Camera Obscura: The models of maudlin?

The phrase "My Maudlin Career" could mean anything from following an exceptionally foolish path in life to being known primarily as the town drunk. But as the title of Scottish band Camera Obscura's new record, it takes on new meaning, especially since the band's success probably isn't due to silly behavior.

"It's a wee bit of a play on words," says lead singer Tracyanne Campbell. "When we make records, we always try to summarize all the feelings in the songs by the title, like 'My Maudlin Career' (sounds like) 'my modeling career.' It's an inside joke because we could never be models. And to a certain extent, I'm interested in the fact that maybe the music business isn't as glamorous as people think it is, and modeling is a glamorous job, or some people think it is. We're just trying to be too clever for our own good."

Inside jokes and humor in general aren't something always associated with Camera Obscura. The band has produced four records of mostly very pretty and often melancholy distorted pop that suits a rainy day quite nicely, and Campbell's soft, somewhat timid vocals accentuate the mood.

But jokes on themselves and jokes in the title might indicate a shift in perspective for Campbell. As the primary songwriter, she admits to expressing sometimes more sad and maudlin sentiments than she would like. It's something she thought about through the making of "My Maudlin Career," a record she describes as "kind of a '50s soul record."

"It's the sort of music we're listening to. It's one type we like," she says. "But people tend to think I write sad songs that come from a dark place, and I guess I'm sort of questioning, 'Do I have to be sad to write songs or be in music?' "

Since the band's birth roughly a decade ago, they haven't really had to fight tooth and

Comment on "Camera Obscura: The models of maudlin?"