I've heard the new record. I'm a journalist so don't ask me for any leaks etc. but I think everyone's gonna dig it.
It's definitely a mix of Ben's more recent solo efforts (as figured - they DID break up over ten years ago...) but it's awesome to hear the familiar rhythm section and the guys voices.
My favorites by far are ..
"...Michael Praytor" - great verses and great Sledge basslines/harmonies
"Draw a Crowd" is super catchy and starts with Jesusland-esque harmonies. Almost reminds me of "Your Redneck Past..." It's a fun one.
"Hold that Thought" reminds me of "Mess" but has an amazing twist towards the end. Very Reinhold...very BF5. I almost like it more than "Mess." Would have fit great on "Reinhold..."
Lots of maj7s for the musicians out there.
"Thank You for Breaking My Heart" is a waltz-y ballad and is a little mysteriously beautiful (i.e. "Boxing"/"Selfless, Cold & Composed"). One of their best ballads.
Ben's at his best when he writes in jazzier voicings and that's a huge key to the 5's sound and why his solo stuff is so much different.
Needless to say, it's a great album but more of a grower/slow burner than anything they've done yet but I love it!
I got an advanced copy too (not a journalist, just good searching/eBay-ing), and I'mma list my favorites now!
"Erase Me" - You've all already heard it, so you surely know why this is one of my favorites. I love the cinematic, Burtonesque, Elfman-y vibe it has.
"On Being Frank" has really neat lyrics. I really dig it. The chorus doesn't sound how I expected it to sound from the amazon preview, although in this case it's a good thing because it sounds better. I love the strings, I always love the strings. Everything in this song flows really well and I feel bad for the character in the song. That's a good thing, obviously.
"Draw a Crowd" - There's no way not to love this song. I knew the chorus before I heard it, but I still had a huge smile on my face hearing the lyric "Oh, if you're feeling small and you can't draw a crowd, draw dicks on the wall". And the "Jesusland" sounding harmonies are really nice sounding, but the "damn" separating them from the song (I think it's from Darren, maybe Ben) is hilarious. I think this may be my favorite song on the record, which I would not have expected coming into it.
Ever since I heard the preview of "Hold That Thought", I've been excited and it did not disappoint. It was very Rockin' the Suburbs (the album) sounding. That may seem disappointing to some, but really the RTS style was very close to BF5, and it's nice to hear an old school sounding Ben song.
And I will say I don't particularly care for the title track. It's not bad or anything, but it's the worst on the album (in my opinion). I enjoy it more on repeated listens, but it sounds like a Rock this Bitch or something. In terms of Folds-Hornby collaborations, there's stuff on Lonely Avenue that was better. Still a good song, just not what I hoped for. This certainly sounds like the Five, and I have to add that now that Darren's become a much better singer in general, his backup vocals in this are more recognizable and sound really awesome.