- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Under The RadarField Manual isn’t full of direct orders, it’s full of the emotions of someone who’s grappling with the realization that there are no longer any rules of engagement. [Winter 2008, p.85]
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UncutWalla creates intricate, fugue-like patterns featuring guitars, analog synths and harmonies, enabling his spiralling melodies to unfold progressively while also providing a cushion for his diminultive but genuine vocals--making for a record that's taut and affecting. [Feb 2008, p.95]
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Entertainment WeeklyThe results aren't exactly groundbreaking--but they'll provide a thoroughly pleasant way for Death Cab fans to while away the months until the full band's next CD drops in May. [15 Feb 2008, 67]
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It’s not bad--after all, the bands he works with are pretty good--it just might serve him well to forge his own path.
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He can certainly sing, but years of providing seamless harmonies for Gibbard have given his pipes a clear, breathy quality that threatens to lull the listener into a trance during the album's final stretch.
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His optimism is renewable and satisfying, and for it Field Manual is enjoyable overall.
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Aside from the awkwardly grungy 'The Score,' these are good songs well-played, with Walla handling everything except for drums.
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Ultimately this is an engaging pop album with lush sonics, like a guitar-heavy Death Cab album with a less than brilliant singer, which is not a bad thing at all, and should feed the need of fans of alluring, guitar-based indie-rock and keep DCFC fans contented until the release of their new album in May ‘08.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 6 out of 9
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Mixed: 2 out of 9
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Negative: 1 out of 9
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RyanFeb 8, 2008Sounds like it could be a Death Cab outtake album.
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JohnS.Feb 7, 2008I can't stop listening to this.