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We Were Mixed Up
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“…this is not a case of local overhype… a band that loves grande, dramatic, orchestral pop without hesitating to pay their respects to their alt country influences, producing a detailed and sophisticated body of songs… you will be wondering just like me: How is it possible that these guys haven’t got a major contract yet?”
— Pop+Rock (Greece)
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“Straddling the line between hooky pop and orchestral quality has put Canasta on the forefront of a rapidly growing genre dubbed ‘orch pop’… We Were Set Up rewards replays by revealing new layers of sound each time… each replay of the album means a different song catches one’s attention and becomes easier to appreciate. It’s reminiscent of reading an excellent and complex novel; there’s always something new that reveals itself in the same lines.”
— South Bend Tribune
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“…joined the ranks of other notable orchestral–pop bands such as Yum–Yum, the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, the 1900s and Head of Femur that have had a notable impact on Chicago’s underground music scene.”
— The Herald-Palladium
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“If it were up to us, we’d have put these lovely, local melodic popsters somewhere around dusk, when their piano plinks could blend nicely into the setting sun.”
— Chicago Tribune
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“…[Canasta’s] sound is far more fleshed out and melodic [than that of White Rabbits’], with violin, piano, and even trombone making appearances. Lead singer Matt Priest has a nearly pitch-perfect voice that’s somewhat reminiscent of They Might Be Giants, and the band’s songs were some of the more lush and intricate of the evening.”
— 77 Square (Madison, WI)
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“…effortless, effervescent pop that doesn't call undue attention to its carefully constructed layers of intertwining melodies… the ork-pop genre has produced some of the best bands in the Chicago underground in the last decade… Canasta certainly deserves a place on this list…”
— Chicago Sun-Times
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“…Canasta can be called an indie-pop band for good enough reasons, but on their debut album We Were Set Up they display both an ambition and a sense of range that any number of early 21st century American groups described in similar terms would be wise to follow… subtle… mesmerizing… stunning…”
— AllMusic
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“…Canasta’s strength has been mixing genres, ever so slightly, to keep it unpredictable… The band’s impressive orchestral pop, which really could catch on at any moment in a big, big way, will not cease in its power – listening to We Were Set Up again for the first time in a long while, I can’t believe I was able to put it down in the first place.”
— New City
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“Chicago’s Canasta play a rich and usually satisfyingly lush brand of orchestral pop… impressively diverse… rapturous…”
— PopMatters
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“Canasta has slowly made a name for itself in recent years, thanks to its inventive arrangements… (the band) has separated itself by layering its sounds while retaining remarkable catchiness… Canasta looks primed for a considerable breakthrough.”
— NPR’s “World Cafe”
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