Search - Places :: Autopilot Knows You Best

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11/16/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Portland's Places are clearly going where their moniker implies. The Autopilot Knows You Best is a gorgeous debut from a band whose tranquil arrangements are as lush and misty as the Northwest locale from which they originate. Singer/guitarist Amy Annelle is truly adept in her ability to construct placid, yet haunting soundscapes that effectively envelop her delicate and introspective wordplay. On "Lazy Days & Castaways," sweetly melancholic viola and black-and-blue-hued accordion suspend Ryan Stowe (ex-Slower Than) and Annelle's gentle strumming as the latter serenely reveals, "Close my eyes and see you feeling blue/ Please don't leave me perfect you." But it's Annelle's fragile vocal delivery that is the Places' most precious resource. Her near-whispers on the beautiful, country-tinged "Will Try" are as stirring as the flinch-inducing silence between a lightning flash and a clap of thunder. Additional contributions from local Portland musicians help to further fertilize The Autopilot's picturesque melodic landscape. - Bill Konig: CMJ New Music Report Issue: 691 - Nov 13, 2000 He said it better than I could. It's a CD you must own."

Lovely, scuzzy music

David Barker | London United Kingdom | 03/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this record. It's gentle but not narcoleptically so. The songs have just the right amount of energy and the guitars, while quiet, have a dirty feel that you rarely hear on music as mellow as this. Track 9, Ode to the Exhausted, is simply wonderful and will not leave my brain. Cool!!!"