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On On My Way To Absence Jurado provides far more satisfying moments than dubious ones, and that’s no small feat when trafficking in the kind of bottom of the barrel human emotion that Jurado has made his trademark.
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MojoThere's not a single weak link on this excellent record. [Aug 2005, p.100]
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Entertainment WeeklyThe songs are bare as winter trees, built from brittle guitars and crackling percussion. [15 Apr 2005, p.77]
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On My Way to Absence offers many new areas of musical exploration, suggesting a more mature arranger.
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UncutIn some ways, ...Absence is his most diverse record yet, but it's at its brilliant best when spare and uncompromising. [May 2005, p.104]
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Another fine release.
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A prototypical Damien Jurado album, this is a quietly excellent, straightforward collection of songs performed without much muss or fuss but with great empathy and feeling.
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Another solid addition to Jurado’s commendable catalog.
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Jurado is back to doing what he does best-- pairing simple, sprightly arrangements with mobile vocal melodies.
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Alternative PressArguably his most solid collection of folk-based tunes. [Apr 2005, p.116]
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There was just so much I loved about Damien in Absence and so much that disappointed me.
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MagnetFans will find nothing to object to. [#67, p.102]
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Q MagazineSuccessfully bring[s] new features to familiar territory. [Jul 2005, p.115]
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It’s somewhat troubling to see Jurado abandoning the genre of folk that served him so well on his last album. More unsettling is the simultaneous presence of the mopey indulgence of some of Jurado’s faux-gothic breakup stories and the honed, spare excellence of tracks like “White Center,” “Lottery,” and “Fuel.”
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Jurado’s ambition seems to have outpaced his execution this time out.
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Moments of inspired darkness still abound, but for the first time--even counting past misfires--he retraces steps almost exactly, occasionally sounding bored in the process.
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The weakness of On My Way to Absence comes with the lack of dynamics. Jurado leaves the recording so restrained as to vault highs and lows. Because of this, it is a less compelling listen.
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On My Way to Absence could have been such a moving album, had Jurado employed some quality control.
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New Musical Express (NME)Ineffectual hippy grumblings that will make you want to sleep. [4 Jun 2005, p.58]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 3 out of 3
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Mixed: 0 out of 3
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Negative: 0 out of 3
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paulkFeb 22, 2007
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DanLDec 6, 2005great album. the critics must take a vacation.
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MorganKApr 29, 2005