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Aug 30, 2011An album that is fashionably slick, altogether tragic, and deceptively beautiful.
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UncutAug 19, 2011A collection of balmy disco that call to mind some tropical union between Arthur Russell and Prince. [Sep 2011, p.81]
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Q MagazineAug 16, 2011Hynes, it seems, can get away with more than most. [Sept. 2011, p. 103]
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Aug 10, 2011The record leans at times too heavily on its basic formula of pizzicato electric guitar and seedy, somnambulant basslines. Still, as a slice of squalid glamour with a beating heart under its rusted exterior, Coastal Grooves deserves your attention.
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Aug 10, 2011With a humble ten songs, Hynes banishes our woes and turns a shoulder to the glut of all too mundane music released this year, reminding us that someone can still make a perfectly influenced yet original collection of songs. This is how a record should be made.
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Aug 18, 2011Whether a frolic or a detour, the latest stop on Hynes's winding musical road is worth a listen. But take his own early words as this listener does: out of context, as an invocation of caveat emptor.
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Sep 7, 2011As a retro endeavor, this atmosphere may be lauded for its chronicity, but it keeps Coastal Grooves from scaling the memorable heights of synthed-up crooners straddling the art/pop divide (the likes of Bryan Ferry or Donald Fagen).
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Aug 25, 2011Most impressive is the lightness of touch Hynes brings to his arrangements.
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Aug 10, 2011On paper, its influences--surf punk, Prince, oriental pop, minimalist dance--smack of hipster posturing, but on record, they blend beautifully.
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Aug 12, 2011It's really that entertaining. He's found his voice now and he's coasting. A winner.
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Aug 10, 2011Hynes's voice is refined into an emotive croon. Inventive pop from a bright indie talent.
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Aug 31, 2011By not exerting himself, Hynes manages to craft an easy-to-listen, easy-to-enjoy album that will be spun as a change of pace.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 16 out of 18
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Mixed: 2 out of 18
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Negative: 0 out of 18
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Oct 11, 2011