"adorn"'s main charm is its warm, woozy atmosphere and miguel's meandering falsetto; more than a song built almost entirely around hooks like "umbrella" i can understand how it'd be "forgettable" after a first listen, even if that's not necessarily a point against it
― recent thug (k3vin k.), Thursday, 29 March 2012 20:53 (twelve years ago) link
have described "adorn" to other people as "sexual healing pt. 2"
don't know how accurate that is but there's something in the ease of the delivery, in the airiness of the backing track
― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Thursday, 29 March 2012 21:05 (twelve years ago) link
― recent thug (k3vin k.), Thursday, 29 March 2012 21:53 (30 minutes ago) Bookmark
i think that's true of every ep song except 'adorn' - yeah it seems like it's got the rarefied atmosphere but that monster 808 bass over the shuffling vox sample drives that frailness on and on, the awesome pure monolith of choral harmony proves his devotion with complete certainty. and the absolute confidence in just the sheer brevity of it! very different to, very similar to, on a par with, and about as forgettable as 'promise' imho. the dude fucking nailed it
― r|t|c, Thursday, 29 March 2012 21:25 (twelve years ago) link
by which i mean not remotely forgettable obv
(seriously my ipod headphones were broken for like a week after it came out and i literally CRAVED to hear it all day til i got back home)
― r|t|c, Thursday, 29 March 2012 21:28 (twelve years ago) link
I listened to "Adorn" about 30 times in a row when it dropped and I never do that.
― if you feeling frogbs, leap (The Reverend), Thursday, 29 March 2012 21:53 (twelve years ago) link
I just listened to it like 5 right now
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 29 March 2012 21:54 (twelve years ago) link
http://vimeo.com/39375791
― if you feeling frogbs, leap (The Reverend), Thursday, 29 March 2012 22:29 (twelve years ago) link
'adorn' is full of hooks btw
― dayo, Friday, 30 March 2012 02:32 (twelve years ago) link
'gravity' is my least fav track I think. not a fan of 'dirty basslines' in general
― dayo, Friday, 30 March 2012 02:40 (twelve years ago) link
did not like 'all i want is you' that much either
also his new scruffy facial hair look is ... nagl
― dayo, Friday, 30 March 2012 02:41 (twelve years ago) link
nagl haaawt
― if you feeling frogbs, leap (The Reverend), Friday, 30 March 2012 02:44 (twelve years ago) link
ha I prefer futuristic space streamlined miguel
― dayo, Friday, 30 March 2012 02:45 (twelve years ago) link
― dayo, Thursday, March 29, 2012 10:32 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yeah sure but they're kind of purposefully obscured, that was my point
― recent thug (k3vin k.), Friday, 30 March 2012 02:47 (twelve years ago) link
great, revelatory rtc post as usual
― recent thug (k3vin k.), Friday, 30 March 2012 02:49 (twelve years ago) link
the sure thing look was v weird and not flattering imo
― if you feeling frogbs, leap (The Reverend), Friday, 30 March 2012 02:54 (twelve years ago) link
and hilarious
― some dude, Friday, 30 March 2012 02:56 (twelve years ago) link
true
― if you feeling frogbs, leap (The Reverend), Friday, 30 March 2012 03:01 (twelve years ago) link
he did look very smashable like this tho:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt3QLI3XYtk
― if you feeling frogbs, leap (The Reverend), Friday, 30 March 2012 03:08 (twelve years ago) link
dirty basslines are the best thing in music
"adorn" is one of those things you crave or you don't i guess, i've made myself listen to it a ton to try to get what you all hear it but i'm not feeling any craving :(
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 March 2012 08:25 (twelve years ago) link
one trusts u are not listening to it thru lappy speakers?
― r|t|c, Friday, 30 March 2012 10:32 (twelve years ago) link
total craving at this end.
― Tim F, Friday, 30 March 2012 10:47 (twelve years ago) link
nope normal speakers though it doesn't sound quite...mastered?
there's an aqueous synth throughout that i don't particularly like, it doesn't sound quite in tune
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 March 2012 10:50 (twelve years ago) link
just relistening again and omg "gravity" is SO MUCH BETTER i can't believe i'm the only one who thinks that. those backing vox>>>>>>
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 March 2012 10:52 (twelve years ago) link
i just finished listening to "adorn" again and i couldn't sing any of it if you asked.
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 March 2012 10:53 (twelve years ago) link
and that moment where he hits that note for one second and everything drops out and THEN he sings "i'm just a shooting star" <3
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 March 2012 10:54 (twelve years ago) link
THEEESE LIPS drrm drmm drmm drmm
― r|t|c, Friday, 30 March 2012 10:55 (twelve years ago) link
no doubt 'gravity' is really really good but it's also the most predictable by far of the ep songs and thus the least rewarding in comparison. harshly speaking it's kind of the general step-up from the first album you expected rather than the quantum leap you get with the rest
like i know this'll be just me but i'd even go so far as to say i'm more interested in listening to 'broads' again to gauge its wonky badness than i am 'gravity'
― r|t|c, Friday, 30 March 2012 11:05 (twelve years ago) link
do people like "That I Do"? Doesn't do much for me
― Number None, Friday, 30 March 2012 11:06 (twelve years ago) link
xp also i don't actually know what the plan is for these songs but i will be more favourable to 'gravity' should it to appear on an album as part of some flow rather than assessing it just on its jones
― r|t|c, Friday, 30 March 2012 11:08 (twelve years ago) link
'Gravity' totally reminds of Neptunes, especially in their more N.E.R.D. rock guise, the intro's real Pharrell-styles. I'm being too harsh to say it's a forgettable track, but it just leaves me a bit cold emotionally.
― MikoMcha, Friday, 30 March 2012 11:16 (twelve years ago) link
i guess i'm not actually that convinced by miguel when he's not being somewhat predictable and generic yet - i find the whole "art dealer chic" concept slightly try-hard, i still think the last album is just "sure thing" + varying degrees of okay-ness and i think of him as someone who can turn well-worn tricks into magic rather than blow my mind with new tricks
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 March 2012 11:19 (twelve years ago) link
"Quickie" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>. "Sure Thing"
― if you feeling frogbs, leap (The Reverend), Friday, 30 March 2012 11:37 (twelve years ago) link
(I make no friends)
― if you feeling frogbs, leap (The Reverend), Friday, 30 March 2012 11:39 (twelve years ago) link
"That I Do" seems like the least memorable of these songs. I am really taken with "Arch & Point" right now.
The tryhardness of the Art Dealer Chic concept really has no bearing on the quality of these songs whatsoever. Miguel has quite simply transcended his pretensions, whatever they may be.
― if you feeling frogbs, leap (The Reverend), Friday, 30 March 2012 11:41 (twelve years ago) link
"that i do" is really busy-sounding but it's totally great to listen to while you're like walking around somewhere
― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Friday, 30 March 2012 11:44 (twelve years ago) link
what does he even think is so chic about art dealers, idgi
― r|t|c, Friday, 30 March 2012 12:18 (twelve years ago) link
it's a signifier of new wealth innit
― dayo, Friday, 30 March 2012 12:20 (twelve years ago) link
i'm not even so sure he doesn't mean "art dealer chick" tbh
― some dude, Friday, 30 March 2012 14:25 (twelve years ago) link
art dealer sheik
― johnny crunch, Friday, 30 March 2012 14:28 (twelve years ago) link
i still think the last album is just "sure thing" + varying degrees of okay-ness and i think of him as someone who can turn well-worn tricks into magic rather than blow my mind with new tricks
I think the package itself is something new. What sets Miguel apart from every popular R&B singer is he attempts something new, different or just a little bizarre with literally every track. Most singers take some risks, of course, but for him they're the foundation of what he does. He's really defined by his restlessness.
― Evan R, Friday, 30 March 2012 15:00 (twelve years ago) link
what are these new, different and bizarre things? assuming you don't mean the art dealer shtick.
what i loved about "sure thing", and what i love about miguel when i do love him, is that he does songs that you can imagine anyone doing, but no one pulling off quite like him.
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 March 2012 15:15 (twelve years ago) link
Listening to "Adorn" and "Gravity" again just now and I realized my love for "Adorn" is greater because I prefer Marvin Gaye homage over Bilal homage.
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 30 March 2012 15:25 (twelve years ago) link
what i love about miguel when i do love him, is that he does songs that you can imagine anyone doing, but no one pulling off quite like him.
I really can't imagine a Trey Songz or a Chris Brown doing "Adorn" or "Arch N Point" or even "Gravity." Miguel owns his aesthetic in a way those singers don't.
― Evan R, Friday, 30 March 2012 15:30 (twelve years ago) link
yeah but what do you think his aesthetic is? specifically? i can certainly hear trey songz doing "arch & point". bobby valentino too. omarion's "forgot about love" was something i tended to file next to miguel too.
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 March 2012 15:38 (twelve years ago) link
In a word, "exotic," maybe. Synths that are a little more warped or muffled than you typically hear; tempos that are just a little bit off; song structures that are a little more tightly knotted than the norm (he packs five minutes worth of song into three); guitars and riffs that are strikingly loud. He's not re-writing the book every time, but he's always tweaking it.
― Evan R, Friday, 30 March 2012 15:50 (twelve years ago) link
And, come on, there's nothing in Bobby Valentino's catalog remotely like "Arch N Point." Just on blunt, first-impression sonics alone, you really can't hear the difference between Miguel and boilerplate Bobby?
― Evan R, Friday, 30 March 2012 15:53 (twelve years ago) link
dog what are you even
― Eisbaerg Slim (some dude), Friday, 30 March 2012 16:00 (twelve years ago) link
"rearview (ridin')"? that sounds more out-there than anything miguel's done. though all of the things you describe are actually the things i dislike about the art dealer songs and had previously attributed to bad mastering or whatever - the rhythms don't always fit the songs, some of the synths make me feel queasy and elements that are too loud just sound like ass.
― lex pretend, Friday, 30 March 2012 16:01 (twelve years ago) link