Spooky Action at a Distance

Spooky Action at a Distance is the second studio album by Lotus Plaza, a.k.a. Lockett Pundt, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter for Deerhunter. It was released on April 2, 2012 on Chicago-based label Kranky.

For the physics concept, see Action at a distance and Quantum entanglement.
Spooky Action at a Distance
Studio album by
Lotus Plaza
ReleasedApril 2, 2012
GenreIndie rock, shoegaze, dream pop, neo-psychedelia
Length44:02
LabelKranky
ProducerC. Laszlo Koltay
Lotus Plaza chronology
The Floodlight Collective
(2009)		 Spooky Action at a Distance
(2012)		 Overnight Motorcycle Music EP
(2014)

Recording

Spooky Action at a Distance was recorded in 2011 in Detroit. Unlike The Floodlight Collective, Spooky Action at a Distance was written so that the songs could be easily played in a live performance.[1] In addition, Pundt wanted more direct songs and less vocal reverberations compared to his previous album.[2] Pundt played every instrument on the album.[1] The album was dedicated to Pundt's grandmother Doris Fields, who died while Pundt was writing the album.[3]

The first song written for Spooky Action at a Distance was "Strangers," followed by "Out of Touch." Both songs featured a kid's drum set Pundt bought from a thrift store. The slow down at the end of "Strangers" was Pundt wanting to have a "long, stretched-out feeling—sort of like changing the tape speed or putting a finger on a record and slowing it down." "Black Buzz" was influenced by Lee Hazlewood and was written about someone close to Pundt who has had addiction problems. "Dusty Rhodes" was written for Pundt's fiancée.[2]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[4]
Beats Per Minute(68%)[5]
Cokemachineglow(80%)[6]
Consequence of Sound[7]
Pitchfork(8.4/10)[8]
PopMatters(6/10)[9]
Prefix Magazine(80%)[10]

Spooky Action at a Distance has received generally positive reviews. On the review aggregate website Metacritic, the album has a score of 74 out of 100, indicating "Generally favorable reviews."[11]

Pitchfork Media's Ian Cohen gave the album a Best New Music designation, calling the album "one of the strongest indie rock records of the year so far."[8] Consequence of Sound's David Dilillo was also positive, writing "Showcasing his most straightforward songwriting yet, Spooky Action at a Distance solidifies for us what Pundt has always been: a vital element of Deerhunter and an understated conjurer of rock reveries."[7] Prefix Magazine's Jamieson Cox praised the album for balancing mainstream and experimental elements, writing "With Spooky Action at a Distance, Pundt proves he can walk the tightrope between listener-friendly anthems and cerebral digressions into edgier terrain with aplomb."[10] Allmusic's Heather Phares described Spooky Action at a Distance as "[A] great showcase for his [Pundt's] winsome songs."[4]

Beats Per Minute's Jay Lancaster, on the other hand, compared the album to Deerhunter, writing "In essence, if you’ve followed Deerhunter at all, you’re not going to find Lotus Plaza to be anything groundbreaking." Lancaster concluded: "[I]f I don’t revisit it, (and I might not, because it wasn’t exactly mind-blowing), I appreciate it for at least being a pleasant listen."[5] Ryan Reed of Popmatters also gave the album a mixed review, writing "[W]hen the intensity dies down, the results can be shapeless." Reed continued: "In many ways, we’ve heard all these songs before, in slightly tighter fashion, on the last two Deerhunter albums. Pundt may be sticking too close to his comfort zone, but there’s enough magic here to hold him over until the next Deerhunter album."[9]

Track listing
  1. "Untitled" - 1:25
  2. "Strangers" - 4:30
  3. "Out of Touch" - 4:33
  4. "Dusty Rhodes" - 3:38
  5. "White Galactic One" - 4:06
  6. "Monoliths" - 3:35
  7. "Jet Out of the Tundra" - 6:33
  8. "Eveningness" - 5:05
  9. "Remember Our Days" - 5:07
  10. "Black Buzz" - 5:30

Personnel

The following people contributed to Spooky Action at a Distance:[12]

  • Heba Kadry - Mastering
  • C. Laszlo Koltay - Engineer, Mixing, Producer
  • Lotus Plaza - Composer, Instrumentation
  • Craig McCaffrey - Layout Assistance

Charts
Chart (2012) Peak
position
US Billboard Independent Albums 46[13]
US Billboard Top Heatseekers 7[13]

References
  1. Pitchfork TV. Lotus Plaza Pitchfork TV on YouTube. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April.
  2. Cummings, Ray. Q&A: Lotus Plaza's Lockett Pundt On Deerhunter's Musical Chemistry, His Recent Engagement, And Why "Black Buzz" Is The Best Song He's Ever Written. Village Voice. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  3. Dilillo, Dave. Interview: Lockett Pundt (of Lotus Plaza/Deerhunter). Consequence of Sound. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  4. Phares, Heather. Spooky Action at a Distance. Allmusic. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  5. Jay Lancaster (April 4, 2012). "Album Review: Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  6. Conrad Amenta (April 4, 2012). "Lotus Plaza: Spooky Action at a Distance". Cokemachineglow.com. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  7. David Dilillo (April 11, 2012). "Album Review: Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  8. Ian Cohen (April 2, 2012). "Lotus Plaza: Spooky Action at a Distance". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  9. Ryan Reed (April 5, 2012). "Lotus Plaza: Spooky Action at a Distance". Popmatters. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  10. Jamieson Cox (April 5, 2012). "Album Review: Lotus Plaza - Spooky Action at a Distance". Prefix Magazine. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  11. Critic Reviews for Spooky Action at a Distance. Metacritic. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  12. Spooky Action at a Distance - Credits. Allmusic.
  13. Spooky Action at a Distance - Charts & Awards. Allmusic. Retrieved 30 April 2012
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