Tracyanne Campbell, singer and songwriter for Glasgow’s Camera
Obscura, has overcome a couple of identity crises to put her band on an
impressive winning streak. The group began under the daunting wing and
influence of Belle & Sebastian, working with Stuart Murdoch and
reflecting the B & S sound more than a little. Camera Obscura
co-founder John Henderson left in 2005, leaving Campbell as the de
facto leader. This role has benefited both her writing and the band;
2006’s Let’s Get Out of This Country earned the biggest
accolades of their career. Campbell continues that hot streak here,
increasingly easing, if ever so gently, away from the band’s bedrock
twee foundations toward a marriage of girl-group/wall-of-sound bedrock.
The record’s best moments (the single “French Navy,” has an impressive
string arrangement, and the bouncy “Swans” retains just a touch of debt
to B&S) mark more of the territory that Campbell began to explore
on Country. So while there aren’t any major surprises in this
Career, there’s plenty to recommend. — Chris
Drabick
This article appears in Apr 29 – May 5, 2009.
