okay i told myself i wouldn't do a track-by-track review but i've enjoyed everyone else's. my opinion has improved since my initial reaction several pages ago, although i still feel like it's a disjointed collection with the feeling of a collection of singles rather than an album experience. i'm currently ranking it below all of their other releases (excluding MK1 era), aside from ADHO, which still ranks as my least favorite release. individually i ranked a lot of the tracks high but as an overall analysis of the album as a cohesive release it ranks low.
the high points: bird 1, ALAF, scribble, between stars, diamond jigsaw
the middlin' points: hamburg hotel, grace, simple peal
the low points: moon in water, louisiana
bird 1 (10/10) - i formed an intense attachment to strumpet so i'm beyond thrilled that it's on the album. i was hoping i could ditch my compressed, roomy live tracks but unfortunately the album version is missing some of the details i love from the live jam. it's missing one harmony layer of the staccato rhythmic vocal sample that runs throughout, and that's a shame since it was one of my favorite details. it's also light on the low-end on a flattened EQ, and i find myself needing to crank the bass to get any satisfaction. still, i can't stop listening to it. i wish it were longer.
ALAF (8/10) - i want to hate it. i really do, because i love the previous versions. i mean, where the hell did these poppy lyrics come from? and is karl actually singing about love?? but as much as i want to dislike it, i can't. it was stuck in my head from the moment i woke up today and every time my mind drifts off i find myself humming the hook. have i mentioned i love downpipe? probably not a coincidence that i'm hooked on the ALAF album version now.
scribble (8/10) - if i'd never heard YDS i might have ranked this a 9/10 or 10/10. i dislike the break in the middle and i find the synth stabs weirdly out of place. that said, i love happy karl and his lyrics make me smile and i want to play this one loud on a bright sunny day.
Hamburg Hotel (7/10) - my brain keeps saying "hamburger helper." i love this track for its nod to mid-90s UW. i would rank it higher but, as others have noted, it never really achieves dénouement and instead just sort of peters out. it's more of a journey for the journey's sake. it tells no story. it's a lovely journey, but i expected a story.
grace (7/10) - depeche mode? it's like ultra, black celebration and some great reward had a 3-way and spat out this lovely hybrid. seriously, i've put way too much brain power into identifying exactly which DM albums lend themselves to this track. i like it, but as a reformed modie i was bound to like it. and that 7/10 might become an 8/10 or 9/10 after several more listens. i love their exploration of this sound. it's new for them and i feel like it's successful. the more i'm writing this review the more i want to say. that's a good sign, yes? it's a thinker of a track.
between stars (10/10) - one of only two tracks that improved through collaboration. i can't get enough of this thumper. but again, ramirez and knight have a way of getting under my skin. the pacing is excellent, the instrumentation and vocalizations are strong, and it's really appealing. i wish it were longer.
diamond jigsaw (7.5/10) - biggest surprise for me, because i hated the previous version (which i called a tribute to the pointer sisters' "jump for mylove."). it's still a little too reminiscent of MK1 for my taste but it's fun as hell. i would rank it as a 6/10 based on the "verse" sections but it's a solid 9/10 during the "chorus" sections. i can respect the song as a solid composition and i get why people would like it, it just isn't quite my aesthetic preference overall. note: my husband is not an UW fan, and when he first heard this track he looked at me and said, "are we in the neverending story?" so i guess there's something to that observation!
moon in water (4/10) - WTF? maybe i just need to listen to this one more. i'm not trying to be a dick about it but how are people rating this one as their favorite on the album? it's grating and pretentious and i really don't understand the admiration.
louisiana (0/10) - this one joins the "UW songs i hate" club. no biggie, almost every album has a song i hate, and this one is barking's contribution. it joins river of bass, something like a mama and the hump as one of my all time least favorite songs. it's treacly and vapid and frankly if that's what i want in a song i'll go listen to charlene's "i've never been to me" because at least there's some kitsch value there.
simple peal (3/10) - booooooooring. i love a good ambient journey but this one gives me nothing. maybe i'd appreciate it more on its own but after an entire album of hard banging singles my brain isn't in the mood for this drag. i want to like it, but i'm probably going to have to listen to it separately from this album in order to build any appreciation for it.
a note on collaborators - what's the deal with adding a repetition of 3 notes of a sawtooth wave synth patch? particularly bird 1 and scribble. do these guys receive the files and go, "well i have to contribute something melodic..." and then punch out 3 notes? it's out of place.