Track Listing 1. New Waif 2. What Do I Care 3. Stay Awake 4. On Video 5. Hole in the Sky 6. Oh 7. My Pet Lion 8. Going Blonde 9. Rats in the Attic 10. Digital Penetration 11. Doe and Two Fawns, A 12. Send Money
| Details | | Distributor: | Redeye Music Distribution | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | n/a |
Album Notes Personnel: Juliana Hatfield (vocals, various instruments); Joe Keefe (guitar); Ben Smith , Ed Valauskas (bass instrument); Sebastian Keefe, Pete Caldes (drums). Recording information: Camp Street Studios, Cambridge, Massachusetts; The Windham, Bellows Falls, VT. By 2005, Juliana Hatfield had suffered at the hands of major labels, independent labels, and the rock press, which insisted on comparing her solo work to her acclaimed early jangle-pop band Blake Babies. In response, Hatfield founded her own label (Ye Olde Records), and released a batch of her rawest, most penetrating compositions. MADE IN CHINA has the feel of a true indie recording: passionate, edgy, and imbued with an authentic raggedness around the edges. The music churns up through a lo-fi murk ("overproduced" is not a criticism that could be leveled at this album), with distorted guitars, sleepy, effects-laden vocals, messy bursts of guitar solos, and punk-inspired punch. The first half of the album rocks hard, with Hatfield blending a hard-edged sensibility with her renowned penchant for pop hooks ("What Do I Care," "Stay Awake"). But the album reaches its peak at the halfway point with the jittery "My Pet Lion," the cynical and delightfully catchy rock-star satire "Going Blonde," and the stark, stripped-down confessional "A Doe and Two Fawns," the album's highlight. The immediacy, smarts, and muscle of this set make it an uncompromising and satisfying effort.
Editorial Reviews 4 stars out of 5 -- Crisp and droll, yet with all its guitars loose and sweaty, this may well be the most Boston-sounding record of all time. Uncut
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