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Underachievers Please Try Harder
Studio album by Camera Obscura
Released	August 31, 2003
Genre	Indie pop
Length	43:37
Label	Merge
Producer	Geoff Alan, Camera Obscura
Camera Obscura chronology
Biggest Bluest Hi Fi (2001) Underachievers Please Try Harder (2003) Let's Get Out of This Country (2006)

Underachievers Please Try Harder is the second LP from the indie band Camera Obscura, released in 2003. The album was released in Australia by Popfrenzy.

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	74/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Christgau's Consumer Guide
The List
Pitchfork	8.0/10
Rolling Stone
Spin	A
Uncut

Writing for AllMusic, critic Tim Sendra praised the album, again comparing the group to Belle and Sebastian and writing that "the band manages the rare feat of sounding full and rich without jamming every possible frequency with sound. It also throws in loads of imaginative little hooks that keep things lively". Scott Plagenhoef of Pitchfork wrote "Their honest, wide, and adult approach to heartbreak, romantic liaisons, and escapism is extended to the subtle range of influence — most of which is shown off on the tracks sung by John Henderson".

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tracyanne Campbell

US edition bonus tracks

12. "I Don't Want to See You"
13. "Footloose and Fancy Free"

Australian edition bonus tracks

12. "San Francisco Song"
13. "Amigo Mio"

Japanese edition bonus tracks

12. "I Don't Want to See You"
13. "Footloose and Fancy Free"
14. "SF Song"
15. "Amigo Mio"

Personnel

• Tracyanne Campbell – vocals, guitar
• Carey Lander – organ, piano, vocals
• Kenny McKeeve – vocals, guitar, harmonica, mandolin
• John Henderson – vocals, percussion
• Gavin Dunbar – bass
• Lee Thomson – drums
• Nigel Baillie – trumpet
• Geoff Allan – percussion, Stylophone

Production notes:

• Camera Obscura – producer
• Geoff Allan – producer, engineer
• Frank Arkwright – mastering
• Stuart Murdoch – photography

References

1. "Reviews for Underachievers Please Try Harder by Camera Obscura". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
2. ^ Sendra, Tim. "Underachievers Please Try Harder – Camera Obscura". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
3. Christgau, Robert. "Camera Obscura: Under Achievers Please Try Harder". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
4. Rae, Carolyn (4 September 2003). "Records". The List (477): 106. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
5. ^ Plagenhoef, Scott (20 January 2004). "Camera Obscura: Underachievers Please Try Harder". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
6. Hoard, Christian (5 February 2004). "Camera Obscura: Underachievers Please Try Harder". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 29 April 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
7. Yang, Ginny (13 April 2004). "Belles of the Ball". Spin. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
8. "Camera Obscura – Underachievers Please Try Harder". Uncut (81): 78. February 2004. Archived from the original on 30 April 2005. Retrieved 2 March 2020.

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