“…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…”
— Ned Raggett, AllMusic, May 29, 2008
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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.”
— Tom Lynch, New City, February 28, 2008
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“Chicago’s Canasta play a rich and usually satisfyingly lush brand of orchestral pop… impressively diverse… rapturous…”
— Ian Mathers, PopMatters, March 28, 2008
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“Trumpet. Upright bass. Cello. Pedal-steel guitar. these tools are integrated into the mix in a smart and subtle manner, and the album's 13 songs never feel cluttered or convoluted… I'm sure that both Belle and Sebastian and The New Pornographers would be proud to claim it as one of their own.”
— Plague of Angels, February 19, 2007
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“How does one improve, or better yet expand on a full-length debut as swell as Canasta’s We Were Set Up? By turning the whole kit and caboodle over to remixers to work their magic on the songs, that’s how.”
— Gregg Shapiro, Chicago FreePress, March 8, 2008
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“…a showcase of excellent orch-pop… classic vocals…”
— Time Out Chicago, February 28, 2008
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“…a favorite of the Chicago music community… lush textures and eclectic arrangements…”
— David Watnick, The Michigan Daily, February 22, 2008
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“It’s harrowing and beautiful. This is maybe the best pop band you’ve never heard of.”
— Scott Rader, The Stir Online, September 20, 2007
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“Canasta’s We Were Set Up is a brilliant collection of intelligent, compelling, ultra-melodic orchestral-pop songs. After dropping it into my stereo for the first spin, it was not removed for the next three months… every time I think I have dissected the album from top to bottom I find something new to love about it… My biggest fear for the band is that they stay a cult fave and miss out on the breakout success many bands with far less talent have received as of late… it would be a tragedy.”
— Rachel Hurley, Breakthru Radio, February 4, 2008
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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.”
— David Dye, NPR’s “World Cafe”, February 5, 2007
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“…clicking on Canasta’s picture was probably the best decision I’ve made… Lead vocalist Matt Priest has an incredible range and I can’t seem to pin down whether I think he sounds like Colin Meloy, Sufjan Stevens, or Freddy Mercury because he adapts his voice so uniquely to each song that it seems to always be changing… The fact that there’s just so much going on that you’re still hearing something new on the fourth listen is really impressive to me… These guys are unsigned by the way, so to any labels reading this: What are you waiting for?!”
— Skatterbrain.org, June 11, 2006
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“Canasta has made a beautiful CD… fantastically textured pop tunes… Watch for Canasta to take the indie scene by storm…”
— Villains Always Blink, February 22, 2007
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“#1 Album of 2006: We Were Set Up - Canasta”
— Creekside Review, December 29, 2006
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“…Chicago’s Canasta make eclectic orchestrated pop sound fresh and fantastic… this ambitious six piece’s most recent album, We Were Set Up is a delicious find… What’s not to love about this band?… snappy, sweet horn arrangements, Elizabeth Lindau’s fantastic violin playing and lead vocalist Matt Priest’s unique, charismatic voice… great songs abound…”
— Bruce Warren, WXPN 88.5 FM (Philadelphia, PA), January 8, 2007
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“They’re sharpest onstage… their ability to turn on a dime gives them lots of room to experiment, blending various pop elements to create a spirit of controlled chaos.”
— Monica Kendrick, Chicago Reader, December 28, 2006
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“…creative local musicians with a penchant for lush chamber pop orchestrations…”
— Chicago Tribune, December 28, 2006

“Fed by some seriously beautiful Chicago-inspired lyrics and a sweet horn section, not to mention the keyboard/organ ear sugar of Megan O’Connor, this band is one step away from blowing up… if you’re a label rep, listen to this band, now.”
— Anne Holub, Gapers Block, December 29, 2006
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“Canasta’s broad sonic palette defies pat descriptions. Vocalist Matt Priest’s delightfully askew songwriting recalls bands as diverse as Superchunk and the Decemberists.”
— Matt Gonzales, INtake (Indianapolis, IN), December 7, 2006
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“Top Ten Albums of 2006: We Were Set Up - Canasta”
— Kwaya Na Kisser, December 3, 2006
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“…I keep coming back to their superb song writing ability… The music has an oceanic quality to it, a vast calming surface with endless life teeming just beneath the surface. It is somehow comforting to know they make their home in Chicago.”
— Rory O’Connor, Radio Free Chicago, November 13, 2006
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“…impressive on all levels… We Were Set Up is clearly one of the best full-length debuts of the year, and don’t be surprised to see it also show up in several publications’ list for the best albums of 2006.”
— Mike Mineo, Obscure Sound, November 3, 2006
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“…I make no reservations about the following: This may be the best pop album I’ve listened to all year!”
— Muzzle of Bees, October 28, 2006
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“Moody emotional epic songs that are sugary, fantastic, and most importantly damn catchy.”
— Smother Magazine, September 27, 2006
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“…it’s easy to see why their 2005 release – We Were Set Up – received such high praise… Combining the melody and energy of Ben Folds and Mancino, with the instrumentation of bands like the Arcade Fire, then tossing in some heavy Queen influence, this record is laden with hooks, witty lyrics, but at the same time uses intricate changes and structures. If this doesn’t tickle your fancy, you are on the wrong site.”
— Hero Hill, September 27, 2006
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“…melodic, witty and intelligent chamber-pop… ‘Shadowcat’ could have been written by heartbreak kings Ben Folds or Mac McCaughan, but wasn’t.”
— 3hive.com, July 20, 2006
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“…vocalist Matt Priest cuts a distinctive character across their freshman full length, We Were Set Up… [he] enjoins the listener with emphatic aural probity, a vocal sincerity that is often matched by equally cogent violin and piano accompaniment.”
— Brandon Forbes, Chi-Town Daily News, May 11, 2006
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“…pop phenoms… The sextet’s meticulous orchestrations of violin, guitar, trombone, keyboard, and even clarinet adorn lyrical, buoyant pop tunes, recalling the delicacy of Belle and Sebastian and the lush, upbeat melodies of the Shins.”
— Flavorpill, April 18 - 24, 2006
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“Imagine the prize musicians from six adjacent counties’ high school orchestras growing up and coalescing to form a pop band inspired by Queen, Kraftwerk, and Nick Drake… a brisk sort of chamber-pop, with violins and clarinet swirling around Priest’s clear-toned voice, which can be as percussive as it is melodic… Each song is a barrage of hooks and nuanced performances… Lindau’s violin shines throughout the album, though everyone gets more than their share of standout moments… [Canasta’s] value to the pop music scene continues to grow as it broadens both its geographical and musical reach.”
— Michael Metivier, PopMatters, April 13, 2006
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“Critic’s Pick… a great local band… lush indie-pop orchestrations…”
— Chicago Tribune, April 10, 2006
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“…further proof of the city’s indie-rock renaissance…”
— TimeOut Chicago, April 6-13, 2006
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“…lush, enthralling pop music… excellent full-length debut…”
— Gapers Block, April 3, 2006
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“Canasta’s music succeeds because the arrangements are carefully considered and bring out the flavor in the material rather than drown it in a wall of sound… Rather than trap itself in a chamber pop box, the sextet tosses in the occasional nod at country and rocks just enough to wake the neighbors… [We Were Set Up] is an unequivocal delight full of slavish devotion to melodic pop song structures… if there’s a better song than ‘Slow Down Chicago’ to accompany a ride on the El, we haven’t heard it.”
— Scott Smith, Chicagoist, April 3, 2006
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“a sextet that finely lines its songs with a multitude of instruments and obscures traditional pop structures to create miniature blockbusters built for the head and heart… Canasta is not designed for comparisons, as these songs take big drives into the territories of soul, twee pop, rock and country without fully becoming any of them. What makes their music so compelling is the opulence of their group dynamic. On this debut, the songs become the band, not the other way around…”
— Mark Guarino, The Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), March 10, 2006
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“One of Chicago’s most promising and hardest working bands… We Were Set Up finds the band expanding on the chamber pop formula of 2003’s Find the Time EP by writing more mature and exciting arrangements… Hearing the best of Canasta’s recorded repertoire in one setting makes me again believe this band has the potential to join the ranks of its heroes…”
— Joseph Simek, Illinois Entertainer, February 28, 2006
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“For their full-length album debut, We Were Set Up (Broken Middle C), Canasta plays their cards right by expanding on what made their EP Find The Time so charming. Matt Priest’s vocals and the band’s solid musicianship, bring Priest’s delightful baker’s dozen pop tunes to vivid life.”
— Gregg Shapiro, Chicago FreePress, February 8, 2006
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“All in all, Canasta made impressive work of combining their talents to create one full sound. Putting all the Belle and Sebastian comparisons aside, the group maintained symphonic balance to an impressive degree while cycling through many different nuances and styles.”
— Andrea Myers, HowWasTheShow.com, January 27, 2006
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“4 Stars… an accessible indie-pop sound that’s familiar but enjoyable because of the band’s enthusiasm and creativity… Canasta’s sense of what makes for quality music is evident with just one listen.”
— Jessica Tonti, The Pitt Times (Pittsburgh), January 23, 2006
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“Best Songs of 2005: ‘Slow Down Chicago’ - Canasta”
— WXRT’s "Local Anesthetic" (Chicago, IL), January 8, 2006
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“…a tremendous show… Canasta kicked the night off with their full, fat sound… Their three best performances invoked a feeling of gliding on Lake Shore Drive near midnight… Showing their range, most of the band shouted out the chorus of ‘Microphone Song,’ which used a driving beat and a rising melody to raise the audience’s energy level.”
— Alex Mechlin, Lumino Magazine, January 2, 2006
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“…smart pop nirvana… Canasta has a sound that fits in easily with a lot of contemporary acts — for example, they’d sound great stacked next to The Decemberists or Death Cab For Cutie — but stands out by having established a specific personality and sound, aided by a winning frontman. It’s good this album is coming to everyone’s attention at this point in time, as it is an album that you can live with and hear new things from throughout the year.”
— Mike Bennett, Fufkin, January, 2006
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“…there is a relaxed, positive mood to some of the songs which complements the meticulously arranged instrumentals… catchy, bouncy melody without sacrificing any of the band’s lushness… infectious optimism…”
— J.M. Grandy, The Depaulia (Chicago,IL), January, 2006
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“…(part of) a new crop of creative, optimistic rock bands that are nurturing each other, using the city’s neighborly, DIY spirit to propel their own quiet indie-rock success stories… (one of) the brightest local stars…”
— Flavorpill, December 27, 2005 - January 2, 2006
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“Best Local Music of 2005… Musical diversity, quirkiness and loads of talent fuse into an eclectic 13-song set that is indelibly stylish and hard to pin down… The considerable buzz about Canasta is not just hype, as this CD attests.”
— Tom Lounges, Northwest Indiana Times / Midwest Beat Magazine, December 18, 2005
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“…fantastic full-length debut… they harness the chaos of collective creative sources into something incredibly tight and consistently good throughout 13 tracks of pop goodness… easily accessible but layered and interesting enough to be a fresh sound for indie pop.”
— Julie Lawrence, OnMilwaukee.com, December 15, 2005
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“Out of nowhere come a band from Chicago that sound ready for primetime right out of the box. They’re just about to release their full-length debut and it’s quite impressive. A bit sprawling in a Wilco sort of way with touches of Arcade Fire, We Were Set Up could sneak its way onto some year-end top ten lists.”
— Real Detroit Weekly, December 7-13, 2005

“Chicago popsters Canasta, who recently released We Were Set Up, an enjoyable excursion in calm indie-ness, already made a name for itself before the record was released… Matt Priest’s vocals are strong… The keyboard work, however, stands out as the highlight, as the album’s best songs are backed by a Farfisa-like sound.”
— Tom Lynch, New City (Chicago, IL), December 8, 2005
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“CANASTA sounded like one of Chicago’s best pop bands even before they made a record… We Were Set Up doesn’t disappoint… they work a melody the way a metal band works a riff, as both a signature and a weapon.”
— Monica Kendrick, The Chicago Reader, November 18, 2005
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“…captures the eclectic nature of the band’s songbook. The sound is hummable music with layered, unpredictable arrangements…”
— Mary Houlihan, Chicago Sun-Times, November 18, 2005

“Thanks to the success of bands like The Arcade Fire and The Decemberists, Chicago’s Canasta could fare well… We Were Set Up brims with bright, lush melodies, a suitably askew mix of instruments and smartly constructed songs that balance traditional pop and indie-minded subversiveness. The band is self-releasing We Were Set Up, but it begs for the attention of a big label.”
— The Onion, November 17-23, 2005
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“…sounding at once simple and meticulously plotted… the result is transcendent… earnest, literate and lonely in all the right spots… We Were Set Up is exemplary gentle pop, never cloying and almost always catchy as heck.”
— Jeff Pizek, The Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), November 17, 2005
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“…one of Chicago’s sweetest songsmith-indebted rock bands…”
— Flavorpill, November 15-21, 2005
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“Canasta brings together a myriad of instruments and plays them all with precision and purpose… It all results in one of the most vibrant pop sounds to emerge from Chicago in years.”
— Evan Clossin, UR Magazine (Chicago, IL), November, 2005
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“…it will seduce you…”
— Indietronica.com (Toulouse, France), October 25, 2005
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“We Were Set Up could be described as nothing less than blissful… their flirtatious playing of strings, horns and percussions, joined by an unpredictable melody and the fluid vocals of lead singer Matt Priest, could easily attract a diverse grouping of fans… Canasta has a way of layering the romantic ear candy atop heavier substance… They are a post-modern band void of irony… they aren’t trying to change the world with their music, but a revolution just might ensue…”
— Alice Merchant, The Badger Herald (Madison, WI), October 5, 2005
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“…on the cusp of national acclaim… believe the hype…”
— Craig Bonnell, songs:illinois, September 28, 2005
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“…delightful Chicago chamber pop…”
— Coreweekly (Madison, WI), July 7, 2005

“Canasta could be classified as piano pop, violin rock, chamber music, or somewhere between horn-drenched jazz and twang-glazed country. But all these boundary-pushing players ask is that listeners don’t confine their experimental blend to the ‘indie rock’ box.”
— Andy Argyrakis, Chicago Tribune, June 24, 2005
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“…hard to categorize, but one of the most promising local acts I’ve seen in a while…”
— Michael Bennett, Chicagomuzik, April 20, 2005
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“With six members and more instruments than I can wrap my head around, Canasta seems to make sure that no sound gets left behind… Rather than constantly pounding the listener over the head, the band lets the listener get taken in. While most bands that try to do this end up boring the listener, Canasta manages not to.”
— Brandon Wetherbee, The Depaulia (Chicago, IL), April, 2005
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“…pushing beyond the regular boundaries of pop music…”
— INtake (Indianapolis, IN), March 10, 2005
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“Hammer’s Pick… excellent…”
— Steve Hammer, NUVO (Indianapolis, IN), March 9-16, 2005

“A Chicago outfit just starting to make waves nationally… Canasta plays bright and catchy songs to stick in your head… ‘Slow Down Chicago’ is a bouncy paean to the City of Broad Shoulders… ‘Just a Star’ is Midwestern night music, riding Megan O’Connor’s piano and Elizabeth Lindau’s violin to bittersweet effect… The arrangements are smart and efficient, reminiscent of the Pernice Brothers if every day was Game 7 of 2004’s ACLS.”
— Michael Metivier, PopMatters, December 30, 2004
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“…Find the Time is a brilliant piece of work… This is a group to keep your eye on… Their sound amazes me… astonishing melodies and powerful vocals… I would unquestionably recommend seeing this band…”
— Melinda Herrin, College of Lake County Chronicle (Grayslake, IL), December 10, 2004

“…blissful chamber pop… the band cleverly uses nearly any instrument it can get its hands on…”
— Trevor Fisher, Illinois Entertainer, December, 2004
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“Find The Time by Canasta is a lovely disc of pop tunes buoyed by strings, keyboards and kept aloft by Matt Priest’s strong vocals.”
— Gregg Shapiro, Chicago FreePress, November 17, 2004

“The album’s lead track, ‘Slow Down Chicago,’ is an infectious love song to the city and highlights an album filled with organs, pianos, violins, and trombones. Here’s hoping Canasta finds the time to record a full-length very soon.”
— Joseph Simek, Illinois Entertainer, July, 2004

“I was excited when I heard ‘Slow Down Chicago,’ Find the Time’s opening track. I was hooked from the opening organ chords all the way through to the swelling climax of horns and violin. Matt Priest’s vocals, slightly reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright, were convincingly emotive without being melodramatic, and the instrumentation was pure chamber pop bliss.”
— Andy Crissinger, Splendid, June 23, 2004
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“There’s another cool Chicago anthem on Find the Time, a splendid five-song EP by the chamber pop sextet Canasta, as well as a killer cover of ‘The Model’ by Kraftwerk, emphasizing the key hook with violin instead of synthesizer. (The band also makes liberal use of piano and trombone.)”
— Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times, May 24, 2004
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“Opener Canasta is a perfect fit [for our Empty Bottle show with Beauty Pill]: The local group’s debut EP Find the Time cycles gently through keyboard-heavy indie-pop, even treading lightly on a cover of Kraftwerk’s ‘The Model.’”
— The Onion, April 22-28, 2004

“These locals get the most out of the unprepossessing songs on Find the Time, their self-released debut EP: they emphasize each melody as though nothing else matters, then use keyboards and violin to make sure no flourish or fill possibility goes unexplored. It makes for a lovely, lilting sound, and numerous local references place this chamber pop in the city we actually live in, not some idealized upper-crust bower.”
— Monica Kendrick, Chicago Reader, January 23, 2004

“2003 Best of Chicago’s Unsigned Artists”
— Illinois Entertainer, January, 2004

“Find the Time captures the melding of guitar, piano, violin, and trombone. The songs gradually build in a slow burn, eventually igniting a chamber-pop explosion.”
— Steve Edwards, WBEZ’s "Eight Forty-Eight", December 1, 2003
transcript | audio archive

We Were Mixed Up
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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
full text

“…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
full text

“Chicago’s Canasta play a rich and usually satisfyingly lush brand of orchestral pop… impressively diverse… rapturous…”
— PopMatters
full text

“Trumpet. Upright bass. Cello. Pedal-steel guitar. these tools are integrated into the mix in a smart and subtle manner, and the album's 13 songs never feel cluttered or convoluted… I'm sure that both Belle and Sebastian and The New Pornographers would be proud to claim it as one of their own.”
— Plague of Angels
full text

“How does one improve, or better yet expand on a full-length debut as swell as Canasta’s We Were Set Up? By turning the whole kit and caboodle over to remixers to work their magic on the songs, that’s how.”
— Chicago FreePress
full text

“It’s harrowing and beautiful. This is maybe the best pop band you’ve never heard of.”
— The Stir Online
full text

“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”
full text

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