Monday, June 3, 2013


Camera Obscura
Desire Lines
4 AD

The big difference between this new album and their previous ones is that it’s more rock, less pop. No strings, more guitars.  Much tougher than in the past. And yet they haven’t lost their knack for the nuances, no matter how subtle, within music that is slightly harder, less edgy than their past work.  They had more help this time.  Neko Case sings backup on four of these songs, Jim James one. Tucker Martine produced the album, and the band had a wonderful time recording the album in Portland, Oregon.

Tracyanne Campbell will always sound beautifully beguiling, making bitter truths and heartbreak go down easy.  But this time around, her lyrics are happier and more loving and intimate which makes you feel as if you're talking over coffee.  

Adult rock can sometimes be bland and boring. And while Camera Obscura is adult rock, they are anything but boring and bland.  Their music and lyrics are fully mature and wise, from a band that has learned a lot about life and love.  It’s one of the best albums I’ve heard all year,  and if you want to hear an album that shakes things up, gently but very firmly, this is the album for you.
Andrea Weiss

No comments:

Post a Comment

Followers

Blog Archive