| El Camino Real | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 30, 2014 (2014-05-30) | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 39:52 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | 429 | |||
| Camper Van Beethoven chronology | ||||
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El Camino Real is a 2014 studio album by Americanalternative rock bandCamper Van Beethoven, a companion piece toLa Costa Perdida released the year prior, which found the band with enough extra songs written to immediately record a second album.[1] Aconcept album aboutSouthern California,[2] the work has received positive reviews from critics.[3]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 66⁄100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| American Songwriter |  [4] |
| Consequence of Sound | B−[5] |
| Louder Sound | [6] |
| PopMatters | 7⁄10[7] |
| PopMatters | [8] |
According to the review aggregatorMetacritic,El Camino Real received "generally favorable reviews" based on aweighted average score of 66 out of 100 from seven critic scores.[3] Editors atAllMusic rated this album 3 out of 5 stars, with critic Mark Deming writing that this album has a more somber mood thanLa Costa Perdida and this release "finds them playing with a technical skill that puts their early classics to shame but sounding curiously short on the joy and spontaneity that were once this band's trademark".[2] Hal Horowitz ofAmerican Songwriter rated this album 2.5 out of 5 stars, writing that "the music contains CVB’s mix of country, folk, rock and gypsy soul", but "the songwriting and general groove is not up to the quirky quality expected from CVB".[4] Matt Melis ofConsequence of Sound scoredEl Camino Real a B−, praising the "disconnect between the music and what Lowery’s actually singing" and summed up that "irony, tight songwriting, and a delightfully askew window on the world make any new Camper record worth a spin".[5] InLouder Sound, Stephen Dalton highlighted that this music mixes "sardonic social commentary with sincerity", with "a surprisingly big-hearted, warm-blooded empathy" that draws comparison toBruce Springsteen.[6]PopMatters' John Garratt wrote that the band "do not seem too preoccupied with sounding like their former selves" on this recording and "no one else sounds quite like them" with their mix of "themes of work, joy, paranoia and peace"; his ranking was a 7 out of 10.[7] InRecord Collector, Paul McGuinness gave this work 2 out of 5 stars, ending his review, "There’s plenty of sun throughout, but it’s a rougher road and they’re a wearier set of travellers this time around... It feels as though CVB may have overstretched themselves with this second leg; whileLa Costa Perdida was worth the wait,El Camino Real leaves the listener having enjoyed the trip, but glad to be getting home."[8]
iTunes bonus tracks
Camper Van Beethoven
Additional personnel
