FWIW, I do like some of their releases: I'm In Your Mind Fuzz, Nonagon Infinity, and Polygondwanaland are all really enjoyable albums. And yeah, it's partially unfair to hold their rabid fanbase against them, and I try to not let it cloud my judgement of the actual music. I think my problem moreso is how hard they purposefully play into the gimmicky nature that entices a lot of the diehard fans in the first place. Gimmicky isn't even necessarily a bad thing - like I said earlier, I liked Nonagon Infinity, I found the microtonal album interesting, Quarters was another good album - but practically every album of theirs has some sort of catch to it, be it a musical aspect or the way they released it or what. But then the music, at least in my opinion, is all still very similar, with just a thin blanket of new genre stylings to make it seem more fresh than it is. It'd be one thing if they were making through-and-through boogie or jazz rock albums that were strongly rooted in the genres' histories (while still being experimental or having the classic Gizz sound incorporated), but when I listen to those albums, it honestly comes across as them just using the most absolutely surface level elements of the aesthetic of whatever genre they're painting themselves as this time, and I personally can't find any sincerity in that. I'm DEFINITELY not saying there's none there, or that the musicians themselves are insincere or anything, I'm just saying it doesn't come across to me.
You basically summed up my thoughts on black midi too haha - Even though nothing about their new album is particularly new to me, and it is kind of odd to hear them being praised as innovators creating a brand new sound, I do enjoy the album a whole lot. I moreso enjoy it because it's a nice refresher and reminder of a sound that isn't really prevalent anymore. And I think that's why I can enjoy it - if EVERY indie darling was taking cues from Pere Ubu and Drive Like Jehu, black midi would be just another face in the crowd, but because they're working from a style that no one is really imitating these days, it works! Funny enough, it's EXACTLY how I felt about that Daughters album from last year (though I think black midi is still a bit more interesting to me)
