Arches and Aisles

Arches and Aisles
Studio album by
The Spinanes
ReleasedSeptember 23, 1998
Recorded1998
Studio
Genre
Length42:31
LabelSub Pop
The Spinanes chronology
Strand
(1996) 		Arches and Aisles
(1998) 		Imp Years
(2000)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(neither)[3]
Palm Beach Post[4]
Spin8/10[5]
Sunday Age[6]

Arches and Aisles is an album by The Spinanes, released on September 23, 1998. The album features guest spots and co-production by John McEntire and vocals by Sam Prekop.[7] This is the only Spinanes album to not feature founding member and drummer Scott Plouf, who left the duo in 1997 to join Built to Spill.

Composition & recording

Musically, Arches is considered "richly textured" chamber-rock[8] and indie rock.[9] The album was recorded at Easley McCain Recording in Memphis, Tennessee. Additional tracks were recorded with John McEntire (of Tortoise and The Sea and Cake) at his Soma Electronic Music Studios.[1]

Critical reception and legacy

AllMusic's Michael Gallucci dubbed Arches the group's "least confining, and most listenable" record, noting their "more melodic and lyrically enticing" direction.[2] Spin applauded it, calling it "warm, thoughtful, and melodically gorgeous".[5]

Looking back at the Spinanes' discography, Trouser Press singled it out as "a superlative album of quietly remarkable songs". They acknowledged singer Rebecca Gates' "surefooted songwriting and achingly intimate alto vocals".[10] In 2008, near Sub Pop's 20th anniversary, Treble included it as one of the label's 20 essential releases. Staff writer Jeff Terich dubbed it "a bigger sounding, more sparkling affair" than its predecessors, as well as the Spinanes project's best work.[11] In 2016, it placed #46 on Pitchfork's list of Pacific Northwest indie rock's 50 best albums.[9]

Track listing

  1. "Kid in Candy" – 4:33
  2. "Greetings from the Sugar Lick" – 4:18
  3. "72-74" – 3:06
  4. "Leisure Run" – 4:58
  5. "Love, the Lazee" – 4:27
  6. "Sucker's Trial" – 2:49
  7. "Slide Your Ass" – 1:50
  8. "Reach V. Speed" – 3:51
  9. "Den Trawler" – 4:05
  10. "Eleganza" – 4:15
  11. "Heisman Stance" – 4:19

Personnel

Credits adapted from Arches and Aisles' liner notes.[12]

The Spinanes

  • Rebecca Gates - vocals, guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, Mellotron, organ

with:

References

  1. ^ a b Antrim, Taylor (August 21, 2012). "Rebecca Gates: The Spinanes' Star Floats On". NPR.
  2. ^ a b Gallucci, Michael. "Arches and Aisles - The Spinanes". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-05-12.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (2000-10-15). "The Spinanes". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 9780312245603.
  4. ^ Mnookin, Seth (1999-01-29). "Faithfull Collection Flawed; Chesnutt Shines". Palm Beach Post.
  5. ^ a b Gensler, Andy (August 1998). "The Spinanes: Arches and Aisles". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. p. 144.
  6. ^ Giliberto, Richard (1998-09-27). "CD Reviews; Music". Sunday Age.
  7. ^ "Arches and Aisles, The Spinanes, Music CD - Barnes & Noble". Music.barnesandnoble.com. 1998-06-23. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
  8. ^ Jenkins, Mark (August 28, 1998). "THE SPINANES: "ARCHES AND AISLES"". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Pitchfork (September 6, 2016). "The 50 Best Indie Rock Albums of the Pacific Northwest". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  10. ^ "Spinanes". Trouser Press. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  11. ^ Terich, Jeff (July 22, 2008). "Sub Pop Records: 20 Essential Albums". Treble. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  12. ^ "The Spinanes - Arches and Aisles". Discogs. 23 June 1998.



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