Caught the Blast

Caught the Blast
Studio album by Party of One
Released May 27, 2003
Recorded December 2000-May 2001
Genre Indie rock
Length 55:06
Label Fat Cat Records

Caught the Blast is the only full-length album by Minnesota-based indie rock band Party of One, released on May 27, 2003 on Fat Cat Records.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Robert Christgau (A-)[2]
Pitchfork Media [3]
Citypages (positive)[4]
Exclaim.ca (positive)[5]
Spin (B+)[6]

Negative

Many reviewers, such as those writing for Allmusic and Pitchfork Media, gave Caught The Blast negative reviews upon its release. For example, Allmusic reviewer Andy Kellman wrote that the album "probably sounds great to anyone who has never heard a Dischord release with a copyright date earlier than 1995,"[7] and Pitchfork Media's Michael Idov wrote that "every note produced by every instrument on Caught the Blast has been meticulously designed to suck."[3]

Positive

This album did receive some positive reviews, however, including one from Robert Christgau, who wrote that "...like so many lo-fi note-missers of enduring social value, they're winningly enthusiastic about their own negativity."[2] Terry Sawyer of PopMatters said in 2003 that Caught the Blast was "one of the best records he heard this year," and after attending a live show where Party of One performed, described Fifteen's stage presence as "petulantly misanthropic."[8] Seattle Weekly's Rod Smith wrote that "[Fifteen's] refusal to wax sanctimonious or get flinchy in even the ugliest situations is part of why Fifteen's party runs so well."[9] Another positive review of this album came from the Washington City Paper, where Andrew Beaujon wrote that it was "...the most fun, most disconcerting way to amuse yourself since the BBC's The League of Gentlemen,"[10] and their single "Snap You Like a Twig," the lead track on Caught the Blast, received a positive review from Drowned in Sound, where "Shoo" wrote that the song was "an expansive track oblique with orphaned emotion, latent suggestions of insurrection, loss, crushing defeats, sexual recklessness, domination, upside-down worldview."[11]

Track listing

  1. Snap You Like a Twig
  2. Six Million Anonymous Deceased
  3. Scorch the Brainwave
  4. Belgrade Sends its Regards
  5. Shotgun Funeral
  6. Synagogue Chamber Waltz
  7. Midnight Gypsy
  8. Baghdad Boogie
  9. Fine Line Between Us
  10. Slide Away
  11. Baby Doll
  12. Shock to the System

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Caught the Blast Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Christgau, Robert (2003). "CG: Party of One". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Idov, Michael (4 November 2003). "Caught the Blast Review". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  4. ↑ Smith, Rod (27 August 2003). "Party of One: Caught the Blast". City Pages. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  5. ↑ Molgat, Chuck (July 2003). "Party Of One Caught the Blast". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Breakdown". Spin. September 2003. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
  7. ↑ Kellman, Andy (2003). "Caught the Blast Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  8. ↑ Sawyer, Terry (25 August 2003). "The Transgressors + Party of One". PopMatters. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  9. ↑ Party of One, Chingy and more
  10. ↑ Beaujon, Andrew (15 August 2003). "Party of One". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  11. ↑ Shoo (7 March 2004). "Snap You Like A Twig Review". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 25 November 2013.