Camera Obscura
7/31/6
Empty Bottle
Chicago
I was grateful to Camera Obscura who decided to stay in Chicago through the weekend when their Friday night show at The Logan Square Auditorium was cancelled due to a power outage. They definitely concentrated on singing most of the songs off of their newest release Le’ts Get Out of this Country, which makes them sound increasingly like a Scottish version of The Concretes. The production of the album probably has something to do with it, as they traveled the distance to Sweden to have Jari Haapalainen produce it, who has actually worked with The Concretes as well as Ed Hardcourt. It definitely helps bring out their pop crossed with twee sensibilities.
Tracyanne Campbell’s sugary sweet vocals mingled well with the playing of the other band members. The sound was also well balanced between the keyboards, guitar, bass, drums, and trumpet. My only small criticism is that she piled all of the catchier songs at the end so the beginning dragged just a little. Tracyanne won everyone’s heart singing the single to their newest album: “Lloyd, I’m Read to be Heartbroken” as well as immediately following it up with the title track off their new one “Let’s Get out of This Country” Tracyanne was very warm after the set too and, after a friend convinced her, she posed in a picture with all of us and signed a Happy Birthday card to Cinchel.
Hear songs by visiting their myspace page
Setlist:
Come Back Margaret
Suspended from Class
The False Contender
Tears for Affairs
I Love My Jean
Teenager
Dory Previn
Lloyd, I’m Ready to be Heartbroken
Let’s Get Out of This Country
If Looks Could Kill
Country Mile
80s Fan
I Need All the Friends I Can Get
Razzle Dazzle Rose
August 8th, 2006 at 9:11 am
Tracaynne isn’t related to Isobell, is she? I know Scotland is a small country and all….but it’s not that small, is it?
August 8th, 2006 at 9:41 am
I looked it up and I guess not. According to Pitchfork:
“In 2001, the group issued their debut, Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi, in perfect-storm conditions for comparisons to Belle & Sebastian. They even had formal connections: Stuart Murdoch produced the album’s lead single, “Eighties Fan”, and Richard Colburn had played drums in an earlier incarnation of the band. The similarities extended to the vocals, as well, with Tracyanne Campbell often sounding like a more charismatic Isobel Campbell (no relation).”
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/36664/Camera_Obscura_Lets_Get_Out_of_This_Country
But we can still picture them hanging out with eachother and dancing to their favorite songs.