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Eisley's mix of old and new, and accessible and unexpected, makes their music utterly charming, and Combinations is a blend of bewitching contradictions.
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The term "abstract grace" seems to describe Combinations perfectly. The album proves Eisley to be masters of melody, strong lyricists, and capable of evoking a whole combination of emotions that are unable to be described using words.
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Q MagazineIt is just that, a combination of converging influences, namely Evanescence and The Cranberries, their propensity for choral harmonies ratcheting up the twee factor exponentially. [Oct 2007, p.109]
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Under The RadarToo often Combinations sounds like a retread of Eisley's debut but with a different backing track. [summer 2007, p.73]
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It's still eclectic enough that it sounds like a set of singles beamed in from different universes. Unfortunately, this quality also keeps Combinations from gelling.
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SpinThe vintage makeover suits them well. [Oct 2007, p.100]
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Combinations takes on topics you’d expect from kids whose ages range from 15 to 23: heartache, rebellion, love. It is, almost literally, a sophomore effort. The DuPrees have become better musicians since their debut, and they want to show it off.
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Thanks to Sherri, even Eisley's far-out moments seem intimate.
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Alternative PressThe band of brothers and sisters (plus one cousin) have made the gauzy shooegazing of 2005's "Room Noises" a lot noisier.... What hasn't changed, wisely, are the soaring sibling harmonies and sense of wonder, which are still best heard in delicate moments. [Oct 2007, p.168]
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For a sophomore effort, Combinations makes for yet another strong debut.
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The band retains a certain backwoods spookiness, meaning songs like 'Many Funerals' and sci-fi lead single 'Invasion' keep their edge amidst a clutch of tunes ('Come Clean,' 'Ten Cent Blues') that resemble nothing so much as mid-period Fleetwood Mac.
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Most songs, including the single-worthy 'Come Clean,' are still built on soaring vocal interplay and a childlike sense of wonder.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 19 out of 21
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Mixed: 1 out of 21
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Negative: 1 out of 21
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MattD.Aug 28, 2007Combines their whimsical qualities with a new edge. The new sound works magic!
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ChrisAug 27, 2007
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EvaS.Aug 25, 2007