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Under The RadarYoko isn't exactly what fans of the first three albums might be expecting, but it's still a Beulah album. [#5, p.99]
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Yoko is a much, much darker record than anything else in Beulah's canon.
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Beulah have somehow blended the sounds their last three albums, each a significant achievement on its own, into one career-spanning epic, completely worthy of their reputation; any small ways in which their past work has seemed lacking, superficial, or scatterbrained is gone, and only the best points remain.
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It's the detailed complexity and playfulness of the performances that really set Yoko apart from your regular psych-pop release.
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Alternative PressA melodic masterpiece of regret. [Oct 2003, p.122]
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An epic alt.rock symphony that takes the bands trademark sun-kissed melodies and brass flourishes and melds them into something altogether darker and achingly beautiful. Unsurprisingly, its an approach that more than pays off.
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Recalls an Americanized Delgados, or Camper Van Beethoven after it made the transition from happy college-rock to the grim Americana of 1989's masterful Key Lime Pie.
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Everything is intricately wrought and calculated, perhaps in an overly accommodating response to fears of linearity. This fashionable awareness lends an almost palpable weight to the sound. It succeeds in adding depth and texture to the album, but sometimes overshoots the mark.
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A switch in approach and sound definitely worked for them, and fans shouldn't be put off by Beulah's toughened confidence.
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Where Kurosky's fiercely sardonic lyrics were once couched in soaring trumpet lines and glorious powerpop hooks, now they bristle against grumbling electronics, sliding discordant chords and drunken, hazy horns.
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The band has tossed some of the sunny pop of 2001's The Coast Is Never Clear, paring down some of the horn-happy melodies that have defined their style, but their songs are still bright and elegant.
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When Yoko isn't channeling Wilco, it calls to mind another giant on the American indie rock scene: Spoon.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 21 out of 25
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Mixed: 1 out of 25
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Negative: 3 out of 25
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jjayMar 7, 2005
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KilgoreTroutJan 30, 2005
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MaryUOct 12, 2004Great lyrics, wonderful melodies, interesting instrumentation, superb album.