Never has an album so wrought with suffering been this pleasant to listen to. Tracyanne Campbell chirps her way through an album detailing a lifetime of heartache and heartbreak - and never chooses to inflict her audience with the same fate. Let's Get Out of This Country is a diverse, poppy album that makes impeccable use of its six-piece group, allowing the entire band to shine while accompanying Campbell. While lyrically gloomy, the album is musically and melodically uplifting and incredibly catchy. Coming in at just under 40 minutes, it's sure to be an album that receives a complete listen each time.
Many have considered the departure of co-vocalist John Henderson to be a major shift in the sound of Camera Obscura, yet the focus of the vocals has always been on Campbell. On Let's Get Out of This Country, this focus just becomes more magnified. Not only have her lyrical abilities progressed significantly on this album, but the confidence of her voice shows that she didn't waiver at the thought of becoming the face of the group. There isn't a track of filler on the CD - in fact, many would argue that there isn't even a mediocre track on the CD. Many songs have a very familiar feel to them, as if the band has transformed retro singles into modern classics.
Yet, it has to be said that the album's poppy feel is only capable of existing due to the fact that the lyrical theme of the album is shockingly unaffecting. From what is likely a tale of an abusive relationship in the waltz "The False Contender" to the quiet reflectivity of "Razzle Dazzle Rose," it seems impossible that these songs don't leave the listener feeling depressed. This is directly thanks to Campbell's ability to give her lyrics a lingering sense of hope. Regardless of whether one is listening to Campbell sing "Let's get out of this country, I have been so unhappy" in the poppy title track or "I'm ready to be heartbroken" in the assertive opener, there is a feeling that things have since turned out for the better - perhaps much like the departure of Henderson.
