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'Angel' - Lizzy McAlpine (Album Review) · The Replay Room

0:14
SPEAKER_01: Welcome into the replay room.
0:16
SPEAKER_01: I am Sean Boyle.
0:17
SPEAKER_01: I am joined by my right-hand man, Ryan Amade.
0:20
SPEAKER_01: Ryan, how are you today?
0:22
SPEAKER_00: Doing great.
0:22
SPEAKER_00: It's a lovely fall evening, which really sets the tone nicely for our album of the day.
0:27
SPEAKER_00: Looking forward to chatting about it with you.
0:29
SPEAKER_01: Yes, it is episode two here on the replay room.
0:33
SPEAKER_01: We are a podcast that's going to dive into all of the latest music, all the latest movies, TV, pop culture, you name it.
0:40
SPEAKER_01: We'll try our best to cover it.
0:41
SPEAKER_01: Our bread and butter, though, Ryan, is talking albums.
0:44
SPEAKER_01: That's where we thrive.
0:46
SPEAKER_01: Today we have in store a new release from Lizzie McAlpine called Angel.
0:52
SPEAKER_01: You guys know the drill.
0:52
SPEAKER_01: We're going to quickly go through the artist and album background.
0:55
SPEAKER_01: We'll go give a track-by-track breakdown.
0:57
SPEAKER_01: We will tier the songs in our four tiers.
1:00
SPEAKER_01: We'll get to that in a bit.
1:01
SPEAKER_01: And then we will give a score for the archive.
1:03
SPEAKER_01: So just some quick artist background on Lizzie.
1:06
SPEAKER_01: Ryan, we're dealing with a Philly girl.
1:08
SPEAKER_01: She went to Lower Marion High School, the same high school as Kobe Dean Bryant.
1:13
SPEAKER_01: Could not have told you that.
1:14
SPEAKER_00: That's very interesting.
1:16
SPEAKER_01: Really?
1:16
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
1:16
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
1:16
SPEAKER_01: She's a Philly girl at heart.
1:18
SPEAKER_01: We love to see it.
1:19
SPEAKER_01: She went to the Berkeley College of Music in Boston.
1:22
SPEAKER_01: Of course, like most successful musicians, she left school early.
1:26
SPEAKER_01: She did not.
1:27
SPEAKER_00: I was waiting for it.
1:28
SPEAKER_00: I was waiting for it.
1:30
SPEAKER_01: If I know anything about being successful in music, Ryan, it's to go to a really cool artsy college, make some really talented, unique friends, and then get out of there without a degree.
1:43
SPEAKER_01: Do not finish.
1:44
SPEAKER_01: Don't finish.
1:45
SPEAKER_01: That's Route One.
1:46
SPEAKER_01: That's the pass go in Monopoly.
1:47
SPEAKER_01: Every musician seems to have done that.
1:50
SPEAKER_01: So Lizzie is no different.
1:52
SPEAKER_01: What is your background with Lizzie McAlpine?
1:54
SPEAKER_01: Have you been a fan for a while?
1:55
SPEAKER_00: Are you familiar with her work?
1:57
SPEAKER_00: Super limited.
1:58
SPEAKER_00: Um, I would say more so like one-off songs than anything that I've like heard and I saw the name and I know the name and will like add to my rotation.
2:07
SPEAKER_00: The two that stand out are Come Down Soon and All Falls Down.
2:11
SPEAKER_00: Those two for me are my personal favorites, and and they're songs that I really, really do enjoy.
2:16
SPEAKER_00: I'm like on a grander scheme where they're like in my rotation pretty heavy.
2:20
SPEAKER_00: Other than that, though, like I am not a Lizzie head by any means.
2:25
SPEAKER_00: I'm not like dying for the next album or things like that.
2:28
SPEAKER_00: I have a a great appreciation for what she does, and we'll get into that, but certainly not my typical wheelhouse of uh, you know, songs or artists in my rotation.
2:39
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, she's an interesting one for me as well.
2:41
SPEAKER_01: She's kind of lumped in with the pop girlies from time to time.
2:46
SPEAKER_01: When I first heard of her, it was a situation where on one of the music apps it's other artists similar.
2:52
SPEAKER_01: And I click on Lizzie McAlpine, I listen to a few songs, and this was probably years ago, and I was a fan of some songs at the time.
3:00
SPEAKER_01: I was never fully in on Lizzie for some reason.
3:02
SPEAKER_01: I could I couldn't tell you why.
3:04
SPEAKER_01: It's through no fault of her own.
3:05
SPEAKER_01: I've never heard anything offensively bad by her or anything.
3:08
SPEAKER_01: I've always kind of enjoyed what I've heard, but I was never really a diehard, and I wouldn't call myself a super ball mower when it comes to her body of work.
3:16
SPEAKER_01: I have listened to all of her records before this to this point.
3:19
SPEAKER_01: So now I've become more familiar and I do enjoy what I've heard.
3:22
SPEAKER_01: I just think there's always a little something in each record that keeps me from running back to it or elevating her to a must-listen or one of my favorites.
3:31
SPEAKER_01: But I will say, this season, this time of year, fall, it is Lizzie McAlpine weather.
3:37
SPEAKER_01: She is a mainstay on the Sweater Weather playlist.
3:39
SPEAKER_01: She always makes an appearance.
3:40
SPEAKER_01: She has a song Apple Pie that I love.
3:42
SPEAKER_01: So that's always on the playlist.
3:44
SPEAKER_01: She has a few that make their way on there each year.
3:46
SPEAKER_01: That's her vibe.
3:47
SPEAKER_01: So I think it's a good time to talk about this album, and also because it's hot off the press.
3:51
SPEAKER_01: So the album was released on September 18th, 2026.
3:56
SPEAKER_01: It is her fourth studio album following her 2024 release, Older.
4:01
SPEAKER_01: The album was recorded over the course of two years in Los Angeles, California.
4:06
SPEAKER_01: It was produced by McAlpine herself along with Taylor Macle and Mason Stoops.
4:11
SPEAKER_01: It was written mostly by Lizzie, who writes on every song, of course.
4:16
SPEAKER_01: We love seeing that.
4:17
SPEAKER_01: Taylor Macle also writes on seven tracks.
4:20
SPEAKER_01: Stoops writes on two, and actually we'll get to a little bit more on Mason Stoops a bit later.
4:26
SPEAKER_01: Nick Drake was also given a songwriting credit for the song A Car Wash and a New Pair of Pants, because it was brought to her attention that her song sounds a lot like one of his.
4:36
SPEAKER_01: So she gave him a writing credit.
4:38
SPEAKER_01: She had independently come up with the chord progression, and it apparently sounded like a chord progression that Nick Drake had just used on one of his records.
4:45
SPEAKER_01: So interesting.
4:47
SPEAKER_01: A little retroactive credit given to Nick Drake.
4:50
SPEAKER_01: I do think that was cleared up before the release.
4:52
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes we see artists put the music out and then kind of get caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
4:56
SPEAKER_01: I don't think this was one of those instances.
4:58
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
4:58
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
4:59
SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
5:00
SPEAKER_01: When is a good time, Ryan, to listen to Lizzie McAlpine?
5:03
SPEAKER_01: We already kind of covered that.
5:04
SPEAKER_01: It's it's fall, right?
5:06
SPEAKER_01: Definitely.
5:06
SPEAKER_01: After first listen for this album, this is no different.
5:09
SPEAKER_00: Totally agree.
5:10
SPEAKER_00: And like this, it's perfect timing too, because especially you know, here in Virginia, I'm back on the East Coast for the first time in eight years.
5:16
SPEAKER_00: I'm more than excited for my first fall uh in eight years.
5:20
SPEAKER_00: And the weather just turned this week.
5:22
SPEAKER_00: The mornings and evenings are starting to get a little bit cooler, even the days this week have been a little cooler.
5:26
SPEAKER_00: So, like listening to this through, giving it some thorough listens, uh, it's been unpleasant to accompany the chill in the air.
5:33
SPEAKER_01: Yes, it's very, it's very comfy for this time of year.
5:36
SPEAKER_01: I think everybody, if you haven't heard it yet, obviously go listen to that before you listen to us two morons talk about it.
5:43
SPEAKER_01: But I think the main thing that we should cover before we break this down track by track, Ryan.
5:49
SPEAKER_01: We just came off the back of doing The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean, which is a record we're super familiar with.
5:53
SPEAKER_01: We've had a lot of time with.
5:55
SPEAKER_01: This one we're kind of flying more by the seat of our pants.
5:58
SPEAKER_01: We've listened to it through a few times.
6:00
SPEAKER_01: We're not experts on this album by any means.
6:04
SPEAKER_00: No, no.
6:04
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I've probably given it two or two and a half, maybe like thorough listens, as well as some background kind of listening.
6:10
SPEAKER_00: So these are first impressions.
6:12
SPEAKER_00: I have taken notes, uh, but certainly first impressions.
6:15
SPEAKER_00: Have not had a ton of time to marinate yet.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: So we did our homework, but we're not ready for a final exam, is how I would frame this.
6:23
SPEAKER_01: We are prepared to talk about it, but just if you have further questions, I would see a Lizzie McAlpine expert, which we are not.
6:30
SPEAKER_01: So we'll start with the first song, Ryan.
6:32
SPEAKER_01: It is The Light in the Painting, which was the first single for this record.
6:36
SPEAKER_01: What were your thoughts on this one?
6:38
SPEAKER_00: I quite enjoyed this song, actually.
6:40
SPEAKER_00: I think it we, you know, got off the topic of of album intros with Olivia Dean, who really writes the textbook on that, in my opinion, on that album.
6:48
SPEAKER_00: But this is uh a very good opening tune for an album, I think.
6:52
SPEAKER_00: Uh when you're listening to this album chronologically, I think it sets the tone really well.
6:56
SPEAKER_00: I think it's kind of got that ambiance, that kind of big feel to it, and then it's cool melodically throughout.
7:03
SPEAKER_00: It I'll say this, it reminded me of something that you would hear on like This Is Us or something like that.
7:09
SPEAKER_00: Like an emotional kind of TV show.
7:11
SPEAKER_00: Um it has that kind of feel to it where the the chord progression, the melody, it's it's emotional and it invokes emotion.
7:19
SPEAKER_00: And then I really like when the drums come in at the end and it starts to find that groove towards the end of the tune.
7:24
SPEAKER_00: The piano melody, I think it's really cool, like musical layering over the three chords at the end.
7:29
SPEAKER_00: Uh so it kind of finds its footing there for me.
7:31
SPEAKER_00: So, all in all, start to finish, I think it is a very, very strong album opener.
7:35
SPEAKER_00: And I'll give her credit on this in that I think it's it sets the tone really well.
7:40
SPEAKER_01: We need a strong opener.
7:41
SPEAKER_01: You need to captivate the audience with a good first song.
7:44
SPEAKER_01: I I like the ambient beginning to this one.
7:46
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of an ambient sound to start the record, which I enjoy, and it's a nice buildup.
7:51
SPEAKER_01: And then, like you mentioned, I love when the piano and guitar come more alive and you start to get a feel for what's really in store.
7:57
SPEAKER_01: A lot of Lizzie McAlpine's songs end in a really strong manner.
8:01
SPEAKER_01: She's a fourth quarter player, is what it seems like.
8:04
SPEAKER_01: All the time I find myself thinking, oh, you know what?
8:07
SPEAKER_01: The last minute of that song was excellent when I'm listening to Lizzie.
8:10
SPEAKER_01: So I think this one's no different in that respect.
8:12
SPEAKER_01: And it also reminds me of a golf course where it's a gentle handshake opener.
8:17
SPEAKER_01: And sometimes in golf you have a first hole that's just a very easy, straightforward par four.
8:22
SPEAKER_01: It's a hole that you're not gonna lose a golf ball on.
8:25
SPEAKER_01: There's no water, there's no woods.
8:27
SPEAKER_01: It's just, hey, here it is, hit it out there, come hit it on the green, make a par and get on your way.
8:33
SPEAKER_01: That's what this one reminds me of.
8:34
SPEAKER_01: It's a gentle handshake of an opener.
8:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I actually think I might like it more than you.
8:40
SPEAKER_00: I I actually I actually really enjoyed this song.
8:42
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
8:42
SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna come and comparing it to, and we'll get into the rest of them, but like to me, it actually does more than what you just described, in my personal opinion.
8:49
SPEAKER_00: I really liked it.
8:50
SPEAKER_00: I thought it has kind of everything that she's capable of in one song.
8:56
SPEAKER_00: It's got that emotional kind of ambiance kind of thing at the beginning, but then like a cool groove where like there's some decent kind of musicality to it at the end.
9:04
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I I may, and this may be the only song that I I go this route, but I actually really, really liked it.
9:11
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I don't know that it gave off anything that I didn't enjoy it though.
9:14
SPEAKER_01: So I'm interested.
9:14
SPEAKER_01: Like, I do like it.
9:16
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
9:16
SPEAKER_00: When you say like smooth par four, like nothing, I don't know.
9:19
SPEAKER_00: To me, it it felt like the description felt like, oh, just kind of like straight down the middle, like fine, you know, like nothing crazy, like I just meant more so from a comfortability standpoint.
9:29
SPEAKER_01: Not necessarily the song.
9:30
SPEAKER_01: I I felt like it was comfortable.
9:31
SPEAKER_01: Where sometimes you go to a golf course and you're like, oh god, this is terrifying, or I don't like what I'm seeing.
9:37
SPEAKER_01: I thought this was very welcoming, and I do enjoy it, but I think based on that second description, you will likely be a little bit higher on it than I am.
9:44
SPEAKER_01: So we're probably a little bit different, but not too far off base.
9:47
SPEAKER_01: Cool.
9:48
SPEAKER_01: The second song, Ryan, is Anybody's Fool.
9:50
SPEAKER_01: I think this one for me is a fine song.
9:54
SPEAKER_01: It's a little bit slow.
9:57
SPEAKER_01: And I like I said, the first song, comfortable, good.
10:00
SPEAKER_01: This is a bit of a come down.
10:02
SPEAKER_01: I think the messaging in it's really good.
10:04
SPEAKER_01: I like the lyrics.
10:05
SPEAKER_01: It's just not a standout performer for me.
10:07
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, totally agree.
10:08
SPEAKER_00: To be honest, it felt a little stale to me, pretty one note, doesn't really go anywhere dynamically.
10:13
SPEAKER_00: And that's gonna be a trend.
10:17
SPEAKER_00: Not like not like all throughout this album, but there are, you know, songs scattered throughout that I felt this way about.
10:23
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's just the the kind of music that I typically listen to and enjoy.
10:27
SPEAKER_00: I need something that holds my attention.
10:28
SPEAKER_00: We talked about how lyrics kind of come second for me, and so some of these songs may have these like some beautiful lyrics, and I'm just not seeing it because the music just isn't engaging enough.
10:38
SPEAKER_00: So, this is one of those for me where I very fair, and I'm in the same boat on this one.
10:42
SPEAKER_01: It just it lacks a little dynamism, I would say.
10:46
SPEAKER_01: There's not a ton to make people come back to it.
10:48
SPEAKER_01: So it might be nice if you're putting this record on and just listening as some ambient background music, but it doesn't really pull me in in any way.
10:55
SPEAKER_01: So we can move right along to the third track called A Car Wash and a New Pair of Pants.
11:00
SPEAKER_01: Ryan, sound aside, I can't stand the title of this.
11:05
SPEAKER_01: I can't stand it.
11:07
SPEAKER_01: I am not a fan of the long titles generally, especially super long ones.
11:13
SPEAKER_01: And then also Lizzie does this thing in this album.
11:16
SPEAKER_01: There's a lack of capitalization.
11:18
SPEAKER_01: We're not using proper English, and I think you really need to go all in on one direction: either go all lowercase, or let's use some proper capitalization.
11:30
SPEAKER_01: And she doesn't do that on this one, and this song, it really irks me.
11:34
SPEAKER_00: It is this hybrid kind of thing going on, yeah.
11:37
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
11:39
SPEAKER_00: I dig the song for the most part.
11:41
SPEAKER_00: I do musically catches your attention right away, a little 6'8 kind of situation.
11:48
SPEAKER_00: I like the acoustic sound on it throughout.
11:51
SPEAKER_00: The song never really does what you think it's gonna do.
11:55
SPEAKER_00: Um and that's a trend with her as well.
11:57
SPEAKER_00: And I'll probably say that a couple times today, which I appreciate, right?
12:00
SPEAKER_00: Like, she's the songwriting is really unique in that way.
12:04
SPEAKER_00: Now, they're you know, she takes some risks that maybe don't work in other places.
12:08
SPEAKER_00: I I really do enjoy this song start to finish.
12:11
SPEAKER_00: I will say one thing though, I have one kind of like grievance with this song.
12:16
SPEAKER_00: That little like accordion sound just really irks me, and I really wish it wasn't there, and I wish I could take it away, and this song would be like like another level above it.
12:28
SPEAKER_00: That accord that little stupid accordion thing really takes it down a notch for me.
12:34
SPEAKER_01: I I didn't actually have that as a note, but now that you mention it, I don't need it either.
12:40
SPEAKER_01: I think it would be funny.
12:41
SPEAKER_01: It's terrible.
12:42
SPEAKER_00: It's really terrible, it's really out of place, it makes no sense, and it makes a song worse.
12:47
SPEAKER_00: I'll say it bluntly.
12:48
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, there you go.
12:49
SPEAKER_01: That's very blunt and direct, coming to you hot and heavy.
12:52
SPEAKER_01: For me, I like this song as well.
12:53
SPEAKER_01: I think this is a good one.
12:54
SPEAKER_01: It's definitely my favorite of the first three.
12:56
SPEAKER_01: I would say the light in the painting, the first one is close.
12:59
SPEAKER_01: Anybody's fool is a clear third so far through these three.
13:02
SPEAKER_01: Ryan, you talk about one point you made, and I I know you're not super familiar with Joni Mitchell's work.
13:08
SPEAKER_01: I know you obviously know her, but I wouldn't say you've listened through her discography, right?
13:13
SPEAKER_01: No, no.
13:14
SPEAKER_01: She is the queen of the unobvious melody.
13:18
SPEAKER_01: So Lizzie McAlpine, throughout this whole album, I wrote down five times, and I have to dial back how many times I actually bring it up, but so many of these songs remind me of Joni Mitchell, especially in that falsetto.
13:31
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of this thing where she sings in between notes or kind of off structure or off cadence of what you would expect.
13:37
SPEAKER_01: And it's a cool change to the melody that's really engaging.
13:39
SPEAKER_01: And it Joni does it so frequently, and it's why I find her songwriting and then her brilliance as an artist to just be different, so awesome and unique.
13:47
SPEAKER_01: I think Lizzie really taps into that throughout this album.
13:50
SPEAKER_01: Totally.
13:51
SPEAKER_01: And it's cool and it makes it more engaging in a lot of ways.
13:54
SPEAKER_01: There's some times where it could be a swing and a miss, but I'm cool with artists taking chances and doing things like that because it's different.
14:00
SPEAKER_00: Totally agree.
14:01
SPEAKER_00: And you know, it's funny you say Joni Mitchell.
14:03
SPEAKER_00: I don't know like a ton, like I know some of her songs, obviously.
14:06
SPEAKER_00: And there's that clip that went viral of Amanda Seifried playing whatever that was.
14:11
SPEAKER_00: It's not a dope bro, but some kind of like sliding guitar thing on one of the late night shows playing Joni Mitchell's song, uh, California.
14:18
SPEAKER_00: And I'm in my head, as you were just talking about the melody thing, I'm thinking about that song.
14:22
SPEAKER_00: I'm thinking, oh yeah, that song really doesn't go where you think it's gonna go.
14:25
SPEAKER_00: It's got this really kind of untraditional, like up and down kind of melody throughout.
14:28
SPEAKER_00: So you're again, may you may not play the instruments, but you got you got the mind.
14:32
SPEAKER_00: Like that, that's that's a spot-on analogy there and a clear influence.
14:36
SPEAKER_00: And so I totally agree with you.
14:38
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's really evident in this one throughout several times.
14:42
SPEAKER_01: I'll try to point them out as we go, but that is there's very rarely a Joni Mitchell song that goes the way you think it's gonna go.
14:49
SPEAKER_01: And it's almost always the case of her singing these unique melodies or filling in gaps in weird ways that you wouldn't predict.
14:55
SPEAKER_01: So I like that.
14:56
SPEAKER_01: I think it's cool.
14:57
SPEAKER_01: Glad Lizzie's doing a little bit of it.
14:59
SPEAKER_01: We'll move on to the fourth track, I Have a Friend.
15:02
SPEAKER_01: I don't love this one, Rye.
15:04
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of I have my notes a gentle song, nice piano, but it's a slow, slow, slow start, and another one that lacks something for me to grab a hold to.
15:13
SPEAKER_00: Totally agree.
15:14
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna be on the same page here.
15:15
SPEAKER_00: I wrote a little direction list and just, you know, stays flat, not dynamic, which is just gonna be a no-go for me.
15:21
SPEAKER_00: So we're we're aligned there for sure.
15:24
SPEAKER_00: So we could kind of blow past that one.
15:26
SPEAKER_01: We'll move on to the fifth track, the moon.
15:28
SPEAKER_01: I said, here we go now.
15:29
SPEAKER_01: It's almost like up tempo offense.
15:31
SPEAKER_01: We got a chunk play.
15:32
SPEAKER_01: We're gonna go turbo, turbo.
15:34
SPEAKER_01: And this is my favorite on my first listen of the album.
15:37
SPEAKER_01: This one was my favorite.
15:37
SPEAKER_01: I think I might have changed since then, but I love this song and I really love that little post chorus.
15:43
SPEAKER_00: Totally agree.
15:44
SPEAKER_00: Uh, this was one of my favorites as well.
15:46
SPEAKER_00: Certainly in my top three favorites on this album.
15:49
SPEAKER_00: Another one, like not your standard three or four chord progression.
15:52
SPEAKER_00: There's some cool minor stuff with the melodies that's like hard to pin down, uh, which I really like.
15:57
SPEAKER_00: I think it's creative, especially like I said.
15:59
SPEAKER_00: I've talked about this a little with Olivia.
16:02
SPEAKER_00: Like, we're in an age where everything is so predictable and cookie-cutter and just like overproduced.
16:07
SPEAKER_00: And this is like the complete exact opposite of that.
16:10
SPEAKER_00: So if even if I'm not in love with every single song, I respect the hell out of what she's doing because it's so counter to what everything else in pop music does.
16:19
SPEAKER_00: And so, yeah, I really, really like this tune a lot.
16:22
SPEAKER_00: It does have kind of that pulse to it, maybe not a full-blown groove, but it's got that kind of drum pulse going.
16:26
SPEAKER_00: And I wrote, like, you never know what's coming, but like in a good way.
16:30
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then it's got that cool kind of chorus of voices at a certain point that I really like.
16:34
SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, this was one of my favorites on this one for sure.
16:37
SPEAKER_01: I'm glad you agree.
16:38
SPEAKER_01: This one really stood out to me.
16:40
SPEAKER_01: It was by far and away the first one on this album, Five Songs In, that really grabbed me and held me the whole time.
16:46
SPEAKER_01: So I'm a big fan of the moon.
16:49
SPEAKER_01: Likely going to be, without spoiling too much, it's likely going to be ranking higher than most in this record.
16:55
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I think it also starts a good stretch in this record.
16:58
SPEAKER_01: I like a lot of these songs we're about to talk about, more than maybe some of the others.
17:02
SPEAKER_01: So the sixth track is the second single of the album.
17:06
SPEAKER_01: It's called Ugly Things.
17:07
SPEAKER_01: I like this one.
17:09
SPEAKER_01: It's not the moon, it's not my favorite, but I love the vocal layering.
17:14
SPEAKER_01: And the last minute of this song, it really feels like it finds that groove for me.
17:19
SPEAKER_01: And that's the sweet spot.
17:20
SPEAKER_01: And I talked earlier about how she finishes songs so well.
17:24
SPEAKER_01: She's a fourth quarter player.
17:25
SPEAKER_01: I think we see it here again.
17:27
SPEAKER_01: I really like how she ends a lot of these songs, and this one has a strong finish.
17:31
SPEAKER_00: I actually wrote that as well.
17:32
SPEAKER_00: I wrote the end is nice here.
17:33
SPEAKER_00: So I agree.
17:34
SPEAKER_00: I like this song a lot.
17:35
SPEAKER_00: It's a good, uh, similar, kind of like good fall vibe.
17:38
SPEAKER_00: A lot of cool different like stringed instruments happening that you can't quite put your finger on, like where they're all coming from, but they're kind of bouncing around melody-wise, which I really like.
17:46
SPEAKER_00: And it picks up at the end with a groove, which again I'm gonna always appreciate.
17:50
SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm always gonna pick that over one of these kind of like ambient kind of like things that she does, which there's a place for, but it's not my favorite.
17:58
SPEAKER_00: And then I also really like her use of like these simple piano melodies throughout some of these songs.
18:03
SPEAKER_00: So you'll hear like it's not like world-changing John Batiste like piano playing, but like it's these cool little melodies that you aren't expecting and kind of nestle their way into some of these songs, and I really appreciate that.
18:16
SPEAKER_00: So uh this is one of those.
18:17
SPEAKER_00: Um I would say nothing was like, my gosh, this is like the craziest song ever, but I really did enjoy the song as well.
18:23
SPEAKER_00: So I'll I'll I'll agree with you there.
18:25
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think you made a good point there with some of the little choices she makes, they're they're very intricate and they're they're not super complex as far as playing goes, and you're not gonna see or it's not gonna require some of the best musicians in the world and able able to play these things, but I think it speaks to her artistry a lot.
18:42
SPEAKER_01: She really puts a lot of thought into the arrangements and they're carefully constructed, and they're very delicate.
18:48
SPEAKER_01: And in the songs that work for me, I think she finds a really good way of making those little things sound nice and work and feed off one another and blend together.
18:56
SPEAKER_01: And I think it creates this sort of thing where a lot of her songs for me, it's gonna sound bad, but it's almost like they're perfect background music.
19:03
SPEAKER_01: And I don't want that to take away from her in any way, shape, or form, because I think it has a place in my listening rotation.
19:10
SPEAKER_01: I think there's a time and place for when you don't necessarily want a song that's gonna grab your attention and make you want to sing along to it.
19:17
SPEAKER_01: And because of the unobvious melodies and the little careful choices, it's almost like the score of a movie.
19:22
SPEAKER_01: It's something that you could do passively and listen to as a passive experience, which I appreciate.
19:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, totally.
19:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's not necessarily an insult, but I I would agree with you in a lot of ways and on a lot of tunes.
19:33
SPEAKER_00: There are certain ones that stand out that cover your attention, but I agree that there are some that maybe fall in the ways either.
19:40
SPEAKER_01: I'll let you go first here, Rye, on Soldier of the Road featuring Fleet Foxes.
19:45
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, who, by the way, are publicly said to be a big influence on Rick Metteratonda of Goose.
19:51
SPEAKER_00: So I'd be remiss if I did not mention that.
19:53
SPEAKER_00: He's talked about Fleet Foxes quite a bit in interviews that he's done.
19:57
SPEAKER_01: Well, Ryan, they're another mainstay on the Sweater Weather playlist.
20:01
SPEAKER_01: If you want harmonies, you head the Fleet Foxes direction.
20:05
SPEAKER_01: They can harmonize with me, and I can't sing a single note.
20:10
SPEAKER_00: And and uh I may need you to throw me an album to go through with them because I haven't dug deep on them by any means, but I'm certainly open if Rick, if if they're Rick Sky.
20:22
SPEAKER_00: If they're Rick Skys, I'll go to war for them.
20:25
SPEAKER_00: Uh it's a pretty nice, vibey song.
20:29
SPEAKER_00: The harmonies are great, like you mentioned.
20:32
SPEAKER_00: This was the first time where on this album, like I'm listening to the second verse and I'm like begging for some rhythm section.
20:39
SPEAKER_00: Like, man, like give me some freaking drums and a bass here, man.
20:42
SPEAKER_00: Like, and this is and then this becomes the a theme for me over the next couple of songs, or like quite a few of the next songs, where it's like, gosh dang it, the bones are there, and I really just want it to take me somewhere dynamically and musically with a rhythm section, and it just doesn't.
21:00
SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, this the skeleton of this song is great, it just falls flat for me dynamically because of that.
21:06
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and and I wanted to like it because of the fleet foxes, and I like their parts.
21:11
SPEAKER_00: Man, I just don't it feels like there's an allergy to to rhythm section in some of these songs.
21:16
SPEAKER_00: I'm like, man, like it I it just bothered it frustrates me.
21:20
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna go a different way here.
21:22
SPEAKER_01: I think if the bones are good, the rest don't matter.
21:25
SPEAKER_01: Shout out Marin Morris.
21:26
SPEAKER_01: I I really like this song, I think it's pretty, and yes, there is something lacking now that you pointed out, but it didn't, it wasn't obvious to me when listening to it.
21:34
SPEAKER_01: I kind of just thought it was a really beautiful song with beautiful vocals, really nice harmonies, a nice guitar, and it kept me happily content throughout.
21:44
SPEAKER_01: Again, was this a song that kind of falls into that camp of it's not the star of the show, it's not give me your undivided attention.
21:53
SPEAKER_01: Sure, and maybe a rhythm section would help in that regard.
21:55
SPEAKER_01: But I think just if you're putting a record on and making breakfast.
22:00
SPEAKER_01: In the fall.
22:01
SPEAKER_01: This song's a perfect little number to have on in the background for me.
22:05
SPEAKER_01: So I I enjoy this one.
22:06
SPEAKER_01: I don't think it's amazing, but I think it's good.
22:09
SPEAKER_01: And it continues the positive momentum for me.
22:12
SPEAKER_01: If this is a football team, we're driving down the field.
22:15
SPEAKER_01: We we didn't turn the ball over and we've kept it heading towards the eighth track, which is Peach.
22:20
SPEAKER_00: I like the analogy.
22:21
SPEAKER_00: It's fair enough.
22:22
SPEAKER_00: Fair enough.
22:22
SPEAKER_00: Peach doesn't do a whole lot for me to be honest.
22:25
SPEAKER_00: Wow, really?
22:26
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:28
SPEAKER_00: We're gonna start to differ, I have a feeling.
22:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
22:31
SPEAKER_00: Because I I I thought the first half of the album is is a lot stronger, in my opinion.
22:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, this one I don't have much to say.
22:38
SPEAKER_00: Just like it falls in a similar camp of just like not dynamic enough, doesn't really hold my attention a whole lot.
22:44
SPEAKER_00: Um, and I'm sure maybe there's some lyrical stuff happening that I'm missing, but this is you know, first couple listens, it's it's not quite there for me or as strong as some of the other ones, in my opinion.
22:54
SPEAKER_01: I do disagree a little bit with the vocal dynamics of this one.
22:58
SPEAKER_01: I think the second chorus, the melody there is excellent.
23:02
SPEAKER_01: And I think it's my favorite melody on the whole album, to be honest.
23:06
SPEAKER_01: That particular melody it where she's singing, I'm cutting a peach in the kitchen while you're playing a show.
23:12
SPEAKER_01: I think that's really, really good.
23:14
SPEAKER_01: And I think this song is different than the others.
23:16
SPEAKER_01: Maybe not in all of the best ways, but I think there is a little bit of a unique sound to this one for me.
23:23
SPEAKER_01: I I like this one again.
23:24
SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm gonna stick with my theme.
23:26
SPEAKER_01: I think we just ran the ball for eight yards on first down, and we're at head of the chains, and we're moving forward.
23:32
SPEAKER_01: Again, I think the main thing, I don't want to hammer the point, none of these songs are as good as maybe one of the songs in The Art of Loving, the first album that we reviewed.
23:41
SPEAKER_01: So I don't want it to come across like I'm hyping.
23:44
SPEAKER_01: But I do think in the context of, hey, we're in the fall, sweater weather, we want something nice on and gentle and delicate.
23:52
SPEAKER_01: I think this album is doing a good job of that thus far, even if there's a couple that might put you a little bit to sleep.
23:58
SPEAKER_00: I would agree.
24:00
SPEAKER_00: I think where I'm differing is that I see a vision for more.
24:06
SPEAKER_00: And I think it could be so cool if you really start to incorporate some more rhythm section in some of this stuff.
24:11
SPEAKER_00: I think the song, and and that's a testament to the songwriting.
24:13
SPEAKER_00: Like, I think the songwriting is like really very, very good.
24:16
SPEAKER_00: And very she's a great songwriter, yeah.
24:19
SPEAKER_00: Um, me personally, as a guy that wants it's how I listen to music.
24:23
SPEAKER_00: Like I want, I want it to keep me interested musically, and the ones that I have not liked so far are the ones that fail to do that, but certainly have potential to do that if orchestrated or arranged in a way that is more preferable to me.
24:38
SPEAKER_00: But that's you know, it's one guy's opinion.
24:40
SPEAKER_01: So well, I'm I'm glad we have these two different taste profiles because we talked about it on the first episode, Ryan, where we kind of go in slightly different directions sometimes with singer-songwriter, and you like more instrumentation and jam band type stuff.
24:52
SPEAKER_01: And I think this album might be a case study in exactly that, because we're starting to see some songs where I like them and I find them completely non-offensive, and I'm not smart enough musically to pick up on what it's missing immediately.
25:05
SPEAKER_01: So I'm just kind of sitting there like a big dodo, like, oh, you know, this is nice on the you know, those harmonies are beautiful, it's a beautiful song.
25:12
SPEAKER_01: And I'm not sitting there thinking, oh, I wish there was something here because I'm not smart enough to know.
25:16
SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
25:17
SPEAKER_01: So it's like I I do, but then you say it, and I get exactly what you're saying, and I agree that if it was there, I probably would like it more.
25:25
SPEAKER_01: So I don't think you're wrong by any means.
25:27
SPEAKER_01: It's just my ignorance is actually a benefit.
25:30
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I've uh and and I agree, like you use look you use terms like non-offensive, pleasant, and I all I'm saying is that I agree with that, but I think it could be taken to like excellent, like you know what I mean.
25:43
SPEAKER_01: Like that's that's my hang up and what kind of point is I'm not smart enough to know that it could go to excellent with just a few things, you know what I mean?
25:52
SPEAKER_01: I wouldn't somebody would need to smack me in the face with some rhythm, and I'd be like, oh shit, that's excellent.
25:57
SPEAKER_01: And if they did, I'd hear it immediately because these ears can hear it, but I can't tell you at before time.
26:02
SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
26:02
SPEAKER_01: I'm a reactionary player, so I just I see what's in front of me and make a decision.
26:07
SPEAKER_01: Over to the ninth track, it's over country.
26:10
SPEAKER_01: The intro guitar here sounds a lot like Vance Joy's Georgia.
26:16
SPEAKER_01: Are you familiar with that song, Rye?
26:17
SPEAKER_00: I'm not.
26:18
SPEAKER_00: I wish I could tell you I was, but I'm not.
26:20
SPEAKER_01: Afterwards, I want your feedback on that.
26:21
SPEAKER_01: Just the intro guitar to this and Georgia by Vance Joy.
26:25
SPEAKER_01: I think they're very similar.
26:26
SPEAKER_01: And I'm a bigger fan of Georgia by Vance Joy, I'll say that.
26:28
SPEAKER_01: I'm I like that song a little bit more.
26:30
SPEAKER_01: But I think we really see the elements of Lizzie's Broadway on display here.
26:35
SPEAKER_01: She was in a Broadway play for I want to say a year.
26:38
SPEAKER_01: She was in Floyd Collins, and I think a lot of this album came from her time on that show.
26:44
SPEAKER_01: So I think there's some inspiration clearly in this one, especially the last two minutes of this song.
26:49
SPEAKER_01: I think the songwriting the chorus is really good.
26:51
SPEAKER_01: It's another one that she's really good with words and how to put things so that people not only can connect with them, but can relate to exactly how she's feeling in that moment.
27:01
SPEAKER_01: So the point that she makes about someone's love will find her no matter where she is.
27:06
SPEAKER_01: I think it's really cool and a nice concept for a song.
27:09
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I like this one.
27:10
SPEAKER_00: I think there's some really cool guitar work on it.
27:12
SPEAKER_00: I like the acoustic.
27:13
SPEAKER_00: The tone of the acoustic throughout are really, really good on this album.
27:17
SPEAKER_00: But I really like the chord chain because again, like something different, keeping you interested.
27:21
SPEAKER_00: And then I thought the vocals were great, and I really like the outro section.
27:24
SPEAKER_00: I you mentioned this and and I have this noted a couple times, but I didn't make the general observation.
27:30
SPEAKER_00: Agree that her outros, the the kind of ending section of some of these songs are are excellent, really good, and can be kind of a defining factor for her, like you said, which is is really good observation.
27:41
SPEAKER_00: I wrote in all caps needs drums.
27:44
SPEAKER_00: Sorry, I did.
27:45
SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry.
27:47
SPEAKER_00: Again, like the bonnets are good.
27:49
SPEAKER_00: I just want some freaking rhythm section.
27:51
SPEAKER_00: But I I like the song overall, I do.
27:53
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it is it's a really good song.
27:55
SPEAKER_01: I I I like this one a lot.
27:57
SPEAKER_01: I don't know necessarily that I'm disagreeing with your point about what it needs and how it could elevate the experience, but it just again wasn't something that stood out to me.
28:07
SPEAKER_01: So it's one of those things like ignorance is bliss.
28:09
SPEAKER_01: So I'm just sitting here nodding the long, not realizing what this song could be.
28:14
SPEAKER_01: You're seeing some untapped potential.
28:15
SPEAKER_01: So we'll move on to the 10th track, which is two elevens.
28:19
SPEAKER_01: Instant reaction.
28:20
SPEAKER_01: It's a miss for me that this isn't one slot lower on the track list and make it the 11th track.
28:25
SPEAKER_01: I don't know what we're doing.
28:27
SPEAKER_01: It's not like we're in some kind of flow state here where we can't shuffle these around a little bit.
28:33
SPEAKER_01: But I again want to point out the layering of the vocals.
28:36
SPEAKER_01: I think they're excellent throughout this album.
28:38
SPEAKER_01: I think they're really good in this one as well.
28:40
SPEAKER_01: I love some of the lyrics.
28:41
SPEAKER_01: There was love once, there was fire, we had something, that's all that matters.
28:45
SPEAKER_01: I don't blame you, I don't blame me, I am older, I am sorry, and I called it first.
28:49
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of just being at peace with a previous relationship, and I think she writes that in a really cool way.
28:54
SPEAKER_00: Yes, I like this one too, in a similar vein, right?
28:57
SPEAKER_00: Like more cool chord changes, more not straightforward unpredictability when it comes to like the music side.
29:04
SPEAKER_00: And at least this one has like a little bit of like a driving, percussive kind of situation.
29:08
SPEAKER_00: So I'm I won't write like needs drums, but I really again like it's a testament of consistently interesting songwriting and chord changes that are so like outside of the box that you can't help but like respect it at the very least.
29:23
SPEAKER_00: And I I really enjoy that about this album.
29:25
SPEAKER_00: It keeps you guessing a lot, and this this is no exception.
29:28
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that's a good point.
29:30
SPEAKER_01: So we can talk about the 11th track, Our Strange Ways, which is an abnormally long song for her.
29:36
SPEAKER_01: We've got over seven minutes of song here, which was shocking.
29:40
SPEAKER_01: I thought I put goose on.
29:41
SPEAKER_01: Honestly, yeah.
29:42
SPEAKER_01: This is wow.
29:43
SPEAKER_01: I would I didn't know Lizzie had it in her, and maybe I've missed something on her previous work that is of equal length, but this one's cool.
29:50
SPEAKER_01: I think there's a reference in to the forest in this song, and then you hear the sounds of the forest like a woodpecker.
29:55
SPEAKER_01: I like that.
29:56
SPEAKER_01: I love that sort of touch and those delicate decisions that she makes.
29:59
SPEAKER_01: I think those are cool.
30:00
SPEAKER_01: It finds a groove and all the instruments that fill the sound well in the back half of this, or maybe in the middle.
30:06
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of like one big, I don't know where exactly things are, but it's another one that reminds me of a movie score.
30:13
SPEAKER_01: It slows at the end, and you get this really stripped back part where it's her and the piano, and that to me was just like, oh, I felt like I'm watching a movie, and this was scoring the scene.
30:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I like that observation because there's like uh in in multiple different parts, it does multiple different things.
30:28
SPEAKER_00: So I I agree with that.
30:30
SPEAKER_00: It this one felt very fall, like you said, um, but also like in the beginning or the first couple of minutes feels similar to some of the others that it just felt were a little flat.
30:40
SPEAKER_00: And then when the rhythm section comes in, I started to pick up and be like, oh yeah, okay, here we go.
30:44
SPEAKER_00: Like starting to see some of the potential get unlocked here.
30:47
SPEAKER_00: I don't love when songs do that weird kind of like slow down thing, uh, which this one does in the middle.
30:54
SPEAKER_00: It gets a little bit like trippy, it feels just like kind of out of place and just weird.
30:58
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
30:58
SPEAKER_00: It's like a creative decision that I'm just like not in love with.
31:01
SPEAKER_00: So then the song ends at like five and a half minutes, and then it like kind of like rests for a little bit and then gets into that raw piano thing, which I appreciate.
31:10
SPEAKER_00: You know, I I I did enjoy that.
31:11
SPEAKER_00: It certainly uh tones down the re-listenability of it or like my desire to like put it on a playlist or something like that.
31:20
SPEAKER_00: But creatively kind of a fun, unique thing.
31:23
SPEAKER_00: Like, I get it.
31:24
SPEAKER_00: Um I I I respect it.
31:25
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I tip my cap and I really enjoy it, but like you said, where are you choosing to put this one on?
31:32
SPEAKER_01: Because it's almost like three different songs in one, yeah.
31:35
SPEAKER_01: And they don't necessarily all fit the same mood, you know?
31:39
SPEAKER_01: Like the first part is like, oh okay, where are we where are we going?
31:43
SPEAKER_01: Then you get to a really cool part, and then we stop and go to this completely separate thing.
31:48
SPEAKER_01: It's like for something completely different.
31:50
SPEAKER_01: It's like that, right?
31:52
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I don't I I don't necessarily know how this fits elsewhere, but in this album, I think it's completely fine and an unoffensive, good song.
32:00
SPEAKER_01: So the 11th track, Our Strange Ways, we're both in agreement on that one.
32:05
SPEAKER_01: Number 12, Ryan, is Mason's song.
32:07
SPEAKER_01: And I mentioned we would talk more about Mason Stoops, the producer.
32:11
SPEAKER_01: This is a song Lizzie wrote for her friend and producer, Mason Stoops.
32:14
SPEAKER_01: It's just a love letter to their platonic friendship, which I think is really cool, and you don't see it often.
32:18
SPEAKER_01: And it's plain as day.
32:19
SPEAKER_01: Hey, it's Mason's song.
32:21
SPEAKER_00: That is very cool.
32:22
SPEAKER_00: I didn't put two of two together there.
32:25
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I I actually like this one too.
32:27
SPEAKER_01: I I thought it was good.
32:28
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we were at a point in the album where I had to go back and give these last few a fair shot because there was some listener fatigue after that seven-minute hour strange ways the first time around.
32:39
SPEAKER_01: I was kind of like, all right, the record would typically end here for me.
32:42
SPEAKER_01: If you're talking a normal length record, that's about it after that 11th track.
32:46
SPEAKER_01: So you kind of have to re-energize yourself and get yourself back into the swing of things.
32:50
SPEAKER_01: But once I did that, I really did like this one more than some of the others we talked about.
32:53
SPEAKER_00: Agree.
32:54
SPEAKER_00: I like this one.
32:54
SPEAKER_00: I think the guitar tones are really clean, again, which is a theme.
32:58
SPEAKER_00: Thought it was like a nice, again, kind of fall night kind of listen.
33:02
SPEAKER_00: Another one of those like kind of piano melodies that kind of twinkles its way throughout, whichever like my third note says, gosh dang, I wish some of these songs had more rhythm.
33:11
SPEAKER_00: The second verse is begging for some groove.
33:13
SPEAKER_00: So it's just another one for me where it's like, man, uh to sound like a broken record.
33:18
SPEAKER_00: I'm just like not even gonna say it, but I really do wish there was some some rhythm on this one.
33:22
SPEAKER_00: I think it could just elevate it to that next level.
33:24
SPEAKER_01: The 13th one, Rai.
33:26
SPEAKER_01: This song, it's called The Crowd, and God, is this maybe the saddest song I've ever heard?
33:32
SPEAKER_01: Really sad.
33:33
SPEAKER_01: It's dedicated to her father who passed away.
33:36
SPEAKER_01: It is just a raw, emotional song.
33:39
SPEAKER_01: The lyrics are blunt, in your face, telling you what happened, and some of the unspoken words between them.
33:46
SPEAKER_01: It's just an absolute tearjerker and not something you can really revisit unless you can A relate or B want to ball your eyes out.
33:55
SPEAKER_01: So for me, it's it's a beautiful song, but it's not one that I necessarily am ever going to put on.
34:03
SPEAKER_00: Agree.
34:03
SPEAKER_00: I think we're pretty in alignment there.
34:05
SPEAKER_00: I don't really have much to add to that, to be honest.
34:07
SPEAKER_00: I thought I thought it was like a pretty like I mean, it's obviously raw and really sad musically to me.
34:14
SPEAKER_00: It was like pretty straight down the middle, uh, and not one that I would really like go back to for both of the reasons for it being a little bit down the middle musically, but also just being like so sad.
34:22
SPEAKER_00: It's like okay, like I don't need to but it but it fits it it fits.
34:26
SPEAKER_00: Like I like, I like you know it's placed in the album and stuff like that.
34:29
SPEAKER_00: I uh I don't dislike it by any means.
34:31
SPEAKER_01: No, yeah, it it fits.
34:32
SPEAKER_01: I'm glad she wrote a song like this.
34:34
SPEAKER_01: It takes a lot of courage to do something like that.
34:36
SPEAKER_01: And if you ever play that song live, I mean, God, I don't know how you would get through it, but yeah, yeah.
34:41
SPEAKER_01: Good for her for putting that on the record.
34:43
SPEAKER_01: It's it's cool, it's beautiful, it's just not something you can really revisit.
34:47
SPEAKER_01: So we'll move to the final track, which is Angel, the title track of the album.
34:52
SPEAKER_01: The only real note I had for this one, I think for me, it's one that the redundancy is starting to really set in.
34:59
SPEAKER_01: 14 tracks in, there's some that just sound alike, and I don't know that I needed another that sounded alike to wrap things up.
35:06
SPEAKER_01: The one thing I like from a songwriting point of view is it does tie a bow on it.
35:11
SPEAKER_01: It's this cycle of a relationship, and I think the songwriting element, she references the first song, the light in the painting, she references the light, and I think that's really cool and a smart decision.
35:21
SPEAKER_01: And I like when artists do that.
35:22
SPEAKER_01: So I'm always gonna clap my hands and tip my hat if you are able to tie a bow on a record and land the plane successfully.
35:30
SPEAKER_01: So I think she does that here.
35:31
SPEAKER_01: It's just another one for me that I'm not running back to.
35:34
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I actually am higher on this one than you are.
35:37
SPEAKER_00: Um, and maybe it's because there's a rhythm section on it.
35:40
SPEAKER_00: But I actually again I enjoyed listening to this song.
35:42
SPEAKER_00: I thought it has a fun melody.
35:44
SPEAKER_00: I like the rhythm of the vocals, I like the the drums and the bass.
35:47
SPEAKER_00: And then I thought the angel like imagery was cool too.
35:50
SPEAKER_00: And I thought, like you said, it tied a nice bow on it from uh like a like I said, like a bookend standpoint.
35:55
SPEAKER_00: I think it's a solid bookend to compliment the the early start.
35:58
SPEAKER_00: Sorry, remind me of the first song, The Light in the Painting.
36:02
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
36:02
SPEAKER_00: Both of these I think accomplished their job on this album really well, and uh I actually enjoyed this one.
36:08
SPEAKER_01: I'm glad you I'm glad you liked it and ended it on a high note.
36:10
SPEAKER_01: I didn't think it was offensive or anything, it's just not something I'm running.
36:14
SPEAKER_01: So the next thing we do, Ryan, is we tier the songs.
36:18
SPEAKER_01: Four tiers.
36:19
SPEAKER_01: The fourth tier is songs we would cut, get rid of, the knife, I call it.
36:24
SPEAKER_01: Tier three is songs that are fine, they fit in the album.
36:27
SPEAKER_01: We don't need them to go away, but we don't necessarily love them.
36:32
SPEAKER_01: The second tier is a tier of songs that we really like, they're good.
36:36
SPEAKER_01: And then the first tier is songs that we think are great or are really good, some of the best elite songs on the album.
36:42
SPEAKER_01: So we'll start with the fourth tier, and I'm gonna let you just run through all of yours, and then I'll go through all of mine.
36:50
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so my fourth tier, I have two songs.
36:55
SPEAKER_00: I have I Have a Friend and Everybody's Fool.
36:59
SPEAKER_01: Well, oh listeners, listeners, I have the same exact two.
37:02
SPEAKER_01: So I have the same exact two.
37:06
SPEAKER_01: It's two and four on the album.
37:08
SPEAKER_01: Dialed.
37:08
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely dialed.
37:10
SPEAKER_01: And we kind of referenced it as we were going along, too.
37:12
SPEAKER_01: We kind of showed our hand.
37:13
SPEAKER_01: We were just not too excited to talk about these two.
37:15
SPEAKER_00: No.
37:16
SPEAKER_00: Could do without them.
37:17
SPEAKER_00: Making a 12-song album.
37:19
SPEAKER_00: Tier three.
37:20
SPEAKER_00: This is we're gonna start to differentiate for sure.
37:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
37:22
SPEAKER_00: Tier three for me.
37:24
SPEAKER_00: I have Peach, Our Strange Ways, and the Crowd.
37:31
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
37:32
SPEAKER_00: That is my tier three.
37:33
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we definitely differentiated there.
37:35
SPEAKER_00: We only have those in common.
37:36
SPEAKER_01: Yep.
37:37
SPEAKER_00: Uh-huh.
37:37
SPEAKER_00: Tier two.
37:38
SPEAKER_00: Oh, I'm sorry.
37:39
SPEAKER_00: Tier three.
37:41
SPEAKER_00: Forgive me.
37:41
SPEAKER_00: Tier three, I also have Soldier of the Road.
37:43
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
37:45
SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, so that's Soldier of the Road, Peach, Our Strange Ways, and the Crowd is my tier three.
37:53
SPEAKER_00: My tier two is Ugly Things, Over Country, Two Eleven's, Mason's Song, and Angel, which leaves my tier one being selective as Lane the Painting, Car Washing a New Pair of Pants, and The Moon.
38:10
SPEAKER_00: Those are the top three for me.
38:12
SPEAKER_00: Those are my favorites.
38:13
SPEAKER_00: That is my tier one.
38:14
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we definitely went down two different paths after that original the knife cut section.
38:19
SPEAKER_01: So I'm glad we have differing opinions on this.
38:22
SPEAKER_01: Tier three for me, as we mentioned, tier four, I have I have a friend and anybody's fool.
38:27
SPEAKER_01: Same two as you.
38:27
SPEAKER_01: Get rid of them.
38:28
SPEAKER_01: Don't need them.
38:29
SPEAKER_01: Tier three, I have two elevens, The Crowd and Angel in Tier Three.
38:33
SPEAKER_01: I think they're fine.
38:34
SPEAKER_01: They're just not something I'm excited to get back to.
38:37
SPEAKER_01: Tier 2, I have Mason's Song, The Light in the Painting, A Car Wash and a New Pair of Pants, Soldier in the Road, and Over Country.
38:45
SPEAKER_01: And then Tier 1, I have Peach, The Moon, Ugly Things, and Our Strange Ways.
38:51
SPEAKER_01: So the only two notes I had, I've gone back and forth on Ugly Things and Soldier of the Road, on which tier they belong in.
38:58
SPEAKER_01: I was tough.
38:59
SPEAKER_01: I didn't know where to put those two.
39:01
SPEAKER_01: And I the thought crossed my mind, is the moon the only tier one song?
39:05
SPEAKER_01: That was something I kept thinking to myself I might have done was is the only one I want to keep in tier one.
39:11
SPEAKER_01: I ultimately decided to let a few more into that elite club, but yeah, for me, that's my clear standout.
39:18
SPEAKER_00: Interesting.
39:18
SPEAKER_00: That's very interesting.
39:20
SPEAKER_00: And like, I mean, I only have three in my tier one, and you had the other two in your uh second tier, which is yeah, very interesting.
39:27
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so we we definitely have some different listening profiles, and I think they're on display in this one, which I appreciate.
39:34
SPEAKER_01: We're not too far off.
39:35
SPEAKER_01: I think we have a general sense for which ones are bad.
39:38
SPEAKER_01: But Ryan, let's let's round it out.
39:40
SPEAKER_01: We always give our conclusive thoughts or final thoughts, and then we give a score out of a hundred, and I am interested to hear both of yours.
39:50
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, my final thoughts are that 'tis the season in fall, and this is a great fall album.
39:57
SPEAKER_00: Would I throw this song on or this album on in July?
40:00
SPEAKER_00: No.
40:01
SPEAKER_00: Are there a decent amount of songs on this album that if I never heard again I would be fine?
40:06
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
40:06
SPEAKER_00: Are there a couple songs on this album that have now made their way not only to my fall playlist but a couple of other playlists?
40:13
SPEAKER_00: Yes.
40:13
SPEAKER_00: Which I think is a compliment to Lizzie.
40:15
SPEAKER_00: I'll also say this like I just really respect what she does.
40:18
SPEAKER_00: Like, regardless of if it's my perfect cup of tea, the the uniqueness, the unpredictability of the songwriting is really cool and really different in today's era.
40:29
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and so big big ups to her on that.
40:33
SPEAKER_00: For me, I'm I'm still like between a couple of numbers here as far as rating.
40:39
SPEAKER_00: I think I'm going to land on a 77.
40:44
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
40:46
SPEAKER_00: Where it's a it's a C plus.
40:49
SPEAKER_00: You're not you're not thrilled about a C plus, but you certainly could do a whole heck of a lot worse.
40:53
SPEAKER_00: I think there are elements that are excellent.
40:56
SPEAKER_00: I think there are elements that are untapped, uh, and then I think there are elements that are just like not my cup of tea and just not my favorite thing.
41:03
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and so for that reason, it kind of averages out to that like high C profile for me.
41:08
SPEAKER_00: I think I feel good about 77.
41:11
SPEAKER_00: I like it.
41:12
SPEAKER_01: We're not too far off, to be quite honest.
41:14
SPEAKER_01: I am a little higher on it, but I'll save that for after my thoughts.
41:18
SPEAKER_01: I like the album.
41:19
SPEAKER_01: I think it's really easy on the ears.
41:20
SPEAKER_01: I I mentioned it a few times.
41:22
SPEAKER_01: I think the choices she makes artistically are really cool.
41:24
SPEAKER_01: They're unique.
41:25
SPEAKER_01: There's not a ton of people doing it how she does it in today's climate.
41:29
SPEAKER_01: So I appreciate that.
41:30
SPEAKER_01: I love how much she sounds like Joni Mitchell at points of this album.
41:33
SPEAKER_01: I absolutely love Joni Mitchell, and she is an influence to Lizzie throughout this record.
41:38
SPEAKER_01: And I did hear her mention that as well, which was cool.
41:41
SPEAKER_01: Of course, I like having some confirmation bias when I have what I hear and then hear the artist say the same thing.
41:46
SPEAKER_01: So that was nice.
41:48
SPEAKER_01: There's just a lot of songs, and I don't mean this in a bad way, but they sound like background music.
41:53
SPEAKER_01: They they're not gonna be the forefront of my focus.
41:57
SPEAKER_01: And it's not a bad thing, it's not an insult.
41:59
SPEAKER_01: There are artists that require and demand your attention, and then there are artists that are just nice and pleasant to have on.
42:04
SPEAKER_01: And I think Lizzie falls into that ladder camp.
42:07
SPEAKER_01: There's also some really good highlights in this album as well.
42:09
SPEAKER_01: Some of the songs I really do enjoy, and like you said, they're added to the playlist.
42:12
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna go back to them.
42:13
SPEAKER_01: I consider them really good songs.
42:15
SPEAKER_01: So it has a little bit of that.
42:17
SPEAKER_01: It also has a a lot of redundancy in songs that lack some standout features.
42:22
SPEAKER_01: I kind of liken it to a really well-coached team that is full of good role players.
42:28
SPEAKER_01: They're they're just gonna do their job.
42:30
SPEAKER_01: We don't have superstar talent, but they're well-coached.
42:34
SPEAKER_01: They're gonna box out.
42:36
SPEAKER_01: They're gonna they're gonna get back in transition.
42:40
SPEAKER_01: They're not they're not gonna get beat at the rim, you know.
42:43
SPEAKER_01: It's just certain things that they're gonna do well, but they're incapable of rising to a different level.
42:49
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's where this one nets out for me.
42:52
SPEAKER_01: So a lot to like, some nits to pick, but for me, I've gone for a B minus 81 out of 100.
43:00
SPEAKER_01: So I was I was firm on an 81, and when you said you were floating between a couple numbers, I was interested.
43:06
SPEAKER_01: I didn't know if you're gonna be in the 60s and the 80s and the 70s.
43:09
SPEAKER_01: I was like, but I think for me, room to improve with the B minus, but nothing wrong with tossing this album on, especially this time of year and having a good time with it.
43:19
SPEAKER_00: Totally, absolutely.
43:21
SPEAKER_01: So, Ryan, we're two episodes down now in the replay room.
43:25
SPEAKER_01: I'm enjoying the experience so far.
43:27
SPEAKER_00: Heck yeah.
43:28
SPEAKER_00: I mean, come on, we got got I like I like the mix too of like we're gonna do some classics, we're gonna do some things that mean a lot to us, and then we'll also try to stay relevant with some newer stuff that's happening and and give honest takes, which I appreciate it.
43:41
SPEAKER_00: It forces me a little bit out of my my usual little comfort zone.
43:44
SPEAKER_00: So I appreciate that.
43:45
SPEAKER_01: Yes, that's the plan going forward.
43:46
SPEAKER_01: We'll we'll try to get together, Ryan and I, and at least give you something relatively new in hot in the streets, and then we're gonna go back to some stuff that we love, and we're gonna try to make it appropriate for that time of year as well.
43:59
SPEAKER_01: We'll strike that balance the best we can.
44:01
SPEAKER_01: There are some types of some times of year where there might not be an album that comes to mind and we're just going with something we want to do, but for the most part, we're gonna try to keep it relatively seasonal.
44:11
SPEAKER_01: I think there's an album for every occasion, and we will do our best job of picking them.
44:17
SPEAKER_01: So a lot to look forward to.
44:19
SPEAKER_01: We're two albums down.
44:20
SPEAKER_01: We have, I mean, literally millions to go.
44:23
SPEAKER_01: It's a it's a passion project.
44:25
SPEAKER_01: I'm happy to be doing it with you, Rye.
44:27
SPEAKER_01: Thank you as always for joining me.
44:29
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, listeners.
44:31
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to episode two of the replay room.
44:34
SPEAKER_01: It's important if you can like and subscribe on your way out.
44:37
SPEAKER_01: We appreciate it.
44:37
SPEAKER_01: Five star comments, leave a review.
44:40
SPEAKER_01: Let's be nice, let's not be nasty like Ryan was with all these songs.
44:44
SPEAKER_01: Let's just be nice to each other.
44:46
SPEAKER_01: Thank you all for tuning in.
44:48
SPEAKER_02: And until next time, take care of the biggest thing.