Title: Another Violet Indiana album I really WANT to like
Review: Like Casino, I want to like Russian Doll. I like Guthrie and de Mare, but the combo just doesn't work for me. With the exception of "New Girl", the tracks are forgettable and over-produced. "New Girl" is Robin Guthrie at his best, and Mare is giving it her all, but even as the best track the two artists' styles work against each other. I find myself being distracted from the mood of the music by the pop lyrics, and sometimes Guthrie's wall-of-noise guitar sounds so out of place under the pop melodies. I'd love to hear de Mare backed up by simpler, more pop-ish music and hear Guthrie's guitar work under a more vocally esoteric singer (like Becke Gainforth.)
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