Usually, I’m one to look past terrible vocals. Under most circumstances, the great spacy guitar riffs and synths of Wu Lyf’s Go Tell Fire to the Mountain alone would be enough to get me interested in this record. This time, I’m just not sure if I can do it.
If you’ve heard this much-hyped band’s front man before, then you know what I’m talking about. Singer and organ player Ellery James Roberts has a voice that makes Tom Waits sound smooth and dreamy.
Hold up…Tom Waits…we’ve been in this situation before. The last time I dissed an album because of its vocals was Waits’ Small Change. I guess I’m a little shallower than I thought. We’ve seen, on two different occasions now, vocal quality affect my opinion of a record. At this point, I believe it’s necessary to point out that Los Campesinos!, the band with some of the worst vocals on earth, is my favorite band.
The problem with these vocals is that they’re so unnerving. Many times on Go Tell Fire a somewhat relaxing echoy guitar will start up, give you a sense of serenity and security, only to be interrupted by Roberts and his all-of-my-meals-consist-of-rocks voice.
Honestly, and I’m a little disappointed with myself, I can’t say that I enjoyed this record. Unfortunately, there are just some cases where I can’t move past the vocals. It’s a shame too, because the non-vox aspects of this record are actually really good. Oh well, there’s so much music in this world, it’s not worth the time to force yourself to like something.
Swole Ear 
I am thinking that you are still trying to resolve a childhood trauma. What are your feelings when you hear this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BovQyphS8kA ?
I love that Cookie Monster. I didn’t think this guy’s vocals were so bad. I didn’t like the song (I’d rather listen to a lot of Tom Waits songs), but I thought the vocals were okay and they were studio-altered to a point where I couldn’t really tell what he sounds like.
WE BROS YOU LOST MAN
WE BROS SO LO-O-ONG
PUT AWAY YOUR GUNS MAN
AND SING THIS SO-O-ONG
(I love these guys.)