- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Alternative PressAs edgy as singer-songwriter pop gets. [Oct 2005, p.158]
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Infiniheart is too bright, too beautiful, and almost too good to be believed.
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Although annoyingly inconsistent, Infiniheart contains enough interesting tunes with odd arrangements and instrumentation to convince us that Chad Van Gaalen is a talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist and is capable of producing engaging, lo-fi, ambient pop.
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Entertainment WeeklyAn excellent new-school Neil Young for the Garden State generation. [26 Aug 2005, p.61]
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Rife with contrast and irony, Infiniheart plays like a series of short stories or films, somehow interwoven to a common conclusion.
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MagnetAt an hour long, Infiniheart occasionally feels infinite, but moments of perfection make VanGaalen's meanderings seem a necessary part of the whole appealing coincidence. [#69, p.110]
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Melding big, weary Fleetwood Mac-esque emotion to stretched-out arrangements, both electronic and folk, the Canadian singer/songwriter's power lies in his dedication to his own individuality.
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New Musical Express (NME)[An] impressive lo-fi debut. [27 Aug 2005, p.74]
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Paste MagazineVanGaalen stuffs these frequently breathtaking songs with death and paranoid visions of dystopias and bad dreams. [Oct/Nov 2005, p.125]
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That's ultimately the sticking point with Infiniheart: VanGaalen's songs tend toward folly, yet it's impossible to discount his commitment to the material.
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Between his willingness to experiment and a bountiful arsenal at his disposal, a spectacular range of dreamlike moods and sounds are created across Infiniheart's sixty-five minutes.
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Contains some of this year's most original and moving songwriting, and displays a breathtaking virtuosity and inventiveness on the part of its creator.
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With 16 thoroughly-developed tracks, clocking in at a little under an hour, Infiniheart is a tedious listen. Though its moments of faltering are few, it's a lot to digest.
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UncutThe only consistent thing about Infiniheart is its inconsistency. [Sep 2005, p.116]
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Under The RadarThese are really, really beautiful songs. [#11, p.116]
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 9 out of 10
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Mixed: 0 out of 10
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Negative: 1 out of 10
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JereWJul 18, 2006I like him better than Sufjan (they are often compared for reasons unknown to me). His second effort will do much better!
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T-WiLLOct 19, 2005The single "Clinically Dead" will linger in your mind for years. The rest of teh album is a grower. If given the time, a rewarding listen.
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mattaOct 10, 2005