CD Reviews

Camera Obscura

Let’s Get Out of the Country | Merge

By BILL JENSEN | June 28, 2006

3.0 Stars

PINING: Camera Obscura

Oh Tracyanne, why do you torture us so? Why do you record your vocals so dripping wet, lilting over the kitsch, the wedding-day organ, the late-’60s mod swing, the muted horns seeping out of the back room? Why do you pine for our attention, trying to slip softly into that great void left when so many of us turned our backs on that other Glasgow sextet, heartbroken when Isobel left Sebastian Belle-less? In your mawkish sweater and he-loves-me-not, he-loves-me-never delivery, you had us from the beginning. But you still can’t make us forget about that other band. And we really, really want to think only about you. You and Camera Obscura have so much more to offer. The clever mix of Motown and rainy days in “If Looks Could Kill,” the Johnny Marr guitar hook in “Hey Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken” — we even forgive you for getting all Hope Sandoval on us in “Dory Previn.” But we just can’t shake that other woman. “I need all the friends I can get,” you sing toward the end of the album. You will get them. We’ll help. And we’ll try to figure this thing out together.

CAMERA OBSCURA + GEORGIE JAMES | July 6 | Great Scott, 1222 Comm Ave, Allston | 617.566.9014

On the Web
Camera Obscura: http://www.camera-obscura.net/

Related: Mixed emotions, The year the music thrived, Brazilliant, More

Topics: CD Reviews , Johnny Marr, Georgie James, Hope Sandoval, More

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