic here. Love it.
Burst of laughter is not my cup of tea at all, none of it really sits together for me.
King of Haarlem has grown on me a bit. It's got an interesting flow - Karl's vocal reminds me of the nursery rhyme style of STAR.

Then Ottavia. I've listened to it maybe 1 and a half times, and that's enough for me.

Gene Pool is a thing of beauty - it ebbs and flows nicely and the vocals work really well here I think.

Oh Thorn! is ok, just a bit of filler really with its King of Haarlem retread.

Iron Bones is the other track that doesn't work at all for me. I like the start but then it just disintegrates.

Then Stick Man Test's simple, attractive melodies round out the record nicely.

I think the fact there are so many strong tracks, and that the ones I don't like are so out there is indicative of a duo that still have their eyes on the future, which is fantastic. I'd rather have it this way than for them to just play it safe. You can't say that about this album for sure.

It's the best album overall for me since RiverRun, so I'm very happy to have so much great new music to listen to!