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Can Cladders

EMAILPRINTby High Llamas

High Llamas reviews
74
8.3 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 15 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 3 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >

Album Info

Label: Drag City

Release Date: 20 February 2007

Discs: 1 disc

Genre(s): Indie, Rock

Summary

Sean O'Hagan's first High Llamas album in four years sticks to his usual script of '60s-influenced pop.

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

91

The Onion (A.V. Club)

It's not a grand departure, just the best album yet by one of the modern-rock era's most loveable bands.

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80

All Music Guide

Four years in the making, Can Cladders could have come off the presses as an indulgent, overwrought opus. Instead, it simply (but oh-so-craftily) distilled a career's worth of creative tangents into one solid, focused effort that, if you're observant enough, holds its own amongst the likes of the Llamas' comparative "elite."

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80

Uncut

These articulate odes to pop's past strike the right balance between carefully studied craft and melodic inspiration. [Mar 2007, p.83]

80

Tiny Mix Tapes

An unapologetically lovely affair that is sure to soothe the frazzled nerves of its discerning listening public.

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80

Mojo

It's not perfect--you want it to shift up a gear occasionally, or to try different approaches, but the songs are all stuffed with daffy musicality and charm. [Apr 2007, p.102]

73

Pitchfork

The most enjoyable High Llamas record in over a decade.

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70

Almost Cool

As always, Can Cladders is immaculately-produced, with an airy feel that emphasizes the breezy songs.

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70

Q Magazine

This is laregly classic pastoral English whimsy at its best. [Apr 2007, p.119]

70

Paste Magazine

It's more than a little precious and fluffy for those without kaleidoscope eyes for the stuff, but if this is your bag, you'll know it (and love it). [Apr 2007, p.60]

60

New Musical Express

Tracks like 'Bacaroo' and 'Sailing Bells' deploy the sort of lovely string arrangements that sweep you off your feet and have your knickers on the floor before you even notice your cold bits.

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60

Dusted Magazine

The album’s 13 insubstantial tracks make no concessions to contemporary ideas of ‘substance’ in pop music: they are exercises in style so formal they’re almost French.

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60

PopMatters

O’Hagan seems to love style far more than substance.

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60

The Guardian

Packed with vividly coloured melodies, these songs have a luminous quality, but they also confuse the hypnotic with the repetitive, and richness of texture with gluttonous excess.

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60

Under The Radar

So while they have returned, The High Llamas have not exactly returned to form. [#16, p.92]

58

Stylus Magazine

Perhaps due to their prominence, Can Cladders works best when the strings are actually ditched.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Sander V. gave it an8:
Although I believe that Cold & Bouncy is their masterpiece, this one gives me enough good and sweet feelings to play it every dreary Sunday. Sean's music is still the best "feel good music" since Brian Wilson stopped doing his thing.

James B gave it an8:
God bless, Sean O'Hagan for giving this occasionally jaded listener some sweet melodious relief. "Can Cladders" may not top The High Llamas' masterpiece "Hawaii", but this new album is supremely delicious and wonderful. My favorite tracks are: "The Old Spring Town", "Can Cladders" and "Cove Cutters(Hills and Fields". These tunes are simply amazing, and the rest of this fantastic album is superb. Kudos once again Mr. O'H agan and thank you so much!

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