For their follow-up to their 2001 debut, Y'All Get Scared Now, the original cast of 15--including Arab Strap's Aidan Moffat and members of Astrid, Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, and Mull Historical Society--have been joined ... more »by a deluge of new recruits headed by Idlewild's Roddy Woomble and Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake, swelling their number to a staggering 27. It seems every Glaswegian with a guitar has signed up to join honorary Scot and Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody's lo-fi folk answer to the Traveling Wilburys. The fact that Son of Evil Reindeer is infinitely more coherent and intimate than its predecessor is astounding, and Lightbody himself deserves most of the credit. Aside from Moffat's brilliantly woozy "Whodunit?" the tender words and music are all Lightbody's, and it's the Snow Patrol singer's quietly aching voice that adds melancholy to acoustic ambles "Budapest" and "Your Sweet Voice," and feeling to the country-rock grind of "You Are My Joy." With the co-op's more avant-garde noise factors reined in, the other 26 contributors are seemingly confined to minor cameos, but when the results are as touching as this, it hardly seems to matter. --Dan Gennoe« less
For their follow-up to their 2001 debut, Y'All Get Scared Now, the original cast of 15--including Arab Strap's Aidan Moffat and members of Astrid, Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, and Mull Historical Society--have been joined by a deluge of new recruits headed by Idlewild's Roddy Woomble and Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake, swelling their number to a staggering 27. It seems every Glaswegian with a guitar has signed up to join honorary Scot and Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody's lo-fi folk answer to the Traveling Wilburys. The fact that Son of Evil Reindeer is infinitely more coherent and intimate than its predecessor is astounding, and Lightbody himself deserves most of the credit. Aside from Moffat's brilliantly woozy "Whodunit?" the tender words and music are all Lightbody's, and it's the Snow Patrol singer's quietly aching voice that adds melancholy to acoustic ambles "Budapest" and "Your Sweet Voice," and feeling to the country-rock grind of "You Are My Joy." With the co-op's more avant-garde noise factors reined in, the other 26 contributors are seemingly confined to minor cameos, but when the results are as touching as this, it hardly seems to matter. --Dan Gennoe
"The first Reindeer Section album came out just last year, and although I loved it, I was not expecting a follow up - especially one so soon and so good. Let me explain. The Reindeer Section is the brain child of Gary Lightbody of the band Snow Patrol, and the line up for their first album, Y'all Get Scared Now, Ya Hear, consisted of 15 people, all of which also had their own bands. This makes for a great idea and a possible one-off, but to follow it up one year later with a cast that has grown to 27?! Who knew that egos, schedules and creative differences could stay under control enough to allow this group to record an album that surpasses their first in greatness? Well, they did and we are lucky for it. Despite the plethora of different musicians and singers from track to track, Son Of... flows beautifully and contains quiet and beautiful melodies that will stay with you and beg you to listen again and again."
Wow. fabulous.
Scott Balikian | Seattle, WA United States | 09/24/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Just picked this disc up last night. Wow. I find it amazing that not only has Gary Lightbody managed to put together a collection of well written songs, but that he has managed to coordinate 27 fellow glaswegian scenesters to play them.Folks, this is an incredible disc by any account. I haven't been able to stop listening to it. I force myself off of it from time to time only to find myself longing to hear it again. This is similar to how I felt when I listened to the previous Coldplay disc. The songs seem to pull you along a meandering path of thought and provocation. It makes me want to go hug every single one of the members of this reindeer section."
Wow - great
Scott Balikian | 02/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I knew belle and sebastian, snow patrol, astrid, idlewild... well all of them - but couldn't conceive how they, as such a large group, could've made something so simple and yet so affecting. I'll be here when you wake and your sweet voice stand out for their melancholic brilliance while strike me down and you are my joy are just great and well... i could mention pretty much every song on the album and still not do it justice. An excellent album if you are looking for something intimate and thoughtful, don't expect hideously upbeat and chirpy music because this rarely borders above mildly cheery, but this is an excellent,yet under-appreciated album"
The section got bigger, the music got better.
Roger I. Camara Lemarroy | monterrey, nuevo leon Mexico | 02/18/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Its hard to believe that after an amazing debut like "y'all..." The Reindeer Section would be able to put out a record that just surpasses its predecesor's greatness with such ease. And not only did they manage to do that in less than a year, but with an additional 12 members! Most bands cant handle 5 people, but that is probably where the greatness of this project comes along.
The music becomes the main element... the creative process gets five times the input... and there are just no worries about the future...
Its like a big indie party of music making... except the music is downtempo and gloomy...
For me it took a while to assimilate this record... i was still hooked up on their first when i got it, and it seemed far more depressing. So i put it down for a while... then acouple of weeks later, when i put it back on, i couldnt get enough of it... that was in october and it has been in my car's cd player since.
Yes, the atmosphere is gloomier, but the composition is much better, and the recording seems much better. Not to mention that when you have 27 people working with you, arrangements are more varied and interesting... such is the case here...
Gary Lightbody's voice is beautiful, and fills the atmosphere with sweetness and a sentimentality that is easy to relate to.
Whereas the music feels sort of like home... comforting, reminding you of things youve done recently...This album, like others have put it, is addictive... And the way it moves through the atmosphere, makes it amazing to listen to... and, although most songs are downtempo, there are a couple of songs that are bright and pump some energy back in you...this cd is definetively a must for fans of indie and lovers of truly great music..."