- Record Label: In the Red Records
- Release Date: Nov 9, 2010
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MojoApr 4, 2011His 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]
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Dec 2, 2010Most of the tracks are written by Cartwright and they have all the hard-won wisdom and desperate melancholy of his best work.
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Dec 2, 2010It's outstanding fun, and unreservedly recommended to fans of tough guitar pop.
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Dec 2, 2010This 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.
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Dec 2, 2010While 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.
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Jan 7, 2011Stylistically, 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.
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Dec 2, 2010One 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.