That’s gotta be before the Paste review. They gave her a 3.8. Critic was left anonymous to prevent any online hassle from her fans.
Her fanbase is childish. Not all of them, but a lot of them. I swear, it’s a twisted cult.
Is her fan base really any different than PJs? people on this forum aren’t practically a cult? People still think PJ is relevant while TS actually is. Been here since the start, 10 came out my sophomore year of college. Love the band. They haven’t been relevant in at least 10 years. My son is 23 and LOVES music, actually doesn’t mind PJ but he is like, year no they aren’t on anyone’s radar right now. Still love them though. Dark matter is there best album in at least 16 years. I have started listening to lots 0f other music in that time, artists that excite me more, different genres etc. I love TS. Yes I am a 52 yr old male, not remotely her target audience. But damn she can write songs. Her audience is much more diverse these days. I can finally admit I like her lol. If I look at my stats on Apple Music, PJ is barely in my top 10 the last few years. Zach Bryan has been #1 the last 2 years and Taylor #2. I feel there are a lot of people in this forum that are PJ or bust but there are a lot of other good musicians out there. Branch out folks, and don’t worry about what others think.
I wasn’t even talking about PJ’s fanbase, that’s a whole other discussion. Anyway, when a critic has to remain nameless when giving her latest album a low rated review bcuz of her triggered fanbase, it says a lot. A lot of them are nuts.
You say this like it's unique to Swift and uncommon with any large fanbase (especially in the Internet era).
So this is how far we’ve fallen as a society? That no one can be critical of Taylor Swift or any artist without being harassed or attacked. It’s pathetic.
I died. I died and you just stood there. I died and you watched. I died and you walked by and said no. I'm dead.
That’s gotta be before the Paste review. They gave her a 3.8. Critic was left anonymous to prevent any online hassle from her fans.
Her fanbase is childish. Not all of them, but a lot of them. I swear, it’s a twisted cult.
Is her fan base really any different than PJs? people on this forum aren’t practically a cult? People still think PJ is relevant while TS actually is. Been here since the start, 10 came out my sophomore year of college. Love the band. They haven’t been relevant in at least 10 years. My son is 23 and LOVES music, actually doesn’t mind PJ but he is like, year no they aren’t on anyone’s radar right now. Still love them though. Dark matter is there best album in at least 16 years. I have started listening to lots 0f other music in that time, artists that excite me more, different genres etc. I love TS. Yes I am a 52 yr old male, not remotely her target audience. But damn she can write songs. Her audience is much more diverse these days. I can finally admit I like her lol. If I look at my stats on Apple Music, PJ is barely in my top 10 the last few years. Zach Bryan has been #1 the last 2 years and Taylor #2. I feel there are a lot of people in this forum that are PJ or bust but there are a lot of other good musicians out there. Branch out folks, and don’t worry about what others think.
I wasn’t even talking about PJ’s fanbase, that’s a whole other discussion. Anyway, when a critic has to remain nameless when giving her latest album a low rated review bcuz of her triggered fanbase, it says a lot. A lot of them are nuts.
You say this like it's unique to Swift and uncommon with any large fanbase (especially in the Internet era).
So this is how far we’ve fallen as a society? That no one can be critical of Taylor Swift or any artist without being harassed or attacked. It’s pathetic.
We used to laugh we used to sing we used to drink we used to believe
I tried to listen to a few songs and they really all sounded very similar in style. Like sleepy teenage poems over some generic music. I couldn’t imagine listening to 31 of those. But hey that’s just my taste. It’s just not for me.
She's a 35-year-old woman. "Sleepy teenage poems," really? Unless she has suddenly regressed as a songwriter, I find it hard to believe this characterization could be accurate. It reminds me of when a music-snob friend described Eddie Vedder's lyrics as "greeting-card poetry."
I don’t know if it’s a regression but it is a little childish to be writing a Kim Kardashian diss track at 35 with lyrics that reference “…push me down the stairs at our school.” and “..my mother is a saintly woman but she used to say she wished you dead”
Counterpoint: The Kardashians are awful people and any shot at them is warranted.
Just back here to contradict my previous statement. Part 2 of TTPD is great. Aaron Dessner’s songs mostly sound like if Folklore and 1989 had a baby.
I wish you hadn't said this. As these are digital-only and I don't really have a convenient way to listen to them, I was going to hold off on engaging with them until the inevitable physical release, but your description is going to make it hard to wait for them.
NYT says don't waste your time with the "largely superfluous" Anthology tracks
more popular - taylor swift? better musically and lyrically? pearl jam
It's not even debatable. each member of pearl jam has more musical talent then taylor could ever hope to have. don't confuse popularity, appearance, and performer ability to be the same as musical talent.
You have a blind spot here if you can't see that Taylor Swift is an incredibly talented performer, musician and songwriter. Sometimes, things are really popular because they're really good. She may not be your speed, but suggesting that she is not talented is not really a credible or defensible take.
She is a very talented songwriter and performer. She just isn't on par with legendary musicians talent wise. Her popularity stems from easy to follow and relatable lyrics, a great singer, and performer. Not necessarily because of her guitar skills. Take everything she does and make it instrumental and it just isn't amazing musicianship.
I never said she has no talent but her music is very simple. She can be both incredibly talented and not an all time great musician. You can find numerous articles explaining her music is simple chords and progressions that are often very similar. she is unable to create different sounds. That doesn't mean she isn't talented....
more popular - taylor swift? better musically and lyrically? pearl jam
It's not even debatable. each member of pearl jam has more musical talent then taylor could ever hope to have. don't confuse popularity, appearance, and performer ability to be the same as musical talent.
You have a blind spot here if you can't see that Taylor Swift is an incredibly talented performer, musician and songwriter. Sometimes, things are really popular because they're really good. She may not be your speed, but suggesting that she is not talented is not really a credible or defensible take.
She is a very talented songwriter and performer. She just isn't on par with legendary musicians talent wise. Her popularity stems from easy to follow and relatable lyrics, a great singer, and performer. Not necessarily because of her guitar skills. Take everything she does and make it instrumental and it just isn't amazing musicianship.
I never said she has no talent but her music is very simple. She can be both incredibly talented and not an all time great musician. You can find numerous articles explaining her music is simple chords and progressions that are often very similar. she is unable to create different sounds. That doesn't mean she isn't talented....
Well put.
Also, her ideas and marketing are A1. Her merchandise is really good too. She’s doing a lot right.
Post edited by PJammin' on
I died. I died and you just stood there. I died and you watched. I died and you walked by and said no. I'm dead.
I'm not sure if anyone was claiming she was Steve Vai on the guitar. Simple and relatable don't disqualify you from being legendary. I mean, people think McCready is legendary. He's a shredder on the guitar. But he hasn't written that many songs that would qualify him as such (the few he has landed on PJ albums are awesome). So why can it go one way but not the other?
That’s gotta be before the Paste review. They gave her a 3.8. Critic was left anonymous to prevent any online hassle from her fans.
Her fanbase is childish. Not all of them, but a lot of them. I swear, it’s a twisted cult.
Is her fan base really any different than PJs? people on this forum aren’t practically a cult? People still think PJ is relevant while TS actually is. Been here since the start, 10 came out my sophomore year of college. Love the band. They haven’t been relevant in at least 10 years. My son is 23 and LOVES music, actually doesn’t mind PJ but he is like, year no they aren’t on anyone’s radar right now. Still love them though. Dark matter is there best album in at least 16 years. I have started listening to lots 0f other music in that time, artists that excite me more, different genres etc. I love TS. Yes I am a 52 yr old male, not remotely her target audience. But damn she can write songs. Her audience is much more diverse these days. I can finally admit I like her lol. If I look at my stats on Apple Music, PJ is barely in my top 10 the last few years. Zach Bryan has been #1 the last 2 years and Taylor #2. I feel there are a lot of people in this forum that are PJ or bust but there are a lot of other good musicians out there. Branch out folks, and don’t worry about what others think.
I wasn’t even talking about PJ’s fanbase, that’s a whole other discussion. Anyway, when a critic has to remain nameless when giving her latest album a low rated review bcuz of her triggered fanbase, it says a lot. A lot of them are nuts.
You say this like it's unique to Swift and uncommon with any large fanbase (especially in the Internet era).
So this is how far we’ve fallen as a society? That no one can be critical of Taylor Swift or any artist without being harassed or attacked. It’s pathetic.
Nope. This is where our society had been for decades, it's just easier than ever to make your voice heard.
"I'm a lucky man, to count on both hands the [shows I've done]. Some folks just have one, others they got none..."
Hartford 10.02.96 | Mansfield 2 09.16.98 | Mansfield 1 08.29.00 |
Mansfield 1 07.02.03 | Mansfield 3 07.11.03 | Boston 2 05.25.06 | Tampa 04.11.16 | Fenway 1 08.05.16 | Fenway 2 08.07.16 | Fenway 1 09.02.18 | Fenway 2 09.04.18 | Baltimore 03.28.20 | Hamilton 09.06.22 | Toronto 09.08.22 | Nashville 09.16.22 | St Louis 09.18.22
"He made the deal with the devil, we get to play with him. He goes to hell, of course. We're going to heaven."
Think I’ve heard most of the Swift album. I like a great if the songs. But a lot of is spiteful and immature lyrically. And the instrumentation is bland and repetitive. I was hoping for more at least from the Dessner songs. Still working on absorbing it. Hard to stop listening to Dark Matter!
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; WF Center 10/21/13; WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; SeaHearNow Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Think I’ve heard most of the Swift album. I like a great if the songs. But a lot of is spiteful and immature lyrically. And the instrumentation is bland and repetitive. I was hoping for more at least from the Dessner songs. Still working on absorbing it. Hard to stop listening to Dark Matter!
Spiteful and immature lyrically? Why am I not surprised. She’s been that way prior.
I died. I died and you just stood there. I died and you watched. I died and you walked by and said no. I'm dead.
I tried to listen to a few songs and they really all sounded very similar in style. Like sleepy teenage poems over some generic music. I couldn’t imagine listening to 31 of those. But hey that’s just my taste. It’s just not for me.
She's a 35-year-old woman. "Sleepy teenage poems," really? Unless she has suddenly regressed as a songwriter, I find it hard to believe this characterization could be accurate. It reminds me of when a music-snob friend described Eddie Vedder's lyrics as "greeting-card poetry."
I don’t know if it’s a regression but it is a little childish to be writing a Kim Kardashian diss track at 35 with lyrics that reference “…push me down the stairs at our school.” and “..my mother is a saintly woman but she used to say she wished you dead”
Then with song titles like But Daddy I love Him, and I Can Fix Him. And then there this gem…
Truth, dare, spin bottles You know how to ball, I know Aristotle Brand new, full throttle Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto It's true, swear, scouts honor You knew what you wanted, and, boy, you got her Brand new, full throttle You already know, babe
But besides some cringe lyrics I think over time even the most devoted Swifties will find this collection of songs sonically boring, and all a bit too similar in structure and style.
I have now listened to the album once. I'm not sure what the supposed Kim Kardashian diss track is. I don't remember hearing the lyrics you quote. I'm also aware that people often speculate that Taylor Swift songs are about certain people, but she literally never says who the songs are about, so short of this song mentioning Kim Kardashian, I'd take any claims with a grain of salt. Having said that, Kim Kardashian did Taylor Swift dirty, and I wouldn't blame her for holding a grudge.
Have you actually listened to the song "But Daddy I Love Him"? Because I thought it was an impressive bit of songwriting. I wouldn't judge it by its title any more than I'd judge "Papa Don't Preach" by its title-- or "Waiting for Stevie," for that matter. It seemed like another example of her special talent for conveying the specific little details that give the songs emotional weight (the famous example of the scarf in "All Too Well" comes to mind). As for "I Can Fix Him," I suspect that a lot of people, and especially women, can relate to the song, and I thought that it offered a pretty good twist at the end that demonstrates the narrator's savvy: nope, I can't actually fix him. In the case of both of these songs, at first listen, they are good reminders of something that people should also keep in mind when listening to Dark Matter, which is that not all songwriting is autobiographical. Taylor Swift and Eddie Vedder are both quite skilled at inventing characters and telling stories about those characters in songs. In his Broadway show, Bruce Springsteen talks about how he's a professional liar, a mouthpiece for the working man who's never had a "real job" in his life. So don't assume that Eddie's marriage is on the rocks, or that Taylor is settling scores.
With respect to the lyrics you excerpted above, again I seem to have missed these. Perhaps both this and the supposed Kim song are among the bonus tracks released at 2 a.m.? If so, I guess I wouldn't put a lot of stock in them as exemplars of her work any more than I would point to "Sweet Lew" as illustrative of Pearl Jam's music. These lyrics sound like an expression of the giddy feeling of new love, and certainly sound like they could be about the amiable dope she's currently dating. It may not be her best work, but it's also not a sleepy teenage poem. Having said that, the ideas expressed therein, if they are indeed referencing Mr. Kelce, are a pretty good summation of why that relationship is doomed to fail.
I agree with your "sonically boring" description as much as I can have an impression after one listen. It also seemed like the Dessner-produced tracks are more interesting musically than the Antonoff-produced tracks, but I should probably look at that more closely before making any definitive statement about it. I was interested to see that Wilco's Glenn Kotche plays on a few tracks.
In general, the album seems downbeat. I almost feel like it would have been a good candidate for a surprise drop with no fanfare.
The bonus tracks on her CD editions play a part in such huge sales numbers. PJ have 13 (?) different vinyl editions and two CD editions but same track list. Wonder how many copies would have been sold if there were no bonus tracks. Obviously way more than our boys but the hypothesised difference is enough to make me wonder if I would buy four different copies of Dark Matter had there been a similar setup with that and how many copies would have been sold worldwide to flip that scenario.
Stars are suns to other people.
Wellington 1998 London 2007 Brisbane 2009 Stockholm 2012
Amsterdam 1 & 2 2014 EV Dublin 2017 Milan 2018 Padova 2018 Boston 2 2018
The second half “2am” album is superior to the first half, hardly throwaway tracks, and contains the very obvious diss track that has KIM spelled out as the capital letters.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; WF Center 10/21/13; WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; SeaHearNow Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
I'm not a fan of Taylor Swift so I don't know her music enough to vote but I have to think someone in her camp had to tell her Pearl Jam's album was dropping the same day. What do you think? Did she know and say too bad, or was it just spur of the moment secret double album surprise?
I'm not a fan of Taylor Swift so I don't know her music enough to vote but I have to think someone in her camp had to tell her Pearl Jam's album was dropping the same day. What do you think? Did she know and say too bad, or was it just spur of the moment secret double album surprise?
She announced it on Feb 5 (At the Grammys)
Pearl Jam announced their release on Feb 12
"Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
I'm not a fan of Taylor Swift so I don't know her music enough to vote but I have to think someone in her camp had to tell her Pearl Jam's album was dropping the same day. What do you think? Did she know and say too bad, or was it just spur of the moment secret double album surprise?
She announced it on Feb 5 (At the Grammys)
Pearl Jam announced their release on Feb 12
This board knew the announcement date in Feb back in November (look at the 2024 tour rumor thread), hard to believe the band hasn’t known 4/19 was the date for longer than that. I can’t imagine TS’s people would have given a second’s thought to PJ, they certainly wouldn’t see the band as any kind of competition.
I didn’t think Taylor Swift owes Pearl Jam a call for a heads up. Now maybe she or her people talked to Beyoncé’ or her people.
Yeah, they're no Paul McCartney
Swift surprise-released Evermore, her second full-length album of 2020, last week, but this according to McCartney was planned as to “keep out of each other’s way,” as he told The Howard Stern Show.
“I did the Rolling Stone cover with Taylor Swift,” he explained “and she just emailed me recently, and she said, ‘I wasn’t telling anyone, but I’ve got another album. And she said, ‘So I was going to put it out on my birthday.’ … And then she said, ‘But I found out you were going to put [yours] out on the 10th. So I moved it to the 18th.’ And then she found out we were coming out on the 18th so she moved back to the 10th. So I mean, you know, people do keep out of each other’s way. It’s a nice thing to do.”
If Pearl Jam thought they would get Taylor Swift-esque spotlight on them on their release day they could have moved their release when they heard about her releasing on the 19th
"Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; WF Center 10/21/13; WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; SeaHearNow Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
I tried to listen to a few songs and they really all sounded very similar in style. Like sleepy teenage poems over some generic music. I couldn’t imagine listening to 31 of those. But hey that’s just my taste. It’s just not for me.
She's a 35-year-old woman. "Sleepy teenage poems," really? Unless she has suddenly regressed as a songwriter, I find it hard to believe this characterization could be accurate. It reminds me of when a music-snob friend described Eddie Vedder's lyrics as "greeting-card poetry."
I don’t know if it’s a regression but it is a little childish to be writing a Kim Kardashian diss track at 35 with lyrics that reference “…push me down the stairs at our school.” and “..my mother is a saintly woman but she used to say she wished you dead”
Then with song titles like But Daddy I love Him, and I Can Fix Him. And then there this gem…
Truth, dare, spin bottles You know how to ball, I know Aristotle Brand new, full throttle Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto It's true, swear, scouts honor You knew what you wanted, and, boy, you got her Brand new, full throttle You already know, babe
But besides some cringe lyrics I think over time even the most devoted Swifties will find this collection of songs sonically boring, and all a bit too similar in structure and style.
In the case of both of these songs, at first listen, they are good reminders of something that people should also keep in mind when listening to Dark Matter, which is that not all songwriting is autobiographical. Taylor Swift and Eddie Vedder are both quite skilled at inventing characters and telling stories about those characters in songs.
I dunno, pretty sure "No Body, No Crime" is autobiographical - a shocking confession that Taylor eats at Olive Garden, but that you'll never prove it because she hides her tracks so well. Oh, and something about avenging her best friend's murder.
"I'm a lucky man, to count on both hands the [shows I've done]. Some folks just have one, others they got none..."
Hartford 10.02.96 | Mansfield 2 09.16.98 | Mansfield 1 08.29.00 |
Mansfield 1 07.02.03 | Mansfield 3 07.11.03 | Boston 2 05.25.06 | Tampa 04.11.16 | Fenway 1 08.05.16 | Fenway 2 08.07.16 | Fenway 1 09.02.18 | Fenway 2 09.04.18 | Baltimore 03.28.20 | Hamilton 09.06.22 | Toronto 09.08.22 | Nashville 09.16.22 | St Louis 09.18.22
"He made the deal with the devil, we get to play with him. He goes to hell, of course. We're going to heaven."
more popular - taylor swift? better musically and lyrically? pearl jam
It's not even debatable. each member of pearl jam has more musical talent then taylor could ever hope to have. don't confuse popularity, appearance, and performer ability to be the same as musical talent.
You have a blind spot here if you can't see that Taylor Swift is an incredibly talented performer, musician and songwriter. Sometimes, things are really popular because they're really good. She may not be your speed, but suggesting that she is not talented is not really a credible or defensible take.
She is a very talented songwriter and performer. She just isn't on par with legendary musicians talent wise. Her popularity stems from easy to follow and relatable lyrics, a great singer, and performer. Not necessarily because of her guitar skills. Take everything she does and make it instrumental and it just isn't amazing musicianship.
I never said she has no talent but her music is very simple. She can be both incredibly talented and not an all time great musician. You can find numerous articles explaining her music is simple chords and progressions that are often very similar. she is unable to create different sounds. That doesn't mean she isn't talented....
Well put.
Also, her ideas and marketing are A1. Her merchandise is really good too. She’s doing a lot right.
I'd argue she's a better businesswoman than artist...and she's a great artist...
If you are a concert aficianado and have to be at all the legendary-type of concerts, you HAVE to go to one ERA's tour concert over this year. I've seen her 5 times, twice during the ERA's tour and it's one of the most fascinating concert experiences I have ever had. Even if you are just a casual TS fan. It's not a rock concert like PJ, but it's an experience that you will never forget for real. Truly unbelievable.
If you are a concert aficianado and have to be at all the legendary-type of concerts, you HAVE to go to one ERA's tour concert over this year. I've seen her 5 times, twice during the ERA's tour and it's one of the most fascinating concert experiences I have ever had. Even if you are just a casual TS fan. It's not a rock concert like PJ, but it's an experience that you will never forget for real. Truly unbelievable.
I wish I could afford it. Those tickets are so expensive, even with 3-night stands. I will look on the days of the shows to see if some cheap ones pop up, but I'm not holding my breath. TS concerts are a whole different beast compared to other shows, ticket-wise.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Comments
I never said she has no talent but her music is very simple. She can be both incredibly talented and not an all time great musician. You can find numerous articles explaining her music is simple chords and progressions that are often very similar. she is unable to create different sounds. That doesn't mean she isn't talented....
www.headstonesband.com
Hartford 10.02.96 | Mansfield 2 09.16.98 | Mansfield 1 08.29.00 | Mansfield 1 07.02.03 | Mansfield 3 07.11.03 | Boston 2 05.25.06 | Tampa 04.11.16 | Fenway 1 08.05.16 | Fenway 2 08.07.16 | Fenway 1 09.02.18 | Fenway 2 09.04.18 | Baltimore 03.28.20 | Hamilton 09.06.22 | Toronto 09.08.22 | Nashville 09.16.22 | St Louis 09.18.22
"He made the deal with the devil, we get to play with him.
He goes to hell, of course. We're going to heaven."
She doesn't play a lot of notes? Or she doesn't use polyrhythms? Like, what does this mean?
WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16;
Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; SeaHearNow Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Have you actually listened to the song "But Daddy I Love Him"? Because I thought it was an impressive bit of songwriting. I wouldn't judge it by its title any more than I'd judge "Papa Don't Preach" by its title-- or "Waiting for Stevie," for that matter. It seemed like another example of her special talent for conveying the specific little details that give the songs emotional weight (the famous example of the scarf in "All Too Well" comes to mind). As for "I Can Fix Him," I suspect that a lot of people, and especially women, can relate to the song, and I thought that it offered a pretty good twist at the end that demonstrates the narrator's savvy: nope, I can't actually fix him. In the case of both of these songs, at first listen, they are good reminders of something that people should also keep in mind when listening to Dark Matter, which is that not all songwriting is autobiographical. Taylor Swift and Eddie Vedder are both quite skilled at inventing characters and telling stories about those characters in songs. In his Broadway show, Bruce Springsteen talks about how he's a professional liar, a mouthpiece for the working man who's never had a "real job" in his life. So don't assume that Eddie's marriage is on the rocks, or that Taylor is settling scores.
With respect to the lyrics you excerpted above, again I seem to have missed these. Perhaps both this and the supposed Kim song are among the bonus tracks released at 2 a.m.? If so, I guess I wouldn't put a lot of stock in them as exemplars of her work any more than I would point to "Sweet Lew" as illustrative of Pearl Jam's music. These lyrics sound like an expression of the giddy feeling of new love, and certainly sound like they could be about the amiable dope she's currently dating. It may not be her best work, but it's also not a sleepy teenage poem. Having said that, the ideas expressed therein, if they are indeed referencing Mr. Kelce, are a pretty good summation of why that relationship is doomed to fail.
I agree with your "sonically boring" description as much as I can have an impression after one listen. It also seemed like the Dessner-produced tracks are more interesting musically than the Antonoff-produced tracks, but I should probably look at that more closely before making any definitive statement about it. I was interested to see that Wilco's Glenn Kotche plays on a few tracks.
In general, the album seems downbeat. I almost feel like it would have been a good candidate for a surprise drop with no fanfare.
Wellington 1998
London 2007
Brisbane 2009
Stockholm 2012
EV Dublin 2017
Milan 2018
Padova 2018
Boston 2 2018
WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16;
Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; SeaHearNow Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Pearl Jam announced their release on Feb 12
I can’t imagine TS’s people would have given a second’s thought to PJ, they certainly wouldn’t see the band as any kind of competition.
If Pearl Jam thought they would get Taylor Swift-esque spotlight on them on their release day they could have moved their release when they heard about her releasing on the 19th
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-the-tortured-poets-department-the-anthology/
WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 4/29/16;
Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; SeaHearNow Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Hartford 10.02.96 | Mansfield 2 09.16.98 | Mansfield 1 08.29.00 | Mansfield 1 07.02.03 | Mansfield 3 07.11.03 | Boston 2 05.25.06 | Tampa 04.11.16 | Fenway 1 08.05.16 | Fenway 2 08.07.16 | Fenway 1 09.02.18 | Fenway 2 09.04.18 | Baltimore 03.28.20 | Hamilton 09.06.22 | Toronto 09.08.22 | Nashville 09.16.22 | St Louis 09.18.22
"He made the deal with the devil, we get to play with him.
He goes to hell, of course. We're going to heaven."
I wish I could afford it. Those tickets are so expensive, even with 3-night stands. I will look on the days of the shows to see if some cheap ones pop up, but I'm not holding my breath. TS concerts are a whole different beast compared to other shows, ticket-wise.