Quasi Sword Of God CD - Import

On the fourth album by postmodern popsters Quasi, the duo of Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss and keyboardist/maestro Sam Coomes moves further away from its indie-rock roots towards a realization of a pure pop aesthetic (albeit a slightly twisted one). Thoug Coomes's keyboards are often distorted and his singing often colored by alt-rock urgency, the songs' harmonic and melodic development seem rooted in nothing so much as late-period Beatles. For her part, Weiss keeps Coomes's lofty ambitions grounded in rock-solid rhythm, dressed up by the occasional fillip. Despite a spell as Elliott Smith's touring band, Quasi is more likely to be embraced by the underground than the pop mainstream, which means that Coomes's potential status as the indie-rock Todd Rundgren will be limited to the cognoscenti who are hip enough to purchase THE SWORD OF GOD.

Includes liner notes by Sam Coomes.

Japanese edition comes with an extra cut.

CD contains 1 bonus track.

Japanese version featuring a bonus track

Quasi: Sam Coomes (vocals, various instruments); Janet Weiss (drums).

Additional personnel: Stanley Zappa (saxophone).

Spin (10/01, p.134) - 7 out of 10 - "...Beatles flourishes and glam keyboard pop that suggests Elton John sans feathered headwear..."
Q (Summer/01, p.108) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...The world's a better place. Especially as they channel their wry gripes against rich kids or celebrity into such cheery tunes..."
Uncut (9/01, p.98) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - "...There is something distinctly unhinged about THE SWORD OF GOD....Entertaining..."
Magnet (9-10/01, p.107) - "...A wonderful album..."
CMJ (8/13/01, p.10) - "...Sticks tight to indie-pop...but it rollercoasters through every emotion, capturing them all confidently."
Mojo (Publisher) (12/01, p.116) - "...This is the true humanity at music's core..."
NME (Magazine) (8/18/01, p.47) - 7 out of 10 - "...A must for all Magnetic Fields fans....they represent the acme of counter-cultural cool....proper, semi-ironic pop music..."