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The Knot may not be a full-out Great Album, but it does contain a lot of moments that are dangerously close, and taken as a whole it is surprisingly well-developed for a band still getting started.
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Lost in most of the noise and clutter was Jenn Wasner’s fantastic voice and Andy Stack’s ability as a “wall of sound” creator. On their new album, The Knot, these skills are not only refined but they showcase a wider, more advanced decadence and a band that sounds that much better, because of it.
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The Knot turns the cliche about sophomore slumps on its head by being much stronger than If Children.
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Wye Oak isn’t breaking any new ground in the exciting field of drone-exploration, but the band’s tone is striking--like a tuning fork with the blues.
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In their triumph they’ve laid claim to one of the most touching and breathtaking albums of 2009, one with a clear sense of its own power and dynamics that ring true.
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Under The RadarThe Knot displays a band more confident of itself and its powers. [Summer 2009, p.63]
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The Knot isn’t a happy album by any stretch of the imagination, but optimism can be found within the notion that Wassner and Stack, by some strange alchemy, make sadness beautiful. In so doing, they have made an album that needs to be heard.
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FilterTHe Knot is an iron-willed, albeit reserved, expansion of the duo's sound. [Summer 2009, p.106]
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Although it falls a few steps shy of wowing unreservedly, The Knot remains a poised and compelling second album.
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UncutIf you want epic, check out the eight-minute sprawl of 'Mary Is Mary.' For a bit more raw noise terror, try the speed-rush of 'Tattoo.' [Nov 2009, p.117]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 9 out of 9
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Mixed: 0 out of 9
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Negative: 0 out of 9
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CarlSOct 17, 2009Superb sounding album from start to finish. lush and dense layers, terrific songs all the way through.