Though Buffalo Daughter's previous albums balanced pop and experimentation artfully, the group makes its first real mis-step with I, its third album and Emperor Norton debut. Actually, calling the album a mis-step might be putting it too strongly -- there's plenty to recommend the album,... [+] Expand

Though Buffalo Daughter's previous albums balanced pop and experimentation artfully, the group makes its first real mis-step with I, its third album and Emperor Norton debut. Actually, calling the album a mis-step might be putting it too strongly -- there's plenty to recommend the album, including the darkly dreamy opener "Ivory," which, with its ethereal harmonies, twining guitars and sleek beats, recalls the group's work with Takako Minekawa; "Five Minutes," a mix of sparse, spooky beats and sweet yet menacing vocals, exudes Blade Runner-esque sexiness; and "Discotheque Du Paradis," which could almost be mistaken for a J-Pop parody if not for its airy artlessness. However, there's also enough wrong with I to make it a frustrating listen even for Buffalo Daughter fans. The main problem is that the group tries so hard to be clever and cutting-edge that it detracts from the album's strengths. Songs like "I Know," which sets samples of people saying "I know!" to synth bleeps and arty string arrangements, and the strangely theatrical, metal-influenced "Earth Punk Rockers," feature interesting elements that never quite jell into something listenable. The almost-catchy "Volcanic Girl" and "A Completely Identical Dream" and the lackluster bossa-nova of "Moog Stone and "Mirror Ball" reach for the poppy, playful heights Buffalo Daughter scaled on Captain Vapour Athletes, and (especially) New Rock, but fall short. Even more frustrating is that since their previous label Grand Royal's demise, Buffalo Daughter's best albums are much more difficult to come by, making I both a disappointment and the easiest way to hear this fascinating, always-challenging (but, unfortunately, not always successful) group. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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