What is perhaps the most anticipated album of 2009 is finally here – in vinyl. CD users will have to wait, as the vinyl got an early release. However, the packaging is amazing – and might actually benefit from the larger format.
The album art has been floating around on the Internet for the past couple months, however it truly is a feast to the eyes once you have the vinyl in your hands. The trippy effect of the patterns is amplified – as what looks like a wave of psychedelic lily pads float back and forth. The packaging itself is rather meager – as it contains no lyrics or poster (unless your pre-ordered through in sound). However, the pictures themselves are gorgeous, and in the larger format of vinyl, they really stick out. And as any avid Vinyl collector knows, the packaging usually isn’t thick full of lyric books etc – because the art itself in the larger format is worth the price of admission alone. The art stays in theme with the music, I can actually see myself staring into it as I drift off to the music. If I had to make one gripe, it’s that I almost would of liked to have the picture of the swimmer as the main album art instead. But I am quite pleased with the lily pad pattern now that I have the physical edition.
While the packaging contained no lyric book, the vinyl sounds fantastic, and the album art really shines in this format. It will be interesting to see how they do the CD packaging. If you are a vinyl collector (and even if you are not) – I highly recommend purchasing this. It really compliments the music in so many ways.
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