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Unknown Colors

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Unknown Colors
Studio album by
Sad Day for Puppets
Released28 October 2008
GenreShoegazing
LabelHaHa Fonogram
ProducerMartin Källholm
Alex Svenson-Metés
Sad Day for Puppets chronology
Unknown Colors
(2008) 		Pale Silver & Shiny Gold
(2010)

Unknown Colors is the debut studio album by Swedish quintet Sad Day for Puppets. It was initially released exclusively in Sweden on 28 October 2008 by independent label HaHa Fonogram, with a United Kingdom release following eight months later on 1 June 2009 via Sonic Cathedral Recordings. The UK edition contained two exclusive bonus tracks, "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" and "Saddest Cloud".

Recording and promotion

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The majority of songs on the record were composed within a six-month period.[1] "Marble Gods" was released as the album's lead single, and appeared on Rough Trade's sampler album Indiepop 09.[2][3] "Cherry Blossom" was also released as a single.[4] The band promoted the album with performances at several UK music festivals, including Truck Festival.[5][6]

Critical reception

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The record received positive review upon release. Heather Phares of AllMusic rated the album four stars out of five, praising it for revisiting the "halcyon days of the late '80s and early '90s, when indie pop crossbred with shoegaze, and groups like Lush, Bettie Serveert, and Velocity Girl mixed those dreamy sonics with immediate hooks and melodies." She summarised by saying: "Even if there aren't too many previously unknown sounds on Unknown Colors, Sad Day for Puppets know how to use them well."[7] A writer for Sydsvenskan complimented the disparity between the influences the band used in composing the record, and said they succeeded in making a record "better than their combined influences. There's something quite majestic going on here, even if you can't put your finger on it."[8] Likewise, Swedish magazine Muzic said: "The music and melodies are elaborate and well composed without being predictable or too easily accessible, which is an art in itself to master."[9] NME was complimentary of Anna Eklund's vocals, saying that her "spectral diction – enshrined under glacial washes of distortion – is seductive and richly evocative."[10] Although Joyzine was dismissive about the length of time it took the band to compose the album, and said such brevity often resulted in sub-par records, they described Unknown Colors as a major leap forward for the group.[1]

The album also received some mixed reviews. A writer for Sonic Magazine said they enjoyed the first ten songs, but "quickly lost interest" during the album's eleventh track, when "everything begins to fall flat".[11] Groove described the record as "nice" while indicating "Little Light" was its best song, but was unimpressed by the rest of the album.[12]

Track listing

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All songs written and composed by Martin Källholm.

  1. "Little Light" – 3:17
  2. "Blue Skies" – 4:00
  3. "Marble Gods" – 3:45
  4. "Mother's Tears" – 3:06
  5. "Cherry Blossom" – 3:06
  6. "Lay Your Burden On Me" – 5:21
  7. "When the Morning Comes" – 2:54
  8. "Last Night" – 3:38
  9. "Shiny Teeth and Sharpened Claws" – 3:23
  10. "Romans" – 3:18
  11. "All the Songs" – 4:01
  12. "My Twin Star" – 4:09
  13. "Withering Petals and Dust" – 3:03
  14. "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" – 3:22 (UK bonus track)
  15. "Saddest Cloud" – 2:06 (UK bonus track)

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Unknown Colors.[13]

  • Anna Eklund – vocals
  • Marcus Sandgren – lead guitar
  • Martin Källholm – songwriter, guitar, piano, producer
  • Alex Svenson-Metés – bass, keyboards, background vocals, percussion, drums on "Mother's Tears", "Cherry Blossom", "Lay Your Burden On Me" and "My Twin Star", producer, recording engineer, mixing
  • Micael Back – drums on "Little Light", "Marble Gods" and "Last Night"

Additional personnel:

  • Patrik Andersson – pedal steel guitar on "Lay Your Burden On Me", "Last Night" and "Withering Petals and Dust"
  • Annika Eklund – background vocals
  • Hannes Fornander – background vocals
  • Gustaf Kjellin – photography, artwork
  • Henrik Lindquist – sdfp logo
  • Christoffer Narin – drums on "All the Songs" and "Withering Petals and Dust"
  • Karl Alfred Nilsson – drums on "Blue Skies", "Shiny Teeth and Sharpened Claws" and "Romans"
  • Andreas Tilliander – mastering

References

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  1. ^ a b "Joyzine | Recension – Skiva | Sad Day For Puppets: Unknown Colors, 2008". Joyzine (in Swedish). 18 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Rough Trade Shops – Indiepop 09". Sydsvenskan. Bonnier Group. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  3. ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Rough Trade Shops: Indiepop 09". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  4. ^ Gourlay, Dom (20 April 2009). "Shoegaze Week: Label Focus # 25: Sonic Cathedral / In Depth". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Crewe live music: Volume Festival returns for 2011". BBC Music. BBC. 29 December 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Full Truck Festival line-up announced". NME. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  7. ^ Phares, Heather. "Unknown Colors – Sad Day for Puppets | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  8. ^ Berg, Sara (6 November 2008). "Sad Day For Puppets". Sydsvenskan. Bonnier Group. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  9. ^ "muzic.se – skivrecension – Sad Day For Puppets – Unknown Colors". Muzic.se. 7 November 2008. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  10. ^ Nicolson, Barry (27 May 2009). "Album Review: Sad Day For Puppets – 'Unknown Colors'". NME. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Sad Day For Puppets: Unknown Colors". Sonic Magazine. 11 November 2008. ISSN 1650-2795. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  12. ^ Gustafsson, Anna. "Sad Day For Puppets – Unknown colors – GROOVE – Sveriges största musktidning" [Sad Day For Puppets – Unknown colors – GROOVE – Sweden's largest music magazine]. Groove (in Swedish). Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  13. ^ "Digital booklet". Unknown Colors (liner notes). Sad Day for Puppets. Stockholm, Sweden: HaHa Fonogram. 2008. HHF0810.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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