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Dec 13, 2010Pastiche without a trace of pretension, Play It Strange isn't just The Fresh & Onlys' most vigorous album to date, it's a perfect example of how trying--or even thinking--too hard can be antithetical to crafting punchy, catchy rock.
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Jan 11, 2011It seems that this band really is fresh and only, for it has music brimming with originality via masterful combinations of genres.
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MojoDec 23, 2010San Franciscan psych moodists here to reclaim independent music. [Jan. 2011, p. 98]
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Dec 13, 2010Nobody gets credited for "echo" on this San Francisco quartet's remarkably mature second album, but that's an oversight. Play It Strange is suffused with a deep, widescreen ambience that assumes an almost physical presence.
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Dec 13, 2010Despite the nostalgia-brightened compositions, a rawness adds a tinge of melancholy to the proceedings. Here's hoping they keep this up.
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Dec 13, 2010This one finds them starting to pull all those ideas into something a little more focused, something easier to digest.
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Dec 13, 2010When they find a good continuous form, they're great; when they throw in rhythmic tricks and filler song parts, it gets a little boring--but not quite bad.
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Dec 13, 2010Taken as pieces, these songs are prime 2000s indie rock; added together they make Play It Strange a satisfying step forward for the band.
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Dec 13, 2010Play It Strange covers plenty of ground and suggests that the folks in The Fresh & Onlys are far from out of compelling ideas, it also finds the band playing at a kind of strangeness that sounds suspiciously like work.
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Dec 13, 2010Playing it Strange isn't the most awe-inspiring Fresh & Onlys record, but it fits snug on the shelf next to their myriad other records and offers a few of their nicest melody slices yet. This is what lo-fi is meant to do.
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Dec 21, 2010While Play it Strange is a solid album worthy of many repeat listens, the second track "Waterfall" tends to overshadow the rest of the album.
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UncutDec 13, 2010The album can become a little too sweet--this, however, is a moment that never cloys. [Dec 2010, p.94]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 4 out of 4
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Mixed: 0 out of 4
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Negative: 0 out of 4
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Feb 23, 2011Now that theyâ