Structure & Cosmetics
by The Brunettes
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Album details
US: 7 August 2007 on Sub Pop
UK: IMPORT ONLY
The New Zealand male-female (and one-time boyfriend-girlfriend) duo of Jonathan Bree and Heather Mansfield make their Sub Pop debut after touring with the likes of The Shins and The Postal Service.
The critical consensus
All Music Guide calls the band’s American coming-out party "a big leap forward" and its "most accomplished work yet," although if you prefer "the fuzzy, three-minute perfection of their earlier songs" you may take some time getting accustomed to their more "polished" and "expansive" sound. Under The Radar calls Structure "an intriguing introduction" to the group." Aversion is also smitten with the record, warning, "Oh, it’s more than easy to fall head over heels with The Brunettes if you’re not careful." Crawdaddy, likewise, is beguiled by the Brunette’s unique and "inventive" sound, noting of the band, "They are vintage but innovative, charming but peculiar, boasting strong harmonies with flimsy lyrics."
Exclaim!, on the other hand, fails to see the album’s charms, saying, "Tongue-in-cheek may be what they’re going for but it’s neither droll nor stimulating if the songwriting plain and simply needs work." The Hartford Courant likes the band’s sound in small doses, and is appreciative that "the disc runs out before the cheeriness starts to grate." Pitchfork actually takes the contrary view, stating, "It’s a little disappointing that the band didn’t let more of their past cutesiness shine through, even if that might’ve resulted in a more divisive full-length." Delusions of Adequacy is split on the album, determining, "When it’s not being over-the-top cutesy, Structure and Cosmetics is actually kind of cool." Stylus pegs the band as trying to hard to impress their new audience, declaring, "Structure & Cosmetics is the sound of an act attaining in-crowd status, and then quickly illustrating both sonic and lyrical maturity to justify the open-arms acceptance." And Now Magazine claims, "It’s the lack of emotion that ruins it."
These songs are about tiny pleasures, and they’re best swallowed in fun-size bites.
- Kenneth Partridge, Harford Courant
Review roundup
- Austin Chronicle, 2/5
- Boston Globe
- Delusions of Adequacy
- Hartford Courant
- Spin [Sep 2007, p.124], 3/5
- Stylus, C
- Exclaim!
- Now Magazine, 2/5
Tracklisting and media
- Brunettes Against Bubblegum Youth
- Stereo (Mono Mono)
- Her Hairagami Set
- Credit Card Mail Order
- Obligatory Road Song
- Small Town Crew
- If You Were Alien
- Wall Poster Star
- Structure & Cosmetics
The Brunettes are the bees knees- I agree with the reviews of their overly saccharine marshmallow sounds- but if you’re into Architecture in Helsinki crossed with The Arcade Fire, The B’s will probably stay in your head for longer than expected. Best of the Best songs: If you were an Alien, Wall Poster Star, Her Hairagami Set, Stereo (mono mono). One thing, though, is you’d wish their choruses at the end of their songs would extend longer (which is a good thing, I suppose).