- Critic score
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- By date
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Arbouretum's songs are visceral and elemental, a loose-feeling mix of blues, folk, tribal beats, stoner rock and jam-based influences that belies the solid songwriting and musicianship at its core.
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While production values throughout the record consistently exceed those on Long Live, the real step forward is where it counts: with the songs themselves.
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Its persistent gloominess makes it a challenge to get through, but it was never intended to be just a simple alt-country album.
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You'd be right to uncover this one.
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These songs are gorgeous and the band knows how to milk the beauty for all it's worth.
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MagnetStrained, anachronistic verses may test your patience, but given what Arbouretum has to say when no one's singing, there's still a lot to uncover. [#74, p.90]
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Over the course of the record, the resonance of the melodies gradually overrides the initially distracting phrasing, revealing a sometimes exquisite folk-rock album.
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The CD has a freewheeling, anything-can-happen feel to it; even after you’ve listened to it more than once, it seems that the guitar solos could head off into any number of directions.
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Q MagazineNot the easiest of listens. [Feb 2007, p.98]
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The songwriting isn’t bad, by any means... But Heumann’s big-picture lyrics—faith, truth, etc.—are as ceaselessly heavy-handed as his guitar work, giving the whole of Rites an overwrought feel, one that can border on comical depending on your mood.
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UncutThis wonderful record already feels like a cult classic. [Feb 2007, p.88]
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Under The RadarThe music provides the perfect complement to Heumann's haggard vocals. [#16, p.99]