To dismiss Camera Obscura as just another band from Glasgow's 'Belle & Sebastian Academy of Twee' would be to do the sextet a great disservice. True, the Tracyanne Campbell-led act are purveyors of light, airy indie-pop tunes that are often paired with contrarily sombre lyrics, but after three albums - particularly 2003's 'Underachievers Please Try Harder' and 2006's 'Let's Get Out of This Country', which furnished them with their biggest hit to date ('Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken') - they've proven that there's depth to their likeable stylings.
Album number four isn't a huge departure from their previous material, but it's enjoyable nonetheless. Camera Obscura are a band whose sound is steeped in good ol' fashioned '60s pop, and a strong opening couplet of the easygoing 'French Navy' and the shimmering tambourine, horns and strings of 'The Sweetest Thing' bode well for the remainder. Yet, although there's nothing on 'My Maudlin Career' that isn't enjoyable per se, there's a definite dip midway through that sees Campbell plod through downbeat ballads ('James', 'Forest and Dands', the bare-boned 'Other Towns and Cities') that sadly shatter the album's momentum.
It's not a huge deal, though, and the poignant beauty of post-break-up song 'Careless Love' ("Honey, I've been really struggling to think of you and I being friends...") makes amends for the lull. It's obvious that Camera Obscura excel when they're all their fullest-sounding, multi-instrumentalled, peppy pop best - but considering they haven't pandered to the populace by making an album like that yet, it's unlikely they'll do so now. And, well, that's just fine, too.
