The Double Doghouse

this week for the weekly review, i’m listening to Heavy Black Heart, the 2017 record from death’s dynamic shroud!

we’re starting things off with CD Player IV, which brings a lot of the brooding, longing vibes i remember from I’ll Try Living Like This (fitting, as this song is following up CD Player pt III from that record). i like this a lot. next up is Tell Me Your Secret, with a tense, incredibly active vibe to it. this song is stressful in very fun ways. My Turned-Off Phone has a very interesting beat to it – really dig those tones that form the melody here, and theres some very fun stuff happening on the percussion too. Nothing Like This World has some wild vibes, ngl. feels very… empty, in spite of how much is happening, like floating through a dream. that vibe is emphasized by some of the really sudden edits. Life Should Be Easy has a really cool crest to it, coming out of Nothing Like This World, plus the bridge feels like an Animal Crossing song, which i love. You At Night is another spacious track – there definitely feels like there is something slightly wrong here, but in a way that’s kind of beautiful. the back half of this track really shines. Pennington Acres is a strange track – getting real like, industrial outrun vibes from the first half of this, and then the back half is uncharacteristically sunny, haha. and it’s so delightfully funky! hell yeah. i appreciate what South God Queen is laying down but i’m feeling kinda middling on it. Dream Argument feels very much like the like, heart of the record, like it crests here, finally, before Across the Pacific acts as a sort of outro. i fully recognize that’s a lil disrespectful of Across the Pacific but that’s just the kinda vibes i got

faves – Tell Me Your Secret, Life Should Be Easy, Pennington Acres
dislikes –

yeah on the whole i really enjoyed listening to this. i think comparisons with I’ll Try Living Like This are unavoidable (and likely intentional, given the aesthetic similarities and the choice to open with CD Player IV) – this explores similar space in a way that feels slightly more approachable. the “decoding” bits i mentioned last time are definitely toned down a bit, and there’s at least a few more recognizable samples here, haha. i think this record just feels a little more… smooth, yknow? it’s very enjoyable, very pleasant and strange and otherworldly and harsh when it needs to be, but there were only a few places where it leapt out and demanded attention. i do wanna be clear though – i had a good time, and definitely would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed I’ll Try Living Like This.

Heavy Black Heart – 7/10

the selection for this week’s suggestion pool is A Laughing Death in Meatspace, the 2018 debut record from Tropical Fuck Storm. i’ll be back next Friday, September 23rd for a review, and in the meantime, let me know what album you’d like me to review! (i pool all suggestions in one place, and draw a person, then a pick from that person, so feel free to drop as many as you’d like! if you leave an email or username i’ll contact you when i’ve gotten through all your suggestions.)