My Maudlin Career

The sound of Camera Obscura on this their fourth album is of freewheeling fun. It reminds the listener immediately of the summer and throwing water bombs, of trying to get the girl, of being broke and being OK with that, of simpler times perhaps. My Maudlin Career is the Scots first album on 4AD, home to The Pixies, probably one of the greatest bands of all time and arguably the finest group the label has worked with. The only comparisons end here though. There is a shared level of genius but the sound is very different to anything The Pixies ever wrote.

Formed back in 1996, the band comprises of six members. Six is good. It always entails a bigger sound, more instruments and if the songwriting is any good; the possibilities are literally endless. Thank god then that they CAN indeed write extremely beautiful pop. Tracyanne Campbell’s vocals – here it comes – harken back to Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoral or the Concretes but in the best way possible (other vocals by Carey Lander and Kenny McKeeve along with many, many instruments: guitars, piano, organ, mandolin, harmonica, etc). It works perfectly. Her voice is addictive, seductive, powerful. You name it, and it’s there.

These vocals are the backbone to the entire album. It breathes an emotive gust into each and every track. It canters by on a whisper at times – ‘The Sweetest Thing’ ‘Away With Murder’ - and at other times it pitches high and loud, gut wrenching and broken – ‘James’, ‘My Maudlin Career.’ Aside from the excellent moments there are moments of sheer brilliance. Listen to ‘Careless Love’ and wait until those violins at 3.33 seconds or two tracks later ‘Forests & Sands’ – a gem in its entirety; replete with ghostly Cat Power-esque backing vocals. Outstanding.

This is a clearly cut, precisely recorded album. Sugar sweet emotive caressing pop doesn’t get much bigger or better. It gallops by ebbing and soaring from minute to minute and only the very hardened hearts couldn’t warm to at least SOME of My Maudlin Career’sgentle moments. This is how gorgeous, simply composed and crafty music can be. Hard to believe I know, in this world of Lady Gaga and her contemporaries.

Lucid, dreamy, heart-breaking stuff, from beginning to end.