^ Yes. I didn't like it the first time. I was happy when I learnt it'd have a string arrangement, but at first here it just felt weirdly done and unnecesary. The ones in WKAP were usually beautiful, quite classical but both dynamic and emotionally heavy—completely perfect for the songs. But here they feel... unnecesarily experimental.
Then I listened to it for a second time and stopped paying attention to the strings: the first time I listened, I mostly listened to the arrangement and that's what made me not like it; if you listen to the song as if it were a song, focusing mostly on AFP's voice, then the strings don't seem so odd—they actually fit in.
I think it could perhaps still be better with different striongs, or without them, and with a more heavy piano (in the shows it just sounds more dramatic, which I think fits better... here the piano doesn't carery as much weight as it should). There's also that weird ominous sound that you can only hear two or three times. I don't know what it is but I don't think it does anything.
Her production choices lately keep being... slightly uncomfortable for me. But only sometinmes. I don't know. This is very odd, I've completely loved (or, at least, really liked) every single track AFP has done since the beginning of time, in all her releases, but in this album... both DIWaR and THR just sound a bit weird to me. DIWaR because I just don't fucking like the structure and THR because the arrangement just feels weird. Mfh. Don't know.
I think what I just don't entirely like about this song is that the piano should be allowed more space... and that the usual loud-quiet dynamics that make Amanda's music so emotional aren't allowed here. It seems to be the case in all I've heard from this record... except in the Kickstarter vid bits... My opinion might change, of course. But... how odd.
Edit: as if this post wans't huge enough. Just relistened to THR, I now like the strings, it just took me a bit to get used to how emtion was being channeled. It's, well, different from how AFP usually does it.
I also magically liked DIWaR completely now, too. And I was worrying about Massachusetts Avenue and realized what I have to do is just not expect a specific style.
tl;dr – I feel very happy about this record now.
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Topic: Amanda recording a new album! (Read 22273 times)