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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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One Bedroom
by The Sea And Cake
The Chicago-based post-rockers return with their sixth album, their once frenetic pace of releasing albums slowed over recent years due to numerous side projects (solo albums for vocalist Sam Prekop and guitarist Archer Prewitt, and work in Tortoise, among other things, for drummer John McEntire). Included here is the band's cover of David Bowie's "Sound and Vision."
| LABEL: |
Thrill Jockey |
| RELEASE DATE: |
21 January 2003 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Indie, Rock |
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...
90
Amazon.com
A masterly exercise in restraint, subtle sophistication, and melodic playfulness.
80
Junkmedia
In a time when consistency is rare, and integrity even rarer, the Sea and Cake have made an album that highlights where they've been.
80
Uncut
It's very fine, glowing with an oblique, poppy sensibility that's theirs alone. [Jan 2003, p.127]
80
Mojo
One Bedroom finds the group in a more forthright mood -- just shifting up a gear makes a big difference. [Feb 2003, p.90]
80
The Wire
The production is so delicate and the arrangements so well crafted that you can't help being utterly seduced by this open-ended, non-narrative yet elegant and accessible pop music. [#227, p.71]
80
Neumu.net
One Bedroom does tend to lag in parts, perhaps lost in the legacy of the band that created it, but in the end it comes off as an unified organic being, both necessary and pleasant.
80
Dusted Magazine
One Bedroom is the LP on which The Sea And Cake jettisons most of its jazzbo pretensions long enough to finish the pure, catchy, consistent pop-funk record it's always been capable of.
80
Salon.com
It's the gurgling electronic underpinnings and distinctly cheerful '70s synth chimes that make the difference here, adding needed texture and distracting from overly rigid rhythmic structures.
80
Billboard
A warm sonic cocoon with synthesizer veins, it possesses the rare quality of making the listener feel like an active ingredient of the music.
80
Mixer
Minimalist yet incredibly expansive. [Jan 2003, p.74]
80
All Music Guide
While the accompaniment is always thoughtful and inventive, Prekop's vocal idiosyncrasies tend to be a double-edged sword, delightful on the good songs but only accentuating the dreariness of failed experiments like "Le Baron" or "Try Nothing."
80
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Even when the group treads stylistic water, it gives off pretty ripples.
80
Urb
It's just all so blissed-out and soothing you won't know what to do with yourself. [Dec 2002, p.92]
80
Splendid
While the disc's increased emphasis on electronic textures, balanced songwriting and non-linear production is a welcome breath of fresh air, it lends itself to a feeling of sameness that becomes increasingly apparent as the record progresses.
80
Alternative Press
One bedroom is vaguely European, warmly mechanical and just off-kilter enough to be consistently interesting. [Feb 2003, p.74]
80
CultureDose.net
With The Sea and Cake, the question is never whether the album is good or bad, but whether the album is good or excellent. One Bedroom then is a good album.
80
Trouser Press
Teems with all the life that the band omitted from Oui.
70
PopMatters
Although this will not stand out as a landmark in the quartet's cannon, it is a worthy addition to any fan's collection.
70
Blender
A fizzling delight, jettisoning previous jazzy inclinations in favor of a gorgeous electronic pitter-patter that sets off Prekop's velvety, mourning vocals. [#14, p.143]
70
Rolling Stone
Like the best of the Sea and Cake's work, the sixth album from the Chicago indie outfit is a tempest of pastels: It's full of burbling electronic experimentation but still manages to always carry a tune.
70
Pitchfork
One Bedroom... signals a return to the half-on/half-off inconsistency that marred all Sea and Cake albums except Nassau and Oui, as a handful of misfires trip up the flow.
70
Q Magazine
Their poppiest album to date. [Feb 2003, p.107]
70
Playlouder
'One Bedroom' is an infinitely pleasurable listen, and one that (very gently) blows away any post-rock preconceptions.
67
E! Online
Singer Sam Prekop sounds as delightfully laid-back as ever and John McEntire's production remains inventive, however, the combined effect is more limp than limber.
63
Stylus Magazine
A complacent, inoffensive set of songs that belie the talent and vision of their creators.
60
Magnet
Predictable. [#57, p.105]
The average user rating for this album is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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