Masterpiece
Details
LP / Format
Saddle Creek / Label
Indie Rock / Genres
Andrew Sarlo / Producer
bigthief.net / Website
Tags
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CRITIC REVIEWS
82
Big Thief ultimately nail the different shades of reckoning and self-introspection on their Saddle Creek debut. Many listeners will no doubt identify with and see pieces of their own struggles inside this album.
80
Masterpiece may be flawed, but try to think of a magnum opus, or a life, that isn't. The most exciting part is that it's likely Big Thief's best is yet to come.
80
Rhythmically a balanced mix of energetic grooves and melancholy explorations, the album is wall-to-wall artful expression that finds a songwriter thriving as part of a four-piece.
80
Expect this to be the start of a huge career, even if this really is their ‘Masterpiece’.
80
What makes Masterpiece such an engrossing listen is how they regulate the songs to their bare essentials even when they’re at their most dynamic. Big Thief is a band that understands that there’s much to explore within life’s empty spaces, to never underestimate what’s not readily there and occupy it with grand, though modest, gestures.
77
On the rangy folk-rock band Big Thief's Saddle Creek debut Masterpiece, the songs sound cherry-picked over a lifetime of writing, the stories carefully compiled.
76
Modern folk fans take note; it’s not every day we get the pleasure of hearing such an accomplished debut.
70
Lenker isn’t the room-swallowing presence that Quinlan is, but she more than makes up for it in commanding songcraft, which skews dynamic (“Animals”), dissonant (“Interstate”), and placid (“Little Arrow”) without ever changing its sepia tone.
70
Simply put, Big Thief’s debut is a most pleasant surprise; a rich treasure trove of story and seduction.
70
Even when the road backwards gets unbearably dark, this record feels like a hero's journey.
The indie rock genre is blessed with presence of power quartet Big Thief. And what a blessing it is. The leader singer’s voice, while not what I would call strong, is most certainly beautiful. In fact, I would say it benefits from this lack of sturdiness. The little quivers and shakes on certain notes give it this quality that feels uniquely hers. I’ve never heard anything quite like it. The instruments are gorgeous; the guitars in particular steal the show. And the songwriting, ... read more
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Track List
| 1 | Little Arrow 1:58 | 76 |
| 2 | Masterpiece 3:50 | 98 |
| 3 | Vegas 2:19 | 89 |
| 4 | Real Love 4:17 | 92 |
| 5 | Interstate 3:24 | 90 |
| 6 | Lorraine 1:53 | 79 |
| 7 | Paul 3:03 | 90 |
| 8 | Humans 3:23 | 89 |
| 9 | Velvet Ring 2:35 | 85 |
| 10 | Animals 2:59 | 85 |
| 11 | Randy 3:09 | 77 |
| 12 | Parallels 4:23 | 91 |
Total Length: 37 minutes
Year End Lists
| #2 | / | The Wild Honey Pie |
| #8 | / | Newsweek |
| #31 | / | NPR Music |
| #35 | / | Earbuddy |
| #43 | / | For The Win |
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Added on: March 22, 2016