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It's all vaguely familiar, but Lytle's fine-grained production pops a freshmaker or two into the mix.
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So to those bored to tears by Sumday, take notice: though it fails to break any new ground, Just Like the Fambly Cat is as good a parting shot from these guys as we could have expected.
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An album that rivals the brilliant 'The Sophtware Slump'... as their absolute masterpiece.
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There is a depth of emotion and seriousness here that had been missing on Sumday, Lytle's vocals have a gravity they lacked before, and the bandmembers seem to mean every note they play this time.
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A sad record, then, but an inspiring one too, offering the hope that the end of Grandaddy means a fresh start for Lytle.
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It's a likeable little niche that Lyttle has carved out for himself in the indie-pop landscape, and, as he bids adieu to Grandaddy, one hopes that he continues to explore this style in ways that are more challenging than parts of Cat.
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Just Like the Fambly Cat is appreciably better than its predecessor, but a far cry from the bliss we've all come to expect.
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Just Like the Fambly Cat sounds like a Grandaddy album, but only in that it rehashes everything the band has already done.
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Just Like… is no classic, but it’s enough to make for a teary goodbye.
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In a time when so many bands don't know why they exist but keep on vanning anyway, his honest tale is touching and instructive.
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Just Like the Fambly Cat, even more than Grandaddy's past works, carries the weight of death.
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This time, the gorgeous harmonies and lo-fi ELO homages remain, but the lyrics are more personal.
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What could have been a boring, belligerent, and bellicose introspective slide into the music industry dustbin has in fact turned out to be one of Grandaddy’s most listenable and likeable releases.
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If this is Lytle’s last musical missive, he’s left us with a complete, if unfocused, dossier of his genius.
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Fambly Cat just serves to underscore how good Grandaddy has been by rehashing without improving or building.
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Fambly's flabbiest moments sag pretty low, to the point that the album's midsection is almost entirely skippable.
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New Musical Express (NME)This is Americana of the highest order. [20 May 2006, p.33]
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UncutEverything now seems as worn out and used up as Lytle's subjects, along with the imagery that brings them to life. [Jun 2006, p.108]
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Alternative PressCat finds the band still evoking the Flaming Lips and Neil Young during a journey filled with dashed hopes and the desire to get away. [Jun 2006, p.188]
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Q MagazineWhile there are hints of tiredness, Grandaddy are not leaving us with heads bowed. [Jun 2006, p.116]
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MojoFambly Cat's highpoints... stand with their very best. [Jun 2006, p.102]
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SpinEqual parts bang and whimper. [Jun 2006, p.81]
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BlenderSong after song is undermined by too-precious gestures, and the occasional bursts of speed and volume can't mask Grandaddy's exhaustion. [Jun 2006, p.137]
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FilterThis is the best Grandaddy record thus far. [#19, p.92]
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Entertainment WeeklyJust Like the Fambly Cat shows Lytle at the top of his game. [12 May 2006, p.80]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 21 out of 22
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Mixed: 0 out of 22
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Negative: 1 out of 22
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steveAug 2, 2006fantastico . can't stop playing this kitty .
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michellemJul 12, 2006i like grandaddy, but goddamn are they depressing.
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BrendanJun 8, 2006