I've been a fan since 2009 and just recently, I have started to warm up very nicely to their new fifth album "Folly". I think it's a solid effort and a very beautiful album for dreampop and alternative rock music lovers. I really love their older albums of course, especially Cowboys and aliens and Strange free world! I found out recently that their Cowboys and aliens album had a Japanese album release COCY-78239 I think is the catalog number. Does anyone know if the Japanese version of the album has any extra bonus tracks? I know that the Japanese version of Strange free world did not have any bonus tracks, so most likely Cowboys and aliens does not either. Anyway, wow, what an amazing band! Some people are put off by Patrick's voice but I always liked his voice in a odd way and found that it really added a lot to the bands music and the personality to their music. Julian S is of course absolutely amazing in his song writing and in the lush atmosphere that he creates with his guitar playing and the drummer Dan Goodwin is great as well. Also love Patrick's bass line and bass melodies, especially on songs like "Blue petal" and "Prize"!
I have an edited version of Strange free world that is louder and sounds a lot better. I'm soon to edit the other three older albums for quality listening.
I have held off buying the cds just in time for this: A limited edition 6 CD long book includes the first four studio albums (remastered), a collection of B sides (including Quick As Rainbows produced by Martin Hannett) and previously unreleased BBC sessions (John Peel, 1992 and Mark Radclie 1994). 36 page long book with essay, full discography, photos and memorabilia. Watch Our Planet Circle: Amazon.co.uk: Music
Probably The Death of Cool for me, but it's been quite a while since I've listened to the others. In actuality, my favorite KoD related album nowadays is the Oskar's Drum debut from just a few months ago, A Cathedral of Hands. It's a collaboration between Patrick Fitzgerald from Kitchens of Distinction and Yves Altana from Wonky Alice. If you like that early 90s British dream pop/indie rock sound, with maybe some Magazine and David Bowie in the mix, this may be just right for you too ... Best New Album of 2016 »
Death of Cool - great album, with Mad as Snow a personal favorite. Great news about the forthcoming box-set!
I haven't heard Folly yet, but I'd probably rank the original four as: Love is Hell > Strange Free World > Cowboys and Aliens > The Death of Cool I love the dubbyness of the debut; the basslines were never as noticeable after that, at least to my ears. Strange Free World is a great crankable record with texture galore. Its more of an experience than an album at times. I like the variety on Cowboys and Aliens. The opening cut ranks among my favorite tune of theirs. It has a few fallow moments, but it never leaves me cold. The Death of Cool, which seems to be a fan favorite, doesn't really click with me. It has a few high points, but I can't say I recall any. Odd, I know. Since we're on this rarely discussed group anyhow, has anyone heard Patrick Fitzgerald's current band, Oskar's Drum? It's got Mark Burgess's (ex-Chameleons) guitar pal, Yves Altana, on the six-string.
I think i got into these guys in around 2008/2009 after they were name dropped by the Twilight Sad. I have Strange Free World on vinyl, it's one of those great albums you can still get for fairly cheap. I have a couple of 12" singles and of course the latest album, Folly. Ended up getting a pre order version which is signed, contains a bound lyrics booklet, etc. To be honest i've not heard any of their other albums beyond those two. Really owe it to myself to pick up the other albums
I really enjoy reading about all that you guys have to say about this wonderful band! While doing a search recently for information on their forth album Cowboys and Aliens I came across this cool forum with a old post on this band.
I think I have all except the last, but I haven't listened to them for a while. I seem to recall sometimes liking them and sometimes not, possibly the same LP for both sometimes. On the whole I'm probably favourable ...
Folly was a huge disappointment, which is why the Oskar's Drum album was such a nice surprise. It's basically what I was expecting, but didn't get, from the KoD reunion.
Well i think Folly was an excellent addition to their discography. It was a shame Dan wasn't really involved in the recording (merely adding some percussion parts as overdubs) but there were some great songs there worthy of their name. Japan To Jupiter is particularly strong. It needs a good few listens to really take hold, but it is a fine record.
I agree, I think that Folly is a fine album! At first, I was kinda put off by it, but the more I listened to it, the more I realized what a wonderful album it really is. It's very consistent and it keeps the listener engaged throughout the entire album. Very similar to how Cowboys and Aliens does. The compositions lack a little of that "full band sound" that the previous albums had, but Folly still sounds like a solid band effort between Julian and Patrick. Patrick's vocals sound rich and vibrant, and Julians guitar playing and cool swirls of atmosphere and feedback effect sound vivid and alive. The melodies are pretty much all memberable and highly moving. Enjoyable and catchy as they ever were before. Overall though, I think my favorite album might be Cowboys and Aliens. I've been coming back to that one recently, and for the first time, I'm hearing it in better audio quality, edited to be 5 db increase on average through every track, and ripped in a higher bit rate than what I had before. It sounds great on my Ipod! If anybody wants my edited version of Cowboys and Aliens or Strange free world, I'd be happy to send you a copy. Of course I am very interested in the cool 6 disc boxset coming out next month, and I'll definitely be acquiring that, largely because the older four albums are going to be supposibly "remastered". It will be interesting to see how the albums sound remastered, compared to my edited louder versions of the originals. I hope they make the remastered versions of the albums louder, or otherwise, I'll have to give them a little push, yet again. Sometimes when they remaster old albums, they do very little if anything at all on the volume increasing to the original recordings.
Yikes, no wonder you like Folly so much, it already has that modern pumped up sound I like it too, but not nearly as much as some of those earlier KoD records, or Oskar's Drum (which isn't a great recording, but not bad, and pretty well mastered with good dynamics (DR9) for something modern). So you like the sound of the early 90s discs more with a lot of added compression? Hmm, not sure that will be a very popular view around here, I love those early 90s dynamic recordings, that was a great time in music and engineering and production. But that's part of being an audiophile, we like what we like when it comes to sound, no real right or wrong (though many of us have strong opinions on that )
Folly sounds good technically, yes. I'd prefer that the vocals were more "up front" and less drained in the background though. As well as hearing each instrument in more spaced out individually, if you will. Especially on the bass and drums or drum samples. Added compression isn't exactly good for the overall sound depth but I'll take what I can get, since no other differently mixed or mastered versions of the older albums exist (yet). I agree though, the 90's "was" a great time for audio production and mixing techniques. Some albums from the 90's sound better than others. Some are even surprisingly, quite loud and full of sound depth and dynamic range.
Anybody have the box set? Wouldn't mind grabbing it. Curious about the how the sound is, who it's mastered by, etc. I read that it left off "White Horses" which I love.
I love this band! Only have 2 Strange Free World and Love Is Hell. Is the box set brickwalled? My original CDs sound great. I would like to get the rest in one shot if it is worth it
I have the boxset on backorder through Import CD's right now. Great price for it if you guys are thinking about it!
Strange Free World, Love Is Hell and The Death Of Cool will be issued on vinyl on 1 December 2017 (via SDE) I just pre-ordered all 3 for £29.02 including shipping to Singapore!
The mastering on the box is too compressed and it's missing "White Horses" (although listed on the set) and, instead, has a demo for "Prize" on it. Would have been nice if they had wrangled the stray singles released before and after they were signed to One Indian. Nice packaging though.
Thanks for the heads-up on those; just got notice from Amazon UK that shipping is happening in November instead of December!
