- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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MagnetA wonderful album, with Coomes and Weiss at their very best. [#51, p.107]
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This is some of the most accomplished indie rock you're likely to hear.
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Alternative PressIt's the succinct pop of a punkier Squeeze or a sloppier, edgier Beatles that makes Sword a treasure. [Sep 2001, p.94]
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MojoCountless moments of sheer melodic magic. [Dec 2001, p.116]
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The more I listen to The Sword of God, the more I appreciate Quasi’s ability to create smoothly flowing, catchy songs without sacrificing their trademark complexity. My only problem with this album is that the whole package is just so drenched in irony...
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Seal The Deal opens with a rollicking piano intro that's longer than the rest of the song, guitars are abandoned in favour of exhilarating keyboard riffs, and the background use of birdsong and bagpipes is commonplace in Quasi's world. And it's a better place for it.
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The odd combination of Coomes' rinky-dink keyboards and Weiss' booming beat is scrappy, stripped-down and still charmingly unlike anything else out there.
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Fundamentally, 'The Sword Of God' is a record that fumbles desperately at the door of greatness but can't quite get the key to fit. It tries hard, it's got some excellent songs on it, but it's just slightly too smarmy for its own good.
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UncutSelf-consciously odd, but entertaining. [Sep 2001, p.98]
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Fans who craved the melancholy love stuff may find something essential lacking as a result. But those who love the music will come away as satisfied as ever: here is the deep distortion fuzz punctuated by jangling pop and keyboard, and Coomes' high, unaffected vocals soar over the rest without any kind of effects crutch.
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SpinThe two have widened and lightened their sound a bit from '99's Field Studies, with more, merrier guitars and varied selection of keys. [Oct 2001, p.134]
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This may not be their best offering, but it's a truly fine record that offers plenty in the way of satisfaction.
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Quasi's only mistake might be that it made this album too long; it clocks in at over 50 minutes. Such tracks as "Seal the Deal" and "Little Lord Fontleroy" show the limitations of a duo, and, at times, Quasi's basic keyboard and drums approach lacks a sense of wholeness and tends to meander.
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As always, the marriage of hooks and psychological horror works well, but for the first time it also starts to wear a little thin. The album's second half is dominated by weaker songs and lyrics that really need a fuller range of human emotion.
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Unfortunately, the efforts made by the band to expand their oeuvre on The Sword of God just fall flat. Long-winded instrumental passages, extended exploration of new instruments, and more bird noises do not a good record make, and The Sword of God makes this all too evident.
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Shredding PaperThe whole thing seems uninspired. [#11]
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A jangly collection of contagious pop tunes made melancholy by a dark songwriting style.
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Think Pavement with a shake of Grandaddy and a little dash of something else low-key and lackadaisical and that's Quasi.
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Even at their best, Quasi can be like the same magic trick performed over and over. At first, it's marvelous and mysterious, yet with each successive time less so, until eventually you figure out how the whole thing is done and lose interest altogether.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 5 out of 6
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Mixed: 1 out of 6
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Negative: 0 out of 6
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peachyMFJan 31, 2006melting rubix ice cubes
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lizsSep 10, 2002eh decent but elliott smith is definitely the best indie rock singer