The distinctions between each album from Glasgow’s Camera Obscura are becoming less and less obvious, with the five-piece clearly refining their sound on their previous album, the near-faultless My Maudlin Career.
Expectations are once again met on Desire Lines, which follows a four-year hiatus for the band. True to form, there’s a fair divide between melancholic, girl-group-influenced ballads embellished with strings and more upbeat songs that fuse Belle and Sebastian’s indie-twee with a soulful Motown swing. Despite this split of styles and tempos for the music, the lyrics are resolutely sad reflections on breaking up with someone or being broken up with. Even the inclusion of big names/voices like Neko Case and Jim James do little to encroach on the trademark Camera Obscura sound, as they are both hidden away in the mix somewhere, barely distinguishable. Perhaps the most noticeable distinction to this latest collection is the Tucker Martine’s production, which is their slickest yet.
Tracyanne Campbell is in her comfort zone when there’s heartbreak to be had and the roll-on effect of this is that the listener is too. More of the same is absolutely fine when it results in another wonderful collection of songs.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
Best Track: Troublemaker
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: The Life Pursuit BELLE & SEBASTIAN, Four Calendar Cafe COCTEAU TWINS, The Concretes THE CONCRETES
In A Word: Desirable
