Camera Obscura

One can only imagine what the girls must be like in Glasgow, Scotland: cupping their ears and feigning fright, as one does on the cover of Camera Obscura’s Let’s Get Out of This Country; or singing lyrics like “Lloyd, I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken.” “I can’t see further than my nose at this moment,” sings Traceyanne Campbell, who writes all of Camera Obscura’s tunes. “Jealousy is more than a word now I understand,” she adds with a touch of sarcasm.

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With cheeky song titles like “The False Contender” and “I Need All the Friends I Can Get,” and intricately layered pop by six band members and several session players, Let’s Get Out of This Country promises a whimsical adventure on par with Belle & Sebastian’s beloved escapades. Unfortunately, the disc is split between those charming numbers and dreamily droll ballads like “Dory Previn.” Campbell’s witty wordplay just emerges in spots, leaving her light, ’60s-inspired arrangements to carry the album through. 3 stars.