Showers and Growers: An Album Analogy

[Miggy D]

The world of music is incredibly diverse, housing many different sounds, textures, melodies, and rhythms. But it can be broken down into two basic categories:

 

The "Showers" (not that place with water where you get clean)

 

and

 

The "Growers"

 

Every album can be categorized into one of these two categories. Here is my thesis:

 

"Growers" far outpace "Showers" in the long run.

 

"Showers" are those albums that are surprisingly immediate - nearly every song is hummable and catchy and you like it from the very start. They're like candy for your ears. They're sweet, delectable, delicious and after one run-through you're blasting them out your car windows with the volume turned up to 11. You're all smiles and you're feeling great.

 

But the problem with candy is that it's a 'sometimes food.' It tastes great the first few times you eat it, but if you keep eating it consistently, over and over again, soon you start to grow sick of it. It's too one dimensional. Too flat. Too sugary and predictable. There's nothing behind the facade of chocolate and sugar. You begin to feel empty, and strangely, hungry.

 

"Growers" are the albums that take some time. I'll compare them to sushi. The first time I had sushi, I really disliked it. Raw fish - what the hell is this? It tasted rubbery and fishy and I was not pleased with it. It was not what I usually ate, and that disturbed me. I wanted something familiar and safe - like candy, for example. But I went back and I gave sushi another try, and as I continued to eat it, I began to discover new textures I hadn't before. New spices, flavors, and aromas - features I had been ignoring because I was so focused on what I was used to that I was blind to all of the great things about this new, exciting food. Obviously, not everyone will like sushi, but surely everyone has eaten something they didn't immediately like, but over time have grown to love. That's the magic of "growers" - they grow on you.

 

The difference between showers and growers is that showers may be sweet and sugary and addictive, but growers are more rewarding over time. There are only so many ways to taste a Snickers. There are a million ways to appreciate all of the different kinds of sushi, or a well-prepared steak, or a well-made burrito. Grower albums are complicated, dense, and mysterious. They keep you listening far after you've thrown the showers in the dustbin.

 

Examine your record collection. Consider your favorite albums. Are your all-time favorites the ones you liked immediately out of the wrapper? Or are they the ones that made you work a little bit in order to appreciate them, to stretch and expand musically in order to understand their depths, textures and melodies?

 

Just something to think about.

 

 

-Miggy D

[Angst]

I have some albums that showed and growed on all the songs. *hugs Postal Service CD* And some that showed but never growed *Kills Norah Jones CD*

[victaniac]

That's absolutely true. God how I disliked Amsterdam and A Rush of Blood to the Head and Everything's Not Lost at first and now those songs are my babies for life. You make great sense and put things in perspective in a way that's truly amazing, Miggy.

 

Off topic, but are you a writer or a journalist, maybe?

[racheld]

I think X&Y is definitely a grower... I noticed that I'm liking the songs more and more as I listen to them. The first time I heard Talk (old version)...I was close to actually hating it. But now I really like it. Same with AROBTTH...at first I thought the title track and Amsterdam were kinda boring...but now I'm in love with them.

 

I'm glad that Coldplay don't really have shower albums.... I love that I can listen to them whenever and not be sick of them :)

[Miggy D]

Off topic, but are you a writer or a journalist, maybe?

 

Right, you are. Writer, I am. English, Yoda taught me. ;)

 

-Miggy

[victaniac]

 

Right, you are. Writer, I am. English, Yoda taught me. ;)

 

-Miggy

Hehe! :happy2:

 

I hate that green little gnome-wannabe.. but hilarious, that is! :happy2:

[Miggy D]

 

Right, you are. Writer, I am. English, Yoda taught me. ;)

 

-Miggy

Hehe! :happy2:

 

I hate that green little gnome-wannabe.. but hilarious, that is! :happy2:

 

I usually don't have a problem with him. He grew a little annoying in Episode 3, however. Tragic, that was.

[MrsBerry]

Off topic, but are you a writer or a journalist, maybe?

 

Right, you are. Writer, I am. English, Yoda taught me. ;)

 

-Miggy

 

Yay ! Yoda rules !!!

[Guest LiquidSky]

 

Right, you are. Writer, I am. English, Yoda taught me. ;)

 

-Miggy

Hehe! :happy2:

 

I hate that green little gnome-wannabe.. but hilarious, that is! :happy2:

 

I burst out laughing at the cinema when I went to see The attack of the clones..or whatever the name of the movie is.. It was so hilarious..and embarrassing too 'cause I was the only one laughing and then others started to laugh too later on.. :lol:

 

Agrees with Den, Yoda rules~! :D

[gentleparachute]

Coldplay albums are both showers and growers, though they seem to be veering more toward the growers category with each new album. At face value, X&Y is all shower with all its big, expansive sounds and riffs. I didn't like the that part of it and felt disappointed. But then I remembered my (less strong) reaction towards AROBTTH immediately after Parachutes and put X&Y through more listens... It is definitely a grower. The shower part seems like a facade now, put on to wow the critics (though some saw through and have lambasted the album) and con all us music fans into buying the CD. Makes any sense?