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Let's Get Out of This Country

by

Camera Obscura

 
Let's Get Out of This Country
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Avg: 4.0 (28 ratings)

A decade in, this Glasgow indie band hits its stride.

  • We Say...

    Camera Obscura called their previous album Underachievers Please Try Harder, and Let's Get Out Of This Country takes that advice: after ten years mooching pleasantly around the Glasgow indie scene, this is the sound of a band hitting its potential. That doesn't mean making any break from indie-pop's rules and rituals — all ten tracks offer lovelorn lyrics, unschooled vocal intimacy, prettiness to burn, retro arrangements and trebly, Dansette-ready production. The steps forward come in the songwriting — lead single "Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken" backs up its cute title with a delightful swooning hook. It's the best song here, but its straightforward pop appeal is slightly misleading. Much of the record is slow, late-night music, mixing Farfisa organ, slide guitar, reverb and handclaps and ending up wistful and snuggly — try "Dory Previn" and the delicate "Country Mile." That style particularly suits Tracyanne Campbell's soft, sweet brogue, though the echoey soul-pop stomper "If Looks Could Kill" proves she can take the tempo up without losing any charm. The producers occasionally play it too sugary, with overdone string arrangements, but they're never trying to disguise weak songs: this is as tight an album as modern indie-pop has to offer.

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