Annuals - Sweet Sister reviews
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| Pitchfork |
 In the career-defining profile of Annuals that appeared in the 2007 music issue of Oxford American, the North Carolina band came off as the mid-2000s equivalent of the slacker: the easygoing multi-tasker. Their 2006 debut, Be He Me, a timely mix of Animal Collective before they went electronic and Arcade Fire before they went morose, had them positioned to be an ideal test case for the starmaking ability of blogs. But bandleader Adam Baker and crew seemed just as excited and invested in their various electro side projects as they were in their meal ticket. It was hard not to jump to conclusions about focus when 2008's major-label Such Fun showed no interest whatsoever in upping the ante. Its title seemed like a weirdly deadpan admission of defeat.
So is the self-produced Sweet Sister EP just Annuals taking a hands-on approach out of necessity? In any case, they've cemented themselves as a rootsier Yeasayer, still endlessly curious about studio gadgetry and electronic composition but doing little to hide serious hopes of a H.O.R.D.E. tour revival. Just try to keep a running tally of every sonic doo-dad that pops up during the driving, Latin-tinged rhythm of "Loxstep"-- is that a tabla hooked up to a wah-wah pedal or a jaw harp? Did they just put some Swizz Beatz turntable-scratch effect on Baker's voice? Check out all those bells and whirring synth lines! Their previous work was hardly minimalist, but their arrangements have become increasingly ostentatious in display of new toys. On the title track, bongos percolate and crystal-clear guitar peals evoke Mediterranean nylons, suggesting the word "Balearic" has been used on the Annuals tour bus. And then "Holler and Howl" does a Texas two-step immediately after, and it's hardly a harsh transition....full text |
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| Comfortcomes |
| The first thing that stood out to me on this EP is how busy all the songs are. Everything is recorded very well and the musicianship is very good but there tend to be too many things going on. Every space was filled with multiple sounds or instruments. Sometimes it’s good to let the song breathe a little bit. But the melodies are catchy and there are some cool drumming elements. There is an overall sunny, cheery, upbeat tone to all the songs. They feel a little too Jason Mraz-y to me. And now I can’t get the sight of that ridiculous fedora hat out of my mind. But if that is your thing then you’ll probably enjoy this EP....full text |
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| Prefixmag |
| Annuals, the North Carolina group that started a brief maelstrom of indie praise with their debut 2006 album Be Hate Me, ran into sophomore slump territory in 2008 with their major label debut Such Fun. Sweet Sister, an EP release for Banter Records, is being pitched as a "return to form," with frontman Adam Baker back at the help as producer and the band's return to an independent label ...full text |
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