Camera Obscura
2004
The Telescope Dreampatterns
About This Album
At first, The Telescope Dreampatterns seems to be willingly designed so that you don't like it. The crude quality of the recording (especially in the opening track, "Into the Blacktrees"), Donovan Quinn's voice (too much of a Bob Dylan pastiche), the rather shaky playing (some instruments simply refuse to come in on the beat) -- everything seems to conspire to turn your ears off. And then you start noticing the strange but far from stupid lyrics, the alluring melodies (however amateurishly sketched), the intelligent arrangements (however rendered), and the overall charming aspects of Quinn's project. In fact, if you are already familiar with the production values of the early-2000s American underground neo-folk scene (which puts expression over musicianship and sound quality), by all means dig right in. Verdure's second official CD easily draws comparisons with Birdtree, Matt Valentine, Animal Collective, and the Iditarod. Quinn plays the "psychedelic fairy tale in the woods" recipe with aplomb while pushing it deeper into folk territory, Bob Dylan and Syd Barrett providing signposts. The Telescope Dreampatterns proposes 11 original songs (no jams) in the course of a mere 33 minutes.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3 and 8)

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