July 10th, 2007
"How I Beat The Devil" by The For Carnation
Brian McMahan's mid-'90s band The For Carnation sadly earned a fraction of the attention awarded to his previous outfits, Slint and Squirrel Bait. As Promised Works affirms, this isn't due to lack of quality. The For Carnation's frequently acoustic subtlety was simply overshadowed by Slint's pioneering dynamics, not to mention the era's saturation of indie-rock bands that sounded exactly like Slint. Promised Works, a reissue of a compilation released in 1997, tracks the band from the debut EP Fight Songs through the 1996 Matador-released album, Marshmallows, in chronological order. Even without material from 2000's self-titled, Pink Floyd-influenced swansong, Promised Works is essential on the strength of Fight Songs' three tracks alone.
A.V. Club Rating: A
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