Avatar (Comets on Fire album)

Avatar
Studio album by Comets on Fire
Released	August 8, 2006
Recorded	January–April 2006
Genre	Psychedelic rock, indie rock
Length	44:46
Label	Sub Pop [1]
Comets on Fire chronology
Blue Cathedral (2004) Avatar (2006)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100 [2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Alternative Press	[4]
Blender	[5]
Drowned in Sound	9/10 [6]
Mojo	[7]
Pitchfork	7.7/10 [8]
Q	[9]
Slant Magazine	[10]
Tiny Mix Tapes	[11]
Uncut	8/10 [12]

Avatar is a studio album by the indie rock band Comets on Fire. ^[13] It was released in 2006 on Sub Pop.

Track listing

All music by Comets on Fire; lyrics by Ethan Miller (1, 2, 4, 5) and Utrillo Kushner (3, 7)

1. "Dogwood Rust" – 7:48
2. "Jaybird" – 6:08
3. "Lucifer's Memory" – 7:03
4. "The Swallow's Eye" – 6:53
5. "Holy Teeth" – 2:59
6. "Sour Smoke" – 8:47
7. "Hatched Upon the Age" – 6:08

Personnel

Comets on Fire

• Ethan Miller – vocals (except 6), electric guitar
• Ben Chasny – electric guitar, baritone guitar, acoustic guitar
• Ben Flashman – bass, baritone guitar, Hammond organ
• Noel Von Harmonson – echo electronics, drums (3, 6, 7), Hammond organ
• Utrillo Kushner – drums (1, 2, 4, 5), piano (3, 6, 7)

Additional personnel

• Tim Green – recording engineer
• JJ Goldern – mastering
• Jeff Kleinsmith – album art and layout

References

1. Sub Pop Records (April 29, 2016). "Avatar by Comets on Fire on Sub Pop Records". Subpop.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
2. "Reviews for Avatar by Comets On Fire". Metacritic . Retrieved April 30, 2025.
3. Jurek, Thom. Avatar at AllMusic
4. Avatar is further proof that Comets On Fire are one of the most relevant bands of this decade. [Sep 2006, p.214]
5. If their ultraviolet jams can sometimes get lost in the gaze, here they're balanced with more crisp songcraft. [Aug 2006, p.107]
6. Dowling, Jordan (July 31, 2006). "Album Review: Comets On Fire - Avatar / Releases / Releases // Drowned In Sound". Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
7. A diverse yet flawless disc. [Sep 2006, p.96]
8. "Comets on Fire: Avatar: Pitchfork Record Review". March 22, 2008. Archived from the original on March 22, 2008. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
9. It's fantastic stuff. [Sep 2006, p.107]
10. Keefe, Jonathan (August 7, 2006). "Review: Comets On Fire, Avatar". Slantmagazine.com. Retrieved December 19, 2021.
11. Comets on Fire Avatar (December 14, 2006). "Comets on Fire - Avatar | Music Review | Tiny Mix Tapes". Tinymixtapes.com. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
12. Avatar... feels like the work of a band bursting with ideas, and with the confidence to realise them. [Sep 2006, p.96]
13. Blanchard, Josh (August 17, 2006). "Comets on Fire - Music". Portland Mercury . Retrieved April 4, 2020.