Small Vessel | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 24 June 2008 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Length | 34:20 | |||
Label | Anticon | |||
Producer | SJ Esau | |||
SJ Esau chronology | ||||
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Small Vessel is the second studio album by British indie rock musician SJ Esau. It was released on Anticon in 2008. [1]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Cokemachineglow | 74% [2] |
Pitchfork | 3.6/10 [3] |
PopMatters | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Tiny Mix Tapes | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Matt Rinaldi of AllMusic commented that Small Vessel "continues in the same genre-bending vein as its predecessor, blending elements of indie rock, folk, hip-hop, house, techno-pop, and industrial to create an end-product that is delightfully disorienting." [6] Dave Gurney of Tiny Mix Tapes gave the album 3 stars out of 5, writing, "Like being let into a friend's bedroom studio while he or she pores over partially and/or cryptically labeled tapes containing songs and experiments at varying states of completion, SJ Esau's sophomore effort Small Vessels has the initially intoxicating feeling of being let in on a secret treasure trove of restless musical creativity." [5] He added, "Untitled bits of sonic debris mix with false starts of songs; hushed passages give way to lush arrangements of vocal and instrumental beauty bordering on the epic; and unexpected transitions and breaks suddenly expand or shrink the dynamic space in which they exist." [5] Evan McGarvey of Pitchfork gave the album a 3.6 out of 10, stating that "Small Vessel's strengths aren't unique; you can find dozens of whimsical, pseudo-surreal songwriters of this ilk ( Why?, The Guillemots, Thee More Shallows, to start) who clutter their discs with fewer scribbles and less back-handed flippancy." [3]
All tracks are written by Sam Wisternoff
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "(Untitled)" | 0:07 |
2. | "Frustrating" | 2:47 |
3. | "Small Vessel" | 0:18 |
4. | "Bastard Eyes" | 3:44 |
5. | "I Threw a Wobbly" | 3:05 |
6. | "Under Certain Things" | 4:35 |
7. | "Bubblehead" | 2:28 |
8. | "(Untitled)" | 0:06 |
9. | "Ruddy Spark" | 1:53 |
10. | "The Small Percent" | 3:39 |
11. | "Slate" | 1:26 |
12. | "Death Perception Lack" | 3:16 |
13. | "Human Annoyed" | 1:40 |
14. | "(Untitled)" | 1:01 |
15. | "What Happen'd" | 4:14 |
Total length: | 34:20 |
Small Vessel | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 24 June 2008 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Length | 34:20 | |||
Label | Anticon | |||
Producer | SJ Esau | |||
SJ Esau chronology | ||||
|
Small Vessel is the second studio album by British indie rock musician SJ Esau. It was released on Anticon in 2008. [1]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Cokemachineglow | 74% [2] |
Pitchfork | 3.6/10 [3] |
PopMatters | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Tiny Mix Tapes | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Matt Rinaldi of AllMusic commented that Small Vessel "continues in the same genre-bending vein as its predecessor, blending elements of indie rock, folk, hip-hop, house, techno-pop, and industrial to create an end-product that is delightfully disorienting." [6] Dave Gurney of Tiny Mix Tapes gave the album 3 stars out of 5, writing, "Like being let into a friend's bedroom studio while he or she pores over partially and/or cryptically labeled tapes containing songs and experiments at varying states of completion, SJ Esau's sophomore effort Small Vessels has the initially intoxicating feeling of being let in on a secret treasure trove of restless musical creativity." [5] He added, "Untitled bits of sonic debris mix with false starts of songs; hushed passages give way to lush arrangements of vocal and instrumental beauty bordering on the epic; and unexpected transitions and breaks suddenly expand or shrink the dynamic space in which they exist." [5] Evan McGarvey of Pitchfork gave the album a 3.6 out of 10, stating that "Small Vessel's strengths aren't unique; you can find dozens of whimsical, pseudo-surreal songwriters of this ilk ( Why?, The Guillemots, Thee More Shallows, to start) who clutter their discs with fewer scribbles and less back-handed flippancy." [3]
All tracks are written by Sam Wisternoff
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "(Untitled)" | 0:07 |
2. | "Frustrating" | 2:47 |
3. | "Small Vessel" | 0:18 |
4. | "Bastard Eyes" | 3:44 |
5. | "I Threw a Wobbly" | 3:05 |
6. | "Under Certain Things" | 4:35 |
7. | "Bubblehead" | 2:28 |
8. | "(Untitled)" | 0:06 |
9. | "Ruddy Spark" | 1:53 |
10. | "The Small Percent" | 3:39 |
11. | "Slate" | 1:26 |
12. | "Death Perception Lack" | 3:16 |
13. | "Human Annoyed" | 1:40 |
14. | "(Untitled)" | 1:01 |
15. | "What Happen'd" | 4:14 |
Total length: | 34:20 |