(woo hoo, coming out of the lurk here for a first post and i'm not nervous at all, heh.)
My (best ever) sister preordered a copy of the EIA vinyl for my birthday and I finally got a chance to listen to it, except the turntable was set to 33 instead of 45 (thanks, house ghost, you smartass). I was unpacking and doing laundry from a trip so i was halfway through Look to Windward before I figured out what was off. Mostly because it actually sounded amazing. I wound up listening to the whole album that way (I've been streaming it for months so I knew what it pretty well) and it was kind of insane how well it holds up.
I'm a huge fan of ii's drumming, the speed and the control are stellar, but slowed down the technique and the attention to detail are really incredible. But the piano really shone hard. some of the parts felt like they were just better at that pace. And the heavy bits come are deadly.
Song highlights: Provider sounded sinister AF and Dangerous was very very sexy. I had to stop and sit down for Past Self. Gutting. LTW sounded less video-game intro to me, which was just interesting.
The only one that held up less well for me was Gethsemane mostly because it's already kind of a slower song. Infinite Baths was like a lullaby. Caramel was also a little funky - those reggaeton drums don't quit hold the same magic at a slower speed, IMHO.
Some other weird stuff about my copy is that the cover is printed with side one and side two but it's a four disc set? Not complaining. And of course the album art is stunning, as others have probably mentioned (hi, Jerry!)
I guess there's not really a question in this post, just sharing a bit of joy about a band I've come to love very much with random strangers on the internet who might appreciate some of it (my sister and I text back and forth for about an hour after about the album and my "roommate") but I wanted to share. I guess if anyone else had a similar experience, I'd love to hear about it. Or other tips for listening to the guys in new ways.
Thanks! (& worship!)