22/01/2007

Camera Obscura, the musicians?favourites

A few weeks ago we mentioned how Richard Hawley had chosen from the pages of Mojo magazine "Let's get out of this country", the third album by CAMERA OBSCURA, as one of the best albums he had heard in 2006. He said CAMERA OBSCURA deserve to be much better known everywhere (he actually said "massive"), and he isn't the only fellow musician who thinks that way. On The Independent we read Brett Anderson (singer from SUEDE and THE TEARS) saying that this album is "probably my single favourite album this year. Beautifully crafted songs that echo the best moments of THE CONCRETES".

In another important British newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, the title song from "Let's get out of this country" is one of the year's best five singles (along with worldwide megahits like "Crazy" by GNARLS BARKLEY or "Hips don't lie" by Shakira), and on the same page we read Stuart Murdoch (BELLE AND SEBASTIAN) saying that the album by CAMERA OBSCURA is "the best contemporary record I've heard in a long time".
At the same time, "Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken" is featured on the "100 great undiscovered tracks of 2006" in Q magazine, where they add: "Infectious retro-pop with nods to both Phil Spector and fellow Glaswegians Belle and Sebastian".

In Spain, "Let's get out of this country" is up on all the specialized magazines end-of-year lists (Rockdelux, Go Mag), and the listeners of radio show "Disco Grande" on Radio 3 (directed by Julio Ruiz, considered by many as the Spanish John Peel) chose the album as the best of the year, and "Lloyd, I'm ready to be heartbroken" as the second best song of the year.

And you must not forget what the British media said when the record came out:

- Mojo: This is a killer record, Campbell's soaring, clear voice is devastating in its sweetness, the mix of melancholy and joy is just heartstopping 4/5
- NME: A hidden gem of a band.
- Q: A pop gem
- The Sun: Camera Obscura reveal a glistening, summery Sixties sound all their own. It's enchanting. 4/5
- Uncut: Indiepop Scots triumph 4/5
- Stool Pigeon: Camera Obscura's Tracyanne Campbell is the new Carole King
- Word: I never get the feeling that I've heard it all before ­ just that I'd love to hear even more.
- The Guardian: Campbell's voice is gorgeously mellifluous

And this is only a short briefing of the enormous reactions and the great feedback of an album that has definitely been one of the best of 2006!

Camera Obscura [The Daily Telegraph]
picture: Archivo Elefant