The album starts from the inception of a relationship to the eventual break up and the aftermath that comes from it. Also a cool fact is that Matt Talbott said that him and his girlfriend were insomniacs and hardly ever slept. The only time they would fall asleep was during Sunday football on his couch. “While everyone sleeps they wait for Sunday afternoon”. The couch was called the suicide machine because it fit both of them and they would pass out together.
I am listening to this album in full for the first time to understand a breakup. Fantastic is all I can say. Fuck. Wish I listened to this years ago. You know your relationship is a bit off when shit like this helps you heal. It is good therapy.
I can’t wait to hear her review Downward is Heavenward. That album is a masterpiece and probably one of the most under appreciated albums of all time. My wife calls it my relaxation rock album because I put it on when I’m stressed. It’s so soothing yet still rocks.
Hum is a vastly underrated band. Love all their records. Their new one Inlet is worth a listen. Might also want to check out the band Failure. I think you'll love Fantastic Planet by them.
Hum, Slint, Codeine, and Seam where four of my favorite 1990s indie bands that incorporated heavy atmospheric tones and had this slow pacing that was so much different than other bands of the time. Another great reaction and really awesome to hear this again! Hum had a new release in 2020, Inlet, which is a solid release.
I LOVE the way you say acoustic. It’s like “uh-CUE-stic”. Love it. Love Hum too. Best shoegaze/space rock, post grunge band ever. Another great video Molly.
Hum plays with quiet/loud/quiet better than almost anyone. Deftones plays with the same dynamic at times, with more of an "in your face" vibe ratcheted up to the next level, but for my money the range Hum plays in is more cathartic.
just caught this, i didn't realize you'd gotten to Hum. A true gem of a band from the early 90s that never really took off like they deserved. The album after this one Downward is Heavenward is definitely worth checking out. Stand out songs on that album for me are Ms. Lazarus, Coming Home, Afternoon with the Axlotls and Green to Me. i like the album Inlet that they released in 2020, but the two from 95 and 98 are the best versions of this band. Sadly, their drummer died in 2021 and he was a special talent.
Hum and Failure were two of my favorite bands back in college forever ago. Hum very clearly inspired so many bands for the succeeding era of bands after them. Every one of their albums could be dissected in detail by sound designers and would yield a fascinating result. 10/10
@@itmightgetdarkyes, it’s not the same but you just need to see the vision. The first song was super boring to me but eventually I saw the vision and now I like it. I think Another Space Song, the Nurse Who Loved Me, and Pillowhead were the first couple I liked and now it’s one of my favorite albums
I know, I never would have heard of it myself if people hadn't recommended it to me in the comments. I'm glad I've got viewers with good taste in music, haha!
This will be fun. I hope you get to Downward is Heavenward. The mix and soundspace are immense. This album, although not as well mixed, might be perfect.
I love the way they combine elements of shoegaze and post-rock with a heavy alternative rock edge. the instrumentation on this album (and the albums that follow) is masterful. they create such a dynamic atmosphere, jumping from clean and jangly parts to massive chords with that beautiful wall of distortion. the guitar tone is absolutely immaculate. I think they really perfect their style with their next album Downward is Heavenward. It’s a lot heavier and it’s my favorite album of theirs, I hope we get a reaction to that one next 😊 also I love how you mentioned Weezer, I think the vocalist sounds a lot like Rivers Cuomo! when I was little I would hear Stars on the radio, and for years thought it was a Weezer song until I got older and found out it was actually Hum lol.
Yes! FINALLY! Instant click. Really hoping you continue the Hum journey, as the next two albums are also masterpieces. (Note...wanna really see the influence this album had on Deftones? Listen to "Little Dipper" from this album and then "Knife Party" from White Pony.
The squelchy/screechy sounds are guitar feedback. You hear it quite a bit in 90s rock/alternative. Probably the most famous for incorporating it into their sound was The Jesus and Mary Chain.
This band is truly one of 90’s rock’s best kept secrets! I freaking love Hum and couldn’t believe I had never heard of them until last year. This album is very good, but their follow up Downward is Heavenward is on another level. Everything about that record blows me away and it deserves so much more love and praise than it gets (just like the band)
Hum’s breakthrough radio hit off this album was “Stars”. It’s a great track, but I think my favorite is “I Hate It Too.” Also, I don’t know if you listen to heavier stuff in the post-hardcore / metalcore realm, but it’d be awesome to see you react (or just listen privately) to “The Satellite Years” by Hopesfall. It was produced by Matt Talbot of Hum and he appears on a track vocally as well. The overall vibe is way heavier than Hum, but it also has a beautiful, melodic feel to it. EDIT: editing this because after looking at more of your videos, I see that you definitely are into heavier genres as well. I definitely recommend that Hopesfall record if you get a chance to listen to it
“I Hate It Too” is a fav of mine as well. When I 1st heard “Stars” I didn't like it because it started so damn slow, then I turned on the radio 1 night & heard the end of the song & the difference in sound caught me off guard, so the next time I heard the beginning I stuck w/ it. Had a heart attack when the guitars really kicked in, but survived & realized I was listening to a masterpiece.
I'm writing this as you hit track 2, so glad you're checking out Hum!! I can't recommend Downward is Heavenward enough, it's one of my favorite Albums of all time, & has been my go to for testing a new audio setup. Thanks for this!
Those "screechy" noises are the sound of VERY loud gained-up/distorted guitar amps feeding back while not being played. Hendrix pioneered this (of course) but very few "heavy guitar" bands utilize it today, using noise gates to "clamp down" on those sounds, which are usually considered unwanted for a "proper" guitar take while recording. One of the things I've loved about Hum (especially on this album) is that they left those bits in, as the naked power of those feedback shrieks that punctuate the in between the spaces gives you a sense of the actual dynamics of the recording, as well as providing a sort of ghostly sound effect that adds to the overall music. Once that feedback hits, it's like a little warning that "shit is gonna get loud."
This album has meant a lot to me over the years - glad you took the time to make the video. The vibe of the music and the power of the guitars are pretty clear but I also love the poetic quality and intricacy of his lyrics. Very underrated band. Thanks again! Also, the sound at the beginning of the second song is the guitar riff played backwards.
Please review Inlet!!! Such a great album from them as well. It is their latest effort back in 2020 and it is not as upbeat, if that is the appropriate word to describe this album, but it definitely has the atmosphere quality to it like astronaut, just a lot more chill. I like the pod, stars, why I like the robbins, i'd like you hair long, and I hate it too. If you recall listening to chevelle's first album point #1, definitely resonates this album. At least you can hear the influence IMO. Great review!!!
I think this is the first time I hear someone pronounce the word "acoustic" like that. :) Also, I suggest checking out Cave In, especially their album Jupiter. It's one of my all time favorite albums, and it has that spacey atmosphere you can hear on Hum and Failure (another fantastic band) albums.
Wow, this is one of those deep heart albums, that really stay with you. I am glad you reacted to it, such a beautiful journey and so vulnerable and atmospheric. Much love from Seattle. Also, I think you should check out No Hero’s By Converge and Please for the the love of god, listen to a very special band called FAILURE. Their albums, Fantastic Planet, Magnified and Comfort are incredible.
a great next step to go from hum in this vein of underrated "your-favorite-band's-favorite-band" 90s alt rock bands is the album fantastic planet by failure. its got more of a spacey grunge sound and the last 5 songs are one of the most incredible closing runs put to record
Hum is my all-time favorite band and your review was fantastic. May I suggest the band "Teenage Wrist" wrist who also incorporate a good bit of their sound on their latest album "Still Love."
I always thought of the lyric "That's why the suicide machine is built for two" as both perplexing and uplifting, seeing as how suicide is usually an internal struggle that people deal with completely alone while also feeling completely alone, but a machine built for two reminds you that you are not alone in the struggle, and your misery can be shared with another person dealing with the same feeling of hopelessness. Probably a dumb take, but it's one of the reasons why I love that song as well.
MOLLY please listen to filters debut album "Shortbus". Much like Hum they did not get the attention they deserved. It is heavy as hell but so pretty at times. PLUS youd be the first person to do a reaction to the whole album. Love your channel
Good suggestion. I think far too many people wrote this album off because of "Hey Man Nice Shot" which is a good song, sure, but also seemed like a flash in the pan. Short Bus is a fantastic little face-punch of an album.
I'm glad you gave it a chance! Since we are always the ones recommending stuff to you, it'd be cool for you to shout out an album that you feel does not really get the attention it deserves or just an album you really enjoy. Thanks for the reaction and will be looking forward for what you throw at us next!
One of my favorite albums. I recommend three of my favorites when I was growing up... Ween- Chocolate & Cheese, The Breeders- Last Splash & My Bloody Valentine- Loveless. I think you'd like them. Especially with the layers in My Bloody Valentine. Great job!
i've been waiting for u to react to this one :D its rly special, i love the space vibes in both the music and lyrics. Another band worth checking out is centaur, the lead singer of hum's side project. they have one album but its also very good
If you listen to a lot of the crunchy parts, they're either acoustic-sounding chords with twang and dissonance that get hidden by the distortion, or straight forward riff and rhythm but so much disto and effects that it self harmonizes.
It's also a common technique to add a clean(er) guitar into the mix to add a bit of dynamics and definition, because a straight distorted guitar is a bit like a NERRRRR wall of sound and can end up sounding less powerful if you're not careful!
Nice to see this album getting more attention that it deserves so so much. An absolute timeless masterpiece. Next Molly I suggest you should listen to Failure -Fantastic Planet The best album ever made!
Regarding the band jamming in their garage sound, they were originally a college jam band who dropped out to tour when they got noticed. A lot of the squeaks and screeches are feedback from the guitars but also fret noise from hands moving positions. I believe this was done with the wall of sound technique which is layers and layers of either a lot of the same guitars or adding acoustic under everything, which would produce a lot of fret noise. If the guitarists' timing is tight, the same electric fret noise overlayed becomes magnified.
I absolutely love your reaction to this album, You’d Prefer an Astronaut by Hum, Molly! I agree on your descriptions of “atmospheric tones” and by the way- in the song “The Pod,” that guitar affect is called a reverb looper. It channels the sound, and literally a few notes can seem to steadily hold and go on forever almost. I know this from my friend who is a guitarist. He used to experiment with those pedal effects that you can adapt and play along with the string playing of a guitar. Pretty cool stuff! My favorite songs on this album are, “Stars,” “The Pod,” and “I’d Like Your Hair Long”
One of my favorite aspects of this album is that the band used absolutely no compression throughout any of the recording or mastering. I’ve listened to this record and just cranked the volume and the sound still doesn’t get blown out. Probably why you mentioned the sound seems so far away- compared to a lot of other music out there, it’s mixed quieter but I think that’s to its benefit - once you turn it up, the sound is just all-encompassing and massive yet never overpowering and I love it.
@@mollyesanborn I have another recommendation for you..and a gentle nudge to listen to "Fantastic Planet" :D Either "Day For Night" or "Fully Completely" by The Tragically Hip The band is basically an institution up here in Canada.. in 2016, after the lead singer Gord Downie was diagnosed w incurable brain cancer, the band went on a tour across Canada.. the final show was broadcast on the CBC.. Canada has 40 Million people, and it was estimated that least 12M people tuned in to watch the final show.. "Grace Too" is simply incredible :D
It's not a joke, that's just how I say it. I never even knew I was mispronouncing it until I started making these videos and people mentioned it in the comments 😂
Ooohh another good album to delve into is White Hot Peach by Primitive Radio Gods. Sonically diverse, lyrically mysterious and super super mesmerizing. One of my all time favorite albums of all time.
Hey Molly! There's a band you may like call Jesu. Shoegazey post-metal is what I describe them as. They can be difficult as their songs are a little long. I'd recommend the "Conquerer" record. Thanks! Keep up the good work!!
I Love your "stank faces" like when the drums or riff kicks in. It's just like mine. Check out Swirlies! Either their album Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, or They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons. You won't be disappointed! Keep up the great work! I appreciate how articulate you are when discussing your Musical Impressions.
You should check out Queens of the Stone Age's discography starting with their self titled debut. They present a wonderful blend of stoner elements with some classic alternative rock.
One of my favorite albums. I'm not sure if it was intentional but the volume is so low on this album that even though it's heavy it's a perfect album to fall asleep to. Ironically it's also a perfect album to wake up to.
Im late the the party but check out hums 2nd album... that one is a classic. .... my band played at a fest with Hum a few years ago.... total accomplishment in my life.
I like these vids because it feels like you could show Molly cool stuff you like and she'd be all "heck yeah" Those screechy noises are guitar amps feeding back, like if you put a mic too close to a speaker. You can do that with a guitar too (you've probably seen guitarists like humping their amps to get noises) but it's also something that can just happen when everything's turned up loud with a lot of distortion. You have to keep it under control while you're playing, so that feedback is like the untamed guitar letting loose, lots of wild chaotic noise and power being unleashed and brought under control again
I had to do a little research since had no recollection of this band. Seemed there MTV heyday was when I was in military basic training/a.i.t.. So I completely missed them. Wasn't surprised to find out they were from Illinois. Based on what I heard in your vid they seemed in line with the Chicago sound of the early 90's and could have easily been on the Touch n Go music label.
As much as I LOVE this album it pales in comparison to both their masterpiece follow-up and their recent comeback album, which is their heaviest and most sprawling work yet. I really hope you’ll give them a look!
This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Matt is a super nice dude. Bryan St. Pere was an amazing drummer and one of my favorites. I was very said to lose him. Rest easy.
I would recommend Electra2000 by Hum as well which came out about 2 years before you’d prefer an astronaut and is very grungy (like track 2 the pod) and also inlet which came out and 2020 and is Hum at their loudest and heaviest.
@13:08 That's not an acoustic, it's a clean electric guitar, once again probably some mild phaser/flanger, might be a chorus effect though. It is a really good guitar tone though. The tone on I Hate It Too has always stood out to me.
The sound at the beginning of The Pod was made by recording a clean electric guitar playing the main/verse riff verbatim. Once recorded, the tape was played back in reverse to create the swelling effect and synced with the drums. But playing the tape backwards also reverses the order of the notes in the riff. So the sequence of notes presented in the clean intro part becomes reversed when the loud heavy guitars take over. Thus that big loud low note at the start of the heavy riff was the last note of the pattern during the clean version. Insanely cool contrast here, with the flipped note order in addition to the dynamic and tonal shift.
Amazing album! I think from your comments about instrumentals and effects... you should listen to some post rock bands like Mogwai, Explosions in the sky, or 65daysofstatic!
Inlet was a good comeback album, to be sure, and it felt fresh, BUT I'll add to the "please check out Downward is heavenward" commentary! YPAA and DIH are Hum's finest LP's
I very much believe Inlet will be considered THE centerpiece album of the kind of vaguely defined “heavy shoegaze” genre Hum were progenitors, and now legends of. It is a masterpiece of that sound
Thought this one slipped through the cracks! Hum sounds like the Deftones' bratty, but introverted little brother. Glad you came back to it--and shouted out the drummer. To all those atmospheric SFX you were catching gives me cosmic summer night spacey vibes. So… When are you getting to the Pixies? Chronological 👍🏽or straight to Doolittle? 🤩
Cosmic summer night spacey vibes... that's a good way to describe the sound of this album! And I've thought about a Pixies album ranking video in the future. I've already heard some of their songs so I'm not sure I'd do any reactions to their albums, I'd probably recognize a decent amount of the tracks. But I'll keep that album ranking in mind! ;)
@@mollyesanborn Of course! Including later post-90s releases? Most stopped paying attention after bassist Kim Deal left. Try “Head Carrier” and “Indie Cindy” if you haven't Or spin Frank Black’s solo projects. “Teenager of the Year” (Some delightful punk/rock tracks here) and “Frank Black & the Catholics” p.s. I have permanent residence on Trompe Le Monde island. It was my first Pixies album. Pivotal in my listening habits. Great channel!
Great reaction and band, when my older brother saw them open up for The Toadies and Smashing Pumpkins he thought they were janitors getting their gear on stage
The album starts from the inception of a relationship to the eventual break up and the aftermath that comes from it. Also a cool fact is that Matt Talbott said that him and his girlfriend were insomniacs and hardly ever slept. The only time they would fall asleep was during Sunday football on his couch. “While everyone sleeps they wait for Sunday afternoon”. The couch was called the suicide machine because it fit both of them and they would pass out together.
I am listening to this album in full for the first time to understand a breakup. Fantastic is all I can say. Fuck. Wish I listened to this years ago.
You know your relationship is a bit off when shit like this helps you heal. It is good therapy.
i'd like to meet a girl who called our couch the suicide machine..whoa...
I can’t wait to hear her review Downward is Heavenward. That album is a masterpiece and probably one of the most under appreciated albums of all time. My wife calls it my relaxation rock album because I put it on when I’m stressed. It’s so soothing yet still rocks.
Downward is Heavenward is the better album but You'd Prefer An Astronaut has Hum's best songs
Hum is a vastly underrated band. Love all their records. Their new one Inlet is worth a listen. Might also want to check out the band Failure. I think you'll love Fantastic Planet by them.
"Fantastic Planet', then the Newer albums. FAILURE is the second best band of the 90's
Magnified is a better album imo
I hope this one makes it into the list as well!
Fantastic Planet is named after the movie Fantastic Planet, which is a French animated flick from the 70s and its trippy AF
90s space rock! I was definitely obsessed with this genre for a minute. Swervedriver is another one.
Hum, Slint, Codeine, and Seam where four of my favorite 1990s indie bands that incorporated heavy atmospheric tones and had this slow pacing that was so much different than other bands of the time.
Another great reaction and really awesome to hear this again!
Hum had a new release in 2020, Inlet, which is a solid release.
SEAM
Haven’t listened to codeine in a long time. I’ll have to go back to them now. Thanks
@@jacobvarsanyi9779 I haven't either for a long time come to think of it... I'm sure I've worn out my Barely Real album
@@TylerHodelin I know right what a great band!!! Always love their album covers as well Cool photography
Seam is so good. Are You Driving Me Crazy? is literally a perfect 10-track album. Flawless.
I LOVE the way you say acoustic. It’s like “uh-CUE-stic”. Love it. Love Hum too. Best shoegaze/space rock, post grunge band ever. Another great video Molly.
Hum plays with quiet/loud/quiet better than almost anyone. Deftones plays with the same dynamic at times, with more of an "in your face" vibe ratcheted up to the next level, but for my money the range Hum plays in is more cathartic.
just caught this, i didn't realize you'd gotten to Hum. A true gem of a band from the early 90s that never really took off like they deserved. The album after this one Downward is Heavenward is definitely worth checking out. Stand out songs on that album for me are Ms. Lazarus, Coming Home, Afternoon with the Axlotls and Green to Me. i like the album Inlet that they released in 2020, but the two from 95 and 98 are the best versions of this band. Sadly, their drummer died in 2021 and he was a special talent.
Hum and Failure were two of my favorite bands back in college forever ago. Hum very clearly inspired so many bands for the succeeding era of bands after them. Every one of their albums could be dissected in detail by sound designers and would yield a fascinating result. 10/10
HUM is top 3 for me, and I recently put on Failure's Fantastic Planet, but didn't make it past the first song... is it worth a go??
@@itmightgetdarkyes, it’s not the same but you just need to see the vision. The first song was super boring to me but eventually I saw the vision and now I like it. I think Another Space Song, the Nurse Who Loved Me, and Pillowhead were the first couple I liked and now it’s one of my favorite albums
love this album, glad it's getting attention.
I know, I never would have heard of it myself if people hadn't recommended it to me in the comments. I'm glad I've got viewers with good taste in music, haha!
This will be fun. I hope you get to Downward is Heavenward. The mix and soundspace are immense. This album, although not as well mixed, might be perfect.
Their follow-up album, Downward is Heavenward, is considered by many to be superior but this album is indeed incredible.
Narrowhead, too
I'm so glad you did this. This was one of my favorite albums when it came out. Subscribed because of this.
Thanks for the sub! Yeah I really enjoyed this one, I'll have to do some more Hum in the future.
I love this album! So glad you're covering it! Downward is Heavenward is also a great album, the track Isle of the Cheetah is phenomenal
That and Afternoon With the Axolotls alone make it worth the listen
I love the way they combine elements of shoegaze and post-rock with a heavy alternative rock edge. the instrumentation on this album (and the albums that follow) is masterful. they create such a dynamic atmosphere, jumping from clean and jangly parts to massive chords with that beautiful wall of distortion. the guitar tone is absolutely immaculate. I think they really perfect their style with their next album Downward is Heavenward. It’s a lot heavier and it’s my favorite album of theirs, I hope we get a reaction to that one next 😊 also I love how you mentioned Weezer, I think the vocalist sounds a lot like Rivers Cuomo! when I was little I would hear Stars on the radio, and for years thought it was a Weezer song until I got older and found out it was actually Hum lol.
Yes! FINALLY! Instant click. Really hoping you continue the Hum journey, as the next two albums are also masterpieces. (Note...wanna really see the influence this album had on Deftones? Listen to "Little Dipper" from this album and then "Knife Party" from White Pony.
The squelchy/screechy sounds are guitar feedback. You hear it quite a bit in 90s rock/alternative. Probably the most famous for incorporating it into their sound was The Jesus and Mary Chain.
This band is truly one of 90’s rock’s best kept secrets! I freaking love Hum and couldn’t believe I had never heard of them until last year. This album is very good, but their follow up Downward is Heavenward is on another level. Everything about that record blows me away and it deserves so much more love and praise than it gets (just like the band)
DIH is my favorite album of all time.
Hum’s breakthrough radio hit off this album was “Stars”. It’s a great track, but I think my favorite is “I Hate It Too.”
Also, I don’t know if you listen to heavier stuff in the post-hardcore / metalcore realm, but it’d be awesome to see you react (or just listen privately) to “The Satellite Years” by Hopesfall. It was produced by Matt Talbot of Hum and he appears on a track vocally as well. The overall vibe is way heavier than Hum, but it also has a beautiful, melodic feel to it.
EDIT: editing this because after looking at more of your videos, I see that you definitely are into heavier genres as well. I definitely recommend that Hopesfall record if you get a chance to listen to it
“I Hate It Too” is a fav of mine as well. When I 1st heard “Stars” I didn't like it because it started so damn slow, then I turned on the radio 1 night & heard the end of the song & the difference in sound caught me off guard, so the next time I heard the beginning I stuck w/ it. Had a heart attack when the guitars really kicked in, but survived & realized I was listening to a masterpiece.
I absolutely love this album so much!!! Thank you for reacting to it!!!
Yeah, I loved the atmosphere of this one! Fantastic little album, I'm glad a lot of you suggested this one or else I never would have known about Hum.
@@mollyesanborn Will you be doing a video of Trigger Point?
@@punkrockgalbenevenelse3659 I'll keep them in mind for the future!
I remember my parents had a BMG sampler CD that had Stars and I Hate It Too on it. Forever a Hum fan after discovering those songs and then this album
I had that disc too in the 00’s found in a used music store.
I'm writing this as you hit track 2, so glad you're checking out Hum!! I can't recommend Downward is Heavenward enough, it's one of my favorite Albums of all time, & has been my go to for testing a new audio setup. Thanks for this!
Those "screechy" noises are the sound of VERY loud gained-up/distorted guitar amps feeding back while not being played.
Hendrix pioneered this (of course) but very few "heavy guitar" bands utilize it today, using noise gates to "clamp down" on those sounds, which are usually considered unwanted for a "proper" guitar take while recording.
One of the things I've loved about Hum (especially on this album) is that they left those bits in, as the naked power of those feedback shrieks that punctuate the in between the spaces gives you a sense of the actual dynamics of the recording, as well as providing a sort of ghostly sound effect that adds to the overall music.
Once that feedback hits, it's like a little warning that "shit is gonna get loud."
This album has meant a lot to me over the years - glad you took the time to make the video. The vibe of the music and the power of the guitars are pretty clear but I also love the poetic quality and intricacy of his lyrics. Very underrated band. Thanks again!
Also, the sound at the beginning of the second song is the guitar riff played backwards.
Please review Inlet!!! Such a great album from them as well. It is their latest effort back in 2020 and it is not as upbeat, if that is the appropriate word to describe this album, but it definitely has the atmosphere quality to it like astronaut, just a lot more chill. I like the pod, stars, why I like the robbins, i'd like you hair long, and I hate it too. If you recall listening to chevelle's first album point #1, definitely resonates this album. At least you can hear the influence IMO. Great review!!!
I think this is the first time I hear someone pronounce the word "acoustic" like that. :)
Also, I suggest checking out Cave In, especially their album Jupiter. It's one of my all time favorite albums, and it has that spacey atmosphere you can hear on Hum and Failure (another fantastic band) albums.
aKEWstic
For my money, Cave In’s album Antenna is the only record that comes close to touching You’d Prefer An Astronaut in the space alt rock genre
Hum is my favorite band of all time! Loved your video! You should def check out the album diary by sunny day real estate!
Thanks for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction! I will make sure that the Sunny Day Real Estate album is on my list :)
They used a Boss DF-2 on this album. It's a Distortion/Feedback pedal. This album is a masterpiece.
Thanks man,I could tell it was Boss distortion.but I didn't know it was the df-1... Awesome!!!
LETS GO! Ive been wanting to see your reaction to this for so long!
Omg I can't believe you reacted to this. This is a super hidden gem.
Stars was a pretty big hit for them back in the day. Even beavis and butthead watched thier video.
YOOOO LES GO!! totally unexpected and very cool. i absolutely adore this record
You give really good feedback and clearly understand the music. I’ve been listening to Hum since 1995 and you are a good music critic.
Wow, thanks! Really appreciate the kind words ❤️
Wow, this is one of those deep heart albums, that really stay with you. I am glad you reacted to it, such a beautiful journey and so vulnerable and atmospheric. Much love from Seattle. Also, I think you should check out No Hero’s By Converge and Please for the the love of god, listen to a very special band called FAILURE. Their albums, Fantastic Planet, Magnified and Comfort are incredible.
Yasss finally. I was starting to think you weren't serious about doing all from that poll/forgot it!
Such a great album.
Why i like the robins is pure magic.
a great next step to go from hum in this vein of underrated "your-favorite-band's-favorite-band" 90s alt rock bands is the album fantastic planet by failure. its got more of a spacey grunge sound and the last 5 songs are one of the most incredible closing runs put to record
Stars is so good. What a great song! 🔥🔥🔥
You totally get hum!!! Subscribed!
They're a great band! I'll definitely try and get to Downward Is Heavenward soon as well, I'm excited to hear that album.
Hum is my all-time favorite band and your review was fantastic. May I suggest the band "Teenage Wrist" wrist who also incorporate a good bit of their sound on their latest album "Still Love."
Southern Illinois brings out everything it's so flat and humid in Aug,saw them at Empty bottle Chicago 1993
Suicide Machine is my favorite song to listen to on bad depressions, it's so somber and probably one of the best songs to listen to for sad days.
The band Death also created a song called ‘Suicide Machine’. I got excited for a moment thinking it might be a cover, but that wasn’t the case.
It’s probably my favorite song by Hum. Nothing to do with connections to depressive states, just a great fucking composition.
I always thought of the lyric "That's why the suicide machine is built for two" as both perplexing and uplifting, seeing as how suicide is usually an internal struggle that people deal with completely alone while also feeling completely alone, but a machine built for two reminds you that you are not alone in the struggle, and your misery can be shared with another person dealing with the same feeling of hopelessness. Probably a dumb take, but it's one of the reasons why I love that song as well.
I was not expecting Hum this week
Dope, I love this album
It's one of my all time favorite albums from the 90's
This is the album that dragged me kicking and screaming through the second half of the ninties
MOLLY please listen to filters debut album "Shortbus". Much like Hum they did not get the attention they deserved. It is heavy as hell but so pretty at times. PLUS youd be the first person to do a reaction to the whole album. Love your channel
Good suggestion. I think far too many people wrote this album off because of "Hey Man Nice Shot" which is a good song, sure, but also seemed like a flash in the pan. Short Bus is a fantastic little face-punch of an album.
@@barrynapier7584 exactly!
I reckon their 2nd album Title of Record is a better place for a first time listener to start.
@@themetalpig7613 I see why but i think it would be better for her to start from the begginning of the discog and see the progression
Short Bus is an awesome album. It is super underrated for sure. It has way more to offer than just, “Hey Man, Nice Shot”
Damn, I was actually thinking of suggesting this album! Glad you were a couple of steps ahead of me
I'm glad you gave it a chance! Since we are always the ones recommending stuff to you, it'd be cool for you to shout out an album that you feel does not really get the attention it deserves or just an album you really enjoy. Thanks for the reaction and will be looking forward for what you throw at us next!
One of my favorite albums. I recommend three of my favorites when I was growing up... Ween- Chocolate & Cheese, The Breeders- Last Splash & My Bloody Valentine- Loveless. I think you'd like them. Especially with the layers in My Bloody Valentine. Great job!
i've been waiting for u to react to this one :D its rly special, i love the space vibes in both the music and lyrics. Another band worth checking out is centaur, the lead singer of hum's side project. they have one album but its also very good
This album is GOATED
I am so glad people are discovering my personal favorite band in the world.
Also listen to Downward is Heavenward, it is a truly phenomenal album! :)
If you listen to a lot of the crunchy parts, they're either acoustic-sounding chords with twang and dissonance that get hidden by the distortion, or straight forward riff and rhythm but so much disto and effects that it self harmonizes.
It's also a common technique to add a clean(er) guitar into the mix to add a bit of dynamics and definition, because a straight distorted guitar is a bit like a NERRRRR wall of sound and can end up sounding less powerful if you're not careful!
I had no idea about this being an inspiration. I saw the video and I was like: "Oh hey she's doing an obscure album I know. Badass!"
Nice to see this album getting more attention that it deserves so so much.
An absolute timeless masterpiece.
Next Molly I suggest you should listen to Failure -Fantastic Planet
The best album ever made!
Absolutely. It’s in my top five with Downward Is Heavenward and Perfect From Now On
Everyone is saying “listen to Downward is Heavenward” or “listen to Inlet” which is deserved, but let’s not forget their album “Electra 2000”
Can you do Taproots first album called Gift you will love it
I'll certainly keep that album in mind :)
Regarding the band jamming in their garage sound, they were originally a college jam band who dropped out to tour when they got noticed.
A lot of the squeaks and screeches are feedback from the guitars but also fret noise from hands moving positions. I believe this was done with the wall of sound technique which is layers and layers of either a lot of the same guitars or adding acoustic under everything, which would produce a lot of fret noise. If the guitarists' timing is tight, the same electric fret noise overlayed becomes magnified.
Also, overlayed fret noise that isn't tight would sound like seagulls. They use that on the next album.
I absolutely love your reaction to this album, You’d Prefer an Astronaut by Hum, Molly! I agree on your descriptions of “atmospheric tones” and by the way- in the song “The Pod,” that guitar affect is called a reverb looper. It channels the sound, and literally a few notes can seem to steadily hold and go on forever almost. I know this from my friend who is a guitarist. He used to experiment with those pedal effects that you can adapt and play along with the string playing of a guitar. Pretty cool stuff! My favorite songs on this album are, “Stars,” “The Pod,” and “I’d Like Your Hair Long”
One of my favorite aspects of this album is that the band used absolutely no compression throughout any of the recording or mastering. I’ve listened to this record and just cranked the volume and the sound still doesn’t get blown out.
Probably why you mentioned the sound seems so far away- compared to a lot of other music out there, it’s mixed quieter but I think that’s to its benefit - once you turn it up, the sound is just all-encompassing and massive yet never overpowering and I love it.
You should do "Fantastic Planet" by Failure. Simply one of the greatest albums of the 90s, if not all time :D
I've got that one on my list, quite a few people have been suggesting it to me. I'd love to hear it!
@@mollyesanborn Looking forward to seeing your reaction to it!!
@@mollyesanborn I have another recommendation for you..and a gentle nudge to listen to "Fantastic Planet" :D
Either "Day For Night" or "Fully Completely" by The Tragically Hip
The band is basically an institution up here in Canada.. in 2016, after the lead singer Gord Downie was diagnosed w incurable brain cancer, the band went on a tour across Canada.. the final show was broadcast on the CBC.. Canada has 40 Million people, and it was estimated that least 12M people tuned in to watch the final show..
"Grace Too" is simply incredible :D
Molly, you are so amazing 😍
Great video, this album is definitely one of my favorites lately... but every time you say the word "Acoustic" I can't tell if it's a joke or not
It's not a joke, that's just how I say it. I never even knew I was mispronouncing it until I started making these videos and people mentioned it in the comments 😂
@@mollyesanborn valid, no hate just thought it was kinda funny
Ooohh another good album to delve into is White Hot Peach by Primitive Radio Gods. Sonically diverse, lyrically mysterious and super super mesmerizing. One of my all time favorite albums of all time.
Hum, downward, and failure is chiefs kiss
Hey Molly! There's a band you may like call Jesu. Shoegazey post-metal is what I describe them as. They can be difficult as their songs are a little long. I'd recommend the "Conquerer" record. Thanks! Keep up the good work!!
never heard of them, very glad I now have...so thank you
I Love your "stank faces" like when the drums or riff kicks in. It's just like mine.
Check out Swirlies!
Either their album Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, or They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons.
You won't be disappointed! Keep up the great work!
I appreciate how articulate you are when discussing your Musical Impressions.
Thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I'll be sure to add Swirlies to my list of bands to check out.
One of the best albums ever. Their newest is killer too!
Listen Failure please! Its one of pioneers of post-grunge
Yes, one of my Favorite albums....
You should check out Queens of the Stone Age's discography starting with their self titled debut. They present a wonderful blend of stoner elements with some classic alternative rock.
One of my favorite albums. I'm not sure if it was intentional but the volume is so low on this album that even though it's heavy it's a perfect album to fall asleep to. Ironically it's also a perfect album to wake up to.
Im late the the party but check out hums 2nd album... that one is a classic. .... my band played at a fest with Hum a few years ago.... total accomplishment in my life.
YAAAAAAASSSSS YOU FINALLY DID IT!!!
I like these vids because it feels like you could show Molly cool stuff you like and she'd be all "heck yeah"
Those screechy noises are guitar amps feeding back, like if you put a mic too close to a speaker. You can do that with a guitar too (you've probably seen guitarists like humping their amps to get noises) but it's also something that can just happen when everything's turned up loud with a lot of distortion. You have to keep it under control while you're playing, so that feedback is like the untamed guitar letting loose, lots of wild chaotic noise and power being unleashed and brought under control again
i dont see keep it like a secret by built to spill on here but it’s a classic you should listen to if you havent
I had to do a little research since had no recollection of this band. Seemed there MTV heyday was when I was in military basic training/a.i.t.. So I completely missed them.
Wasn't surprised to find out they were from Illinois. Based on what I heard in your vid they seemed in line with the Chicago sound of the early 90's and could have easily been on the Touch n Go music label.
I read a commet one time that said "hum is like weezer, if they had balls"
Youve gots to check out relationship of command by at the drive in.
I've had that album on my list for a while now, I'll try and get to it soon! Can't wait to check it out.
As much as I LOVE this album it pales in comparison to both their masterpiece follow-up and their recent comeback album, which is their heaviest and most sprawling work yet. I really hope you’ll give them a look!
The band Failure Album: Fantastic Planet ...You'd love it!!!
This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Matt is a super nice dude. Bryan St. Pere was an amazing drummer and one of my favorites. I was very said to lose him. Rest easy.
Downward is Heavenward next!
Bryan St. Pere, the drummer, just died last year. Great musician in a wonderful band
I would recommend Electra2000 by Hum as well which came out about 2 years before you’d prefer an astronaut and is very grungy (like track 2 the pod) and also inlet which came out and 2020 and is Hum at their loudest and heaviest.
@13:08 That's not an acoustic, it's a clean electric guitar, once again probably some mild phaser/flanger, might be a chorus effect though. It is a really good guitar tone though. The tone on I Hate It Too has always stood out to me.
Legends has it they used to play *SO LOUD* that they started giving away earplugs before every gig
The sound at the beginning of The Pod was made by recording a clean electric guitar playing the main/verse riff verbatim. Once recorded, the tape was played back in reverse to create the swelling effect and synced with the drums. But playing the tape backwards also reverses the order of the notes in the riff. So the sequence of notes presented in the clean intro part becomes reversed when the loud heavy guitars take over. Thus that big loud low note at the start of the heavy riff was the last note of the pattern during the clean version. Insanely cool contrast here, with the flipped note order in addition to the dynamic and tonal shift.
The guitar hit in stars was my ringtone back in the 'oughts.
Amazing album!
I think from your comments about instrumentals and effects... you should listen to some post rock bands like Mogwai, Explosions in the sky, or 65daysofstatic!
You oughta listen to 'Fantastic Planet' by Failure. Pinnacle of underrated/unknown 90s alt rock
100% agree! Musical journey you will not forget!
Inlet was a good comeback album, to be sure, and it felt fresh, BUT I'll add to the "please check out Downward is heavenward" commentary! YPAA and DIH are Hum's finest LP's
Their latest album Inlet is incredible too, you should definitely check it out
I very much believe Inlet will be considered THE centerpiece album of the kind of vaguely defined “heavy shoegaze” genre Hum were progenitors, and now legends of. It is a masterpiece of that sound
it's time to listen to Inlet! They put it out after a 20 year break and is some of their best work.
One of my favorite albums! I got the oportunity too see deftones and hum on día de los deftones festival in 2019, love the band since then.
I remember seeing the video for "Stars" back in the day ....... getting old!!!!
Downward is Heavenward !!! Best hum album check it out.
Love Hum. Their next record, Downward is Heavenward is their best.
It's definitely a great album.
I gotta disagree. I'd say this is their best, by far, but you can't go wrong with either album.
I never never realize you would come this far. I hope you enjoy this album as we all fans did.
do RELATIONSHIP OF COMMAND by AT THE DRIVE IN
Too bad for copyright laws, I wish I could see longer sections of the songs... I'm going to listen to this now
Thought this one slipped through the cracks! Hum sounds like the Deftones' bratty, but introverted little brother. Glad you came back to it--and shouted out the drummer. To all those atmospheric SFX you were catching gives me cosmic summer night spacey vibes.
So… When are you getting to the Pixies? Chronological 👍🏽or straight to Doolittle? 🤩
Cosmic summer night spacey vibes... that's a good way to describe the sound of this album! And I've thought about a Pixies album ranking video in the future. I've already heard some of their songs so I'm not sure I'd do any reactions to their albums, I'd probably recognize a decent amount of the tracks. But I'll keep that album ranking in mind! ;)
@@mollyesanborn
Of course! Including later post-90s releases? Most stopped paying attention after bassist Kim Deal left. Try “Head Carrier” and “Indie Cindy” if you haven't
Or spin Frank Black’s solo projects.
“Teenager of the Year” (Some delightful punk/rock tracks here) and
“Frank Black & the Catholics”
p.s. I have permanent residence on Trompe Le Monde island. It was my first Pixies album. Pivotal in my listening habits. Great channel!
Great reaction and band, when my older brother saw them open up for The Toadies and Smashing Pumpkins he thought they were janitors getting their gear on stage