The Man Who Died in His Boat

Grouper - The Man Who Died in His Boat
Critic Score
Based on 16 reviews
2013 Ratings: #108 / 1115
User Score
Based on 341 ratings
2013 Rank: #126
Liked by 37 people
February 5, 2013 / Release Date
LP / Format
Kranky / Label
Sign In to rate and review

CRITIC REVIEWS

90
Drowned in Sound

This is music that challenges and provokes. It may require a bit of effort to 'get' Grouper, but it's worth it. And as this record illustrates, even her cast-offs are stunningly good.

85
Beats Per Minute

Catchy would be the wrong word to use here, but these songs have a staying power as unassuming yet durable as moss on the side of a stone. 

85
The 405

Where many of the tracks on The Man Who Died in His Boat could have been as easily thrown away as the debris that floats across the ocean, Grouper's conceptual vision and subtle songwriting makes this an immersive and ethereal addition to her impressive catalog.

83
Pitchfork

When it really hits, as it often does here, the music of Grouper creates a feeling that can only be defined as awe, an uncanny mixture of wonder and dread that nobody does better. 

80
musicOMH

It is apparent from the start that the album is a valuable piece of work in its own right however and its reclaimed origins should not bring any negative preconceptions.

80
AllMusic

The Man Who Died in His Boat may be a smaller-scale album than either Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill or A I A, but it's no less lovely or moving because of that.

80
No Ripcord

The Man Who Died avoids the stigma of outtakes releases because it’s an ideal entry point into one of the most distinctive, fascinating musicians of our time.

80
Consequence of Sound

This is an album that follows the drifting of a boat at sea, and discovers that even the most pleasant journeys can end in nothingness.

70
PopMatters

The Man Who Died in His Boat feels immediately of its time, a period we know to be completely unique. It culls some of the most accessible Grouper material ever, just in fragments.

70
NME

Her music isn’t quite as inert and emotionally crushing as all this might suggest, but it remains a masterclass in medicated bleakness.

70
FACT Magazine

The simplicity of the material, recurring song after song, enables it to settle on a room like perfume; it affects through generalities rather than the specifics of a particular melody or lyric. But by the same token there’s very little to distinguish this album from its counterpart.

70
The Needle Drop

On her latest installment of tracks--which were formulated at the time of 2008's Dragging a Dead Dear Up a Hill--multi-instrumentalist Liz Harris brings another collection of ambient-style folk tracks that are opaque, shadowy, and extremely emotive.

SnowyFighter
72

Happy Christmas and stuff :)

I got this Grouper album on vinyl awhile ago and I just finally now got around to giving it a listen. I enjoy this one quite a bit. It does feel extremely reminiscent of some of her other records though, so I feel like that takes away from its own identity. Still, songs like Living Room, Towers and Cloud in Places are all great. The chill feeling is very relaxing, and that’s what I’m always happy about with Grouper.

6 - N/A
Vital - 7.5
Cloud in Places ... read more

jeetygt
NR

This is my first Grouper release, and it won't be my last. This soft, distant, blissful folk music obscured under a million layers* is exactly what I didn't know I needed all along. It's a really calming night listen, and the title track makes me feel like I'm slowly ascending to heaven in a sightseeing elevator.

B+

bobbyhabnay
85

I love how farrah abraham is smiling at me even when I’m about to write the dumbest shit

xanificia
82

highly recommended to people who like "dragging a dead deer up a hill"

83

Liz Harris expands on the sound she started working with on Dragging a Dead Dear, making a record that is versatile and stirring

Irissssssssssss
95

Oh boy, I fear she’s delivered once again. Btw, idk why but, I just find this album cover to aesthetically be goated as hell it totally fits the moods on this record. So this record was apparently recorded at the same time as Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill, which, so far in this dive, is still probably my favorite album of hers, and it shows, because this definitely has its sonic similarities to that album, although not without its own distinguishing features. It definitely also features ... read more

Purchasing The Man Who Died in His Boat from Amazon helps support Album of the Year. Or consider a donation?
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement

Track List

16
1:49
71
2Vital
4:14
93
3Cloud in Places
4:05
87
4Being Her Shadow
4:46
85
5Cover the Long Way
4:06
86
6Difference (Voices)
5:48
82
7Vanishing Point
3:32
74
8The Man Who Died in His Boat
5:01
88
9Towers
5:19
90
10STS
6:06
84
11Living Room
2:02
95
Total Length: 46 minutes
Comments (2)
Sign in to comment
1y
2y


Added on: January 4, 2013