MassfreeKid

I completely agree! When I play it on repeat, I'll often be surprised by Gemini's first sound - like, already?

That's right, it's important not to have any expectations when you have a long history with an artist... Imagine when Aphex will come back, so many of his biggest fans will be disappointed, because they can already listen to his new album in their heads and they know how it should sound, you know? It's the same story with this new BoC... I feel like many fans had too much of a clear picture of where the duo should or could be heading in 2013 to fully appreciate where they actually are. When philosopher Michel Onfray was repeatedly asked by a journalist why he didn't write about this or that in his latest book, or why he didn't include this or that specific analysis, he told her: I know what your problem is, you came here to interview me to know why I didn't write the book that YOU would like to write. So go ahead and write it! Then you can focus on commenting my book and not the one I should have written according to what a great book is in your head. I think BoC could say that to a couple of disappointed fans these days...

What's wrong with that snare?

I don't know if it's better, I mean who's to say, but as of right now, I really prefer Tomorrow's Harvest to TCH. Both albums are almost like two sides of one coin, the same way Children and Geo were. In my mind, THC was to Children what this new album is to Geo, kind of an older brother with more experience and a greater scope. Beyond these comparisons, I love the new one because it is more minimal, emotionally a bit darker and a lot more mysterious in nature. Tomorrow's Harvest doesn't explicitly say everything it contains - you have to work your way into its songs to appreciate all the subtleties of the music. I always felt that TCH was Boards' pop album - in that everything it has to say stands right there in front of you, which would explain, I guess, its wide popularity. This new one is different: less is more with Tomorrow's Harvest. Fans of ambient music and minimal drone probably have an easier time to get into it. That's why I think it will be a grower for many current haters. After all, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. And sometimes it's harder to appreciate minimal art because you get the feeling that there's not much to chew on or to hold on to. It's like you have to fill in the gaps with your own thoughts and emotions. So in a way, this new album is all about what's left unsaid in the shadows, whereas THC kind of spoon-fed you its melodies under the sun. That's why Tomorrow's Harvest, as beautiful as it is, sometimes feels so uneasy, desolate and melancholic. Another 420-friendly album for sure - a consistent factor that hasn't changed throughout Boards' discography.