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The WireSep 2, 2015St. Catherine departs from the lo-fi meditations of earlier releases to explore a fuller bodied sound environment where structures are tighter and colours less smeared. [Sep 2015, p.54]
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MojoJul 28, 2015The devil's in the details, be it the drum machine patterns that propel Church or the lush pedal-augmented textures of Medieval, while the instrumentals that open and close the album aren't simple throwaways but highlights. [Sep 2015, p.86]
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Jul 27, 2015The breezy Surreal Exposure is an unhurried delight, as is instrumental opener The Disney Afternoon. Throw in a couple of collaborations with Julia Holter, and you have an album that’s ideal for lazy summer afternoons.
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Jul 24, 2015It's kaleidoscopic but crisp.
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Jul 24, 2015St. Catherine is a quasi-nostalgic LP that’s sonically soothing, while exhibiting finely-woven musical textures. It’s clever, without being intimidating or pretentious.
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Jul 21, 2015This is comfortably the best effort from Matt Mondanile to date. A tribute to the power of not just belief but also the idea that patience can be your best weapon in terms of creating your best work.
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Jul 20, 2015Like a daydream, St. Catherine is to be savored while it lasts, then let go until another day.
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Q MagazineJul 16, 2015If the songs on St. Catherine are remarkably pretty, there's also a lurking sense that their beauty isn't built to last forever. [Aug 2015, p.104]
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Jul 24, 2015Ducktails' chill tones have the reputation of being quality stoner music. St. Catherine fits that bill, but is so much more than that.
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Jul 16, 2015While this sound is by no means new or challenging, it is a lasting one, ensuring that Mondanile's work is always relevant (especially when the clouds disappear).
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Jul 27, 2015On balance it's still a more than worthy addition to the New Jersey outfit's growing collection.
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Jul 24, 2015St. Catherine is just as pleasant than its predecessors, but, ironically, its dusted-off, straightened-out recording and more substantial lyrics point out the music as, well, a little less so.
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Jul 21, 2015This isn’t a bad album by any means, and so surely deserves recognition as the work of a completely separate entity to Real Estate. Yet, too often, Ducktails actually sound like a side-project.
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Aug 7, 2015An easy criticism to level at St. Catherine is that it breaks no ground, that Mondanile can probably pen these kind of fuzzy and meandering ditties in his sleep. That might be true, but St. Catherine’s highpoints will hypnotize and hold sway long enough to keep you entranced until Mondanile’s next contribution.
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Jul 20, 2015This is Ducktails’ most discriminating and tasteful album, but the project is at its best when there's a certain amount of exploration even within its narrow parameters.
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Jul 17, 2015St. Catherine shows a far more delicate, subtle, polished version of his bedroom pop.
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Jul 29, 2015In spite of improving on his past few records, Mondanile goes back to writing a technically sound and agreeable effort that falls back on familiar concepts.
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Jul 29, 2015Mondanile's side project, Ducktails, has typically offered him space to explore more abstract guitar moods, but his latest album refines that sprawl with more concise songwriting.
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Jul 29, 2015Ducktails have an expert ability to create a dreamlike sound; hopefully, the next record will be bolstered by a few more memorable songs to make it a dream worth remembering.
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Jul 16, 2015St Catherine’s surface may be polished to perfection, but much of what’s underneath feels hollow.
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UncutJul 16, 2015Most of these songs remain too simple to bear the weight if their fuller, more conventional arrangements. As a result, St. Catherine often feels stodgy. [Aug 2015, p.73]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 9 out of 11
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Mixed: 1 out of 11
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Negative: 1 out of 11
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Jul 26, 2015