Yeah, I think "hype" is the operative word.

So far, Rolling Stone had praised it, and it seems we can all agree on how much to value their opinion.

And Matador has praised it, whom, I would guess, has a vested interest in the album, and the producer of the album has praised it (as if he was gonna say, "It's alright. Could've been better"?).

IF, in fact, it is a good record, I hope Matador doesn't take any credit. Admit it, Geffen released pretty much what SY wanted, so it's not like they were holding SY back from their full potential or anything. As far as the "pressure for hits" claim goes, I don't know what this means. "We hope your next album has a hit single on it. It'd be a shame if Lee's arm got broken..."

geffen actually did NOT release what SY wanted, and thurston, Kim and Lee have hinted at it, in their polite manner, in many interviews.

Well if you're on a label for 20 years, you're gonna have a bit of bitching to do about them by the end of it. So they're getting their big, long bulbous turd's worth of Geffen-slaggin' out of the way now they're off the contract. I don't think it really has to do with not releasing what they wanted, I mean, what could SY want to release that they'd stop? Some avant-garde weirdness? Well, under Geffen SY released some of their weirdest stuff on main albums - like Lightnin', Diamond Sea, Contre de la Sexisme.
I dunno, the one thing I did used to suspect Geffen of pressuring SY albout was the amount of Lee tracks, maybe they added inconsistency to records, or were'nt as recognisable or 'sellable' as Thurston and (especially) Kim's vocals. I half expected the Eternal to have 3 Lee tracks like DDN because of this suspicion. However; only 1. It is then, clearly the band's (Lee's) choice.
In summary, leave Geffen alone kids, they served SY well for 20 years.

don't bite off the hand that fed you

no body is slagging geffen man. what thurston and kim and lee have said though is that there was pressure on them to release more radio friendly music, which SY tried to do with the last three records. (and which has seemingly alienated a little chunk of SY fans who found these records not so skrawnkrawk.)

Yeah, to me this is always been so strange, surely if you know and like SY alot you'll always expect then to do what you weren't expecting? But then, I guess this means you don't have to like it.

Agreed. I have a feeling I'm gonna be sick of hearing people talking about it by the time summer comes.