It seems like the consensus around here is split, around half of you seem to be in the camp that this album is amazing and the best thing he seems to have done since his return from the first no record label/deal, break. While the other half seem to think it is just o.k. but not that great and perhaps more of a grower of an album. I have theory on this and why some of us maybe feel a little let down.
It has to do with the four previously released singles. I think had we heard those four songs for the very first time along with the rest of the album, or had things been more traditional and we only heard the first single,the title track before all of the others; perhaps initial reactions to the album as a whole would be much,much more positive than they have been. Agree or disagree,(although most here seem to agree), the four songs chosen as singles are definitely among the strongest if not the very strongest tracks of the lot. So, having been able to soak those four songs in before being able to hear the entire album raises people's expectations. Never have we fans been able to hear the first four singles from an album back to back like that in Moz's entire career be it solo or with The Smiths. Imagine if a couple of weeks prior to the release of Vauxhall and I you were able to experience, Now my heart is full,Hold onto your friends,The more you ignore me,and Why don't you find out for yourself, before being able to listen to the entire album? Your reaction to that album would probably have been much more different?? I think that has been the case with this album. Combine that with an album that is treading some different or new waters (compared to the last few albums), as far as overall musical landscapes and textures go and it almost makes sense that some are having lackluster responses to the album.
The good news as far as overall success of the album goes, I think the average casual fan,along with most of the media will get the chance to listen to everything (four singles included), as a whole. Something tells me the casual average fan has not been combing youtube over the last few weeks in order to listen to any of the new material be it the early live versions that leaked or the studio versions that soon followed. And, they certainly didn't pre-order the album so when they do hear the album for the first time the four singles most of us heard in advance will hit them along with the rest of the album all at once. Therefore, initial reactions of that first listen will have a much greater effect as far as a first impression of the album goes.
I myself had been leaning towards the "its good but not great", side,however as I listen more yes it is growing a bit more and I do find I am liking it slightly more with each listen. That's another thing as well. Just about everything solo or Smith's that has ever been released has been so strong it usually hits you right in the chest,straight away. The need for an album to, "grow", never really existed in the same sentence with Moz. I'm not sure why but to me (and this has nothing to do with the actual quality of songs), but the songs seem to come across as being less emotional on this album. Its hard to explain but I'll try my best. I'm not a U2 fan at all really but the vocal style of Bono and the way he sings his melodies have over the years been called emotional in demeanor as far as having strong powerful peaks of energy,(think how he pushes his coals out in the chorus of the U2 song Wild horses). Although different I think Moz has a similar emotional vibe to the energy of his vocal melody style as well when it comes to songs being very powerful emotionally. You can hear it in the Art hounds vocals a little; how he is just pushing his vocals with more intensity, like they are coming from deep within the bowels of his gut. It seems like a lot of the songs on the new album are being sung with more restraint. Not that by doing that lessens a song's quality, it just gives a song a different vibe and feel.
I would have swapped Scandinavia and Art hounds for two lesser tracks on the regular album.
What is also missing on this album is at least having that one super powerful almost make you well up ballad song. We sometimes will get a couple or at the very least one per album. There isn't any real emotional syrupy ballads like, Come back to camden or Dear God please help me type of ballads on this album. The closest I think might be I'm not a man? Maybe?
