The Avalanches – 'No Bad Memories' review: 31 songs steeped in nostalgia
The Australian sample wizards' fourth album is out on October 16, featuring Jamie xx, Karen O and Panda Bear. The first reviews are sharply divided.
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Single video: YouTube · TheAvalanchesVEVO · youtube.com
Single: Can't Get Over Losing You
The Avalanches release their fourth studio album, 'No Bad Memories', on Modular Recordings on October 16 – their first since 'We Will Always Love You' in December 2020. Its 31 tracks run to about 52 minutes. The band describes the record as an ambivalent ode to nostalgia: it plays with brand-name technology and commercial jingles from the members' youth, as titles such as 'Xerox Altalink B8055' and 'Superfun!™ TV Spot' suggest.
The guest list is long: Jamie xx, Karen O, Panda Bear, Mike Patton, Rivers Cuomo, Barry Can't Swim, Suzanne Ciani, Carly Simon and Japanese musician Haruomi Hosono, whose 'The Pavements Light' closes the album. Advance tracks included 'Can't Get Over Losing You' with producer and singer Portraits of Tracy.
Early verdicts are far apart. Record Collector awards top marks and likens the sound to the daydream drift of open windows on summer afternoons. Uncut is more reserved at three out of five, but acknowledges the rich tapestries the band weaves with a huge cast of guests.