Track 2: "The Sweetest Thing" by Camera Obscura

My Maudlin Career was my favorite album of the year. I can recall spending a good deal of the Spring driving around at night listening to the album on repeat. That culminated in my seeing the band live in June. The album stabilizes the polygamous marriage of twee pop, Motown adoration and Phil Spector vibes hinted in previous efforts. The group has finally climbed out of the shadows of lazy comparisons to Belle and Sebastian and other cutesy-clever pop bands. My Maudlin Career is sentimental, catchy and given a little something extra by way of string and horn arrangements by Björn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John).

Like many of my favorite albums, this one takes you on a topsy-turvy ride through the highs and lows of being a hopeless romantic. Singer Tracyanne Campbell delivers the throwback radio pop bounce with a sly and sometimes bitingly honest infliction.



It was difficult to pick just one song from the album to include with my mix. I somewhat coincidentally decided upon making the album's second track my second track. I grow easily attached to lyrics and it came down to the "I was criticized for letting you break my heart" line of French Navy versus the bitter salvo of "I'm going on a date tonight to try fall out of love with you" found here.

2.) "The Sweetest Thing" by Camera Obscura


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