Album Club, October 2018: Stars of the Lid - 'And Their Refinement Of The Decline'

[Album Club]

The Album Club choice for October 2018 comes courtesy of Loz (Hackney RF) with Stars of the Lid - 'And Their Refinement of the Decline'. As always please listen to the album in its entirety before you comment and/or vote.


Stars of the Lid – ‘And Their Refinement Of The Decline’

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cb/StarsOfTheLidAndTheirRefinementOfTheDecline.jpg/220px-StarsOfTheLidAndTheirRefinementOfTheDecline.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_Their_Refinement_of_the_Decline

One from the heart for this month’s album club. I was tempted to select a crowd pleaser, something more accessible but I thought well this has been possibly my favourite record of the last 10 years so why not share it. Some of you just might like it too. I realise it might be a challenge being a double album and where things move at a glacial pace, but dim the lights, pour yourself a drink or two, hang on in there and let the music take you on a trip for a wee while.

The duo that are Stars of the Lid are Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie. Originally formed in Texas in 1993 they now live in Los Angeles and Brussels respectively. This was their last album released in 2007 (they tend to have long periods between albums) however they continue to play shows fairly regularly and although they are a bit of a cult band they can still manage to sell out The Barbican Hall when they come to town.

I think the stereotypical image of so-called ambient music is of it being unobtrusive and something that can be played whilst doing something else. That’s often not the case in my opinion but even more so with Stars of the Lid. It will probably not give immediate gratification so requires a little time and attention for its subtlety and the slow shifts to reveal themselves. I don’t believe it to be an ambient record solely either. Think Terry Riley meets Walter Carlos by way of Claude Debussy.

My favourites are ‘Don’t Bother Their Here’ which pinches the melody from ‘Send in the Clowns’, ‘Another Ballard For Heavy Lids’, the epic ‘The Daughters of Quiet Minds’ and ‘Tippy’s Demise. Anyway I hope you like it.
Last thing. Turn it up. It works best that way I believe and will probably sound incredible on the amazing systems you folks have.

https://open.spotify.com/album/6cHPEbPryLpH5VX5Eb1Vvo

[martian sunrise]

Sooooo long. Probably an hour and twenty minutes too long.

I enjoyed it though. More than I thought I would, I guess it is not that different from some of the doom/drone metal in terms of building mood. It got better as it went along. Too much one piano note every twenty seconds to begin with.

[martian sunrise]

I’m struggling to give it a mark. I’d give it a six if it were an lp.

[martian sunrise]

Oops - there’s another two songs! Christ

[HackneyRF]

:lol: ;) Can't say I didn't forewarn you Richie.

With hindsight maybe folks should try it in two sessions!

[Ian7633]

Loz, I've had a few sessions with this album now but I'm afraid I just can't get on with it. However what I do like is the quality of the compositions and that they stick with what they want to play and don't go down the " lets chuck in a couple of pop numbers to please the crowds " route. I'm going to have a listen to some more of their work as it is interesting. I've given it a 7 for the quality of musicianship.

[YNWaN]

I have quite a lot of music that is rather like this - but definately not actually this. I can’t help but feel that some judicious editing would have helped - although not starting every track with the same motif would also have been a good idea.

[struth]

I liked the first 2 tracks, and 4th was ok. after 4 it became a bit samey and her voice started to annoy me alas. good try tho, and not really my thing but could listen to track 1 and 2 any day...
6

[high.spirits]

I tries to listen but could not get through the whole album, so no score. Sorry not my thing.

[Tim]

I am listening to this now, but it's not really my thing at all - I keep wondering if it will ever get going but it's kind of all the same and gets a bit tedious to be honest. Maybe good for a Sci-Fi film soundtrack though?

If I finish it, I'll score it ;)

[YNWaN]

Oh god, I just flicked through this again, appallingly dull. Not a single track should have made it out of the editing suite. Artists like Brian Eno have already done this sort of music to death and so much better.

[HackneyRF]

Oh god, I just flicked through this again, appallingly dull. Not a single track should have made it out of the editing suite. Artists like Brian Eno have already done this sort of music to death and so much better.

I guess you don't like it then Mark! ;)

[Barry]

This is a difficult one for me. I do like ambient/mood music; something you can loose yourself in, but there is good and there is bad. The trouble is this is neither the one nor the other, it's pretty average, and because most of the tracks start in the same way, ultimately boring. I never got the impression that the album was developing in any way - you could go out, make a cup of tea, come back and you wouldn't have missed anything.

Two hours is far too long, and although as the Album Club asks listeners to hear the album in its entirety, I think for this one it has to be done in two sessions. After an hour and a half I had had enough.

I used to jokingly say that the best album to play if you wanted to get rid of guests who had outstayed their welcome would be Pheadra by Tangerine Dream. I think this one tops that!

Despite sounding negative, this is exactly the sort of thing I like to see being suggested in the Album Club: something a bit different, something a bit challenging. So in that respect I did appreciate the chance to hear it. Unfortunately, for me, it will not replace Tangerine Dream, or Terry Reily for the longer electronic soundscapes, or Brian Eno or Vangelis for the shorter ones.

Reluctantly, only a scoring of 5/10.

[high.spirits]

This is a difficult one for me. I do like ambient/mood music; something you can loose yourself in, but there is good and there is bad. The trouble is this is neither the one nor the other, it's pretty average, and because most of the tracks start in the same way, ultimately boring. I never got the impression that the album was developing in any way - you could go out, make a cup of tea, come back and you wouldn't have missed anything.

Two hours is far too long, and although as the Album Club asks listeners to hear the album in its entirety, I think for this one it has to be done in two sessions. After an hour and a half I had had enough.

I used to jokingly say that the best album to play if you wanted to get rid of guests who had outstayed their welcome would be Pheadra by Tangerine Dream. I think this one tops that!

Despite sounding negative, this is exactly the sort of thing I like to see being suggested in the Album Club: something a bit different, something a bit challenging. So in that respect I did appreciate the chance to hear it. Unfortunately, for me, it will not replace Tangerine Dream, or Terry Reily for the longer electronic soundscapes, or Brian Eno or Vangelis for the shorter ones.

Reluctantly, only a scoring of 5/10.


;0))