Strand (album)

Strand
Studio album by
The Spinanes
ReleasedFebruary 27, 1996
Recorded1996
GenreIndie rock
Length53:25
LabelSub Pop
ProducerSpinanes[1]
The Spinanes chronology
Manos
(1993) 		Strand
(1996) 		Arches and Aisles
(1998)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Alternative Press[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
MusicHound Rock[1]
Spin6/10[5]

Strand is the second studio album by the American indie rock band The Spinanes, released in 1996 by Sub Pop.[6][7]

Production

The album was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee.[4] Elliott Smith sings on two tracks.[8]

Release and promotion

Strand was released on February 27, 1996, by Sub Pop.[9] To promote the album, the band performed with two additional musicians at Lounge Ax in Chicago, Illinois, on March 26, 1996.[10]

Critical reception

AllMusic praised the album's variety of instruments and the addition of guest vocalists.[2] The Washington Post wrote: "With Rebecca Gates adding piano, organ and mellotron to her guitar, such hushed, atmospheric tracks as 'Madding' and 'Luminous' live up to their Cocteau Twinnish titles."[11] Magnet wrote that the album "transcended [the band's] ragged Northwest-indie roots and gave Gates’ smart songwriting a dreamy, atmospheric sheen."[8] Trouser Press wrote that "the album exists on another plane, a dreamstate rooted in studio experimentation not live practicality."[12]

Track listing

  1. "Madding" – 5:28
  2. "Azure" – 3:51
  3. "Lines and Lines" – 6:23
  4. "Meridian" – 3:53
  5. "Punch Line Loser" – 4:01
  6. "Valency" – 3:26
  7. "Luminous" – 6:03
  8. "Oceanwide" – 5:40
  9. "Winter On Ice" – 6:00
  10. "Watch Down" – 4:23
  11. "For No One Else" – 4:16

References

  1. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1070.
  2. ^ a b Unterberger, Richie. "Strand – The Spinanes". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2012-06-17. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  3. ^ Slankard, Noah (May 1996). "Music Reviews". Alternative Press. Vol. 10, no. 94. p. 91.
  4. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 662.
  5. ^ Huston, Johnny (April 1996). "The Spinanes: Strand". Spin. Vol. 12, no. 1. p. 113. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  6. ^ "The Spinanes | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  7. ^ "Best New Music". CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. April 23, 1996 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ a b "Lost Classics: The Spinanes "Strand"". March 13, 2009.
  9. ^ "The Spinanes - Strand". Sub Pop. Archived from the original on 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  10. ^ Meyer, Bill (1996-04-25). "Ragged But Right". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  11. ^ Jenkins, Mark (March 29, 1996). "SPINANES' TEXTURES" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  12. ^ "Spinanes". Trouser Press. Retrieved 23 February 2021.