FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2016
Contact: Hilary@epitaph.com
CRITICS AROUND THE WORLD CELEBRATE THE PARTY
ANDY SHAUF Emerges As An Important New Voice In Songwriting
New Album Out Now / Tour Dates With Case/Lang/Viers Next Month
Rarely has a record from relatively new young artist, let alone one from a rural landscape like Saskatchewan, been greeted with such fervent critical acclaim as the newly released album by Andy Shauf called The Party.
Shauf was recently interviewed on the NPR show Weekend Edition by host Scott Simon, where he discussed his song “"Early To The Party.” “I’m not specifically in any of the songs, but I think that because they’re characters that I’m making up I have to filter them through myself. They just take on my personality a little bit.”
Listen to the NPR interview here: http://www.npr.org/2016/05/21/478673686/show-up-early-to-the-party-with-andy-shauf
Merging an intensely emotive pop sound with lyrics that could have been pulled from some beloved literary classic, the end effect recently inspired magazine Stereogum to compare the Shauf to “classic pop songwriters in the vein of Harry Nilsson or Randy Newman, coupled with the plainspoken timbre of a Paul Simon.” And it appears they are far from alone in their appreciation, as the below clips testify to.
Acclaim For Andy Shauf’s The Party
"★★★★ - The Canadian songwriter's hazy harmonies and easy keys belie the intricate concept of his fourth full album. Using sharp snapshots and strange characters, Shauf paints an endearing sketch of his house's many moods." - MOJO
"★★★★!" - The Independent (UK)
"...recalls classic pop songwriters in the vein of Harry Nilsson or Randy Newman, coupled with the plainspoken timbre of a Paul Simon, albeit with a laconic Canadian drawl." - NPR Music
"...a lovely, luxuriant thing you should hear..." – Stereogum
“With this effort Shauf successfully portrays the complicated smorgasbord that is youth by capturing in its crudest form at a party, with its hedonism and heartbreak, and in doing so propels himself miles ahead of his singer-songwriter peers who have tried to do the same.” – Line of Best Fit
"★★★★ - Aside from the perfectly placed strings, Shauf takes care of everything, playing, singing and generally creating a sound that is both beautiful and beautifully troubling – understated, imaginative chamber pop." - The Irish Times
“Partygoers collapse or embarrass themselves; strings, clarinets and lush Harry Nilsson-style moments all add to the snapshot of an accomplished new voice." - Guardian
"The result is a folk record so lush it feels as though Shauf made a feature film, providing settings, characters and colour to fill out a full motion picture with just 10 songs. Dipping into '60s pop melodies, it’s easy to see yourself slow-dancing to The Party while closing out your own messy gathering." - CBC Music
"The comparisons to the late, great Elliott Smith – the solemn baroque pop, the tender melancholy – that mark The Party, the second album from Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf, are readily apparent. What makes the Saskatchewan native worth listening to is the ways in which he distinguishes himself: the vintage bass and perky melody that open Quite Like You, the electric-folk tumble that picks up The Worst in You, or the slow realization that these songs are nearly all gentle observations from the corner of a party marked by stumbling hopefulness." - The Sydney Morning Herald
"A graduate of the school of Burt Bacharach, solo Lennon, Macca and Wings, the Carpenters, Harry Nilsson and Elliott Smith, Shauf can locate the game-changing chord that great songs pivot on, for which lesser talents fumble in vain. The Party conceals killer lyrics in music of extraordinary beauty and lushness." - The Sunday Times (UK)
"...one of the single most promising voices to emerge from Canada in recent memory." - Flood Magazine
"An elaborate collection of complex ballads, its meticulous string and woodwind arrangements would make Jim O'Rourke jealous." - Loud and Quiet (UK)
"★★★★...nods to the '70s soft rock of Harry Nilsson or Josh Rouse's homage to that era....a real talent." - Daily Express (UK)
"The Party is the sort of album you can get lost in. Its world is tiny but almost impossibly detailed, while each song is deceptively complex and quietly beautiful. " - Stereoboard
"The Party is definitely worth celebrating. 8/10" - UNCUT
"You must listen over and over. 10/10." - Soundblab (UK)
"Fans of artists like Elliott Smith and Grizzly Bear will likely enjoy Shauf’s music, but overall Shauf really comes into his own on The Party." - Paste
“An exceptionally fine record” – Sunday Express
“You hear a lot about finding the next Bob Dylan, but with Andy Shauf, it feels like I tripped over the next Harry Nilsson. For those familiar with Nilsson’s out-of-body folk anthems, this is really freakin’ exciting.” – Denver Post
Tour Dates
MAY 25 – LONDON, UK – Bush Hall w/ Evening Hymns
MAY 26 – BRIGHTON, UK – The Hope and Ruin w/ Evening Hymns
MAY 30 – LILLE, FR – La Peniche
MAY 31 – PARIS, FR – Mecanique Ondulatoire
JUN 2 – BARCELONA, ES – Primavera
JUN 3 – BARCELONA, ES – Primavera
JUN 9 - NEW YORK, NY - Bowery Ballroom w/ Son Little
JUN 22 - SAN DIEGO, CA - Humphrey’s w/ case/lang/veirs
JUN 23 - LOS ANGELES, CA - Greek Theatre w/ case/lang/veirs
JUN 24 – VISALIA, CA – The Cellar Door
JUN 25 - SARATOGA, CA - The Mountain Winery w/ case/lang/veirs
JUN 28 - VICTORIA, BC - Royal Theatre w/ case/lang/veirs
JUN 29 - VANCOUVER, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre w/ case/lang/veirs
JUN 30 - SEATTLE, WA - Woodland Park Amphitheatre w/ case/lang/veirs
JUL 2 - PORTLAND, OR - Oregon Zoo Amphitheatre w/ case/lang/veirs
JUL 5 - BEND, OR - Athletic Club of Bend w/ case/lang/veirs
JUL 7- WINNIPEG, MB - Winnipeg Folk Festival
JUL 22 - GUELPH, ON - Hillside Festival
JUL 23 - LOWELL, MA - Boarding House Park w/ case/lang/veirs
JUL 26 - BROOKLYN, NY - BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! w/ case/lang/veirs
JUL 27 - WASHINGTON, DC - Lincoln Theatre w/ case/lang/veirs
JUL 28 - WASHINGTON, DC - Lincoln Theatre w/ case/lang/viers
JUL 29 - ATLANTA, GA - Atlanta Botanical Garden w/ case/lang/veirs
JUL 31 - NEW ORLEANS, LA - The Joy Theater w/ case/lang/veirs
AUG 2 - SAN ANTONIO, TX - Tobin Center for the Performing Arts w/ case/lang/veirs
AUG 3 - AUSTIN, TX - Long Center for the Performing Arts w/ case/lang/veirs
AUG 4 - DALLAS, TX - Winspear Opera House w/ case/lang/veirs
AUG 6 - NASHVILLE, TN - Ryman Auditorium w/ case/lang/veirs
AUG 7 - CHICAGO, IL - Chicago Theatre w/ case/lang/veirs
AUG 9 - BAYFIELD, WI - Big Top Chautauqua w/ case/lang/veirs
AUG 10 - APPLE VALLEY, MN - Weesner Amphitheater w/ case/lang/veirs
DEC 08 - OTTAWA, ON - National Arts Centre
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