by
Marnie Stern
- Record Label: Kill Rock Stars
- Release Date: Feb 20, 2007
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
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Most of it... feels as weighty and emotive as Sleater Kinney, or as seductive as Mary Timony in the mid-90s: fully-formed, feminine indie rock.
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In Advance of the Broken Arm is at least two songs too long. Yet Stern's manner of weaving together fiercely subjective, lyrical daydreaming with Olympus-level fret-searing finally means that the album justifies the majority of its many decisions.
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The year’s most exciting rock ’n’ roll album. [26 Feb 2007]
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Juggling potential contradictions with the greatest of ease, In Advance of the Broken Arm ushers in a new voice in rock, one that seems poised to be blazing trails for years to come.
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This music is intensely free, ecstatic and original. But make no mistake - it’s very, very hard to listen to.
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UncutCombine[s] utterly maddening complexity with candyfloss pop hooks. [Jun 2007, p.108]
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Unfortunately, In Advance isn't an EP, and things falter a bit past the halfway mark.
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With Broken Arm, Marnie Stern has delivered a frenetic and ridiculously entertaining debut.
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This album is the prescription for anyone who thinks rock has imploded or has nothing new to offer.
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This is a pretty good start for Stern, and a lot of crazy young people will blow out their eardrums to this in the next several months. But her next record will be clearer—and more interesting—than this one is.
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Ultimately, "Broken Arm" is more about indulging a massively skewed sonic perspective than a collection of songs.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 10 out of 14
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Mixed: 1 out of 14
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Negative: 3 out of 14
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TunaMar 31, 2007Just what the world needs, a female indie rock Yngwie Malmsteen. Talk about the Emporer's New Clothes...
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DebiBMar 28, 2007
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[Anonymous]Mar 26, 2007