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Tim Hecker's elegantly inventive way around sound art moved into a full decade of released work with An Imaginary Country, one of his most serene and, from its striking start "100 Years Ago" forward, uplifting albums.
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Nowhere is this idea of acceptance clearer than on An Imaginary Country. In a sense the album evokes nothing so much as Hecker himself, diligently and intuitively molding his sounds through synthesizer, guitar and laptop, and as a result may be the most symbiotic album of the year.
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An Imaginary Country suffers nothing for these decisions [to ease back on the heavier, noisier aspects of his work] and in fact nearly stands as a perfect counterpoint to the acidic blasts of white noise on "Harmony in Ultraviolet."
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An Imaginary Country is a solid record, but in the context of Hecker’s discography, it can also be underwhelming at times.
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Most impressive, though, is that Hecker has built for us this make-believe area to inhabit, to explore with him. While there's a bit less room in this space than those he's constructed before, it's still very much an achievement, and one to be celebrated.
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It’s verily comfortable existing the background, but instead of becoming wallpaper, the music fills the container of the room it’s played in and settles beautifully into the atmosphere.
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Tim Hecker’s beautiful meditations are inviting but still retain the edge of a seeker that isn’t quite finished with the trip.
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All in all, An Imaginary Country is probably Tim Hecker's most accessible album. In a way, the record bridges together the elements heard on previous albums, only without regurgitating old ideas.
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Hecker's sonics are huge and unrepentant, but they tease the ear; individual sounds are highlighted by their sustained revision.
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Fair or not, An Imaginary Country can best be described as middling: competent, but certainly not what we all were hoping for from an artist whose work up to this point has been so unequivocally stirring.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 15 out of 16
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Mixed: 1 out of 16
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Negative: 0 out of 16
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ericsJun 22, 2009All those reviews under 8 need to get there ears checked.
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RobinGMar 15, 2009Best ambient electronica ever recorded.
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gerrygMar 15, 2009It's a solid well done album with a lot of soul.