HiRez Poll A Bad Think - LIFELIKE [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2021 release from A Bad Think called "LifeLike".
The Blu-Ray disc contains a 5.1 surround mix by Bob Clearmountain and a Dolby Atmos mix by Dave Way & Steve Genewick.
96-khz/24-bit 5.1 FLAC files and high-resolution Dolby Atmos files can be purchased at Immersive Audio Album.

Pre-release thread for all shipping/ordering queries and non-poll related posts:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...on-in-atmos-new-release-lifelike.29982/page-2

 

[sjcorne]

Going with a "9". This kind of fell under-the-radar for me around time of release (new 5.1's from Jethro Tull and Al Stewart are tough competition, after all), but I've really been enjoying it lately.

While the music isn't exactly 'innovative' by any means, I actually think it's a huge improvement over The Savior - it's shorter, the songs are catchier, and there's more variety in terms of melodies/instrumentation.

The 5.1 is your typical Bob Clearmountain surround mix, which is to say it's excellent. Lots of discrete elements in all five speakers, plus some creative use of reverb/delay to fill the room. I particularly liked the guitar line that moves around the room in "Sign Of The Times", and the horns that come blasting from the rear speakers in "The Same Old Dream".

Once again, the rhythm section and lead vocal are almost completely isolated in the center speaker. I still find this mixing approach somewhat jarring at times ("Remember To Forget" starts off with only the center producing any sound), but it seems to work better here than it did on The Band's self-titled album. I never felt like the entire front soundstage was confined to that one speaker.

My only real complaint is that the Blu-Ray edition uses a burned rewritable disc. Other independent artists doing 5.1, such as Mary Fahl and Alan Williams, managed to have genuine discs replicated. For that reason, I'd definitely recommend the downloadable versions (5.1 FLAC & Atmos MKV) over the physical disc.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Going with a "9". This kind of fell under-the-radar for me around time of release (new 5.1's from Jethro Tull and Al Stewart are tough competition, after all), but I've really been enjoying it lately.

While the music isn't exactly 'innovative' by any means, I actually think it's a huge improvement over The Savior - it's shorter, the songs are catchier, and there's more variety in terms of melodies/instrumentation.

The 5.1 is your typical Bob Clearmountain surround mix, which is to say it's excellent. Lots of discrete elements in all five speakers, plus some creative use of reverb/delay to fill the room. I particularly liked the guitar line that moves around the room in "Sign Of The Times", and the horns that come blasting from the rear speakers in "The Same Old Dream".

Once again, the rhythm section and lead vocal are almost completely isolated in the center speaker. I still find this mixing approach somewhat jarring at times ("Remember To Forget" starts off with only the center producing any sound), but it seems to work better here than it did on The Band's self-titled album. I never felt like the entire front soundstage was confined to that one speaker.

My only real complaint is that the Blu-Ray edition uses a burned rewritable disc. Other independent artists doing 5.1, such as Mary Fahl and Alan Williams, managed to have genuine discs replicated. For that reason, I'd definitely recommend the downloadable versions (5.1 FLAC & Atmos MKV) over the physical disc.

All sounds about right to me sj, I'll chime in with another 9 good buddy!

 

[edisonbaggins]

I'll go 8 on this one. Love Clearmountain's 5.1 mix. The Atmos mix is pretty ok.
Music is a little "safe" IMO.
LiS review:

 

[dabl]

I think it's an important and huge step forward that Immersive Audio Album (IAA) encoded and put up for sale a lossless Matroska (.mkv) file with the True HD Atmos audio.

This is absolutely what we want to see happen with any/all digital surround releases.

 

[bgf1973]

Oppo UDP-203 plays Atmos mp4 or Atmos MKV files in Atmos?