Camera Obscura

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About Camera Obscura

Formed in Glasgow in 1996, Camera Obscura crafted an affable sound that helped define the twee pop genre of the early aughts. The group’s 2001 debut, Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi, was produced by Belle and Sebastian’s Stuart Murdoch, whose own band’s sound would regularly draw comparisons to Camera Obscura’s. Tracks like the nostalgia-fueled single "Eighties Fan” established the band’s reputation for bright melodies, clever lyrics and plaintive vocals from singer Tracyanne Campbell. They followed with a stream of critically praised, charmingly breezy albums and songs, including the Motown-spiced 2006 track "Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken", which was featured in film and on television. The once-folksy group explored a new orchestral sound on “French Navy”, helping push their 2009 album, My Maudlin Career, onto the U.K. and U.S. charts. In 2013, producer Tucker Martine helped them find a sun-kissed sound on Desire Lines, before the death of their longtime keyboard player, Carey Lander, led to an extended hiatus.

ORIGIN
Glasgow, Scotland
FORMED
1996
GENRE
Alternative
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