July Flame
by Laura Veirs
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Entertainment Weekly
    91
    Veirs' new album July Flame sends us on hikes through dreamy landscapes evoked by her uniquely tangy voice, casting minimal instrumentation in glistening arrangements to captivate the melancholy imagination.
  2. PopMatters
    90
    All of these songs build from more simple riffs to fleeting layers and orchestral flourishes, with an impressive array of backup vocal and instruments. Sweet and sour in perfectly produced measure, July Flame will easily be one of the best albums of the year.
  3. Paste Magazine
    85
    July Flame is carefully composed, ever-deepening, glinting and glowing in new ways each time it’s played; there’s an inkling of something greater coming just around the bend, but for now it’s Veirs’ finest work.
  5. musicOMH.com
    80
    Laura Veirs makes an excellent case for herself as one of the most under-recognised singer-songwriters working today and the album's summery soul lingers long after first listen.
  6. The Guardian
    80
    It has such an unassuming, homespun quality that you're constantly surprised by how expansive and richly textured its songs are.
  7. Mojo
    80
    Unlike some other nu-folkies, this feels organic and unforced; one reason why her albums, and this in particular, have such resonance. [Jan 2010, p.92]
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  8. Uncut
    80
    This is a vivid song cycle that's part ecstasy, part-sadness--but unfailingly lovely. [Jan 2010, p.119]
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  9. Drowned In Sound
    80
    Slight discrepancies aside, July Flame triumphs when the music is stripped and Veirs' reflective folk-pop and country-folk songwriting comes to the fore. As it transpires, July Flame is a treasure trove for the wistful daydreamer.
  10. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    Here is a winsome, lady-driven response to the wood-chopping likes of Midlake, Fleet Foxes and My Morning Jacket that remains refreshingly sweet.
  11. Q Magazine
    80
    Always an engaging songwriter with a strong mystical and elemental bent, the seamlessly flowing July Flame now adds an increased accessibility to her armoury. [Feb 2010, p. 112]
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  12. Filter
    76
    It turns out Veirs hasn't actually abandoned instrumentations, she's just trying out a new kind. And what she ends up with is her best, most sophisticated record to date. [Holiday 2009, p.93]
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  13. Pitchfork
    75
    July Flame is ultimately a record that's easy to get into and just as easy to stay with.
  14. The Boston Phoenix
    75
    With Martine's fine-grain arrangements giving texture to Veirs's accounts of paddling down rivers and dreaming of silver silos. It's all exceedingly lovely stuff.
  15. Clash Music
    70
    The album showcases Veirs’ warm vocals, deft guitar picking and country-inflected songwriting. It’s not all so stripped down as to be dull, however, and songs like the title track are intricately woven tapestries of strings, woodwind and cooing backing vocals.
  16. The New York Times
    70
    It’s full of layered folk and indie-rock bucolia and plain-spoken but stretchy-thinking language, wherein everyday energies or objects transubstantiate into other, metaphorically richer ones.
  17. AllMusic
    70
    There are no wasted notes anywhere on July Flame, neither in Martine's production nor Veirs' tightly written (but still expressionistically poetic) compositions.

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best Album of 2010

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 23
  3. Negative: 3 out of 23
  1. jyo_tirmaya
    Aug 14, 2013
    9
    As soon as Laura Veirs starts singing on July Flame, she holds your attention whether you're washing dishes or reading while listeningAs soon as Laura Veirs starts singing on July Flame, she holds your attention whether you're washing dishes or reading while listening throughout the whole album. It's a beautiful album that has no real comparison to other female singer/songwriters with guitars. The Liz Phair and Suzanne Vega comparisons that the critics have been summoning have no real validity. Laura Veirs is unique, and this album will show you just how and why this is so. Her best album ...so far.… Full Review »
  2. SeanC.
    Jan 15, 2010
    9
    A wonderful new album from the prodigiously talented Veirs. Quick anecdote: I put it on at work at random -- without a word -- while a cohort A wonderful new album from the prodigiously talented Veirs. Quick anecdote: I put it on at work at random -- without a word -- while a cohort and I were working on some paperwork, and within three seconds of the first track, he turned his head and said, "That sounds delightful." It does indeed.… Full Review »
  3. Syrith
    Sep 16, 2013
    10
    Laura Veirs' masterwork to date, an alchemical blend of elements and skills she's displayed in previous work synthesized in one place soaringLaura Veirs' masterwork to date, an alchemical blend of elements and skills she's displayed in previous work synthesized in one place soaring vocals, unintuitive but resonant lyrics, and a patchwork Americana landscape that engages and invites repeat listening. One of the finest albums of 2010, and a superb gateway to new fans who haven't yet given Veirs a listen.… Full Review »
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