Emerald City
by John Vanderslice
  • Record Label: Barsuk
  • Release Date: Jul 24, 2007
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 22
  3. Negative: 3 out of 22

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  1. colind.
    Aug 2, 2007
    0
    This guy is such a fraud. Why does he keep trying to make us care? The world is full of great new music from singer songwriters like Newsom, Oldham, Sufjan, Devendra, Bird ie. music that matters. And then, you have the minor leagues. JV's the like the local dude you can see every week at the coffee shop...sad. We don't need another record, we get it, you're angry with the This guy is such a fraud. Why does he keep trying to make us care? The world is full of great new music from singer songwriters like Newsom, Oldham, Sufjan, Devendra, Bird ie. music that matters. And then, you have the minor leagues. JV's the like the local dude you can see every week at the coffee shop...sad. We don't need another record, we get it, you're angry with the government, who isn't? Such a bore.… Collapse

Awards & Rankings

70
#70 Best Album of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. AllMusic
    80
    The production is still huge and full, although audiophiles may be disturbed by the overdriven acoustic guitars on certain songs that give an unnerving sensation of blown speaker cones. It's a forgivable stylistic decision, and doesn't detract much from the overall solidarity of the disc.
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  2. Billboard
    80
    The air of uncertainty and doubt he creates is what continually makes his music so intriguing.
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  3. cokemachineglow
    68
    The problem is that Vanderslice’s lyrical scope remains too broad to enable a cohesive or definitive conceptual statement, and his music too tightly defined and predictable to be considered a departure.
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