Died In The Wool - thoughts on new album

[inkinthewell]

This is not monotone.

And in fact I did not use the word "monotone". What I used was "mono-tone", separating mono from tone, and never intending tone as a musical note or sound, but as an atmosphere or (quoting the dictionary) as "a manner of expression in" singing.

[baht habit]

This is not monotone.

And in fact I did not use the word "monotone". What I used was "mono-tone", separating mono from tone, and never intending tone as a musical note or sound, but as an atmosphere or (quoting the dictionary) as "a manner of expression in" singing.

Oh, so you were simply putting across the point that the singing style lacks expression and variety? It's monotonous. So therefore, Mono-tone. You made a pun. I missed that one entirely.

[Blemished]

C'mon Baht - with the greatest of respect, tone deafness is a pretty tough call to apply for a Sylvian fan!

My wife - a big fan of Japan & DS in the Tin Drum and Brilliant Trees days - groans whenever I put Davey boy on the Stereo and complains that all his tracks sound the same! Nonsense of course, but I guess we are in the realms of acquired taste!!

Perhaps a fairer criticism might be that he has moved into a slightly mono-key phase. Using drones and loops will push things that way however gifted one is melodically.

That said, I find that David's recent work has made me hear the superficially non-melodic in different ways. I hear a radiator clink and groan and I will - in the right context - hear an immense beauty in that. Sound is a wonderful thing and I am grateful for artists like David who can expand our consciousness of it.

[baht habit]

C'mon Baht - with the greatest of respect, tone deafness is a pretty tough call to apply for a Sylvian fan!

I had never labelled ink with being tone deaf. That is why I wrote :
'surely you are not tone deaf and you can recognize the difference in notes for the melody lines.'
It's just that the whole description of Sylvian's singing style as mono-tone threw me off a bit, because the melodies in his vocals seem quite apparent to me. And so I wondered why he would be accused of being monotone. But now I get the pun.

[kitaj]

I would surely agree with the monotone delivery of the vocals on Manafon, however melodical they, indeed, are.
there is a dryness to the way of singing but, most of all, there is a non-openness to the 'mouthing' of the voice - like a purposeful constricting/flattening of the vocal sound (compare this to the vocals on Dead Bees) - that was indeed the point, according to some of his interviews. hence the distance of feeling and the hard time some of us were having in connecting to the work. the new arrangements on DitW help in that respect. Blemish was more straightforwardly emotional (the 1st-person POV also helped in that regard).

[shesgotmedals]

Having now listened few time to this I feel that this is definately a grower, a bit harsh on first listen but can't get enough of it now, I should not Dare the stand out for me.

[japanfan]

I don't like Blemish, Manafon or most of the remix album. But there are two gems on Died in the wool, those being I should not dare and A certain slant of light. These two are that good they could have made it onto Brilliant Trees or SOTB.