''Encendedor'' is an album by the American band

the Dambuilders The Dambuilders was an indie rock band that began in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, in 1989 and later relocated to Boston. They released seven LPs (six studio albums & one compilation) and a number of EPs before breaking up in 1998. Members have gone ...

, released in 1994. Its title comes from the Spanish word for cigarette lighter. The band supported the album with a North American tour and an appearance on ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...

''. "Smell" was released as a single, with the narrative of the accompanying music video based on the

Chappaquiddick incident The Chappaquiddick incident occurred on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, United States, sometime around midnight, between July 18 and 19, 1969, when Mary Jo Kopechne died inside the car driven by United States Senator Ted Kennedy after h ...

. Another single, "Shrine", was a modest

Modern Rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college and commercial rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. ...

chart success. The album was nominated for a

Boston Music Award Founded in 1987, the Boston Music Awards are a set of music awards given annually that showcase talent in the Boston, Massachusetts, area. Past shows have featured such notable talent as Aerosmith, Paula Cole, Esperanza Spalding, Boston, Rubyhor ...

for "Debut Album of the Year".

Production

The album was produced by the Dambuilders' guitarist, Eric Masunaga, with assistance from the rest of the band. All four members contributed to the songwriting, although most of the tracks are rerecorded versions of older songs.

Joan Wasser Joan Wasser (born July 26, 1970) is an American musician, singer-songwriter and producer who releases music as Joan As Police Woman. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders and played with Black Beetle, Anohni and the Johnsons, ...

's violin served as the rhythm guitar on some tracks; on others it was processed or run through effects. Some songs touch on the band's roots in Hawaii: "Slo-Mo Kikaida" refers to the 1970s adaptation of ''

Kikaider is a manga series written and illustrated by Shotaro Ishinomori. A two-season tokusatsu series titled ''Android Kikaider'' (''Kikaider 01'' in season 2) was produced by Toei Company and Ishimori Productions in early 1970s. A 18-episode an ...

''; "Kill Haole Day" is about the practice of hazing Caucasian students at the end of the Hawaiian school year. "Shrine" is about a man who pines for a woman who loves L7. "Idaho" and "Delaware" were among the 20 songs the band had written about states in the US.

Critical reception

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' noted that the Dambuilders "don't have a groove to hold their fragmentary compositions together; the album provides gusts of appealing songcraft, but is frequently becalmed between them." ''

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'' said that on half the album "the jagged-edge arrangements and surprising violin flourishes come off as unsuccessful attempts to divert attention from David Derby's dry vocals and the Dambuilders' lacklustre songwriting." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' stated that "the quartet creates a clash of melodic bass, edgy violin, dashing guitar and shifting drums that suggests a more rustic version of the Pixies." The ''

Wisconsin State Journal The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of Septembe ...

'' called the album "a pulsating, often dazzling concoction, its songs both urgent and accessible."

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

praised "Idaho" and "Copsucker". ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...

'' said that "Wasser's wailing, symphonic swaths are all over... She's painterly and prickly". The '' Daily Press'' included ''Encendedor'' on its list of the best albums of 1994, calling the Dambuilders "the new rock band of the year." The ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American conservative daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarde ...

'' considered ''Encendedor'' to be the second best "local" rock album of the year.

Track listing

References

{{reflist The Dambuilders albums 1994 albums East West Records albums