ECHOES by The Rapture

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I'd really decided that I hated the Rapture. There'd been the initial hype and all the comparisons to Gang of Four and the Pop Group and all these other bands I quite dig. Then, I picked up Out of the Races & Onto the Tracks and after a few spins, decided I was underwhelmed, and put off by Luke Jenner's somewhat cloying vocals. That's it, I thought, it's decided. I don't like the Rapture. Cross them off the list.

So, I'm scouring Manhattan earlier in the week, searching for an old Foetus compilation from about `89 that I had on vinyl, but never had picked up on disc (I no longer have a turntable, nor a plan of getting one anytime soon, so I effectively cannot play any of my vinyl). In any event, I'd been feeling a serious need to hear "Bedrock" by Foetus, so figured I'd go pick it up in any number of likely shops (to no avail,..I've since had to order it online, which is such less fun!) ANYWAY, while in fuckin' the Virgin Megastore in Times Square (of all places), I'm perusing through the import bins, and I hear this really captivating racket eminating from the 'electronica' section (and it's music that doesn't sound electronic in the slightest). After a couple of tracks, I ask the gent behind the counter who it was. "The new Rapture disc," he says. DAMMIT! I hate it when that happens.

In any event, while I'm still kinda cool on Jenner's screechy warble, this is a really charged sounding record. He's really pushing for Lydon/PiL on the title track. Favorite bit by far is the bass-amp overload segueway between "The Coming of Spring" and "House of Jealous Lovers." Yes, it's all very backwards-looking in a neo-post-punk sorta way, but I think it sounds pretty fresh (and I don't mean that in a dated hip hop slang sorta way).

What do you swingin' hepcats think?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 28 September 2003 01:24 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah I thought they were full of shit before HOJL. Echoes is a really great album, not just in a "they're doing interesting stuff here" kind of way but in a "every track is great; i can listen to this for a long time" kind of way. It is backwards looking, but it looks back to a time when bands were trying to push things forward so it ends up being this weird great paradox.
And it took me awhile, but I finally warmed up to the vocals.

― justin, Sunday, 28 September 2003 01:31 (twenty years ago) link

I do love how they sound so frantic, as if they're about to spiral off course at any moment, especially during the outro of "Heaven." I imagine their live shows are some sweaty affairs.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 28 September 2003 01:44 (twenty years ago) link

They're pretty spiff, Alex -- you might be put off by the crowd (or not, how do you feel about a bunch of emo/goth/punk types that all seem to be 15 and that might not know about Killing Joke but definitely know about early Adam and the Ants?) but they throw themselves into the show pretty well. The two fellers who do most of the singing just tend to stand, play and sing but the band as a whole have the knack of getting everyone moving.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 28 September 2003 01:56 (twenty years ago) link

I'd call Echoes a flawless album, except I can't get past the unnecessary "house"-ness of "I Need Your Love." If I could figure out a way to mix the dominant keyboard loop out of that track, I'd call it one of the finest albums of the year.

― Andrew Frye (paul cox), Sunday, 28 September 2003 01:59 (twenty years ago) link

I like it! The lp cover is black and white, btw.

― Sean (Sean), Sunday, 28 September 2003 02:05 (twenty years ago) link

I don't mind that (the unecessary "house"-ness of "I Need Your Love"). if anything, I think "Olio" suffers more from that syndrome. They could've easily jettisoned "Open up Your Heart" from the album as far as I'm concerned. It really unplugs the momentum, if you ask me.

I love that great CLANGY sound of the guitars.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 28 September 2003 02:07 (twenty years ago) link

how do you feel about a bunch of emo/goth/punk types that all seem to be 15 and that might not know about Killing Joke but definitely know about early Adam and the Ants?

Spare the rod and beat the child.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 28 September 2003 02:09 (twenty years ago) link

"Open up your heart" is great, "I need Your Love" is great, re-recorded Olio is not, but the album gets two thumbs up

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Sunday, 28 September 2003 06:20 (twenty years ago) link

you mean there isnt any more unnecessary houseness? :(

― minna (minna), Sunday, 28 September 2003 06:24 (twenty years ago) link

the record's the fucking bomb minna (the. fucking. bomb.)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 28 September 2003 06:28 (twenty years ago) link

(that's a good thing)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 28 September 2003 06:29 (twenty years ago) link

okay I'm listening to "Olio" right now and it sounds great but it might not tomorrow I might get back to you on this!!

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Sunday, 28 September 2003 07:00 (twenty years ago) link

i ordered it but i keep forgetting to pay... i guess i will pay now.

― minna (minna), Sunday, 28 September 2003 07:02 (twenty years ago) link

At first I had a problem with the electronic tracks vs. the jagged-screech tracks; liked the former (particularly "Olio," which is my favorite cut on the record - it's what I always wanted the Cure to sound like), didn't like the latter as much. After all the hype around "House Of Jealous Lovers" (I, too, am turntable-free, so I never heard it until now) I was kinda disappointed by that, too - the guitar wrecks it. It should have been more disco. But anyway, after two or three listens the thing really synthesized itself into a totally captivating whole. I can't say I'll be playing it this time next year (don't even know if it'll make my Top Ten), but for the next few months this album will be making me happy on a pretty regular basis.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Sunday, 28 September 2003 11:29 (twenty years ago) link

Saw them again last night. Awesome again, though perhaps inevitably not as exciting as my first time. Made me think, why the fuck do people bother going to the kind of gigs where you just stand there and peer at the stage and maybe shuffle a bit and nod your head and clap every so often? Either move the audience to tears or make them dance like crazy fools. I don't see the point of anything else. Rock gigs are a fucked up phemomenon.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 28 September 2003 13:07 (twenty years ago) link

They're good for picking people up at

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 28 September 2003 13:10 (twenty years ago) link

I have never noticed that.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 28 September 2003 13:13 (twenty years ago) link

nope.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 28 September 2003 13:15 (twenty years ago) link

Word

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 28 September 2003 13:18 (twenty years ago) link

Actually, there were five very cute girls at the Rapture last night, but I was too emotionally disturbed to pick them up.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 28 September 2003 13:25 (twenty years ago) link

five? there were more than that! still, i was surprised how male dominated the audience were. i always think of the rapture as being something of a girly group.

― stirmonster, Sunday, 28 September 2003 13:37 (twenty years ago) link

haha. N. is a bit girly.

yes, there were lots of ~~ugly boys~~ pretty girls there.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 28 September 2003 13:49 (twenty years ago) link

I am very choosy. Five is very high for one evening. I agree that there were a surprising number of men there and only a few of them were girly. Non girly men kept touching RJG's hair, which was a bit surprising.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 28 September 2003 13:57 (twenty years ago) link

between the hair-touchers and the brie and red onion toasted sandwiches I am surprised I enjoyed myself as much as I did.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 28 September 2003 14:10 (twenty years ago) link

That's the magic of the Rapture.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 28 September 2003 14:14 (twenty years ago) link

brie and red onion toasted sandwiches

how did i miss them? a girly toastie would have rounded the night off perfectly.

― stirmonster, Sunday, 28 September 2003 15:34 (twenty years ago) link

I'd call Echoes a flawless album, except I can't get past the unnecessary "house"-ness of "I Need Your Love." If I could figure out a way to mix the dominant keyboard loop out of that track, I'd call it one of the finest albums of the year.

Mentalist.

Incidentally, Open Up Your Heart is fantastic - the best thing about it is the way it appears so early in the album and totally bucks the listener's received ideas about what The Rapture are (or should be) about.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 28 September 2003 21:01 (twenty years ago) link

Alex their live shows are indeed sweaty affairs, good call. I saw them at a big rave of all places, in a warehouse in Manchester, it was fucking evil, I have never been so impressed by a band. The energy was pouring from the roof along with several buckets of sweat, totally inspiring and manic and loved up in places, totally dedicated hardcore committed and still goofy.

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 28 September 2003 21:52 (twenty years ago) link

(I no longer have a turntable, nor a plan of getting one anytime soon, so I effectively cannot play any of my vinyl).

Why not?

― Ben Dot, Sunday, 28 September 2003 22:23 (twenty years ago) link

I like Alex's threads where he always says that he was turned on to an overexposed band whom he had previously made up his mind not to like when hearing them over the PA at a record store. The Cornelius one was the best.

― adaml (adaml), Sunday, 28 September 2003 22:26 (twenty years ago) link

N you know I've been saying that rock gig thing forever.

― Ronan (Ronan), Sunday, 28 September 2003 22:36 (twenty years ago) link

otm!

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 28 September 2003 23:18 (twenty years ago) link

Okay, "Olio" has officially clicked with me. I think I probably would've liked it from the start if I'd never heard the original version

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Monday, 29 September 2003 00:39 (twenty years ago) link

Ronan, I'm still learning from you.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 29 September 2003 00:40 (twenty years ago) link

That one piano note hurts my head on headphones

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Monday, 29 September 2003 00:41 (twenty years ago) link

ALRIGHT! I'm buying this thing as soon as I see a copy that's ten bucks or less. I've only heard that track on Yes New York, which was interesting though the vocals annoyed me. Once again, the hype wins!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 29 September 2003 00:46 (twenty years ago) link

Both version of "Olio" are extreme class. The Rapture is extreme class.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 29 September 2003 01:41 (twenty years ago) link

I like the houseyness of I Need Your Love.

― Savin All My Love 4 u (Savin 4ll my (heart) 4u), Monday, 29 September 2003 04:20 (twenty years ago) link

Atre all the people in this band really goodlooking? But why don't they comb their hair, jeeepers!

AMG gave this 3 stars and no review

― Vic (Vic), Monday, 29 September 2003 04:43 (twenty years ago) link

Surprisingly good stuff indeed. I'm really inpressed by how consistent the whole thing is. First album in ages I've playing on constant repeat.
I Need Your Love was my way into it. I love how the housey atmosphere melts with the lost wailing vocals. Invokes images of being desperately frantic in the heart of the city at night. Cool.

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Monday, 29 September 2003 07:09 (twenty years ago) link

Check out the flyer-inspired video for "House of Jealous Lovers" -
http://us.therapturemusic.com/

As far as not seeking out a turntable, it's just not in the cards at the moment. My wife and I live in a small two bedroom apartment in Manhattan and are expecting (due in April). We just don't have the space at present. Someday, maybe. I cannot wait to one day re-discover my record collection, but that'll have to wait. Until such time, my records are split between a storage space on Varrick street and my Mom's basement.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 29 September 2003 12:00 (twenty years ago) link

Oh I didn't mean it like that N, truly it's the other way around.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 29 September 2003 13:07 (twenty years ago) link

Rubbish. I wasn't being sarcastic.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 29 September 2003 13:49 (twenty years ago) link

So is there anything to be said for a disaffected rock gig where one can socialise? Probably not. There's always afterwards, Andrew! Actually there's a band down here who are SUPER involving etc and I want to see them again, and yeah my attitude to gigs is prob built off constant disappointment

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Monday, 29 September 2003 13:57 (twenty years ago) link

I always just found gigs kind of lonely.

N don't make my head any bigger!

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 29 September 2003 14:03 (twenty years ago) link

You socialise out the back, and by no means do you arrive ALONE

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Monday, 29 September 2003 14:09 (twenty years ago) link

I assume you people are discussing The Ratpure. Anyways, the B-Side from the HOJL single, "Alabama Sunshine," is excellent and worth hunting down -- I like it better than most of the album tracks.

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Monday, 29 September 2003 15:37 (twenty years ago) link

adaml otm and all pro-Rapture opinions otm.

stevem, I failed to get my ticket for tomorrow night. I mention this cause I was hoping to catch up with you again, plus my Australian friend just sent me a smug e-mail over my lack of sortedness and now I'm annoyed.

― Barima (Barima), Monday, 29 September 2003 17:45 (twenty years ago) link

too bad man, see you at the next club fweaky i hope

meanwhile, i keep getting this absurd urge to mix 'sisters saviour' into rod stewart's 'do ya think i'm sexy'

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 29 September 2003 20:15 (twenty years ago) link

Good god man... RESIST THE URGE!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 29 September 2003 20:38 (twenty years ago) link

NA NA NA NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA NA

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:21 (twenty years ago) link

two years pass...

two years later, and im pleased how well i still like this album.

― petesmith (plsmith), Friday, 7 October 2005 17:51 (eighteen years ago) link

OTM. bizarrely.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 7 October 2005 18:08 (eighteen years ago) link

haha

― petesmith (plsmith), Friday, 7 October 2005 18:12 (eighteen years ago) link

actually i don't find it bizarre at all that this album is still engaging. god, it's good. i listen to "Open up your heart" and "I need your love" most often on itunes but still dig the album out for a full hearing every few weeks. the only track i don't like (and never really did) is "Sister Saviour". I can't understand why that track is so popular amongst fans.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 7 October 2005 18:16 (eighteen years ago) link

yeah, it's very good

xp because it is great! I like the remixes too!

― 400% Nice (nordicskilla), Friday, 7 October 2005 18:17 (eighteen years ago) link

a lot of people really hate "open up your heart." i never understood that. i think its sorta legitimately moving.

― petesmith (plsmith), Friday, 7 October 2005 18:18 (eighteen years ago) link

the "sister saviour" remixes were better than the album track.

the ballad at the end always feels a bit tacked-on to me, it's such a comedown. cheer up, duders!

― haitch (haitch), Saturday, 8 October 2005 07:07 (eighteen years ago) link

I like it still, but it's time for the next album, guys.

― zeus (zeus), Saturday, 8 October 2005 07:14 (eighteen years ago) link

I saw them live last night, premiering several of the new songs. A mixed bag but mostly enjoyable. They opened with a song that had a strong DC influence...sung by Mattie and with Gabe on percussion, and a straight up Go Go rhythm.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Saturday, 8 October 2005 07:22 (eighteen years ago) link

and the other new songs were fresh as well, more of a, i dunno. classic rock influence, I feel like they're getting better at digesting those influences coming up with songs that don't scream "this band" or "that band". And yes, they're still a great live band.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Saturday, 8 October 2005 07:23 (eighteen years ago) link

thought most of the new material at that crash mansion show was excellent on first listen too. liking pretty much every version of "sister saviour" i've heard in the past.

― johnny and luther (johnny and luther), Saturday, 8 October 2005 13:31 (eighteen years ago) link

it also reminded me of something. When they first wrote killing I saw them perform it at like 90% of their gigs before the records came out and it totally destroyed me. When the official release came out, with it's jeep drum machine beat, I kept waiting for Vito's drum to kick in, I was like "that was the best part!" So as much as I enjoy the official DFA produced and released tracks w/ electronics like Killing and Sister Savior, when you see them play these tracks live they're just that much better.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Saturday, 8 October 2005 17:42 (eighteen years ago) link

four years pass...

I haven't listened to this in probably three years, but man it holds up a lot better than I thought it would. "Heaven" is fucking fantastic.

― he's always been a bit of an anti-climb Max (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 11 May 2010 00:36 (thirteen years ago) link

"house of jealous lovers" definitely still bangs

― hobbes, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 00:53 (thirteen years ago) link

recently been wondering where the fuck these dudes are at?

― jagger edge (The Reverend), Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:05 (thirteen years ago) link

Hell, I'm a fan of the second album.

― cool and remote like dancing girls (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:06 (thirteen years ago) link

yeah the second album is awesome

they're working on a third album but mattie safer quit the band

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:09 (thirteen years ago) link

Pieces of the People We Love was INSANELY underrated. Did they do anything after that?

― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:10 (thirteen years ago) link

Wait, Echoes wasn't their debut, right? Didn't they do a couple indie records before that?

― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:10 (thirteen years ago) link

sorry -- I meant the THIRD album.

― cool and remote like dancing girls (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:16 (thirteen years ago) link

wigglypedia's rapture discography

Surprised to see that, even though Echoes was hyped like crazy, they've never once made the singles charts here in the U.S., not even "House of Jealous Lovers."

― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:23 (thirteen years ago) link

you're surprised? really?

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:23 (thirteen years ago) link

mattie safer quit the band

― J0rdan S., Monday, May 10, 2010 6:09 PM Bookmark

― jagger edge (The Reverend), Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:26 (thirteen years ago) link

Pieces of the People We Love was INSANELY underrated. Did they do anything after that?

they did a one-off track with timbaland called "no sex for ben"

new album was recorded with philippe zdar, just doesn't have a home yet

― cutty, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:27 (thirteen years ago) link

mattie's cartoon "mattie" grill in the WAYUH video = k-classic

― jagger edge (The Reverend), Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:27 (thirteen years ago) link

they've never once made the singles charts here in the U.S.

"WAYUH (people don't dance no more)" should have hit #1 :(

― cutty, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:28 (thirteen years ago) link

i'm in that video... somewhere

― cutty, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:29 (thirteen years ago) link

WAYUH is so classic

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:29 (thirteen years ago) link

Well I'd think getting named album of the year by Pitchfork would've shifted some units.

But now I look at LCD Soundsystem's chart action, which looks pretty much exactly the same, so I guess Pitchfork-friendly indie rock is not ripe for underground hits.

― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:29 (thirteen years ago) link

arrgh!xxxx-post

― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:29 (thirteen years ago) link

snrub, what year do you live in?

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:30 (thirteen years ago) link

"that 2004 show"

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:31 (thirteen years ago) link

Well ever since the whole "indie's gone mainstream! The blogosphere is where it's at!" and "The shins will change your life!" kinda thing, I guess I always thought these bands were a little bit more popular than they really are.

― Mr. Snrub, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:35 (thirteen years ago) link

dude tv on the radio hardly makes any soundscan numbers

― cutty, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:36 (thirteen years ago) link

these bands make all their money on touring

― cutty, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:36 (thirteen years ago) link

the whole "indie's gone mainstream!" thing is happening more on the albums charts than the singles and more in the past few years than back when the Ratpure were putting out albums

― jagger edge (The Reverend), Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:53 (thirteen years ago) link

The blogosphere is where it's at!

Not sure this has been true in years.

― ksh, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:56 (thirteen years ago) link

If ever, really.

― ksh, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:56 (thirteen years ago) link

Either way, best of luck to Tapes 'n Tapes.

― ksh, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:56 (thirteen years ago) link

haha

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:58 (thirteen years ago) link

loooooool

― jagger edge (The Reverend), Tuesday, 11 May 2010 01:59 (thirteen years ago) link

Clap Your Hands Say I Like Tapes 'n' Tapes!!

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 11 May 2010 16:30 (thirteen years ago) link

Oh wait.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Tuesday, 11 May 2010 16:30 (thirteen years ago) link

AND WHEN YOU RUSH SOMETHING SOMETHING HARVARD SQUARE Y'ALL

― ksh, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 16:38 (thirteen years ago) link

Their song, "Whoo! Alright, Yeah…Uh Huh" is the official anthem for Red Bull New York of Major League Soccer.

― mizzell, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 16:48 (thirteen years ago) link

four years pass...

Still a great album.

― poxy fülvous (abanana), Sunday, 29 March 2015 04:59 (nine years ago) link

Yes.

― Mark G, Sunday, 29 March 2015 20:28 (nine years ago) link

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