Showing posts with label camera obscura. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camera obscura. Show all posts
, , — 0 comments

Album Review: Camera Obscura - Desire Lines


Camera Obscura's first single, “Park and Ride,” was released in 1998. Since that point, the Scottish band has been on a long sonic journey, experiencing several member and producer changes. One thing that has never shifted is the one-of-a-kind presence of singer/songwriter Tracyanne Cambell and her voice's sad, childlike warmth. Desire Lines, the five piece's (occasional six piece's) 5th studio album, captures Tracyanne's essence better than any other Camera Obscura work. Unfortunately, it comes at a price...

Grammy nominated producer Tucker Martine, who has worked with Neko Case, REM, and My Morning Jacket, gives the band a new sheen. There are no more chaotic strings like the ones found on  “Lloyd, I'm Ready to be heartbroken” (which I say every time I'm downtown and do not see my favorite taco truck). However, there are also no songs quite as infectious or exciting.  The focus is now entirely on Campbell with the band's slick sound  meant only as a backdrop to her soft melodies and lyrics. Campbell's voice sounds fabulous though, there is a milky tenderness that will make you fall in love. Just listen to “Cri Du Coeur,” the album's best track, and you will quickly understand why.

“Pleasant” and “mature” are words that come to mind when sitting through Desire Lines. This is, of course, what happens when you give the poppiest of pop bands an album full of ballads. The first single, “Do It Again,” will fool you into thinking there are more energetic songs. Not the case!  “This Is Love (Feels Alright),” “Fifth Line To The Throne,” and “Every Weekday” are examples of the slow moving songs this album offers. Yet. they never quite reel the listener in the way Camera Obscura has in the past. “French Navy,” off of My Maudlin Career, is an example of the Scots' gone catchy.        

Desire Lines does have a few memorable numbers besides “Cri Du Coeur.”  The upbeat “Break It To You Gently” (featuring Neko Case) leaves an imprint, along with the somber “William's Heart.” This album is not about any one individual song. Rather, it is about one individual. Tracyanne Cambell is arguably the best sounding frontwomen of modern indie pop and Desire Lines is an essential listen strictly for that reason.

Grade:  B




, , , , , , , , — 1 comments

Top Ten June Album Releases


10. Beach Day - Trip Track Attack
Florida-natives Beach Day will release their debut record Trip Track Attack on 6/18 via Kanine Records. The 60s girl-group inspired trio are appropriately releasing their record in the throws of summer, and on the track “Little Red Shoes” its all too easy to see this record on repeat for some time during the ensuing months. Listen below:


9. Young Fathers - TAPE TWO
Young Fathers will follow-up their excellent TAPE ONE EP released earlier this year with TAPE TWO set for official release on 6/11. You can hear the ambitious 9-track EP in-full now over at Dazed Digital’s Soundcloud.




8. Spectrals - Sob Story
Spectrals are back with their sophomore record Sob Story, which was released yesterday via Wichita Recordings. The Record was produced by Girls' JR White and can be slightly likened to the recently disbanded duo with sprawling slide guitar and catchy classic rock melodies. Listen to the title track below:
7. Camera Obscura - Desire Lines
On the Glasgow quintet’s latest single off the forthcoming record Desire Lines (out today via 4AD) “Do It Again” lead singer Tracyanne Campbell is straightforward: “Turn down the lights now / let’s do it again.” The upbeat little number doesn’t seem to stray far from the band’s previous releases in 2006’s Let’s Get Out Of this Country and 2009’s My Maudlin Career, but no one’s complaining. Camera Obscura have made a career out of crafting their perfectly twee-lilted indie pop, but they’ve done it consistently. Listen to “Do It Again” below:


 6. Smith Westerns - Soft Will
Smith Westerns impressed a lot of people with their debut self-titled record and 2011’s Dye It Blonde, and with their latest singles “3am Spiritual” and “Varsity” the group looks to complete their glam-rock trifecta with Soft Will, which is out June 25 via Mom+Pop. Check out the video for “Varsity” below:


 5. Portugal. The Man - Evil Friends
The first track and video, “Atomic Man,” released from Portugal. The Man’s eighth studio album, has a white-washed sound that Censored Colors and American Ghetto songs don’t. Produced by Danger Mouse, it has a witty likeness to fellow Danger Mouse artists, but the synthetic-beats and metallic quality of John Baldwin Gourley’s vocals lack the rawness they’re known for. The album is streaming now, and will be an excellent alternative to less stimulating pop-rock tracks that can clog the radiowaves of the season. 


 4. Sigur Ros - Kveikor
Sigur Ros’ seventh studio album, Kveikur (put out by XL Records), returns the Icelandic band to a sound more reminiscent of their native landscape: beautiful, barren, and rocky. The first single and video released, “Isjaki,” retains some of the watery electronics prevalent on Valtari, their 2012 release, but harkens back to the chimes, post-rock guitar, and traditional beats on Takk and ( ). As usual, this album will be released to excited praise; because there’s always someone who will love it more than the last, and probably more than anything else. That’s one of the greatest qualities of Sigur Ros’ music: it never fails to touch a heart. Check out the lyric video to "Isjaki" below:

3. Eleanor Friedberger - Personal Record

Eleanor Friedberger, who’s playing at The Ninth Ward at Babeville tonight, released her sophomore LP Personal Record today on Merge. Anyone who likes the Fiery Furnaces will like this release, it’s full of quirky rhythms and sun-drenched folk-pop sincerity. Watch the video for "Stare At The Sun" below:


2. Disclosure - Settle

UK dance-pop duo Disclosure are brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence. At just 18 and 21, the brothers are crafting some supremely excellent music on their latest record Settle which was released yesterday on PMR. “Latch” is a palpable and airy track featuring Sam Smith that drips with boiling texture, flaunting itself this way and that via bubbling percussion and synth lines. Listen to “Latch” below:


 1. Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest

Tomorrow’s Harvest, Boards of Canada’s first studio album in eight years, streamed over YouTube yesterday, and was reviewed with a special kind of dystopian-fervor reserved for musicians who have stood the test of time—and come back from its brink. Like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Boards of Canada have managed to meld their former sound into something cuter and oddly current-sounding. The single and video, “Reach for the Dead,” is rhythmic, simplistic, and aerial in a way that might at first strike you as surface, but could actually be deeply beautiful.

Tom Dennis
, , , — 0 comments

Listener's Digest: Camera Obscura - "Do It Again"


With their fifth studio album, Desire Lines, set to drop this June, Glasgow band Camera Obscura have leaked the first single from their upcoming LP. "Do It Again" is a perfect slice of upbeat, indie pop with some very welcome backing vocals from Neko Case. In fact, the feel good tune could easily pass a close cousin to Case's "People Got A Lotta Nerve," which certainly isn't a bad thing. I'm a sucker for great female harmonies with even the slightest alt-country touch, so this so song is going to get some serious burn from me today. Desires Lines will be released on June 3rd.



Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)