Look to the East, Look to the West
| Look to the East, Look to the West | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 May 2024 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Indie pop | |||
| Length | 44:45 | |||
| Label | Merge | |||
| Producer | Jari Haapalainen | |||
| Camera Obscura chronology | ||||
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Look to the East, Look to the West is the sixth studio album by the Scottish indie pop band Camera Obscura, released on 3 May 2024 via Merge Records. It is their first album in 11 years and the first since the death of keyboardist and backing vocalist Carey Lander in 2015; Donna Maciocia (formerly a member of Amplifico), who joined the band as a permanent member in 2023, fills out her role. The album is produced by Jari Haapalainen, who previously worked on Let's Get Out of This Country (2006) and My Maudlin Career (2009).
Background
[edit]Camera Obscura had not played together since Carey Lander died from cancer in 2015. In 2019, the band played a concert as a part of Belle and Sebastian's Boaty Weekender cruise.[1] The band recruited keyboardist and backing singer Donna Maciocia, who also co-wrote the song "We're Going To Make It In A Man's World.[2]
The album cover features a photo of Fiona Morrison, who also appears on the cover of Camera Obscura's debut album Biggest Bluest Hi Fi (2001).[1]
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 84/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[5] |
| Uncut | 8/10[6] |
Look to the East, Look to the West was met with "universal acclaim" from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 84, based on 10 reviews.[3] Stephen Deusner of Uncut said the album "could have followed right on the heels of 2013's Desire Lines...Tracyanne Campbell still writes exquisite songs."[6]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Tracyanne Campbell except where otherwise noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Liberty Print" | 5:14 | |
| 2. | "We're Going to Make It in a Man's World" | Tracyanne Campbell and Donna Maciocia | 4:17 |
| 3. | "Big Love" | 2:57 | |
| 4. | "Only a Dream" | 4:24 | |
| 5. | "The Light Nights" | 4:33 | |
| 6. | "Sleepwalking" | 3:40 | |
| 7. | "Baby Huey (Hard Times)" | 3:21 | |
| 8. | "Denon" | 3:34 | |
| 9. | "Pop Goes Pop" | 4:33 | |
| 10. | "Sugar Almond" | 3:42 | |
| 11. | "Look to the East, Look to the West" | 4:26 | |
| Total length: | 44:45 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Baby Huey (Hard Times) (Demo version)" | 3:45 |
| 2. | "Denon (Demo version)" | 3:30 |
| 3. | "Liberty Print (Demo version)" | 3:46 |
| 4. | "Only a Dream (Demo version)" | 3:24 |
| 5. | "The Light Nights (Demo version)" | 4:00 |
| Total length: | 18:25 | |
Personnel
[edit]Camera Obscura
- Tracyanne Campbell – lead vocals, guitar
- Gavin Dunbar – bass guitar
- Lee Thomson – drums, percussion
- Kenny McKeeve – guitar, percussion, backing vocals
- Donna Maciocia – piano, synthesizer, backing vocals
Additional contributors
- Jari Haapalainen – production, mixing (all tracks); programming (tracks 1, 7), percussion (2, 3, 6, 8, 9)
- Jake Hutton – engineering
- Joe Jones – engineering
- Paul Savage – engineering
- Anne McLeod – oboe (track 11)
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[7] | 4 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 36 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[9] | 4 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Clarke, Patrick (8 March 2024). "Camera Obscura share new single and talk "not quite starting again, but getting a new chance"". NME. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ Redfern, Mark. "Camera Obscura Share New Song "We're Going to Make It in a Man's World"". Under the Radar Magazine. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Look to the East, Look to the West by Camera Obscura", metacritic.com, Metacritic, retrieved 6 May 2024
- ^ Sendra, Tim (3 May 2024). "Look To The East, Look To The West - Camera Obscura : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ Howe, Brian (4 May 2024). "Camera Obscura: Look to the East, Look to the West Album Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ a b Stephen Deusner. "Look to the East, Look to the West (review)". Uncut. No. May 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2024.