• Record Label: Merge
  • Release Date: Jun 6, 2006
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 26
  2. Negative: 1 out of 26

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  1. Aug 11, 2018
    10
    This is the album that really sold me on Camera Obscura, and what an album! Every song is a favorite! That's simply amazing! Love their sound, their lyrics, their imagery, and the feeling the music inspires.
  2. Darnell
    Jun 26, 2007
    9
    Tops! This album has been in heavy rotation for almost a year now. That says a lot! Sweet, sad, longing. Great.
  3. gstar
    Mar 19, 2007
    9
    Extremely enjoyable, easy listening that somehow sounds unique. I love it!
  4. [Anonymous]
    Mar 7, 2007
    10
    No Mike Pavement made their career by riding the coattails of Pixies and Sonic Youth. Only their music was so watered down that it lacked emotion and depth all together. Cut Your Hair makes me want to cut my throat. If you love this album get Underachievers and you'll realize that Camera Obscura is the greatest band on the planet.
  5. adric
    Nov 4, 2006
    9
    They've made some really lovely songs for this album. I've been listening to this one for a while now and I just love it!
  6. SebastianN
    Oct 27, 2006
    9
    A marvelous album, that's all I need to say.
  7. luisv
    Jul 23, 2006
    10
    if liked the Cat Power, Belle & Sebastian last albums in addition you like Pulp you must have it'
  8. ChrisR
    Jun 23, 2006
    9
    One of the year's best releases. This album is a timeless beauty and imprints infectious melody and melancholy into your soul. Driving with this music through some of Colorado's most spectacular mountainous landscapes is an ethereal experience.
  9. JeremyB
    Jun 21, 2006
    9
    One of my favourite albums of the year so far. It's NOT the same as any other indie album it has a bit of something more that I can't really describe. Not all songs are brilliant, but more than half are.
  10. MattD.
    Jun 20, 2006
    10
    Wow! This brings back 60s girl pop in a great way.
  11. bartv
    Jun 18, 2006
    9
    A peach of an album. Will surely rank among my favourites of the year.
  12. time
    Jun 14, 2006
    9
    Best band on the planet. Their second mastepiece in a row. Why isn't this band any more famous?
  13. mikes
    Jun 12, 2006
    6
    Must say I was disappointed with this album. Sounds sort of like "saturday looks good to me" but not nearly as good. AMG gave this a review and stated that it was one of the best indie albums in the last decade. Sorry but this indie album sounds like every other "indie" group. When did indie become a musical style rather than a music genre. Why does every indie group sound the same, what Must say I was disappointed with this album. Sounds sort of like "saturday looks good to me" but not nearly as good. AMG gave this a review and stated that it was one of the best indie albums in the last decade. Sorry but this indie album sounds like every other "indie" group. When did indie become a musical style rather than a music genre. Why does every indie group sound the same, what happened to groups like make-up, pavement, sleater kinney. Those groups were unique when they came out. Now this is not a bad album by any means, but this type of "indie" music is being done to death and lacks creativity in my opinion, and is nothing fresh or new to a indie style of music that become too generic. I can compare it to nirvana, when nirvana came out of bunch of imitators came out and all that type of rock became known as alternative, while as alternative was originally deemed as music that was different, low-budget, almost like how indie music was 3 years ago. If you want to a hear a better album of similar style listen to essex green's new record "cannibal sea," songwriting is a lot better than camera obscura's too. Collapse
  14. WiseCon
    Jun 8, 2006
    8
    This girl is going through some bad times with her man situation. Never before has such grief been so darn sweet, almost gleeful. Thank goodness there is a name for it...Twee o-boy is this twee or what?
  15. killfile
    Jun 8, 2006
    9
    one of the best albums of the year...
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 22
  2. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Deeply romantic and just as melancholy.
  2. Campbell's voice is a gorgeously mellifluous one, aching at the heart of Country Mile, but sweetness gets monotonous, and the album could do with more jolts of bitter energy, like Lloyd and If Looks Could Kill, to liven it up.
  3. Though they haven't changed much in the span of three terrific albums, Camera Obscura no longer recall Belle & Sebastian; they only sound like themselves.