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- Summary: This fourth disc of lo-fi indie electronica from Portland, Oregon's Owen Ashworth adds guest vocalists and a much wider variety of instrumentation into the mix.
- Record Label: Tomlab
- Genre(s): Indie, Rock, Electronic
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 14 out of 17
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Mixed: 3 out of 17
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Negative: 0 out of 17
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Like previous albums, this one is full of sharp, sudden observations, rueful admissions of failure and surprising sweetness.
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This album is as buzz-worthy as other similar acts like the Postal Service.
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If Ashworth’s lyrical razorblade was blunted by the quaintness of Casiotone consistency before, his new compositional confidence allows its sharpness to shine and cut as deep as you could handle without running a bath.
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Sure, the songs are serviceable, even great at times, but if you take away the new instruments, the tracks are spitting images of their younger brethren.
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The inclusion of guest vocalists... keeps Etiquette from engaging on the kind of one-on-one basis that made Pocket Symphonies for Lonely Subway Cars and Twinkle Echo such selfish pleasures.
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The more ambitious arrangements, coupled with the cleaner sound separation the improved production affords, make Etiquette the most approachable Casiotone album to date, without any notable sacrifices.
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New Musical Express (NME)He dissects his 20-something malaise with a dry and eloquent wit like a K-Mart Morrissey. [6 May 2006, p.33]
Score distribution:
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Positive: 1 out of 1
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Mixed: 0 out of 1
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Negative: 0 out of 1
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MihaiVSep 11, 2006Not a classic, but a good album nevertheless. Nice rock-electronic arrangements.
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