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Jun 17, 2013Best to ignore these two misfits [ballads "Sob Story" and "In a Bad Way"] and think of all the finely played and sung modern guitar pop that surrounds them. Because that stuff will make fans of Prefab Sprout, Orange Juice, and all the bands who have stolen from them through the years very happy and satisfied indeed.
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Jun 20, 2013It’s always good to know there’s someone out there still doing straight-up guitar pop without irony or pretense.
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Jun 18, 2013It’s clear from even the most half-hearted listen that Spectrals have found their niche space on Sob Story.
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Jun 13, 2013Louis' new-found confidence oozes from the songs here; it may just be his first steps in the quest to emulate his old rock 'n' roll heroes.
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MagnetJul 17, 2013The Style Council-style blue-eyed soul and precise power pop of the debut now have some company that doesn't work, like the '70s Nashville countrypolitan exercise of the title track. [No. 100, p.51]
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Jun 13, 2013There’s still enough dusty amplifier buzz and garagey thump to keep indie aesthetes happy, but intentionally or not, Spectrals now sit in a sonic nook which most resembles the stolid pre-punk orthodoxy of pub rock.
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Jun 18, 2013This ought to be the album that launches Spectrals out of the expanses of the insider underground. And if it doesn’t, it’s still one of the best records of 2013.
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Jun 27, 2013The album is at its best when Jones delivers brisk, bright rock with endearing hooks... Things begin to lag when Jones drops the tempo and tries his hand at balladry.
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Jun 19, 2013An album that ups the radio-friendly factor without compromising any emotion.
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Jun 13, 2013This certainly won’t be the most original album you’ll hear this year, but it will be one of the most charming, and the rate at which Jones is managing to churn out quality pop songs bodes well for the future, and means you can forgive him Sob Story‘s occasional misstep.
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Jun 13, 2013Sob Story is a good time, but the party clears out as soon as the record stops spinning. [Jun-Jul 2013, p.91]