John Slayne Posted May 22 Posted May 22 ok i only just discovered this now what are your thoughts on Take Me With You (16-minute version) (Tori's Version) (From The Vault) (Viktor&Rolf 2005)? it's really slaying me, she was instructed by god to do this
HonourableVomit Posted July 19 Posted July 19 I'm annoyed that popjustice membership has been closed for like 5 years cause their Tori thread gets regular activity and thoughtful posts and I'm stuck in brain rot atrl. Anyway I can't believe it's been almost 7 years since Native Invader but I've been listening to it a bit recently and it + Ocean to Ocean are really neck and neck quality for me. They both feel connected to the other and focused in a way that she hadn't been since Scarlet's Walk, although NI has a bit more bloat and OTO a much softer soundscape they share the same DNA and through-line story of aging, grief and the weight of responsibilities. I read Resistance last year and some of it was such an eye roll (song lyrics can fix Washington!) but I have to admire how consistent and intelligent her political takes have always been. Anyway, the albums are super effective at getting her cultural points across (Benjamin, Ocean To Ocean) in a non-cringe way and mama tends to make her best music when she's mad about something. I love how they balance her frustration with the culture against her frustration in her relationships and the protective instincts she has for her family, and how challenged she was by her mother's declining health and death shattering that safety bubble. I feel like that kind of woke her up after a solid decade of feeling like she could just **** around and do whatever. They just feel super warm, confident and human songs that are totally different to what other older alt ladies have been doing lately (ok maybe Beth Gibbons) when they decide to experiment more or get more abrasive (yes, you Bjork) as their fucks run out. I love Polly Jean but since Let England Shake you have to WORK to get the full story behind any given piece of music she's put out, whether it be journalism or poetry. Tori instead has reeled herself back in and found a comforting way to use her eccentricities to service the emotions of the music instead of unleashing them conceptually or obscuring herself like Doll Posse or Night of Hunters. Flashing back to pre-Geraldines, there was every chance that we could've been down in the deep end with gibberish metaphors and more super indulgent vanity projects, but that album seemed to remind her that she doesn't need to try filter her thought so much. I don't love UG but absolutely the two that came after it are proof of it unlocking whatever she had going on internally in the decade before it. It's already been 3 years since OTO, here's hoping she keeps the winning streak going and comes back next year with another banger. I'm not really expecting it though (not to speculate) since she exhumed so much on Native Invader and Ocean To Ocean that I have to wonder what's left for her to cover. 1
John Slayne Posted August 17 Posted August 17 On 7/19/2024 at 3:41 AM, HonourableVomit said: I'm annoyed that popjustice membership has been closed for like 5 years cause their Tori thread gets regular activity and thoughtful posts and I'm stuck in brain rot atrl. Anyway I can't believe it's been almost 7 years since Native Invader but I've been listening to it a bit recently and it + Ocean to Ocean are really neck and neck quality for me. They both feel connected to the other and focused in a way that she hadn't been since Scarlet's Walk, although NI has a bit more bloat and OTO a much softer soundscape they share the same DNA and through-line story of aging, grief and the weight of responsibilities. I read Resistance last year and some of it was such an eye roll (song lyrics can fix Washington!) but I have to admire how consistent and intelligent her political takes have always been. Anyway, the albums are super effective at getting her cultural points across (Benjamin, Ocean To Ocean) in a non-cringe way and mama tends to make her best music when she's mad about something. I love how they balance her frustration with the culture against her frustration in her relationships and the protective instincts she has for her family, and how challenged she was by her mother's declining health and death shattering that safety bubble. I feel like that kind of woke her up after a solid decade of feeling like she could just **** around and do whatever. They just feel super warm, confident and human songs that are totally different to what other older alt ladies have been doing lately (ok maybe Beth Gibbons) when they decide to experiment more or get more abrasive (yes, you Bjork) as their fucks run out. I love Polly Jean but since Let England Shake you have to WORK to get the full story behind any given piece of music she's put out, whether it be journalism or poetry. Tori instead has reeled herself back in and found a comforting way to use her eccentricities to service the emotions of the music instead of unleashing them conceptually or obscuring herself like Doll Posse or Night of Hunters. Flashing back to pre-Geraldines, there was every chance that we could've been down in the deep end with gibberish metaphors and more super indulgent vanity projects, but that album seemed to remind her that she doesn't need to try filter her thought so much. I don't love UG but absolutely the two that came after it are proof of it unlocking whatever she had going on internally in the decade before it. It's already been 3 years since OTO, here's hoping she keeps the winning streak going and comes back next year with another banger. I'm not really expecting it though (not to speculate) since she exhumed so much on Native Invader and Ocean To Ocean that I have to wonder what's left for her to cover. I agree with the general thesis that Grammy Invader and Acclaim To Acclaim are her return to form, but tbh I've always been an AATS apologist and recently I really got into ADP. Most songs on those two albums are actually excellent, it's more the album concepts that are lacking, but I suppose her last two album don't have this issue as they are more direct and coherent thematically. As much as I would like a new album I wouldn't mind if she just decided to tour again without any new material. I would love to see her again. I don't really get why she bothers with the UG anniversary edition, I'd rather have the Choi Girl remaster we have been asking for for years 1
STMG23 Posted August 18 Posted August 18 I used to be such a fan in the 00s but the last few albums I did not care about. But I guess I will revisit them soon when the mood is right.
John Slayne Posted October 22 Posted October 22 Starling is the best and most beautiful song of all time
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