The Civil War (album)

Last updated

The Civil War
Matmos-The Civil War.jpg
Studio album by
Matmos
ReleasedSeptember 23, 2003 (2003-09-23)
Genre Electronica
Length45:52
Label Matador Records
Producer Matmos
Matmos chronology
A Chance to Cut Is a Chance to Cure
(2001)		The Civil War
(2003)		 The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast
(2006)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 77/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Alternative Press Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [3]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Pitchfork 7.3/10 [5]
Playlouder Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Stylus 8.2/10 [9]
Tiny Mix Tapes Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [10]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [11]

The Civil War is the fifth studio album by experimental duo Matmos, released via Matador Records. It explores the boundaries between Americana, Medieval folk music and electronica. It features many live instruments such as drums, brass and guitars. A hurdy-gurdy is also sampled. There is also a satirical take on "Stars and Stripes Forever".

Contents

Critical reception

Review aggregator website Metacritic gives The Civil War a score of 77 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [1]

Heather Phares of AllMusic gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it "an album whose subtly oxymoronic title suggests the inherent contradictions of its sound." [2] Mark Richardson of Pitchfork gave the album a 7.3 out of 10, saying, "As a technical achievement and as a piece of pure sound, The Civil War is inarguably Matmos' best record." [5]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Regicide"2:47
2."Zealous Order of Candied Knights"4:36
3."Reconstruction"9:31
4."Y.T.T.E. (Yield to Total Elation)"9:08
5."For the Trees"3:31
6."The Stars and Stripes Forever"2:07
7."Pelt and Holler"4:17
8."The Struggle Against Unreality Begins"5:34
9."For the Trees (Return)"4:15
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
10."Cabin in the Sky"9:03

References

  1. 1 2 "The Civil War by Matmos". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "The Civil War - Matmos". AllMusic . Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  3. ↑ Equally adept with paradiddles and software plugins, these digital-age surrealists have birthed a musical hybrid all their own. [Nov 2003, p.100]
  4. ↑ Wyse, Pascal (September 18, 2003). "Matmos, The Civil War". The Guardian . Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Richardson, Mark (October 13, 2003). "Matmos: The Civil War". Pitchfork . Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  6. ↑ Moffat, Iain (September 24, 2003). "The Civil War - Matmos". Playlouder . Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  7. ↑ Though Matmos are undoubtedly the Willie Wonkas of ear candy, just occasionally The Civil War gets too anal. [Oct 2003, p.109]
  8. ↑ Matmos amble and shuffle toward a new interpretation of history. [11 Dec 2003, p.204]
  9. ↑ Shiflet, Mike (September 29, 2003). "Matmos - The Civil War". Stylus Magazine . Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Matmos - The Civil War". Tiny Mix Tapes . Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  11. ↑ Like 1999's The West, The Civil War negotiates a fragile entente between Americana and electronica, but does so on a bigger, constantly astonishing scale. [Oct 2003, p.122]

Further reading

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