Re: The Guardian (UK): Boards of Canada: Inferno revie w – after 13 years away, their prodigal return is a big disappointment

Jordan Meinecke <[email protected]> Tue, 2 Jun 2026 07:36:49 -0700
Newsgroups gmane.music.idm
Message-ID <[email protected]>
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<html class=3D"apple-mail-supports-explicit-dark-mode"><head><meta http-equi=
v=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body dir=3D=
"auto"><div dir=3D"ltr"></div><div dir=3D"ltr">No one wants to hear your neg=
ative opinions</div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><blockquote type=3D"cite">On Jun 1,=
 2026, at 5:58=E2=80=AFPM, Theo Philip &lt;[email protected]&gt; wrote:<br=
><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr">=EF=BB=BF=
<div dir=3D"ltr">I think I agree with the&nbsp;reviewer. BoC's drum beats ar=
e just so boring. The songs I really like of theirs, happen to be the ones w=
ithout drums, Memory Death and Deep Time on Inferno, Bocuma and The Color of=
 The Fire on music has the right to children. Compare to a contemporary like=
 Amon Tobin, and this is for me what would make their tracks more enjoyable t=
o listen to.&nbsp;</div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"=
><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, 1 Jun 2026 at 22:03, Zheanna M=
urray &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>=
&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0=
px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div d=
ir=3D"ltr">Have had a chance to spin it a few times now front to back; it ce=
rtainly sounds more "modern" than any prior BOC stuff, in my opinion - not t=
hat that's a bad thing at all. It still feels very BOC, and while it doesn't=
 feel like anything particularly revolutionary (can anyone say they truly ex=
pected that from them to begin with?), it's a pleasure to listen to and I'm c=
ertain it will grow on me even more over time.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div>Ever=
yone seems to be enamored with Father And Son but there's something about th=
ose vocal slices that is unsettling, and I don't just mean their subject mat=
ter. Several tracks (Hydrogen Helium Lithium Leviathan and Arena Americanada=
 especially) remind me a bit of the catalogue stuff made for Bruton Music in=
 the 80s....shades of Mark Shreeve's masterwork "Mephisto", for example, or =
Francis Monkman's "Perpetual Motion" off the Energism album. Love that bold s=
ound.</div><div><br></div><div>Z</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><=
div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, Jun 1, 2026 at 1:42=E2=80=AFPM R=
jyan Kidwell &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">cexw=
[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" styl=
e=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding=
-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto">That said,<div dir=3D"auto">The Crowded House-a=
djacent guitar this time around is their coolest deployment of guitar ever i=
mo and I would be psyched if there's any more of that to come.&nbsp;</div><d=
iv dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Also the synthetic Clouddead flo=
ws in the super cutup vocals tracks is a bold choice that works way better t=
han I would have expected.&nbsp;</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D=
"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">-rk</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_qu=
ote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, Jun 1, 2026, 4:18 AM Rjya=
n Kidwell &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_blank">cexwell=
@gmail.com</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D=
"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-lef=
t:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">When I listened to bits and pieces of it while doing=
 other things, I didn't care for it at all.<div>Then today I ended up sittin=
g down on a couch and listening to the whole thing (on shuffle, by accident)=
 without doing or focusing on anything else and I had a real good time.&nbsp=
;</div><div><br>I think the increasing enshittification of everything tech, a=
nd trashiness of everything about AI, has kinda called the whole "artist mus=
t make PROGRESS" framing into question for me on a fundamental level. At age=
 40 I prob would have been right there with ppl saying, "They've added nothi=
ng/They've evolved none!" but at age 45 I'm actually really genuinely glad t=
hat these two weirdos still get to live in a beautiful place out in the high=
lands and make the exact sounds they want to make.&nbsp;I don't think they n=
eed to invent a whole nother aesthetic or History of The Nuum moment to be a=
 net gain/good deal for the rest of the species.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><=
div><br></div><div>-rk</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D=
"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sat, May 30, 2026 at 7:40=E2=80=AFAM Elijah Fi=
nk &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_b=
lank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_=
quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,2=
04);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto">The album rules, review is rubbish</=
div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On =
Fri, 29 May 2026, 06:12 David Newman, &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]=
o.uk" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrot=
e:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.=
8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"aut=
o">Just going to a listening party=E2=80=A6 with open ears and an open mind =E2=
=80=A6. If it=E2=80=99s better than tomorrow=E2=80=99s harvest I=E2=80=99m h=
appy&nbsp;<div><br id=3D"m_-2512781088294948826m_-6851406460683774907m_19404=
0298882962608m_4473043227417954994m_200966731321310408lineBreakAtBeginningOf=
Signature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Best wishes</div><div><br></div>David Newma=
n - shorter message sent from a mobile device =F0=9F=93=B2</div><div dir=3D"=
ltr"><br><blockquote type=3D"cite">On 28 May 2026, at 21:00, Zombiefly &lt;<=
a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D=
"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><block=
quote type=3D"cite"><div dir=3D"ltr">=EF=BB=BF<div dir=3D"ltr"><span style=3D=
"border-style:none;background:none">just</span> heard it.<div><span style=3D=
"border-style:none;background:none">the</span> review is bang on.</div><div>=
<br></div><div>how disappointing</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><=
div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, 25 May 2026 at 23:55, steven ri=
chard price &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer nore=
ferrer" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockq=
uote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px=
 solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto">Truly awful revi=
ew.&nbsp;</div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmai=
l_attr">On Mon, 25 May 2026, 20:04 Seth Branum, &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:djmano=
[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]=
om</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin=
:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">=
<div dir=3D"ltr">BoC's religious/cult themes made him squeamish.&nbsp;&nbsp;=
=F0=9F=98=85<br><br></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" cl=
ass=3D"gmail_attr">On Mon, May 25, 2026 at 6:10=E2=80=AFAM Ren=C3=A9 Wilhelm=
 &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer n=
oreferrer" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div>=
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-l=
eft:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=
=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">ragebait=
</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_a=
ttr">On Mon, 25 May 2026 at 15:05, Richard Barnett &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:ric=
[email protected]" rel=3D"noreferrer noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D=
"_blank">[email protected]</a>&gt; wrote:<br></div><blockquote cla=
ss=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid r=
gb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><a href=3D"https://w=
ww.theguardian.com/music/2026/may/23/boards-of-canada-inferno-review-after-1=
3-years-away-their-prodigal-return-is-a-big-disappointment" rel=3D"noreferre=
r noreferrer noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/music=
/2026/may/23/boards-of-canada-inferno-review-after-13-years-away-their-prodi=
gal-return-is-a-big-disappointment</a></div><div><br></div><span class=3D"gm=
ail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signatur=
e"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Richard Barnett<br><br></div><div>=
<br></div></div></div></div></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div><div><br clear=3D"all"></div><div><br></div><span class=3D=
"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signa=
ture"><div dir=3D"ltr"><font face=3D"tahoma, sans-serif">-------------------=
---------------------</font><div><font face=3D"tahoma, sans-serif">&nbsp; &n=
bsp; &nbsp;not sent from an iDevice</font></div><div><span style=3D"font-siz=
e:12.8px"><font face=3D"tahoma, sans-serif">--------------------------------=
--------</font></span><br></div></div></div>
</div></blockquote></div></div></blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div>
</blockquote></div><div><br clear=3D"all"></div><div><br></div><span class=3D=
"gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signa=
ture">~Theo Philip<div><a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]" target=3D"_bla=
nk">[email protected]</a></div></div>
</div></blockquote></body></html>=

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