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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One short of six stars, March 28, 2006
Jim Thirwell comes back after four years to drop a bombshell on the world. If only more people knew it. It's truly a shame that such lush, inventive, and powerful music is overlooked in the popular culture. Every person I play this for, no matter what their musical preference, recognizes the tremendous skill present on this album. In a way this is the most approachable Foetus album - its melodies and arrangments are inviting, yet the compositions themselves are no less defiantly idiosyncratic than on any previous release.
Right off the bat it's obvious that Thirwell's got new tools at his disposal - a harpsichord for one, along with many other disparate instruments that he combines effortlessly song after song. His production skills seem more honed as well - no longer does each track bluster with noise; whereas on Flow "Cirrhosis of the Heart" was a juxtaposed respite from the intensely brutal tracks that surrounded it, the songs here are more subtly developed, which is probably one of the big reasons why this album feels more approachable. Contrast "Quick Fix" with "(Not Adam)," for example; the first jumps out of the gate and blasts the listener's ears off, and, while some of us enjoy that, "(Not Adam)" lulls the listener in with its portentious opening and excites the listener with its sudden dynamic shifts and shifting layers. When Thirwell begins to sing about killing a woman and disposing of her body, it is over an evolved dance pulse that gets the foot tapping (or the booty shaking), while the dramatically reverbed piano following this section tugs all the heart strings.
This sophistication in arrangement and production is present throughout the album, and several tracks, especially "Miracle" and "Blessed Evening" are beloved even by my friends who listen to the radio. I don't think there's anything less edgy about this album than previous albums. I don't think anyone could say Jim Thirwell sold out with a straight face, considering the incredible quality of this music. I just think that the music is concealed in less noise than before, allowing for the average Jane and Joe to hear what us Foetus fans have heard all along: invigorating, enthralling, amazing music.
To sum up, this is my favorite Foetus album, and I own them all. He's dropped the swing/jazz flavors of Flow and Gash in favor of orchestral flavorings here. Of course, Thirwell draws from sources as far as the ear can hear, creating a tapestry of references and inventions that can be beautiful and punishing at the same time. At any rate, even if you're a fan of everything since OKFM, you haven't heard anything like this.
The title of this review is in reference to a couple small flaws, as I see them. Whereas Nail, the ultimate Foetus album to date, featured a lyrical concept that tied all the songs together, there is no concept that I can discover on Love. Also, Hole and Nail each featured a song that slowly built to a climax ("Sick Man" and "Descent into the Inferno," respectively), and those have always been two of my favorite songs. With each new Foetus release I hope there will be a song along those lines, but have been left wanting thus far. It's a small gripe, especially since, in the absence of these songs, I've gotten so many great ones (especially "Miracle," which I probably like better anyway). So, I would have liked to give this album six stars out of five, but five will have to do. It's still one of my favorite albums of all time.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Agony of DeFoetus..., July 23, 2005
Every consecutive Foetus release only blows me away more... Since Amazon didn't list the tracklist, here it is:
1. (not adam) - sinister, fast-paced, and dramatic. 10/10
2. Mon Agonie Douce - JGT's first french song. interesting and slow (the background whispers are nice 'n creepy) but weaker compared to other tracks on the album. 6/10
3. Aladdin Reverse - wow. it takes a couple listens to get used to, but it floats around quietly for a while only to slam you with a nice sucker-punch of a heavy chorus. 9/10
4. Miracle - you're probably familiar with the Jay Wasco remix of this song from the (Not Adam) EP. I personally love the remix... the album version has a nice orchestral beat-down. A little clunky in the lyrics department with the chorus, but I'll forgive him this time. 9/10
5. Don't Want Me Anymore - I personally love this slower track. 9/10
6. Blessed Evening - an instant classic! dark and evil... 10/10
7. Pareidolia - another slow and floaty track. easily overlooked. 5/10
8. Thrush - the JGT duet with Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields, Lovage), which is both beautiful and unsettling! 8/10
9. Time Marches On - another track remixed from the (Not Adam) EP... but the remix sounds nothing like this song (in a good way). I really love the fast pace, especially with the strings thrown in to make it sound especially epic 10/10
10. How to Vibrate - weird and tortured, reminding me somewhat of Kreibabe from FLOW. quiet at times, noisy at times. ya just can't peg this song down! 10/10
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All you need is LOVE, January 29, 2006
Amazon and the esteemed reviewers of the Foetus LOVE album have neglected to mention that it comes with a DVD containing 3 videos from LOVE including Blessed Evening directed by Karen O (YeahYeahYeahs) with director of photography Spike Jonze, and (not adam) directed by Jeremy Solterbeck (who also directed videos for Lovage and Handsome Boys Modelling School, among others), with trailers of the J.G. Thirlwell-scored Venture Brothers (currently airing on Adult Swim/Cartoon Network), as well as classic early live footage, a video by Rotoskop and never before seen footage from upcoming J.G. Thirlwell documentary.
And the album is up there with the best Foetus has ever done! It is symphonic,sweeping and shattering!
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