Mazzzes
[demix collection] DL
Parasol Records 2010
Mazes
Messes' 45
Parasol Label Group 2010
Mazes
CD
Parasol Records 2009
Artist:
Mazes Title: Mazes
Label: Parasol Records / PARCD112
Release Date: March 17, 2009
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Mazes
is the first album from a band called Mazes. The
band called Mazes includes Caroline Donovan and
songwriter Edward Anderson of the Chicago band The
1900s, their peculiar friend Charles D’Autremont
and a select group of guest musicians from some
of Chicago’s best bands.
Mazes songs are sometimes written and recorded in
one long night and sometimes gather dust on 4-Track
cassettes for years before being resurrected and
transformed, but always come out with a palpable
feeling of freshness that can only come from people
genuinely having a good time making music. Recorded
themselves in various studios, bedrooms and basements
over the past few years – this "mid-fi"
record follows a "moment of creation"
philosophy where most of the songs are written and
recorded on the spot, with beer.
The 11 songs on this debut are not so much departure
from The 1900s’ hitherto verdant psych-pop
meadow, but more a vehicle for Edward and friends
to explore further musical flora and fauna.
1.
Manual Systems
2. Cat
State Comity
3. I
Have Laid In the Darkness of Doubt
4. Things I Threw In the Well
5. Love
to Lay
6. Gas's
Blacklight Village
7. News
from Day One
8. Face Down On Forest Roads
9. Heather
On Heather
10. Song
for Helen
11. Song
for Luke
Detour
Mag: "For those who love
bands that love the Kinks and New Zealand pop,
Mazes would like to meet you... The 11 songs on
Mazes are a solid soundtrack for kicking back
with friends on a breezy spring or summer day."
Rolling
Stone: "Forget the new no-fi
— Chicago band writes songs that are light
and soothing as spring breezes... “I Have
Laid in the Darkness,” a lonesome lullaby
sure to soothe the heartbroken."
All
Music Guide: "In his band
Mazes, Anderson scales the ambition and size down
into more intimate songs and shows he works well
on a small scale, too."
Ink
19: "A supple, breezy album
full of hooks and gorgeous vocal harmonies."
Popmatters:
"Mazes know their way around sweet harmonies."
Chicago
Tribune: "Mazes is like
lightly tattered bluejeans to the 1900s well-tailored,
three-piece suit."
Donnybrook
Writing Academy: "Borrowing
equally from chamber pop and alt-country, Mazes
crawl right into the musical overlap between Belle
and Sebastian and Fleetwood Mac. It sounds improbable,
but it’s pretty damn good... One of the
year’s best debut records."
Time
Out Chicago: "A lovely mix
of folk and mild psychedelia, all tied together
with a big, bright bow."
Aversion:
"It has vocal melodies inspired
by Californian '70s sunshine and The Byrds...as
the band cross-breeds the flightly indie-pop of
Trembling Blue Stars with a folk-pop stability."
Neighborhoodies:
(Thursday Tab) "Reminiscent of wonders
like Mazzy Star and Mojave 3."
You
DIG It: "A hidden gem of
Chicago’s indie folk rock and psychedelic
music scene is an accomplished group of muscians,
going by the name Mazes... The group writes simple
songs, but simple songs written in a priceless
fashion."
