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- Summary: This is the foruth album for the singer from Baltimore.
- Record Label: Domino
- Genre(s): Indie, Rock, Alternative
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 13 out of 15
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Mixed: 2 out of 15
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Negative: 0 out of 15
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McCombs still has an ear for language and roll-off-the-tongue singing. His voice coats the lyrics like thick warm caramel on this one. Though often obtuse and twisted, McCombs includes some straightforward lyrics, as well, with some political commentary to boot.
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FilterThere's an underlying transcendence in McCombs' work that acts as pure poetry, but it also can come across as direct storytelling when taken at surface value. [Summer 2009, p.96]
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Despite the sparser arrangements and increased focus on direct lyricism, it's every bit as aurally hypnotic as his previous work. It seems like he realized there was someone he really did want to sing to.
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Impressively, though, he advocates excavation of the subconscious by invading the listener’s own, using songs more indelible than the mind says they have any right to be.
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What’s left, then, is an album that’s overlong, but one that’s surprisingly easy to succumb to.
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While some fans of his early work may be left behind, most people who enjoy witty songs with tender emotion behind them will be satisfied with Catacombs and happy with the direction he's headed.
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UncutRegularly a memorable lyric leaps out--but too often the pared-down aesthetic is an excuse to coast. [Aug 2009, p.96]
Score distribution:
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Positive: 2 out of 2
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Mixed: 0 out of 2
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Negative: 0 out of 2
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Feb 23, 2011
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Nov 28, 2021
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