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Civilian

Wye OakAudio CD
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)

Price: $11.99 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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 : Includes FREE MP3 version of this album.
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Formats

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MP3 Music, 10 Songs, 2011 $8.91  
Audio CD, 2011 $11.99  
Vinyl, 2011 $19.08  

Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s

Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or view the MP3 Album.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Samples
Song Title Time Price
listen  1. Two Small Deaths 3:50$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  2. The Alter 3:42$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  3. Holy Holy 4:35FREE  Get MP3 
listen  4. Dogs Eyes 3:24$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  5. Civilian 3:40$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  6. Fish 4:49$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  7. Plains 3:45$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  8. Hot As Day 3:50$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen  9. We Were Wealth 4:38$0.99  Buy MP3 
listen10. Doubt 2:27$0.99  Buy MP3 


Amazon's Wye Oak Store

Music

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Photos

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Biography

Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner spent much of the first Wye Oak record, If Children, submerging their songs of youthful love and dread in a distortion haze, but the band’s new record, The Knot, starts with a bell. From the first, clarion-clear note, Wye Oak’s collective vision is sharpened on The Knot, a set of songs that sway, stretch, and scream while always reaching outward for ... Read more in Amazon's Wye Oak Store

Visit Amazon's Wye Oak Store
for 4 albums, 11 photos, 3 videos, and 3 full streaming songs.

Special Offers and Product Promotions

  • Buy a CD or a vinyl record, get a $1 Amazon MP3 Credit. Limit one promotional credit per customer. Here's how (restrictions apply)
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Frequently Bought Together

Civilian + The Knot + If Children
Price for all three: $36.97

Buy the selected items together
  • The Knot $11.99
  • If Children $12.99

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Product Details

  • Audio CD (March 8, 2011)
  • Original Release Date: 2011
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Merge Records
  • ASIN: B004I65E4O
  • Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,370 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack return with their third album, Civilian. Civilian is a kind of 21st-century folk music, imbued with dense shoegaze guitars, nearly melodic rhythms, and impeccable splashes of electronic color. Without leaning on conventional structure, the songs beguile with fascinating chords and melodies, Jenn's voice and riveting lyrics, mesmerizing rhythms, and an intoxicating aural landscape. Jenn sums up the meaning of the album saying, "this collection of songs is called Civilian because I believe everyone wants to be normal, but no one truly is."

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
(35)
4.6 out of 5 stars
Overall, this band has a great indie sound. TimothyArcher  |  3 reviewers made a similar statement
Luckily, the rest of the album is just as good. Royally Tenenbaumed  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Fewer ideas and directions would be better December 15, 2011
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I get why folks like Wye Oak but what I cannot figure is why everyone seems to love "Civilians." It is a good, but not great, recording. Jenn Wasner, who sounds quite a bit like Sonya Kitchell (which is meant as a compliment), shines on some songs but seems lost in the mix on others. Andy Stack, when restrained just a bit, handles the multi-instrumentalist role with aplomb, but I think things can quickly become too strident, throwing some songs, (e.g., Dogs Eyes, Wealth) off balance. Put another way, fewer ideas and directions would be better in many places. Once the melody meanders too far, it just is not that pleasant. And the track Plains meanders in a different way, sort of an aimless ramble that never gets anywhere.

That said, when Wye Oak nails a song, such as the title track, this duo shows its true strength and potential. This is one of those recordings I like well enough and I think it is worth a listen, though it ultimately does not completely satisfy as a recording that qualifies for a ringing endorsement.
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20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Immersed in Civilian May 13, 2011
By Rachel
Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase
With Civilian, Wye Oak has mastered the art of creating songs that swell and progress to peaks of ultimate complexity. Many of the tracks begin with the spotlight placed squarely on Jenn's smooth, subtle, yet powerfully sultry vocals, only to have the mood tempered by distorted guitar riffs and resonating percussion. Although the general feel of the music is one of melancholy, the mesmerizing lyrics and diaphonous undertones keep the album from becoming too dark and burdensome. Heavy topics are approached with a sort of cautious intensity that carefully toes the line between drawing listeners in and pushing them over the edge.

The group has been tossed into the indie/lo-fi category--one that is overflowing with aesthetically similar musicians who ultimately have little in common, aside from their affinity for creating probing and consequential music. In a genre where anything goes, Wye Oak has responded by developing an entirely novel offering--from the introductory track's opening note to the album's final fade, there is nothing contrived or derivative to be found. Comparisons can be drawn to several of the band's contemporaries, from Rogue Wave to Pavement, but fans expecting a rehashed version of such artists' respective albums are in for an unanticipated treat.

Because Civilian is much more polished and produced than it's predecessors, it is more accessible. That being said, the band has stayed their direction, and their material has maintained the nuances and intricacies that brought them to the attention of so many discerning listeners. This album is a rarity, in that it will delight loyal fans and newcomers alike. The lyrical genius, gorgeous vocals, and singular instrumental arrangements make Civilian more than an experience of passive listening, but, as alluded to on the album's cover art, one more akin to musical immersion.
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30 of 36 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Will this be Wye Oak's breakthrough? March 8, 2011
Format:Audio CD
(Do bands still have breakthroughs in today's incompetent music industry?) With their third album the Baltimore duo have found a sound that is not derivative, but genuinely haunting. While it is easy enough to categorize just about any group (shoegazing in this case?), it would not only callously overlook what is truly an original voice, something fairly rare these jaded later days of contemporary/alternative, but more importantly fail to appreciate the genuinely affecting experience of wrapping oneself into the sublime emotion offered here. Holy Holy, Doubt and the title track are each strong enough to gain airplay, so I hope that somehow this disc creates enough buzz to lend support to young artists who have discovered a connection to what deserves to be a decent run.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars An exercise in dissonance and resolution
I will borrow a line from TimothyArcher: "The beautiful melodies are contrasted with noisy distortion in just the right amount. Read more
Published 2 months ago by dev1
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic album!
I really enjoy this album from beginning to end. My favorite track of course is "Civilian" which I first heard on season 2 of The Walking Dead. Read more
Published 3 months ago by TimothyArcher
5.0 out of 5 stars Wye Oak?
The band Wye Oak is as good as new to me.
I just picked up the civilian song some weeks ago by sheer luck.. that's what you get for not listening much radio at all. Read more
Published 3 months ago by J. Oosthoek
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid album
Somewhat reminiscent of Beth Orton but with some other clear influences. Particularly, since they are a duo covering the whole sound, I give much cred.
Published 3 months ago by J. Shoji
5.0 out of 5 stars yes.
Very beautiful. The last track Doubt is hands down my fav and is worth purchasing the whole album for! If you like wye oak already this will not disappoint.
Published 4 months ago by noelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, melodic, somber
Some of the most beautiful music I've heard in a long time. Really impressive musicianship and vocals. Read more
Published 4 months ago by E. Beckstrom
5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing vocals and crushing guitars
I heard the title track and just had to find this album. Luckily, the rest of the album is just as good. At times mellow and seducing, it teems with life and creativity. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Royally Tenenbaumed
4.0 out of 5 stars Great music
Something so soulful about this music. I can listen while folding laundry, driving, really anytime I'm feeling introspective. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Sasha Lynch
5.0 out of 5 stars Bmore
Another really great Baltimore indie band, a la Beach House.
Civilian is dense and ecstatic.
Has some nice driving Slint-like rhythms and Wasner's voice is strong enough... Read more
Published 10 months ago by R. Barnard
5.0 out of 5 stars Boy is this good
Once in a while I'm blown away by an album. This one had that effect on me. The last album I heard that I liked this much right off the bat was "Neon Bible". Read more
Published 11 months ago by Robert W. Bean
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