Album Review - Camera Obscura

BAND NAME: Camera Obscura

LP TITLE: My Maudlin Career

LABEL: 4AD

TRACKS: 11

RATING: 5/10

In our ever-changing world, it’s nice to know some things remain the same. Scottish baroque-pop ensemble, Camera Obscura, has been around over a decade, and has not noticeably changed their sound since the establishment of their band in 1996. They have released several critically acclaimed albums, whilst staying loyal to their relatively unique sound. Their newest release, My Maudlin Career, is just more of the same.

Now, sticking with a sound that works is no musical felony, but change is definitely necessary for a band to grow. Essentially, Camera Obscura still sounds the same as they did in the late 90s. The band probably won’t lose any fans over this record, but they wont gain many new ones either.

Tracyanne Campbell’s somewhat unusual voice is the only notable feature of this album. However, due to her apparent love of studio reverb, she often sounds like she is singing through a megaphone – or a rolled-up newspaper. Her voice is reminiscent of Dolores O'Riordan from The Cranberries - but without the lyrical depth and soul.

Though her distinctive voice may attract some listeners, the music itself does little to enhance the album. Camera Obscura’s generic, predictable and shallow melodies are tedious at best and completely irritating at times.

Another factor to consider is the album’s melancholy motif. The record drips tragedy, heartbreak and failure. After sitting through the 46, long minutes of this album, I felt rather depressed myself.

With all this said, the album holds together adequately with reasonable lyrics and almost-tolerable melodies. Although, as the album progresses, the similarity between songs begins to grate; the songs meld together, making for a fairly tiresome record. It’s not that there are any truly dreadful songs on My Maudlin Career, but there aren’t any good ones either. Camera Obscura’s affection for the past shows a bland sentimentality and morose romanticism: thus the title of the album aptly fits.