Missing The Boat

often times it is the case that my favorite tracks from a particular artist are the lesser known of an album and my least favorites are the most popular (typically the singles or radio songs). i’m wondering if this is illustrative of my disconnect with the artist’s “true sound”, the “sound” one would likely experience at their live show, or if my unfashionable tastes are more indicative of the artist’s personal preference.

it’s often times the case that an artist likes their own singles less than the deeper album tracks where creativity and unique artistry come into play more freely. i’m wondering if this is the case with noise pop band Sleigh Bells. i really dig this group and i’ll admit it took awhile to adjust to their superhuman distortion levels, but once i developed an ear for their sound, i fell in love. yet i fell in love with the tracks that are of the more middling variety… notably: “Kids” and “Riot Rhythm”. conversely, i feel only mild affinity for the two singles, “Tell ‘Em” and “Infinity”, as well as a “meh” response for the third most popular track (according to statistical music website Last.fm), “Crown On The Ground”.

are my atypical tastes a reflection of the artist’s vision? or am i not getting what the artist is actually about because i don’t resonate with the radio hits? ultimately, it probably doesn’t really matter but it has me wondering if i went to a Sleigh Bells show if i would enjoy myself or leave thinking, “i totally had them wrong.”  it’s happened before.

ever feel this way?