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Always Never Again

Rate It! Avg: 4.0 (85 ratings)

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Always Never Again album cover
01
Born Into The World
4:36
02
Everybody Sings
4:02
03
Defcon
5:16
04
Six Cities
3:34
05
Click-Click
4:05
06
Miracle
3:43
07
The Love Story
4:27
08
Tragedy
3:44
09
1977
3:40
10
Devour Delight
3:08
Album Information
EDITOR'S PICK

Total Tracks: 10   Total Length: 40:15

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eMusic Review 0

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Andy Battaglia

eMusic Contributor

Andy Battaglia writes about music and culture of various other kinds from a home base in New York. His work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Wire, t...more »

04.22.11
Dance-rock that refuses post-punk cliches and is all the more invigorating for it.
Label: Touch And Go

Throwing a wildcard where most dance-minded rock bands revert to familiar post-punk angularity, Supersystem lace hooky electro riffs with guitar lines pulled from old Ethiopiques records. It's a deliberate and literal fusion, but the snaky quasi-African figures in "Born Into the World" and "Six Cities" add an intriguing air of mystery to songs that could have easily sounded like countless others. They don't, and the whole approach comes off as brash and invigorating, especially on "Click-Click," a raucous rock song redressed in densely layered robes that get discarded as the heat keeps rising and rising.

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superdiscopunkfunk!

outmoder

I guess it's all about opinions, but tracks 1-3 are the best. Good album from an under-rated band. If you like the rapture or the faint you should enjoy this stuff.

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Download tracks #6-10

ElectroJosh

I agree with the e-Music writeup that the second half of this album is better than the first half. The experimental elements in the first five songs would work better if the vocals weren't so distracting. This really should be two separate albums, or at least one better arranged album.

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tasty

kerri.c.accidental

This album is pretty darn good. I liked it at first because it was very Fischerspooner-esque, but as I listened I could pick up many more influences. Very good. Definitely worth downloading.

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Intriguing

Kekko

A very intriguing and refreshing blend of electro flavour from the likes of The Faint or their contemporaries and the kind of vocals you'd expect to find from The Super Furry Animals or Modest Mouse. "Love Story" and "Devour Delight" have some some organic instruments which help this album cross genres very effectively. Don't let the "experimental" aspect scare you if you're used to more straight-up alt-rock.

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They Say All Music Guide

Formerly El Guapo on Dischord Records, Supersystem offers up electro-dance-funk on Always Never Again, their debut full length on Touch & Go Records. Where El Guapo explored the areas of free jazz and post-rock leanings, Supersystem dives into the depths of electronic beats and keyboards with talk-rap rants with some organics attached. The first half of Always Never Again seems to lean more toward extended electro-dance tracks, laying down a heavy dance vibe with steady repetitive parts. The last half of the record is where Supersystem seems to hit their stride and let the musicians flex their muscles a bit. Supersystem seems to shine when they get to the world elements of the music — tracks like the spastic soca of “Click-Click,” the syncopated, guitar-driven “Miracles,” and the West African vibe of “The Love Story.” At times on Always Never Again, the vocals can be distracting, and a touch annoying, pulling the listener from the interesting music that is being laid down. Always Never Again is a decent debut and, hopefully, Supersystem, in the tradition of El Guapo, will continue to further explore musical possibilities on their next record. – Francis Arres

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