Arthur & Yu’s debut album In Camera has the same production feeling Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” has, as if Arthur & Yu holed up in bed to record. Maybe that’s what gives this album its hazed out, relaxed, and rolling feeling. There’s a clear influence from the last two studio albums of The Velvet Underground.
On the Yu (Sonya Westcott)-sung tracks, her voice coos along playfully, and is nowhere near as grating as Nico. “There Are Too Many Birds” is a great example of this kind of daydream-pop with Yu upfront. At some points, In Camera is very reminiscent of Wooden Wand’s last two efforts, just far less lyrically absurd and far catchier.
However, my favorite tracks have to be with Arthur (Grant Olsen) on lead vocals. “Afterglow” sounds like a backwoods campfire acid-test with Ken Kesey and Buffalo Springfield, and “The Ghost of Old Bull Lee” rivals anything off of The Shins’ Oh, Inverted World. Arthur’s voice has a very comfortable dirty folk sound, like a Ryan Adams or Lou Reed. But, most importantly, Olsen and Westcott sound really good together.
- Absurd Heroes Manifestos
- Come To View (Song For Neil Young)
- There Are Too Many Birds
- Afterglow
- Flashing The Lobby Lights
- Lion’s Mouth
- 1000 Words
- The Ghost of Old Bull Lee
- Half Years
- Black Bear
Rating: 6.6
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