''Tears of the Valedictorian'' is a 2007 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

Frog Eyes Frog Eyes are an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada fronted by Carey Mercer. Their 2010 album Paul's Tomb: A Triumph was a longlisted nominee for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize. They have released eight albums and two EPs and ...

. It has received high critical praise, with ''

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'' declaring it "one of their best full-lengths to date" and "recommending" the album. The album's first single, "Bushels," also received praise when it was released on ''Pitchfork'' on February 1.

Critical reception

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's James Christopher Monger said the album showcases Frog Eyes' "uncanny talent for creating manic, beautiful, and upsetting songs that seem to exists wholly for themselves", praising Carey Mercer's rabid vocal delivery and the band's pension for pushing pop music into different territories. Andrew Gaerig of

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praised Mercer for revitalizing his band after 2004's ''

The Folded Palm ''The Folded Palm'' is the third album by Frog Eyes, released on September 14, 2004, on Absolutely Kosher Records Absolutely Kosher Records is an independent California-based record label founded in 1998 in San Francisco by Cory Brown. The la ...

'' with a "beautifully constructed" and "phenomenally produced record" that's neither generic or indulgent, saying "he constructed a taut, concise Frog Eyes album that retains the band's signature sound without delving into repetition or trope." Josh Berquist from ''

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'' was mixed on Mercer dialing back his vocalization and guitar playing throughout the record to refine his manic artistry and the production that stripped the tracks of the "atmospheric allure" found on previous projects, concluding that: "Ultimately, Mercer's ugliest moments are also his most flattering, which makes ''Tears of the Valedictorian'' a mild disappointment that leaves listeners longing for something more unhinged."

Track listing

# "Idle Songs" – 2:24 # "Caravan Breakers, They Prey on the Weak and the Old" – 7:35 # ""Stockades"" – 3:27 # "Reform the Countryside" – 5:24 # "The Policy Merchant, the Silver Bay" 2:31 # "Evil Energy, the Ill Twin of..." – 2:42 # "...Eagle Energy" – 1:52 # "Bushels" – 9:13 # "My Boats They Go" – 1:02

References

Frog Eyes albums 2007 albums Absolutely Kosher Records albums {{2000s-indie-rock-album-stub