Albums to watch

Look to the East, Look to the West

Camera Obscura

Look to the East, Look to the West

Album number six, and first in eleven years, from the Glasgow indie pop band

ADM rating[?]

7.8

Label
Merge
UK Release date
03/05/2024
US Release date
03/05/2024
  1. 9.0 |   Spill Magazine

    Brilliant return in every respect
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  2. 9.0 |   All Music

    Look to the East, Look to the West could not have been an easy record for the band to make: the obvious emotion and care they have poured into it are a fitting, hopefully healing tribute to a fallen loved one and a heart-warming gift to a fan base who feared they may never hear music from them again
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  3. 9.0 |   God Is In The TV

    Look To The East, Look To The West is sorrowful yet happily nostalgic, uncertain yet full of intent, and easily one of the most tenderly affecting albums you’ll hear in 2024. I’d say it’s a must have
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  4. 8.0 |   Record Collector

    This album is a spirited, catchy, poignant return, yet it’s also the most affecting record about grief since Nick Cave’s Skeleton Tree
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  5. 8.0 |   Far Out

    A triumphant return to form following a decade of absence due to the sad death of keyboardist Carey Lander
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  6. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    Testament to a determination to make the most out of life, and to pay tribute to their late friend, this album is a tribute to the Glaswegians’ resilience
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  7. 8.0 |   Uncut

    Tracyanne Campbell still writes exquisite songs that don’t sacrifice melancholy for cleverness, and the band still provide smart arrangements that nod to country, Motown, Brill Building pop and other distinctly American sounds. Print edition only

  8. 8.0 |   Pitchfork

    Eleven years since their last album and nine since keyboardist Carey Lander’s death, the beloved Scottish indie-poppers return with an appealing balance of fond memories and fresh energy
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  9. 8.0 |   Under The Radar

    This is a record of survival — theirs and ours. Cheers to a welcome return
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  10. 7.6 |   Paste Magazine

    It turns out that subtlety suits them, and if Look to the East, Look to the West isn’t as immediately grabby as past albums were, these songs are nonetheless built to last
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  11. 7.4 |   Spectrum Culture

    Camera Obscura is back, and they’re better, stronger and more cohesive than ever
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  12. 7.0 |   PopMatters

    Earlier, Camera Obscura contrasted their mocking pessimism of adult life with innocence. The group may still be twee, but their sneer has become more of a frown
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  13. 7.0 |   Slant Magazine

    If the band sticks too closely to familiar sonic territory, it is, at least, one that they’ve mastered
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  14. 7.0 |   Exclaim

    Camera Obscura have found their way through the dark. As Campbell surmises on the final track: "In a strange kind of way / Life, it goes on and on"
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