''And I Thank You'' is the first full-length album by

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indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band

The Elwins The Elwins were a Canadian indie rock band from Keswick, Ontario, consisting of singer and guitarist Matthew Sweeney, drummer Travis Stokl, guitarist/keyboardist Feurd and bassist/singer Frankie Figliomeni. Biography Early days The Elwins starte ...

. Before its release on February 21, 2012, it was named among the top 20 most anticipated Canadian albums of 2012 by ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' The single "Come on Out" was the number one song on CBC Radio 3's The R3-30 chart for the week of June 9, 2012.

Production

The preparation, recording and release of ''And I Thank You'' spanned several years. The ten tracks that would eventually form the album were written as part of an exercise by the band wherein each member would write a new song every week, which yielded a catalog of about 50 total songs. The band traveled to

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to work with producer Bill Moriarty, who assisted them in expanding

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into full songs and in refining their sound. After this pre-production, the band recorded fourteen songs at

Bear Creek Studio Bear Creek Studio is a residential recording studio located in Woodinville, Washington, situated in a barn on a 10 acre farm. Known for its "rural farmhouse" location, a number of artists have recorded at the studio, including: Brandi Carlile, T ...

near

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with producer Ryan Hadlock from late October to early November 2010, and of those 14, ten were chosen for inclusion on the album and mixed by producer L. Stu Young in

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during February and March 2011. After production was complete, the band explored the possibility of releasing the album with a

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, but eventually decided to release the album independently.

Reception

''And I Thank You'' received favourable reviews from critics. It was praised for its "sunshiny" and "jaunty" rhythm and "fun" melodies that are simple but still interesting "even after the third or fourth listen". Several reviewers noted the band's retro sound, especially reminiscent of

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, though with "subtle modern twists". Rob Duffy of '' The Grid'' gave the album a rating of 8/10, commenting that Daniel Korn of ''Cadence Canada'' also noted the band's unique sound, stating that the band "fits quite easily into the indie-rock paradigm, but they have their own style that feels rather effortless." However, he criticized the album's production, calling it "muddy" and "oddly lo-fi".

Track listing

#"Come on Out" – 3:32 #"Stuck in the Middle" – 2:57 #"Behind My Eyes" – 2:49 #"Forgetful Assistance" – 2:40 #"Paper in Your Pocket" – 2:33 #"On Your Doorstep" – 1:57 #"Are You Flying With a Different Bird?" – 2:09 #"Propinquity" – 3:32 #"I Miss You and I" – 3:15 #"Sittin' Pretty" – 2:54

Personnel

* Jherek Bischoff –

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violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

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* Feurd – guitar,

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* Paris Hurley – violin * Heather Lumsden-Ruegg – backup vocals * Kimo Muraki – lap steel,

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mellophone The mellophone is a brass instrument typically pitched in the key of F, though models in E, D, C, and G (as a bugle) have also historically existed. It has a conical bore, like that of the euphonium and flugelhorn. The mellophone is used as the m ...

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* Travis Stokl –

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s * Matthew Sweeney – vocals, guitar

References

{{Authority control 2012 albums The Elwins albums Albums recorded at Bear Creek Studio