| We Can Create | 
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| Artist: Maps
Label: Mute
Category: Music
List Price: £9.99
Buy New: £6.98
You Save: £3.01 (30%)
New (31) from £5.39
Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 11550
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.4
UPC: 094638891123
EAN: 0094638891123
ASIN: B000NA2UG4
Release Date: May 14, 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | so low, so high | | • | you don't know her name | | • | elouise | | • | it will find you | | • | glory verse | | • | liquid sugar | | • | to the sky | | • | back + forth | | • | lost my soul | | • | don't fear | | • | when you leave |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
Dreamlike April 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
We Can Create by Maps is a swirling, swaggering, modern shoe-gazing classic and, by the power of Greyskull, it is growing on this eager punter with every listen. I appreciate the fact that We Can Create was created and written in the Northampton bedroom of someone called James because its euphoric, insouciant swagger suggests a more epic origin. I forced my MP3 player's headphones deep into my ears ce matin, cranked the volume up to onze and shook to this album as I did the weekly shop at the Coles' supermarche of choice. Against the backdrop of these dreamlike and evocative numbers, selecting the appropriate detergent proved a joy. Well done!
Pleasant electro-noodling March 3, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Romantic in the sense of elegiac or idyllic other-worldliness; pastoral in its undulating restfulness. There is a plodding synthesiser sameyness which verges on monotony, but this four-star score reflects what in my opinion are four or five excellent compositions which I will return to. At the risk of tiring you with yet another artist comparison, the American couple Joy Zipper do this sort of thing with a bit more gusto, in a proper studio. They supported Air in 2004 which gives an idea of the target market.
Glittering Whispered Beauty January 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A glittering treat of a record in amongst some of the mud of the year. Not at all what I expected when I bought it. I thought they were a one off electronica outfit in the style of `Squarepusher'. Nope, this is a big sound glam, electro thing, covered in whispered vocals with obvious nods to MBV and Spacemen 3. Check out `You don't know her name' and `Elouise' for some great melodies. The record is a bit front-loaded but overall it's got some outstanding tracks on and deserved to be short-listed for the Mercury Prize.
Neck craning sonic invention that is,nt as derivative as you may have been led to believe January 2, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Maps : We Can Create was short listed for the 2007 Mercury music prize but didn't win it as some band from somewhere cooler than Northampton (Just about anywhere then) and with far more interesting haircuts won it instead . This is one of those albums I have been meaning to listen to but never found the time as I was too busy listening to other things that seemed far more diverting. I regret that now because having eventually got around to listening to We Can Create I really like it. It reminds me , and I realise I am not being especially cognisant in saying this, of many of the shoe gazing* bands of the early nineties. This is a good thing as I really quite enjoyed some of them and this album while harking back to that scene is not entirely derivative either. Bear with me while i do something academic*"Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze or shoegazer; practitioners referred to as shoegazers) is a genre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s, lasting until the mid 1990s. The shoegazing sound featured extensive use of guitar effects, and indistinguishable vocal melodies that blended into the creative noise of the guitars."
(Adapted from Wikipedia)
So how does it differ from say My Bloody Valentine, to whom it has been most frequently compared? Well for a start Maps are like a shoe gaze version of The Streets, in this case James Chapman in his bedroom with lots of dreadfully complicated stuff. Using electronics rather than more traditional organic six stringed instrumentation Chapman manages to craft aurally compelling vistas that while using the quiet/loud template of his peers have a dynamic integrity of their own. Plus he can write good enough songs with which to drape his sounds capes over.
Opening track "So Low , So High" while encapsulating the music's whole philosophy is a tremendous panorama of manipulated vocal effects and neck craning orchestration. It reminds me also of M83 who do this kind of choral vocal/electronic amalgamation equally adeptly. This is the albums highlight and it must be said the first half of the album is superior to the latter where it becomes a little formulaic and less sonically captivating.
That said the scabrous shifting tones and heavy duty percussion of "Elouise" are hugely imposing and bring to mind the excellent "Band Of Susans". "It Will Find You" has the clipped precise beats of nineties dance music and the reticulated rhythmic grace of MBV,s masterpiece "Soon". "Back + Forth" does too funnily enough with it's breathy backing vocals . "When You Leave" is all gossamer keyboards and brusque beats like Spiritualized on a budget. "Glory Verse" unfortunately doesn't have a verse worth any glory but it is a commendable attempt at a melancholy sparse ballad , at odds with the fulsome tones most often utilised.
We Can Create is a laudable attempt to redefine or maybe resurrect a genre of music that for all it's flaws gave us some terrific bands. You can quibble that the album isn't diverse enough though that didn't stop MBV (Yes them again) releasing two wondrous albums and that Chapman's vocals lack the character and emotional strength to make the songs really connect emotionally with the listener but then vocal prowess was never what music like this was about .Given time , and maybe moving out of the bedroom Chapman has what it takes to make a true classic (Not like Adrian Gurvitz who wrote a "Classic " in his attic ) He may even win the Mercury but I wouldn't let that become his major motivator ....he should believe ....he can CREATE.
 Blissful on one level, intense on another October 15, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This album is mind twisting. I mean that in the best possible way. The multilayered songs wash through you. Some songs are deep and enigmatic in nature (esp; When you leave). Others are uplifting and serene. If you enjoy getting high without taking illegal substances then purchase this album. Every listen reveals another hidden layer of music you didn't notice before. Some songs reminded me of the chilled stuff Moby did, other songs like Enigma's most recent album. I also picked up some similarities to Beloved. However, no particular era, group-influence or style plays a dominant role.
5/5. In my top 10 for 2007 for sure.
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