LISTEN V. RATE: The Official GRIMES Rate (WINNER REVEALED!)
- Thread starter Raichu
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#40/40
FEYD RAUTHA DARK HEART
6.888888889
My Score: 6
(@Xanax, @Remorque: 10) HIGHEST V. LOWEST (@Untouchable Ace: 1.5)
I can see why this made it so far, becoming the final track to fall before the Geidi Primes Top 3. It’s probably the GP song with the highest degree of pop sensibility. That beat is a satisfying blend of atmospheric and dancey; the drums almost sound Visions-like. So why did I score it so low? I lowkey hate the melody in this song. It’s not undercooked or anything, which is why I didn’t score the song lower, it’s just really annoying. It’s so repetitive and cloying (this also applies to the lyrics). Which I know is largely a matter of taste, but I can’t, in good conscience, give more than a 6 to a song that I don’t really like that much.
Dependably, caladan (8) gives us the scoop on what the title means: “The song is a little repetitive but it manages to remain interesting. This song is about Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the younger nephew of the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. The later is the main villain within the Dune universe. The House Harkonnen is the main enemy of the House Atreides.” I’m told that Feyd-Rautha is also a musician on the side, producing such hits as Fields of Gold, Every Breath You Take, and Desert Rose. Cutlery (7.5) gives Feyd a higher score than Yours Truly, but has at least one complaint in common: “A very pop chorus kind of affair. If Avi was the threshold, this would be the sort of boss encounter song that follows. Despite the fact it haunts you with its spell-like lyrics, the track does wear out after some time when I've been told my heart won't be broken in the dark for the 700th time.” The track is not wearing out for Remorque (10), who says, “Hypnotic and eerie. This one was one of the immediate standouts from the first album for me. In the verses she sounds as if she has one foot in the grave already, but that chorus reels me back in every time.” Xanax matches Remorque’s perfect score and labels it the album’s (dark) heart: “Personally, this is the standout track from her debut! It feels like the albums heart. The changing vocals and the slowly building instrumental are just perfection. Like the whole album this song already feels very witchhouse-y but in a very organic sound pattern. Swamp witch anthem! (+ the song title alone is perfection).” constantino (7) says it bops, but seems a bit unsure: “Bop? I get strong Visions teas from this. It does get a little bit repetitive towards the end, so I think it would have benefitted from being a minute shorter or so.” It would benefit from having a completely different melody and lyrics, TBH. For Trouble in Paradise (5), Feyd quickly wore out his welcome: “I found this really charming on my first few listens but now it’s a bit stale in a way that few Grimes songs can be. She’s normally so full of ideas and turns but this feels almost too basic.” But enough about the write-ups I’ll produce when this rate has finally sapped the last drops of mental and emotional energy from me.
YouTube Comments Section
Luke: This is one of my top 10 favorite songs. For reference; I have heard many songs.
Baron Samedi: Ghede Primes? Yes...yes...we approve. Tell my horse to bring us rum and cigarettes. Brigitte...she is hungry, but I am only thirsty.
Lord Ravioli: He won't break your heart in the dark. He will break it right in front of you, and probably force your family to watch.
HEARTBEATS
6.888888889
My Score: 5
(@caladan: 10) HIGHEST V. LOWEST (@Cutlery: 4.5)
I can also understand why this one got so far. It has a beautiful atmosphere: it sounds like the perfect soundtrack for watching the late evening transition into night (maybe with a blunt in hand). I love those stately synths that appear about two minutes in. To be honest, I probably underscored this a tad, but listening to it feels like a huge chore to me. The melody (and the production, for that matter) is not nearly interesting enough to support its length. It sounds fine, but I get impatient for it to be over, which is an emotion I shouldn’t feel while listening to a song.
I don’t think the song sounds like the rest of Halfaxa (it feels more Darkbloomy to me) and the ever-informative caladan (10) explains why: “Perfect dreamy song. It wasn't part of the original album, though.” For Cutlery (4.5), the Heartbeats-less version of the album was superior: “Always been one of the cuts I come back the least to. It has something going on for its ambience and deviation from pop at first, but stretching it out over five minutes was certainly a choice. At least the singing-from-another-room effect could be seen as memorable.” Trouble in Paradise (8) might not agree with me on the song’s score, but he does agree that it has those twilit vibes: “Dreamy. The perfect music to watch the sun set.” It should be called Music To Watch Sunset To…Okay, that was really bad. Moving on, Xanax (6.5) says, “Such a quiet, moody song. I love the minimal instrumentation which put full focus on the muddy vocals. Also the “I go back alone“ which she later uses in realiti… always grabs me.” constantino (8) dubs it a “A really pretty track, even though it plods a bit. More so than any other track on the album, this song really shines outside the context of the album.” Makes sense, considering that the song, as caladan tell us, wasn’t originally part of the album. The fact that it wasn’t part of OG Halfaxa poses some access issues for Mirwais Ahmadzai (7.5): “I wish this was available on streaming services (it’s not on Apple Music at least). Hearing her lower register is really interesting. It’s almost like there’s another person singing. Really dreamy.” To bring this write up to a close, we’ll turn to Untouchable Ace (9), who thinks it transcends dreamy into “Angelic.”
YouTube Comments Section
labelfree904: There are times when there is no thought in my head except this song.. It's like an emotion on it's own.
Samantha Scott: So appropriate for the sombre ambiance of a Canadian winter.
The Spiritual Path: Feel the cold. feel the life
FEYD RAUTHA DARK HEART
6.888888889
My Score: 6
(@Xanax, @Remorque: 10) HIGHEST V. LOWEST (@Untouchable Ace: 1.5)
I can see why this made it so far, becoming the final track to fall before the Geidi Primes Top 3. It’s probably the GP song with the highest degree of pop sensibility. That beat is a satisfying blend of atmospheric and dancey; the drums almost sound Visions-like. So why did I score it so low? I lowkey hate the melody in this song. It’s not undercooked or anything, which is why I didn’t score the song lower, it’s just really annoying. It’s so repetitive and cloying (this also applies to the lyrics). Which I know is largely a matter of taste, but I can’t, in good conscience, give more than a 6 to a song that I don’t really like that much.
Dependably, caladan (8) gives us the scoop on what the title means: “The song is a little repetitive but it manages to remain interesting. This song is about Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the younger nephew of the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. The later is the main villain within the Dune universe. The House Harkonnen is the main enemy of the House Atreides.” I’m told that Feyd-Rautha is also a musician on the side, producing such hits as Fields of Gold, Every Breath You Take, and Desert Rose. Cutlery (7.5) gives Feyd a higher score than Yours Truly, but has at least one complaint in common: “A very pop chorus kind of affair. If Avi was the threshold, this would be the sort of boss encounter song that follows. Despite the fact it haunts you with its spell-like lyrics, the track does wear out after some time when I've been told my heart won't be broken in the dark for the 700th time.” The track is not wearing out for Remorque (10), who says, “Hypnotic and eerie. This one was one of the immediate standouts from the first album for me. In the verses she sounds as if she has one foot in the grave already, but that chorus reels me back in every time.” Xanax matches Remorque’s perfect score and labels it the album’s (dark) heart: “Personally, this is the standout track from her debut! It feels like the albums heart. The changing vocals and the slowly building instrumental are just perfection. Like the whole album this song already feels very witchhouse-y but in a very organic sound pattern. Swamp witch anthem! (+ the song title alone is perfection).” constantino (7) says it bops, but seems a bit unsure: “Bop? I get strong Visions teas from this. It does get a little bit repetitive towards the end, so I think it would have benefitted from being a minute shorter or so.” It would benefit from having a completely different melody and lyrics, TBH. For Trouble in Paradise (5), Feyd quickly wore out his welcome: “I found this really charming on my first few listens but now it’s a bit stale in a way that few Grimes songs can be. She’s normally so full of ideas and turns but this feels almost too basic.” But enough about the write-ups I’ll produce when this rate has finally sapped the last drops of mental and emotional energy from me.
YouTube Comments Section
Luke: This is one of my top 10 favorite songs. For reference; I have heard many songs.
Baron Samedi: Ghede Primes? Yes...yes...we approve. Tell my horse to bring us rum and cigarettes. Brigitte...she is hungry, but I am only thirsty.
Lord Ravioli: He won't break your heart in the dark. He will break it right in front of you, and probably force your family to watch.
HEARTBEATS
6.888888889
My Score: 5
(@caladan: 10) HIGHEST V. LOWEST (@Cutlery: 4.5)
I can also understand why this one got so far. It has a beautiful atmosphere: it sounds like the perfect soundtrack for watching the late evening transition into night (maybe with a blunt in hand). I love those stately synths that appear about two minutes in. To be honest, I probably underscored this a tad, but listening to it feels like a huge chore to me. The melody (and the production, for that matter) is not nearly interesting enough to support its length. It sounds fine, but I get impatient for it to be over, which is an emotion I shouldn’t feel while listening to a song.
I don’t think the song sounds like the rest of Halfaxa (it feels more Darkbloomy to me) and the ever-informative caladan (10) explains why: “Perfect dreamy song. It wasn't part of the original album, though.” For Cutlery (4.5), the Heartbeats-less version of the album was superior: “Always been one of the cuts I come back the least to. It has something going on for its ambience and deviation from pop at first, but stretching it out over five minutes was certainly a choice. At least the singing-from-another-room effect could be seen as memorable.” Trouble in Paradise (8) might not agree with me on the song’s score, but he does agree that it has those twilit vibes: “Dreamy. The perfect music to watch the sun set.” It should be called Music To Watch Sunset To…Okay, that was really bad. Moving on, Xanax (6.5) says, “Such a quiet, moody song. I love the minimal instrumentation which put full focus on the muddy vocals. Also the “I go back alone“ which she later uses in realiti… always grabs me.” constantino (8) dubs it a “A really pretty track, even though it plods a bit. More so than any other track on the album, this song really shines outside the context of the album.” Makes sense, considering that the song, as caladan tell us, wasn’t originally part of the album. The fact that it wasn’t part of OG Halfaxa poses some access issues for Mirwais Ahmadzai (7.5): “I wish this was available on streaming services (it’s not on Apple Music at least). Hearing her lower register is really interesting. It’s almost like there’s another person singing. Really dreamy.” To bring this write up to a close, we’ll turn to Untouchable Ace (9), who thinks it transcends dreamy into “Angelic.”
YouTube Comments Section
labelfree904: There are times when there is no thought in my head except this song.. It's like an emotion on it's own.
Samantha Scott: So appropriate for the sombre ambiance of a Canadian winter.
The Spiritual Path: Feel the cold. feel the life
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I don't think Cutlery will truly be able to rest easy until Entropy is out.
One of the hardest, but most rewarding, things about running this rate is finding appropriate images for every song since, with a few exceptions, I limit myself to images that are associated with Grimes, whether they're her own artwork, fan artwork, photos of her, or from her two Instagram accounts. I really struggled to find a good one for Heartbeats. That image is from one of her Instagrams and I literally picked it up because the elf creature has a heart on its chest lol.
One of the hardest, but most rewarding, things about running this rate is finding appropriate images for every song since, with a few exceptions, I limit myself to images that are associated with Grimes, whether they're her own artwork, fan artwork, photos of her, or from her two Instagram accounts. I really struggled to find a good one for Heartbeats. That image is from one of her Instagrams and I literally picked it up because the elf creature has a heart on its chest lol.
You're doing a great job so far with the pics and the presentation. It's my favorite PJ rate I've seen.
Thanks so much! That means a lot.
#39
SWAN SONG
6.916666667
My Score: 7.5
(@Cutlery: 9) HIGHEST V. LOWEST (@Untouchable Ace: 4)
As far as birds go, swans kinda sl@y. They serve lewks and elegance and they inspired one of the books that got me into reading. And as far as swan-based media goes, this song ranks pretty highly. It’s an absolute BLAST of ethereal energy. It’s so light and feathery but it also has a heck of a driving force to it. The galloping beat is an interesting counterpoint to the windy vocals and the “ha ha ha ha” bits are kind of addictive. I don’t see people talk about this song much, but I’m not surprised it has managed to be more successful than most of its Halfaxa peers. It’s very lovely.
Y’all almost gave this a 7-point average, but didn’t have a lot to say about it. Cutlery (9) acknowledges this dynamic in his commentary: “The beat serves horses galloping, and the ah ah ah ah’s are pretty. Not much I can write about it, but I'm very fond of it! Still a very nice listen and definitely on the side of the more successful Halfaxa experiments.” Xanax (7) is also feeling the galloping beat, but uses another term for it: “The instrumental is just beautiful! Really love how driven the whole thing sounds.” Yes, it really does have a lot of movement. Caladan (8) calls it a “a nice song,” while constantino (8.5) gives Claire a bonus for self-editing: “Bop? Go off, Claire. Lemme bump up my score a bit for making this a reasonable length unlike virtually every other track on this slog of an album.” Finally, Trouble in Paradise (8.5) worries that the song won’t get its due: “I’m a little nervous this song may be done wrong cause it’s on the back half on the interminably long Halfaxa, but it’s a nice little bop with a running beat and my favorite layered Grimes vocals.” For being so overlooked in her discography, it did quite well for itself! Even if y’all are paying it dust commentary-wise.
YouTube Comments Section
Kuruchan: I thought it said Swag Song
Emily Gonzoles: Does anyone else hear the cat purring in the beginning?
Mykola Sandra: i want to be her cat
The Grimes fan-made video industry is going strong:
SWAN SONG
6.916666667
My Score: 7.5
(@Cutlery: 9) HIGHEST V. LOWEST (@Untouchable Ace: 4)
As far as birds go, swans kinda sl@y. They serve lewks and elegance and they inspired one of the books that got me into reading. And as far as swan-based media goes, this song ranks pretty highly. It’s an absolute BLAST of ethereal energy. It’s so light and feathery but it also has a heck of a driving force to it. The galloping beat is an interesting counterpoint to the windy vocals and the “ha ha ha ha” bits are kind of addictive. I don’t see people talk about this song much, but I’m not surprised it has managed to be more successful than most of its Halfaxa peers. It’s very lovely.
Y’all almost gave this a 7-point average, but didn’t have a lot to say about it. Cutlery (9) acknowledges this dynamic in his commentary: “The beat serves horses galloping, and the ah ah ah ah’s are pretty. Not much I can write about it, but I'm very fond of it! Still a very nice listen and definitely on the side of the more successful Halfaxa experiments.” Xanax (7) is also feeling the galloping beat, but uses another term for it: “The instrumental is just beautiful! Really love how driven the whole thing sounds.” Yes, it really does have a lot of movement. Caladan (8) calls it a “a nice song,” while constantino (8.5) gives Claire a bonus for self-editing: “Bop? Go off, Claire. Lemme bump up my score a bit for making this a reasonable length unlike virtually every other track on this slog of an album.” Finally, Trouble in Paradise (8.5) worries that the song won’t get its due: “I’m a little nervous this song may be done wrong cause it’s on the back half on the interminably long Halfaxa, but it’s a nice little bop with a running beat and my favorite layered Grimes vocals.” For being so overlooked in her discography, it did quite well for itself! Even if y’all are paying it dust commentary-wise.
YouTube Comments Section
Kuruchan: I thought it said Swag Song
Emily Gonzoles: Does anyone else hear the cat purring in the beginning?
Mykola Sandra: i want to be her cat
The Grimes fan-made video industry is going strong:
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He/Him
Your comments in our commentary consistently make me laugh!
Thanks! That's good to hear! I try.
Rhetorical question: Voignamir?
He/Him
I think for me there are albums that have much longer run times that feel much shorter. Though to be honest I've never listened to either of the albums you mentioned though I've heard songs from both haha
I used to listen to Halfaxa almost every day.
That's pretty intense.