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Cover Art that dog.
Retreat From The Sun
[DGC]
Rating: 6.1

Jesus! Brad Wood steps in to produce your record and the next thing you know, you sound exactly like Liz Phair. Granted, Wood has produced a bunch of stuff that doesn't sound like Liz. For instance, 5ive Style sounds like the Meters, but that's just them, I guess.

The point is, that dog. with Anna Waronker on vocals is a packaged alternative Phair without the balls. I feel obligated to like her, though. After all, her brother was the original drummer for one of the best rock bands of all time (Walt Mink) and who is now the drummer for Beck. But being related to someone cool doesn't make her cool. And that's been proven. Think of all the cool people who have dumb relatives. There are thousands. Anyway, that dog. Not as exciting as you might think, but somehow okay in their own special, packaged alternative way. There you have it.

-Ryan Schreiber

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RATING KEY
10.0: Indispensable, classic
9.5-9.9: Spectacular
9.0-9.4: Amazing
8.5-8.9: Exceptional; will likely rank among writer's top ten albums of the year
8.0-8.4: Very good
7.5-7.9: Above average; enjoyable
7.0-7.4: Not brilliant, but nice enough
6.0-6.9: Has its moments, but isn't strong
5.0-5.9: Mediocre; not good, but not awful
4.0-4.9: Just below average; bad outweighs good by just a little bit
3.0-3.9: Definitely below average, but a few redeeming qualities
2.0-2.9: Heard worse, but still pretty bad
1.0-1.9: Awful; not a single pleasant track
0.0-0.9: Breaks new ground for terrible
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