So Long, Scarecrow
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| So Long, Scarecrow | |||||
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| Studio album by Scarling. | |||||
| Released | August 23, 2005 | ||||
| Recorded | Winter 2004-2005 | ||||
| Genre | Alternative rock | ||||
| Length | 52:32 | ||||
| Label | Sympathy for the Record Industry SFTRI 758 CD |
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| Producer | Rob Campanella, Christian Hejnal | ||||
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| Scarling. chronology | |||||
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| Alternative cover | |||||
Sympathy For The Record Industry vinyl edition cover by Mark Ryden
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So Long, Scarecrow is the second album by the rock band Scarling. Written and recorded in early 2005, and released on October 25, 2005, it is the first Scarling. album to feature drummer Beth Gordon. Its title is a reference to The Wizard of Oz: in lead vocalist Jessicka's view, the film's Scarecrow is a metaphor for the band itself; the character's initial lack of and search for a brain, she explains, parallels Scarling.'s search for new territory in a predictable and monotonous musical environment.
Nearly twice as long as the band's debut, Sweet Heart Dealer, So Long, Scarecrow differs from its predecessor not only in length but also in terms of musical atmosphere. This is largely due to the switch in producers between the two albums — from former Nine Inch Nails member Chris Vrenna, whose abrasive, industrial-style production appeared on Sweet Heart Dealer; to Rob Campanella, of the psychedelic rock group The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Scarling. guitarist Christian Hejnal, himself influenced by noise rock and No Wave. The album was recorded at Campanella's studio, the Committee to Keep Music Evil Headquarters/Figment Sounds. The result is a heavily textured, multi-layered sound in the vein of The Jesus and Mary Chain and Pornography-era The Cure.
In another area of contrast, the album features a major emphasis on low-frequency, somnolent pieces. The vocals are mixed very quietly compared to the music, with a narrow-range, more mature delivery than Jessicka is known for. Unlike the band's previous material, and especially unlike Jessicka's prior work with Jack Off Jill, the music remains soft and hypnotic through most of the album, with very little of the earlier punk rock and heavy metal influence evident.
The critical reception for Scarecrow was generally strong: Alternative Press gave the album a 5 out of 5 rating and described Hejnal as a "guitar physicist who holds court over these atmospheric rockers’ second album, approximating everything from space-station climates to sperm whales rollin’ on E, all while delivering solid songs." The Independent noted “Scarling. work up a wonderfully hazy guitar swirl, reminiscent of post-My Bloody Valentine noise-pop from the Britain of the early nineties.” and Bust (magazine) described the album as "the musical equivalent of an Edward Gorey illustration: ominous and shadowy, but not without a certain sense of morbid joy. Sly lyrics and sarcastic insights pepper Scarecrow’s dystopian soundscape, proving that Scarling has picked up more than just wardrobe inspiration from vets like the Cure."
The album was preceded by the single "We Are the Music Makers," a split 7" with The Willowz, and has been reissued on vinyl by Sympathy for the Record Industry with alternate cover artwork by Mark Ryden.
[edit] Track listing
- "Hello London" – 5:50
- "City Noise" – 3:17
- "Broken Record" – 4:38
- "(Northbound On) Cahuenga" – 6:08
- "Teenage Party Letdown" – 0:35
- "Bummer" – 3:56
- "Manorexic" – 4:24
- "In the Pretend World" – 4:14
- "Stapled to the Mattress" – 5:41
- "Like a Killer" – 2:55
- "Caribou and Cake" – 3:25
- "We Are the Music Makers" – 3:27
- "So Long, Scarecrow" – 4:02
[edit] Personnel
- Jessicka — vocals
- Christian Hejnal — guitar, bass, producer, mixing
- Rickey Lime — guitar
- Beth Gordon — drums
- Rob Campanella — producer, engineer
- Erik Colvin — producer, vocal tracking
- Richard Mouser — mixing
- John Vestman — mastering, mixing
- Piper Ferguson — photography, cover art
- Mark Ryden — alternate LP cover art
- Jeffree Star — make-up
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