From: Paige McCormick, paigem@knology.net
Subject: AENT thoughts...since there haven't been any lately.  :-)
Date: 2/9/2002 5:39:44 AM
To: seance@lists.no-fi.com


Hi all!

After Everything Now This is one of the (if not THE) most BEAUTIFUL album
I've ever heard.  I won't do a song-by-song critique but I'll give you a
couple of my strongest opinions.

After Everything-I've listened to this 8 times now and still cry.  So sad.
And Kevin, I think Steve's done a great job on this album by making
emotions universally applicable.  I can't pick out clear-cut personal tales
in the album like I usually can.  Also, does anyone else hear the old
Spinners soul song "I'll Be Around" in this?  I swear...I start singing
that along with Steve.

Chromium-I usually don't enjoy Marty's voice (even if some of you do think
he sounds like Greg Dulli...that's why Dulli sings for Afghan Whigs and not
The Church) but on this song, it's great.  Next single?  Perhaps.  However,
I'd like to see them release something more low-key like After Everything.
They've been rockers on their singles for the majority of their career.
Why not try some of the soft stuff?  The climate is right for it right now
what's with Coldplay and such on rotation.

Seen It Coming-Love it.  No specifics here...just a great song.

As for the Numbers single...

DAMN what a ditty Undo is!  Listening to that with headphones is like being
on a rocket as it blasts.  Unbelievable!  The layers of noise and sound
just build and build and build.  God.  I never thought I'd see The Church
pull off noise so eloquently.  (I always hated the noise in Chaos...and I'm
generally a noisy music lover).

Final thoughts...

I saw mention of "muddy mix".  I agree with whoever suggested that you get
some headphones.  I've listened the past two nights on headphones and I can
hear every little nuance of the music.

I think that the key to being a great band is innovation.  The Church has
proved, yet again, that they are capable of taking on different directions
with perfection.  When Priest=Aura came out, I was devastated for about a
week because (as some of you discussed) MY Church (a'la Heyday and
Starfish) wasn't in there.  Then, it became my favorite album.  Well...AENT
isn't MY Church or YOUR Church...it's inspired and gorgeous 100% The
Church's Church.

Keep us guessing, guys.  It only gets better.

Paige