Five Ways of Disappearing
Five Ways of Disappearing | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1995 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Label | 4AD[1] | |||
Producer | Kendra Smith, A. Phillip Uberman | |||
Kendra Smith chronology | ||||
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Five Ways of Disappearing is an album by the American musician Kendra Smith, released in 1995.[2][3] It marked a full-album return to music for Smith, who for much of the 1990s had been tending to her northern California organic farm.[4][5] Smith did not do a lot of promotion for the album, and chose not to tour nationally behind it.[6]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by Smith and A. Phillip Uberman.[7] Many of its songs were constructed around the use of a pump organ; others used Turkish drums and harmonium.[6][8] On some songs, Smith randomly arranged words to form the lyrics, and used multitracked vocals.[9][10]
"Bold Marauder" is a cover of the Mimi and Richard Farina song.[11]
Critical reception
[edit]Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Robert Christgau | B−[13] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[14] |
Knoxville News Sentinel | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Spin | 7/10[17] |
The Sydney Morning Herald | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Tampa Tribune | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Spare and haunting, the eerie keyboards and varied guitar textures drape the songs’ slow tempos and rustic melodies, while Smith’s cool vocals deliver elusive, psychedelic lyrics."[14] Trouser Press called "Bold Marauder" "one of the best acoustic Led Zeppelin imitations in recent memory," and wrote that "though some songs are amiss, precious or overly derivative, as a personal sampler, Five Ways of Disappearing is an impressive—and colorful—achievement."[18] Rolling Stone determined that, "when Smith resigns the organ to a background role and matches her voice's fine edge to the guitar's slightly spacey effects, the results are down to earth and memorable."[16]
Robert Christgau thought that, "with the pump organ and all she does have Her Own Sound, especially if you don't remember Nico too clearly—and unlike Nico, she also has a sense of humor."[13] Spin deemed it "a songwriter's album, in the style of Brian Eno's Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)... Each package of lyrics is showcased inside of a specific set of instrumental routines."[17] The Knoxville News Sentinel concluded that the album "drags listeners into semi-consciousness two ways: sometimes entrancing with atmosphere, sometimes with lulling tedium."[15]
Don McLeese, of the Austin American-Statesman, listed Five Ways of Disappearing as the 4th best album of 1995; Miami New Times also included it on a list of the year's 10 best.[19][11]
AllMusic wrote that Smith's "deadpan vocal delivery adds another layer of individuality to an offbeat album by an offbeat artist."[12]
Track listing
[edit]No. | Titel | Length |
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1. | "Aurelia" | |
2. | "Bohemian Zebulon" | |
3. | "Temporarily Lucy" | |
4. | "In Your Head" | |
5. | "Space Unadorned" | |
6. | "Maggots" | |
7. | "Drunken Boat" | |
8. | "Interlude/Dirigible" | |
9. | "Valley of the Morning Sun" | |
10. | "Judge Not" | |
11. | "Get There" | |
12. | "Interlude/Saturn" | |
13. | "Bold Marauder" |
References
[edit]- ^ Spencer, Neil (28 May 1995). "Kendra Smith: Five Ways of Disappearing". The Observer Review Page. The Guardian. p. 10.
- ^ "Kendra Smith Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Buckley, Peter (December 4, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0.
- ^ "Quick Scans (June 22 - June 28, 1995)". Tucson Weekly.
- ^ Porter, Mark (June 2, 1995). "One Way of Reappearing". Lifestyle/Previews. The Record. p. 28.
- ^ a b Gladstone, Eric (May 1995). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 60. p. 40.
- ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 362.
- ^ a b O'Neill, Mike (June 16, 1995). "Kendra Smith, Five Ways of Disappearing". Friday Extra!. The Tampa Tribune. p. 23.
- ^ Semon, Craig S. (2 July 1995). "Kendra Smith returns with a transcendent collection". Datebook. Telegram & Gazette. p. 8.
- ^ a b Danielsen, Shane (August 28, 1995). "Beyond time and fashion". The Guide. The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 12.
- ^ a b Yockel, Michael (December 28, 1995). "State of Siege". Music. Miami New Times.
- ^ a b "Five Ways of Disappearing". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "Kendra Smith". Robert Christgau.
- ^ a b "Five Ways of Disappearing". Entertainment Weekly.
- ^ a b Campbell, Chuck (16 June 1995). "Kendra Smith weaves a web of hypnosis". Detours. Knoxville News Sentinel. p. 8.
- ^ a b Davies, Barbara (Sep 7, 1995). "Recordings — Five Ways of Disappearing by Kendra Smith". Rolling Stone. No. 716. p. 73.
- ^ a b Coley, Byron (Jul 1995). "Spins". Spin. Vol. 11, no. 4. pp. 76–77.
- ^ "Kendra Smith". Trouser Press. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ McLeese, Don (28 Dec 1995). "The best of a bad year". The Beat. Austin American-Statesman. p. 8.