The Civil War (album)
The Civil War is the fifth studio album by experimental duo Matmos, released via Matador Records. It explores the boundaries between Americana, Medieval folk music and electronica. It features many live instruments such as drums, brass and guitars. A hurdy-gurdy is also sampled. There is also a satirical take on "Stars and Stripes Forever."
| The Civil War | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 23, 2003 | |||
| Genre | Electronica | |||
| Length | 45:52 | |||
| Label | Matador Records | |||
| Producer | Matmos | |||
| Matmos chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The A.V. Club | favorable[3] |
| The Guardian |  [4] |
| Pitchfork | 7.3/10[5] |
| PopMatters | unfavorable[6] |
| Stylus Magazine | B+[7] |
Critical reception
Review aggregator website Metacritic gives The Civil War a score of 77 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[1]
Heather Phares of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it "an album whose subtly oxymoronic title suggests the inherent contradictions of its sound."[2] Mark Richardson of Pitchfork gave the album a 7.3 out of 10, saying, "As a technical achievement and as a piece of pure sound, The Civil War is inarguably Matmos' best record."[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Regicide" | 2:47 |
| 2. | "Zealous Order of Candied Knights" | 4:36 |
| 3. | "Reconstruction" | 9:31 |
| 4. | "Y.T.T.E. (Yield to Total Elation)" | 9:08 |
| 5. | "For the Trees" | 3:31 |
| 6. | "The Stars and Stripes Forever" | 2:07 |
| 7. | "Pelt and Holler" | 4:17 |
| 8. | "The Struggle Against Unreality Begins" | 5:34 |
| 9. | "For the Trees (Return)" | 4:15 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Cabin in the Sky" | 9:03 |
References
- "The Civil War by Matmos". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
- Phares, Heather. "The Civil War - Matmos". AllMusic. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
- Battaglia, Andy (September 22, 2003). "Matmos: The Civil War". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
- Wyse, Pascal (September 18, 2003). "Matmos, The Civil War". The Guardian. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
- Richardson, Mark (October 13, 2003). "Matmos: The Civil War". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
- Pugh, Mitch (October 16, 2003). "Matmos: The Civil War". PopMatters. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
- Shiflet, Mike (September 29, 2003). "Matmos - The Civil War". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
