The War of the Bruces

The War of the Bruces is the second album, released in 2002, by The Bruces.

The War of the Bruces
Studio album by
The Bruces
Released2002
RecordedDecember 2001 - January 2002
GenreAlternative country,[1] Baroque rock,[2] Indie rock[1]
LabelMisra
The Bruces chronology
Hialeah Pink
(1995)		 The War of the Bruces
(2002)		 The Shining Path
(2004)

Background

After nearly eight years had passed from the prior album Hialeah Pink,[3] which Alex McManus spent working with several other indie acts,[4] he released The War of the Bruces. These songs are a culmination of the years he spent as a supporting musician.

Style

The album is primarily guitar driven, but there are instrumental appearances of the banjo, sparse horn sections, and minimal use of keyboards layering the compositions;[4] most are played by McManus, including the fiddle.[3] The lyrics have been described as abstract, and at times metaphorical,[5] and the music as fluid, atmospheric.[1]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[4]
FakeJazz8 / 12[5]
Lazy-iYes[6]
Pitchfork Media8.2[7]

The War of the Bruces received somewhat positive reviews; Tim McMahon stated that "McManus' dust-covered melodies are a road best taken".[6] However, it took one critic several listens in order to enjoy it.[8] The album appeared on the CMJ music charts on December 2, 2002 at No. 174.[9] After staying on the charts for a total of 4 weeks, The War of the Bruces peaked at No. 151, and departed the charts on December 23, 2002.[10]

Track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Do Si Do"4:14
2."The Cold War"4:14
3."Two Dogs"4:58
4."Haint Blue"4:35
5."Sunken City"4:22
6."Invisible Ceiling"8:03
7."Deep Colors Bleed"5:23
8."Hey, Bird"2:17
9."After Hours"5:18
10."Mountain"4:00
11."I Wish I Was a Mole in the Ground"3:18

References
  1. Klinge, p. 51.
  2. Les inrockuptibles, p. 15.
  3. Davis, p. 133.
  4. Nickey, Jason. "The War of the Bruces". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  5. Beckerman, Andrew (November 1, 2002). "The Bruces - War of the Bruces". FakeJazz. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  6. McMahan, Tim (September 22, 2002). "The War of the Bruces". Lazy-i. Tim McMahan. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  7. James, Brian (January 16, 2003). "The War of The Bruces". Pitchfork Media. Brian James. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  8. Ness, Matt (December 2, 2002). "The Bruces The War of the Bruces". Splendid Magazine. Splendid WebMedia. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  9. CMJ New Music Report (December 2), p. 13.
  10. CMJ New Music Report (December 23), p. 11.

Sources
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