Annuals - Time Stamp (2013)

I think the write-up at the bottom kind of explains mostly all of what needs to be known. I have known for quite awhile their future was uncertain if there was much of one. But I have posted in the last couple of years in this blog and various forums, they had an album in the can, with a supposed title "Born Raised," but due to Record Label issues, it was delayed. It kept on getting delayed, and then the band kind of went silent. And some of the members moved away from North Carolina. I recall Anna Spence is either a lawyer of some kind or in law school.

But I thought I saw Adam Baker post a few months ago about moving the LA with maybe 1 or 2 of the other members of the band.

At any case, I just bought the album and will check it out hopefully this week at least (my new job begins in 2 weeks and next week I'm on vacation).

I am happy they were able to put this out, unlike some bands like Fields or Superior, who made an album and never got to share it (or like Soundscape, who it took nearly a decade to finally share it).

But it is bitter sweet. Of course following the members, namely Adam's future music projects, should be worth doing. And some kind of reunion may happen at some point (see Kiss Kiss or TREOS for example).

But for now, this will have to do.

I think it may be worth mentioning how a band like Local Natives who I am still a very big fan of, owes a bit to these guys. And they likely would fully admit, just even the tribal drumming and such. It is a bit sad Annuals find this fate, and meanwhile Local Natives constantly get compared to the likes of bands like Grizzly Bear and The National, lol. While I rarely if ever have seen the Annuals name mentioned when talking about them. Maybe in due time (yeah right).

RIP.



1. Omnicide 04:09
2. Winslow 03:18
3. Sunday, 17 03:07
4. I Don't Care 03:42
5. Orbweaver 02:52
6. The Rotary 03:36
7. Whippoorwill 03:27
8. Watauga 04:59
9. Broke 03:12
10. Coffee 04:21
11. Lil' Pitlins 04:11




This is Time Stamp. Whether it's a swan song, a comeback, or something else... Even we aren't sure. This is the first Annuals full length in nearly five years with just five songs in between, and even those songs from Sweet Sister (which were supposed to be a quick "hold-you-over") have gathered some dust. 
There have been good, bad, hard, and harder times since our departure from Canvasback and Columbia records in 2010. It seems we've all individually landed on our feet but for better or worse in different, separate places. The majority of Time Stamp has sat in a near-completed form for almost 18 months, the final stretch towards completion would cost the band essentially all of the money it had left to it's name. It's here now, with some measured degree of hope, that people will care enough to see that this might be a last ditch effort. We know we have friends and fans across the USA and beyond, we've met you and we've shared many joyful evenings together over the years. We skipped the crowd funding and went straight to getting out a final product. We hope you care about the project, can put something back into it, and to share it with your friends and loved ones. Thank you for all of the love and support you've afforded us all these years. This is for y'all.
credits
released 23 April 2013 
All songs written and produced by Adam Baker 

For the making of this record, Annuals is and was: 
Adam Baker 
Mike Robinson 
Zack Oden 
Nick Radford 
Devin Downey 
Kenny Florence 
Whit Wright 
Anna Spence 
& Jenna Smith