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True Love Cast Out All Evil

Roky Erickson With Okkervil River

True Love Cast Out All Evil

First album of new songs for 14 years from the rehabilitated former 13th Floor Elevators member

ADM rating[?]

7.7

Label
Chemikal Underground
UK Release date
19/04/2010
  1. 9.0 |   PopMatters

    It’s a tale of redemption that earns the right to be mentioned in the same breath as Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind or Johnny Cash’s American series
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  2. 9.0 |   NME

    A stunning LP that, in a just world, would do for Roky what the ‘American Recordings’ series did for Johnny Cash
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  3. 9.0 |   Drowned In Sound

    Roky Erikson is now reunited with his first wife and his children. Without the context of his life, this would be a wonderful, complete piece of music. Look at it within, and it’s a work of divinity
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  4. 8.5 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    A beautifully presented and arranged work which showcases an artist unique not only for his incredible story, but also for his spirit, resilience and most of all for his art
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  5. 8.0 |   The Scotsman

    Erickson's weathered voice is perfectly pitched for such country-flavoured truth-telling
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  6. 8.0 |   The Digital Fix

    It is an absolute joy to listen to an album that has been made for the best of reasons, the simple love of music
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  7. 8.0 |   musicOMH

    It is full of sadness and hope, but ultimately it is a celebration of human spirit and the unique talent of Roky Erickson. This indeed is special and magical music
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  8. 8.0 |   Blurt

    If they ever get around to doing a Texas Mount Rushmore, the chiseled visages of Buddy, Doug and Roky would be a damn fine place to start
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  9. 8.0 |   State

    A heartfelt collection of songs, dripping with life, all the more beautiful for the imperfections they can’t hide. A remarkable album and a thoroughly welcome comeback
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  10. 8.0 |   The List

    The consistent quality of the music aside, though, it’s the tender, concise insights into Erickson’s psyche that really affect
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  11. 8.0 |   Mojo

    Other 62-year-old survivors have released comeback albums as good, but none better and more uplifting. Print edition only

  12. 8.0 |   Q

    An absorbing labour of love. Print edition only

  13. 8.0 |   Uncut

    An astonishing highlight of Erickson's tragically stunted career
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  14. 8.0 |   The Skinny

    In light of the life behind this collection of songs, the very existence of True Love Cast Out All Evil – like much of the material within – is in itself quite astonishing
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  15. 8.0 |   The Independent

    His first album in 14 years features cris du coeur from the edge of sanity
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  16. 8.0 |   Rave Magazine

    As well as the likes of Kasabian, Primal Scream and R.E.M. acknowledging their debt to Erickson, modern Americana heroes Okkervil River are big enough fans to actually perform as his backing band on this strong collection of new Erickson tunes
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  17. 8.0 |   The Scotsman

    Gathers a dozen of Erickson's hundreds of unreleased songs in evocative, rootsy new arrangements which reference blues, gospel, folk and chiming indie rock
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  18. 7.4 |   Pitchfork

    Erickson sounds better than he has in decades: His voice retains a lot of its growl and grit
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  19. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    He sings with renewed strength and even sweetness in these new versions of songs from the Seventies height of his troubles
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  20. 7.0 |   Tiny Mix Tapes

    A rare example of a man finding peace on record, of a long journey being rewarded with a slight glimpse of salvation
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  21. 6.5 |   Bowlegs

    Okkervil’s backing is filled with acoustic guitars, occasional brass, pianos and electrics, accommodating a host of genres, from Country Folk to the more rocking widescreen epic that is ‘John Lawmen'
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  22. 6.0 |   Eye Weekly

    A folky-country concoction, tracks such as “Please Judge” and “John Lawman,” are standouts
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  23. 6.0 |   The Guardian

    The songs here were selected by Okkervil's Will Sheff, and the arrangements are clearly his band's rather than Erickson's. So whose album is it really?
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  24. 6.0 |   Culture Deluxe

    Highlights are few and far between (bar the first and last songs) but Goodbye Sweet Dreams, Bring Back The Past and Birds Crash stand out as good, if not remarkable examples of the Roky Erickson new alt country sound
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