Search - Celebration :: Modern Tribe (Dig)

Celebration maturity shows, building on a fantastic sound

Jehan Alvani | Baltimore, MD | 10/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Celebration has been around for a little while, now, and I've been a fan for years. Let that taint this review as it will.



The bottom line is that Celebration isn't for everyone. The band will never be played on mainstream radio, and they'll never have a top 40 hit. Not with albums like 2005's debut, Celebration. And the new album, Modern Tribe builds on the buried, piercing vocals and frenetic compositions of its predecessor.



Imagine taking Sonic Youth and Blonde Redhead and putting them in a cage with a wolverine. That's Celebration. The new album just kind of adds a little violence. You wouldn't want 'em getting tame, now, would you?"

The Best Album of 2007

Christopher Broome | 12/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The most apt criticism and compliment of TV on the Radio is that their ambition well exceeds their talent. I think that's why they're so attracted to Celebration, a group of virtuoso multi instrumentalists. This is Celebration's second release, once again produced by TVotR's Dave Steik. Where the first album was almost scuttled by its insistence to stick to a single tempo and tone on every track `The Modern Tribe' embraces variation. The majority of the songs here roll by with slower tempos, which allows the bass lines and rhythmic thumps more breathing room, and accentuates the pace of the faster numbers. You probably won't hear anything funkier than `Hands off my Gold' from a 2007 release or as moody as `In this Land' the dual centerpieces of the album, but pretty much every song is a highlight.



The Modern Tribe got a somewhat mixed reception in the press, no doubt from the misconception that they are a TVotR side project (and the ugly cover didn't help matters). While the music stalwarts like AMG gave praise, the tastemaker sites merely approved in tepid write ups. A bit of a shame to see similar but more limited offerings from Deerhunter and M.I.A. get ecstatic approval from both sides and be rewarded with sell out club dates across the country.

"

A Diverse Sound

V. Dorie | San Francisco, CA | 12/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Definitely one of the best albums I've heard this year. The musicianship is top notch and the song craft follows suit. Aspects to recommend it include fantastic female vocals, incredible percussion, and quality instrumentation. The horns add as much as the guitars.



Stylistically it's all over the map, although reasonably rooted in punk, pop, and rock. The songs have a propulsive drive and energy that keep Celebration grounded while playing a tight rocker or a sweeping ballad. At times they sound like what I always wanted to hear from The Arcade Fire, other times like what I always wanted to hear from TV on the Radio. That second one is probably thanks to TV on the Radio's collaboration here.



Highly recommended."