OUT 2006 "GOOD WORLD"

"Good World is certainly an audio world unto its own." -allmusic

"Compositions on Good World are short and their themes are simple. Melodic lines flare up like sparklers and die out just as quickly. In their midst hover clarinet squeaks, dramatic crooning, percussive snaps, and tinkling xylophone and piano. Bouchard creates what seem like glimpses into larger pieces, giving just enough detail to inspire curiosity and affinity. Despite their somewhat scattered and abstract nature, the songs are not inaccessible, or worse, boring. They are simply not given enough time to do anything but present themselves, impress, and move aside for the next one." - L Magazine

"There are some people that will most certainly hate this. They won’t 'get' the music, they will hate the lack of any real specific story, they will feel cheated by the album’s length (or lack of it). And, on the other hand, there are some people that will love this. I am one of them." -popmatters

"Not since the glory days of punk has an album come and gone so fast and left one with more questions than answers." -tinymixtapes

"The songs work in some masochistic way and begin to hook themselves into your soul." -boomkat

"Has someone bludgeoned frontman Ryland Bouchard?" - Pitchfork

"After releasing what was undoubtedly the band's most accessible album in 2005 (Carousel Waltz), now comes the baffling and almost completely uncommercial Good World... Clocking in at just under 23 minutes, the album features 17 tiny tracks of sparse artsy pop. Bouchard has really taken a chance with this album. After altering his sound on the last album to attract more listeners, many folks probably won't be too pleased with this album. An almost purely artistic endeavor, Bouchard takes off on some rather bizarre audio paths here. Some of them work, some are just...rather confusing. In the end, however, this is yet another rewarding collection of inventive material. Who knows what will come next...? (Rating: 5+)" - Babysue

"Just give it time to cast its spell and you’ll soon be glad that you did." - goodhodgkins

MAY 2005 "CAROUSEL WALTZ"

"Ryland Bouchard certainly has a way of getting to the emotional truth: previously on On Vacation, he dealt with fear and hope, and now moves to love, power and death. By these universal themes, he unlocks something undeniably true and grippingly universal. His inquiries and observations are able to show keen insight into the unique experiences of every individual who lends him an attentive ear and a receptive heart." - lost at sea

"The intimacy is startling. The introspection is as charming as it is insightful...If you like to take a little lesson from every album you love, that may be the lesson to learn from this one: there is dignity in nakedness, if you can bear it." -splendid

"This is not an album bent on changing the way one listens to music, but the way one listens to their self. Carousel Waltz is a soundtrack for everyday life..." -tinymixtapes

"Quick and to the point, Carousel Waltz vies for your heart, showing you that as bad as life can get, there's still so much beauty to be found." - prefix

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