My Maudlin Career

Camera Obscura's heartfelt, Glasgow twee proves My Maudlin Career is nothing to scoff about.

Bands from Glasgow, Scotland, excel at adorable music, whether it’s the delicate cynicism of a Belle and Sebastian track, a love-scorned ballad by Teenage Fanclub, or the retro-pop of Camera Obscura. The latter’s fourth full-length, My Maudlin Career, finds its six members culling from previous albums, most notably by blending the nostalgia-soaked softness of Underachievers Please Try Harder and the exuberant organ-led melodies of Let’s Get Out of This Country. “French Navy,” the album’s opener, starts things off really big, showcasing the band’s trademark witticisms both lyrically and musically; “Swans” picks things up midway with xylophones and bouncy guitars. The rhythm of the album is what truly sets it apart from past releases—there’s never a moment that feels too slow or too derived. Rather, each track soothes and excites in one fell swoop. Just listen to the album’s closers, “Other Towns and Cities” and “Honey in the Sun,” and you’ll realize why a Camera Obscura album can almost always cure life’s tediousness.