WE ALL WANT THE SAME THINGS FIRST IMPRESSIONS

[bigontheinside]

The album is out. It's fantastic. Share your thoughts.

One and a half listens in, Be Honest, Jester and June and God in Chicago are the standouts for me, I'm enjoying every track a lot though. It Hits When It Hits is beautiful. I loved FITF but this is miles better I think, time will tell I guess. Only thing I'm not sure about so far is some of the backing vocals, but they're already growing on me.

[mcstevepants]

This album is devastating in the best way.

[chinaski]

A lot grabbed me on my first listen - enjoyed that some of the tracks had a bit more energy to them aswell. Got a suspicion it will be my favourite CF record. God in Chicago hits even harder sitting between other songs like that. The change of pace is great.

Looking forward to the record arriving so I can sit down with it properly. Some lines grabbed me but not enough for me to quote them yet. I wasn't absorbing them properly (too busy doing other things) so I want to go back and get inside the record a bit more.

[robs]

Two listens in (whilst trying to work) and loving it. Came home to find the vinyl had arrived. Looking forward to spinning it this evening (whilst wearing my hat!).

[thrasher9294]

I'm only three songs in, but I'm genuinely surprised. There's lots of little really grim/rough elements that stand out, like that squealy-solo on Ninety Bucks, and then in the same song it becomes this gospel-influenced piano bit... Damn, it's fucking great.

Edit: All of these really rough little sounds, I love them. The transitional bits. I didn't expect it to be this "experimental" (for lack of a better term).

[tbob]

I certainly think it's his most accomplished solo record yet.
Ninety Bucks, Rescue Blues and Be Honest are all standouts for me but God in Chicago is gonna take some beating on repeat listens.
The lyrics are vivid and the style is bold and while an obvious fit for someone with a speak-sing delivery it was still totally unexpected.
As so often with first impressions this statement could well change but I think it's possibly the best record he's been involved with since Stay Positive.

[cre618]

Mar 24, 2017 12:14:56 GMT -5 tbob said:

I think it's possibly the best record he's been involved with since Stay Positive.

This. I'm in love.

Anybody know which songs Tad plays on? I think Craig said 4 in an interview.

[Eric]

It caught me off guard. In the best possible way.

I was expecting a Craig Finn record, this is something else entirely. It's heavenly. I envy anyone who's first CF experience is this. (Did that make sense?) He's showing now signs of slowing down, only getting better by the album.

Favourites are Ninety Bucks (should have been the single), and Tracking Shots. Oh and the slow version of Calvery Court. Amazing.

[doctoracula]

I just checked the digital booklet and it doesn't say which songs Tad played on
I'm wondering if he did some of the swelling ambient guitar. He's very good at that.
The album is very very good. The 1-2-3 of "birds trapped in the airport", "god in chicago", and "rescue blues" is so incredible and heartbreaking. and then "be honest" is the perfect closer.

[cre618]

From what I can tell, unlike FITF, Josh Kaufman is credited as a co-songwriter with Craig on this record. Together, they make some beautiful music.

[fontaine]

Great first impression. Lyrically, it's dense and compelling; musically, it's diverse and unexpected (the beginning of Rescue Blues kind of reminds me of the Dead). Looking forward to further listens. I'm pretty sure this record will hold up well over time.

[steveyeti419]

When I heard Preludes and God In Chicago (which still is giving me chills, such a beautiful song), last week I knew there was something about this album. Hearing it for the fist time yesterday was beyond what I even thought it could be. Every song is moving in its own way, and I don't think there was a skip-able song on the whole thing. 2017 is going to be such a great year for music between Craig's record and the new Japandroids album, and the new Jason Isbell coming out in June (and many more).

[lukeindetroit]

First impressions

Really great, definitely the furthest he's strayed from THS for better and worse. I'm not sure if I think it's better than FITF but I also know it will be a grower so wel'll see

"God in Chicago": obviously the centerpiece of the record, obviously the most moving song. Probably not one to put on repeat though.

Highlights for me on the first listen were "90 bucks" and "Be Honest". "Be Honest" particularly is evocative in both lyrics and music in a way I haven't heard often from anyone. Second time through, "It Hits When It Hits" was really growing on me, but I couldn't tell you why.

As a side note: Even as a great lover of Budweiser and Bud Lite, Bud Clamato is fucking disgusting.

[delboydrums]

Mar 26, 2017 11:55:15 GMT -5 lukeindetroit said:

First impressions

Really great, definitely the furthest he's strayed from THS for better and worse. I'm not sure if I think it's better than FITF but I also know it will be a grower so wel'll see

"God in Chicago": obviously the centerpiece of the record, obviously the most moving song. Probably not one to put on repeat though.

Highlights for me on the first listen were "90 bucks" and "Be Honest". "Be Honest" particularly is evocative in both lyrics and music in a way I haven't heard often from anyone. Second time through, "It Hits When It Hits" was really growing on me, but I couldn't tell you why.

As a side note: Even as a great lover of Budweiser and Bud Lite, Bud Clamato is fucking disgusting.

Ha ha!

I think I might have mentioned that etc.

[cre618]

To me, "Birds Trapped in the Airport" and "God in Chicago" are two of the best things he's ever done.

[muzzleofbees]

Haven't had time to check in here before now, but WAWTST is still pretty fresh to me. I'm only two listens in, and my first impression is that this is both a mature and quite bold album. It sounds like the work of an artist who feels home in his own songs, and dare to experiment with instrumentation, production and structure. I'm pretty impressed of how it sounds. There's so much going on here, and a few of the moves sounds a bit unlike Craig in the first place, but in the duration of each songs, they make sense. The different types of horns, the synthy parts of a couple of the songs, the very sad and silent God In Chicago - it isn't exactly given that these things work out well. But for the most parts, they do. I think all the different approaches have been done in a way who sounds confident and safe. And that's quite pleasing.

On the other hand, it's an album who in many ways are less exciting than the last one. Fewer songs or parts of songs who instantly hit my heart or gut. But I can live with that, when the overall result sounds so smooth, safe and coherent.

I think Ninety Bucks is my earliest favourite. And there are very few low points.

Looking forward to get to know the album better. Faith In The Future hit me right from the start, but I have a feeling that this will be a grower.

[muzzleofbees]

Mar 24, 2017 9:12:22 GMT -5 thrasher9294 said:

I'm only three songs in, but I'm genuinely surprised. There's lots of little really grim/rough elements that stand out, like that squealy-solo on Ninety Bucks, and then in the same song it becomes this gospel-influenced piano bit... Damn, it's fucking great.

Edit: All of these really rough little sounds, I love them. The transitional bits. I didn't expect it to be this "experimental" (for lack of a better term).

Agree. Both in the "experimental" and the "for lack of a better term" parts. It IS sort of experimental, but in a really soft and self assured way. It's not sounds thrown in there for the sake of doing something different or for the sake of being experimental - it's more like these moves are deliberate and well-thought actions by Craig and Kaufmann, who serves the songs, melodies and lyrics. But there's lots of stuff there you normally wouldn't expect to hear on a Craig Finn record, or even expect to work out especially well. Pleasant surprise that they do.

[spencerm]

I think Be Honest is my standout so far (other than God in Chicago, obviously). Both are excellent. Birds Trapped in the Airport kind of makes me think of what The Postal Service would sound like if you swapped Craig for Ben Gibbard.

Re: the experimentation. It isn't really gelling for me yet. Mostly, the album sounds a bit more disjointed than FITF, which really seemed to me a pretty coherent statement. Maybe I just would have preferred a different song ordering or something? I don't know. I feel like Screenwriter's School and Sometimes She Doesn't Call Back would have fit in better here than a couple of the other songs. I'll have to report back once I've let this sink in a bit more.

[chinaski]

Mar 27, 2017 17:04:31 GMT -5 spencerm said:

Mostly, the album sounds a bit more disjointed than FITF, which really seemed to me a pretty coherent statement. 

I agree, but for me that's why I think I prefer it so far. FITF was definitely cohesive, but ultimately it means for me it ends up feeling a bit more one note by comparison. I either want to listen to it or I don't. At this point, which admittedly is only after a few listens, because Same Things has more going on, it means there's more for me to dig my teeth into or enjoy in different ways. There still are some bits in certain songs that I've not quite processed yet that make my brain go 'oh, ok'. Like the first few seconds of the album itself - that straggly bit of racket. Where did that come from?

[Northern Wish]

Love it. Spinning on Spotify it lead me to the Newmeyers Roof ep which I had not heard. When 3 Drinks came on I couldn't escape the notion that I had heard that bass intro before. About 3 hours later it hit me: Joel Plaskett's "Work Out Fine". Check em out and tell me what you think.

[muzzleofbees]

At this point, I probably prefer FITF. It's such a strong, even, well-rounded album, with a version of Craig Finn I'll always love. But it's nice to get the feeling that WAWTST is so different that it really doesn't seem natural to compare them. FITF was almost the perfect version of the album I would thought or hoped that Craig Finn solo would make. WAWTST is pretty far from anything I'd expect him to do. It almost sounds like a pop record, in it's own weird way. And I'm digging it more and more.

[chinaski]

Nice to see Pitchfork gave it a good review. I know, it's Pitchfork, but some people do listen to them. pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23008-we-all-want-the-same-things/

[charlie]

this is my favorite thing Craig has put out in a long time. he found the lane for his solo sound where the songs have some life and liveliness to them, but I don't wish they were THS songs. the whole record has this determined melancholy to it that I love and can identify with. it feels like the vision is more realized than CHFE or FITF.

[parock]

Like Joe said, the 123 of Birds/God/Rescue is unfuckwithable.

[parock]

Mar 30, 2017 6:14:54 GMT -5 charlie said:

this is my favorite thing Craig has put out in a long time. he found the lane for his solo sound where the songs have some life and liveliness to them, but I don't wish they were THS songs. the whole record has this determined melancholy to it that I love and can identify with. it feels like the vision is more realized than CHFE or FITF.

and also this. Great job CF.