User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info
Strychnine Dandelions Image
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Be the first to review!

  • Summary: The debut album featuring Reigning Sound's Greg Cartwright and The Ettes' Coco Hames includes appearances by Dan Auerbach, Patrick Keeler, and fellow band members Jem Cohen, Poni Silver, and Dave Amels.
Buy Now
Buy on
  • Record Label: In the Red Records
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Garage Punk, Garage Rock Revival
  • More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Dec 2, 2010
    80
    While this workmanship-like familiarity leaves little room for surprises, it also makes the hit-to-misstep ratio almost negligible. With this kind of success rate, we can only hope Cartwright has another 20 years of near-obscurity in him.
  2. Mojo
    Apr 4, 2011
    80
    His newest group find hum as ever ricocheting between rusty rock'n'roll and perfect pop melodicism, the title track to their debut album adding string-adorned country-psych to his CV, while the rest of his contributions finding him on his strongest form. [Mar 2011, p.1010]
  3. Dec 2, 2010
    80
    This is a supergroup, and part of the fun lies in the interplay between musicians, especially Cartwright and Hames. In the classic tradition of the "answer song," the two singers take turns poking holes in each other's vows and proclamations, comically deflating their assigned roles in the pop tradition.
  4. Dec 2, 2010
    80
    It's outstanding fun, and unreservedly recommended to fans of tough guitar pop.
  5. Dec 2, 2010
    80
    Most of the tracks are written by Cartwright and they have all the hard-won wisdom and desperate melancholy of his best work.
  6. Jan 7, 2011
    75
    Stylistically, Strychnine Dandelion is all over the place, but that pan-60s diversity may be one of its most winning traits, as the Gifts make everything sound lively and modern.
  7. Dec 2, 2010
    50
    One of the satisfying attributes of Strychnine Dandelion is that the production is raw, yet nuanced enough to perfectly evoke the original feel of the sounds the assembled musicians are immersing themselves in. However, that also means that the Parting Gifts constantly straddle the line that divides homage and pastiche.