Customer Reviews

Underachievers Please Try Harder (Reis) (Ogv) [Vinyl]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Belle and Sebastian comparisons aside, Camera Obscura deserve to be analyzed on their own merit, of which they have much. Their arrangements drip 1960s Europop, yet still manage to sound surprisingly modern and original. The female vocals are soft and airy, like those of a child, but deliver mature and snippy witticisms. Paired with the quiet murmurings of the vocalists, the musicians create a unique and very beautiful style. Camera Obscura is a talented, smart bunch.
Fans of Leonard Cohen will immediately recognize a nod to Mr. C. in "Your Picture", which reproduces Cohen's early style right down to the lulling acoustic guitar, poetry lyrics, and emotionless Cohen-like male voice.
Soft and slow, yet still lots of fun, this album flows seamlessly from start to finish, and there isn't one song I skip past. Suffice it to say, since I got this album several months ago, it has been in constant rotation with my other 'most-listened-to' CDs. It takes more than a quick listen to appreciate the achievement of "Underachievers Please Try Harder", but it is well worth the extra attention to really get a feel for Camera Obscura's style.

First off, let's deal with all those nitwits out there who've got Belle & Sebastian pegged as some kind of sacred cow; if we're gonna play 'name that influence', then this review will be a thousand times longer than it needs to be, and I won't even get around to reviewing the actual LP!

Besides, this has some of the best songs Petula Clark never wrote. Particularly "A Sister's Social Agony", one of the best (and few) doo-wop-esque ditties I've heard since The Flamingoes.

The album starts off great, with "Suspended From Class", "Keep It Clean", "A Sister's...", and "Teenager", lulls a bit in the middle (minus a star for re-writing L. Cohen's "Suzanne" and calling it "Your Picture"; shame on you guys), then picks up a bit near the end.

For those in need of a chill pill fix, this'll do the trick.

Seems like many people are mad that this isn't Bell & Sebastian. Well, It's not. It's probably closer to the stylings of The Clientelle or late era Yo La Tengo -- and they're not Scottish...?
Anyway, there are few, if any, synths -- the warm recording and instrumentation are all they need to make their music work. The girl/boy vocals are each unlike anything sung in at least 20 years and together just make me want to melt.
Also, fans of Saturday Looks Good to Me will enjoy, but I must warn you -- this album never really rocks out. It keeps a cool melodic additude throughout. Lunar Sea is bliss.

The singer's voice is perfect for the style of music, and the studio production is excellent. The songs have a coy tone, but with a self-aware humor that is more smart kitsch than merely adolescent. The spare arrangements are a pure pleasure. C'mon gang; this music is pretty good. This isn't The Breeders or Belly so dont expect dark tones and anger.

i've been listening to this for three days now, with very little in between. see, normally, i listen to various music which would fall under the categories indie and emo, but not just to be emo. before i found this i was on an at the drive-in binge mixed in with some drive like jehu, sparta, million dead, fugazi and cursive. i saw this album on some emo girl's xanga, and though i usually don't trust emo girl's music taste, i liked the cover, and figured i'd get it and see how i liked it. i have no idea what anybody means by folk pop, because this doesn't seem related to the folk im familiar with, except that it's pretty much oblivious to subject matter. but anyway...this album is really great...production, tracyanne's voice, the beats and selection of instruments. my only complaint is the guy's singing. it's not unbearable but close. especially on the song "your picture". i have to skip over that now, it's like they give him the least rhythmic songs to sing on too. the two bonus tracks aren't really very necessary either. this album isn't emo - i didn't even have to say that - but it is something people could appreciate for...the same reason. make sense? best songs are "suspended from class", "teenager", "number one son" and "lunar sea". light one up and put this cd on, it'll feel good.

Despite the protestations of some here, this CD resembles nothing so much as early B&S, albeit often with "thicker" production values. That is, except for the moments when it sounds like longlost rock and roll of the 50s or 60s era.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"Suspended from Class" is a poignant look at the awkwardness of wanting to be "more than friends" with its catchy refrain of "I should be suspended from class/I don't know my elbow from my arse". "Teenager" sounds like it's slipped through a time warp from the early 60s, a bossa novaish backbeat coupled with a tremeloed guitar. In it, one of the band's female singers chides a male friend for chasing after a girl who's all fluff, no substance, while adding a subtle tinge of jealousy as a subtext. "Number One Son" is a brisk number that incorporates some tasteful strings in its tale of a woman struggling in her relationship with a man who can't get paternal acceptance. If it weren't for the Scottish accent, you might be persuaded "Let me Go Home" is old Motown with its nimble bass and handclap and tambourine rhythm.

BOTTOM LINE:
B&S fans should adore this. Indie pop fans might also think this is the "cat's pajamas" to steal a phrase from the decade they reference most. Those not in those two categories will want to listen first to see if it's their cup of tea. In the end, I just couldn't find an emotional connection to this often enough to make it a must for my collection.

people do need to remember that B&S themselves owe a huge debt to Scottish musicians such as Donovan, as well as bands such as Love (from whom they got massive amounts of musical ideas, i.e. every horn arrangement they've done) in terms of sound and structure. that doesn't make them derivative, however. just more in a long line of excellent quietish chamber pop bands from the British Isles. that said, i agree with both sides, really. there are flashes of brilliance here, but at the same time it can get a bit too B&Sy for its own good. so, not a masterpiece, but not a complete waste, either.

Belle & Sebastian aren't the only soft rockers around - folks need to lighten up. This isn't a perfect album. It's pleasant enough however. Sure, it drags a little toward the end, but it's forgiveable. "Suspended From Class" is a great tune and the cover of Leonard Cohen's "Your Picture" is also a standout. Like they say, there's no accounting for taste, but if you can't get enough of groups like Club 8 and Pastels, Camera Obcsura is worth your attention.

Dont listen to the first review, this record is ace. The vocals are very beautiful and genuine. Overall, this record has an intimate bewitching beauty that drags you in with each listen.

They are totally unknown here. I only got to know this group on the net and i have found gem in Camera Obscura, with such sweet melodies, angelic voice of Traceyann Campbell and the rest of the band is awesome as well! Im hooked with Suspended from Class, Keep it Clean, Number One Son & Teenager.