Camera Obscura’s sound has rarely ventured beyond small variations on twee, reverb-soaked indie pop, and Look to the East, Look to the West—the Scottish band’s first studio album since 2013’s Desire Lines and the death of longtime member Carey Lander in 2015—is no exception. The group’s sixth studio album mostly sticks to a slow, midtempo pace, though the structures of songs like “We’re Gonna Make It in a Man’s World” grow in complexity, sometimes even changing time signatures, as they progress.
Though Camera Obscura’s primary influences are rooted in the 1960s—girl groups, psychedelia, and Phil Spector-esque instrumentation—they’re inventively comingled with more unexpected elements or genre signifiers. Country music, for example, is rarely heard as a musical reference in U.K. indie pop, but pedal steel figures prominently on the album’s title track and “Pop Goes Pop,” among others.
Though Camera Obscura’s primary influences are rooted in the 1960s—girl groups, psychedelia, and Phil Spector-esque instrumentation—they’re inventively comingled with more unexpected elements or genre signifiers. Country music, for example, is rarely heard as a musical reference in U.K. indie pop, but pedal steel figures prominently on the album’s title track and “Pop Goes Pop,” among others.
- 4/29/2024
- by Steve Erickson
- Slant Magazine
Camera Obscura have announced Look to the East, Look to the West, their first new album in over 10 years, out May 3rd via Merge Records. Plus, the Scottish indie pop veterans have mapped out a 2024 North American tour and shared the lead single, “Big Love.”
Led by guitarist/vocalist Tracyanne Campbell, Camera Obscura reunited with previous producer Jari Haapalainen to record Look to the East, Look to the West. The band had gone on hiatus following the 2015 passing of founding keyboard Carey Lander, but reconnected for Belle & Sebastian’s 2019 Boaty Weekender cruise and a pair of warm-up shows in Glasgow.
Donna Maciocia joined Camera Obscura on keys and vocals for those gigs, and has since become a regular songwriting partner of Campbell’s alongside founding members Kenny McKeeve (guitar and vocals), Gavin Dunbar (bass), and Lee Thomson (drums and percussion). Pre-orders for Look to the East, Look to the West are ongoing.
Led by guitarist/vocalist Tracyanne Campbell, Camera Obscura reunited with previous producer Jari Haapalainen to record Look to the East, Look to the West. The band had gone on hiatus following the 2015 passing of founding keyboard Carey Lander, but reconnected for Belle & Sebastian’s 2019 Boaty Weekender cruise and a pair of warm-up shows in Glasgow.
Donna Maciocia joined Camera Obscura on keys and vocals for those gigs, and has since become a regular songwriting partner of Campbell’s alongside founding members Kenny McKeeve (guitar and vocals), Gavin Dunbar (bass), and Lee Thomson (drums and percussion). Pre-orders for Look to the East, Look to the West are ongoing.
- 1/30/2024
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
The last three years have been pretty rough for the world, but there’s no denying that it’s been a good time to be a Belle and Sebastian fan. In late 2020, with touring sidelined, they released an excellent live album to remind us what a dynamic concert act they’ve become; last spring, they re-emerged with A Bit of Previous, their first studio LP in seven years. Now, the Scottish indie-pop heroes are topping that with Late Developers — an all-new, even better album from the same sessions that they...
- 1/9/2023
- by Simon Vozick-Levinson
- Rollingstone.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.