I like what I've heard so far of the music. I like Nick's painting. But whoever chose the fonts for the album cover should be fined. They look like rejected font selections from the 90s.
See, I told you it was superficial!!
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It is absolutely very superficial. But I wholeheartedly agree. 
I agree, at least about the “Crowded House” font. Looks really cheesy. If they had given it a slightly distressed or weathered look it might work okay, but its slick CG aesthetic is really out of place.
I had a similar issue with the Out of Silence cover, which looked like it was tossed together by an intern in 20 minutes. The title font is pretty bad there too. Come to think of it, Intriguer’s artwork was pretty scattershot and unconvincing too.
I think the “Dreamers are Waiting” font is actually part of Nick’s artwork though and it doesn’t bother me aesthetically, but it looks like it’s trying to emulate a Middle Eastern writing style. Seems like a weird choice.
I think album covers are an important part of the experience actually so such complaints are totally valid in my view, not superficial or petty.
At least on the vinyl copies the cover isn't tainted by the fonts. There is just a small sticker on the top left had corner with the band and album names (presumably on the plastic, not the cover itself). I really like the album artwork, and I think somebody made a good call not having fonts on the LP cover.
@slowpogo posted:I agree, at least about the “Crowded House” font. Looks really cheesy. If they had given it a slightly distressed or weathered look it might work okay, but its slick CG aesthetic is really out of place.
I had a similar issue with the Out of Silence cover, which looked like it was tossed together by an intern in 20 minutes. The title font is pretty bad there too. Come to think of it, Intriguer’s artwork was pretty scattershot and unconvincing too.
I think the “Dreamers are Waiting” font is actually part of Nick’s artwork though and it doesn’t bother me aesthetically, but it looks like it’s trying to emulate a Middle Eastern writing style. Seems like a weird choice.I think album covers are an important part of the experience actually so such complaints are totally valid in my view, not superficial or petty.
Agree, not superficial or petty at all. Typography is an art form, distinct from painting. That’s what graphic designers are for, which isn’t to say that painters can’t do type.
From memory, the typeface used on TOLM and TA was not designed by Nick? Not sure about the other records.
DAW is the weakest, typographically, of all the covers IMHO.
FWIW the difference between a typeface and a font: https://snowball.digital/blog/...-font-and-a-typeface
Yeah, I don't know what they were thinking with the fonts. Both fonts are terrible on their own and together they are somehow even worse! Nice to see that the text doesn't appear on the vinyl cover at least somewhat acknowledging that it was a bit of an after thought.
@slowpogo posted:I think the “Dreamers are Waiting” font is actually part of Nick’s artwork
This is clearly wrong, having seen the vinyl cover. I guess some design firm made the booklet and chose both those typefaces? or is that done in-house at the label? I don't know how it works. But I am surprised that the band, especially Nick, signed off on it.
It’s a shame that the LP signed album art cards have the typefaces on them and aren’t the same as the LP cover!
Phew. I don't really think typography is trivial at all, I just didn't want to come across as a jerk and invite a backlash. Good typefaces are a creative joy.
The music is much more important to me anyway. I agree that it seems weird that ANYONE signed off on these choices.
Slight change of topic - but some disappointment that a download card is not included in the vinyl package. I wonder how these decisions are made or not made? "Lightsleeper" did include a download for example.
I got my digipak in the mail, and now that I'm looking at a physical printing, I have to say the typography makes more sense. Maybe it's the slight grain of the paper, but the titles look like they're on the same plane as the artwork, as opposed to how they look artificially pasted on top in the digital image. It all looks more "of a piece." Still not my favorite typefaces but they're not too offensive on the digipak.
Nick ever been to Malta? That photo has an amazing likeness!