Transaction de Novo is the third studio album by Bedhead, an American indie rock band. It was released on February 10, 1998, on Trance Syndicate Records, and was the band's only record engineered by Steve Albini. It met with positive reviews.
| Transaction de Novo | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 10, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | May 2–9, 1997 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:58 | |||
| Label | Trance Syndicate | |||
| Producer | Steve Albini | |||
| Bedhead chronology | ||||
| ||||
History
editProduction
editBedhead's final LP, Transaction de Novo was recorded from May 2, 1997 to May 9, 1997, and engineered by Steve Albini.[2] In a departure from their usual sound, Transaction De Novo featured more up-tempo, heavily distorted songs than its predecessors.[2][3]
Release
editTransaction de Novo was released on February 10, 1998, on Trance Syndicate Records.[4]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Pitchfork Media | 9.6/10[5] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [1] |
AllMusic wrote: "It's hard to imagine the group perfecting this sound much further."[4] The album received a near perfect 9.6/10 score from Pitchfork Media, with the reviewer stating that "over the course of a couple of albums and EPs, Dallas' Bedhead have delivered some of the most lush, gorgeous guitar music of this, or any other decade... One gets to wondering if these people have ever played a bum note, let alone a dud song. Bedhead will make you feel more at peace with yourself. Love them accordingly."[5] The album received a perfect 5/5 score from Tiny Mix Tapes, with the reviewer saying the album "is definitely Bedhead's most earnest release. There is much less distortion and instrumental chaos and more emphasis on concentrated song structures with plaintive, hummable melodies. Despite...extremely minute imperfections, Transaction De Novo proves itself to be one of the most intimate and lush albums ever to grace indie ears. It acts as the album that crowns Bedhead's reign as kings and founders of slowcore."[1]
Conversely, a review in the Austin American-Statesman described Transaction de Novo as "[stumbling] along at an uncomfortably slow pace" with no deviation from the band's previous releases.[6]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Matt and Bubba Kadane
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Exhume" | 4:18 |
| 2. | "More Than Ever" | 4:19 |
| 3. | "Parade" | 4:50 |
| 4. | "Half-Thought" | 3:34 |
| 5. | "Extramundane" | 3:05 |
| 6. | "Forgetting" | 3:41 |
| 7. | "Lepidoptera" | 3:04 |
| 8. | "Psychosomatica" | 3:16 |
| 9. | "The Present" | 7:00 |
| Total length: | 37:00 | |
Personnel
edit- Musical personnel
- Bubba Kadane - guitar, vocals, producer
- Matt Kadane - guitar, vocals, producer
- Trini Martinez - drums
- Kris Wheat - bass
- Tench Coxe - guitar
- Production
- Steve Albini - engineer
References
edit- ^ a b c Transaction De Novo: Tiny Mix Tapes
- ^ a b "Music Reviews: Vol 17, Issue 24". The Austin Chronicle. 1997–1998. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
- ^ "Sharps and Flats: Bedhead". Salon. February 18, 1998. Archived from the original on January 30, 2011. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
- ^ a b c Bush, Nathan (February 1998). "Bedhead Review: Transaction de Novo". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-16.
- ^ a b "Bedhead Transaction de Novo". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2003-06-10. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "Dixie Chicks show pluck on big label // Hound Dog' tribute and new Hepcat disc are critics' pets". Austin American-Statesman. 17 February 1998.