RuneWalsh2112
It would have been nearly impossible for Tub Ring to top the virtuosity that they achieved on "Zoo Hypothesis" which is probably why they went for an easier route with "The Great Filter".
This album is a huge divination from the direction that was depicted on the band's first three studio albums in terms of songwriting with many tracks lacking the zany approach to music making, but that doesn't necessarily means that it's a total failure of any sort! The songs might have been scaled down in their magnitude but the catchy songwriting is still definitely there. Songs like "When The Crash Happened", "No One Wants To Play" and "Wrong Kind Of Message" are easily some of the definite highlights in the band's discography and make up an excellent bulk for live performances.
I wouldn't recommend "The Great Filter" as a first album experience to anyone who wants to give Tub Ring a serious chance, but if you're just in it for the highlights with memorable hooks then there are plenty of them here. This was unfortunately the end of the classic Tub Ring releases due to many turmoils within the band which lead to an inevitable stylistic shift on the 2010 release "Secret Handshakes". Let's just hope that Tub Ring will be able to return to their zany approach to music making sometime in the future. I'll certainly be waiting!
***** star songs: Friends And Enemies (3:28) Seven Exodus (2:52) When The Crash Happened (2:33) No One Wants To Play (4:24) Wrong Kind Of Message (4:19)
**** star songs: The Charasmatic Smile (3:00) Get Help (Now!) (2:35) Life In Transition (3:26) Glass Companion (3:21) Making No Sound (At All) (3:14) The Truth (2:10) My Job Here Is Done (3:16)
*** star songs: Killers In Love (4:14) Requiem For A Robot (0:39)