Genre Indie pop Label Trifekta | Length 37:21 Producer Cameron Bird | |
Released 9 February 2003 (2003-02-09) Recorded 14 July 2001 (2001-07-14) – 18 December 2002 (2002-12-18) at Super Melody World, Melbourne | ||
Fingers Crossed is the first album by Australian indie pop band Architecture in Helsinki, which was released on 9 February 2003 by independent record label, Trifekta.
It is known especially for its gentle, high-pitched synthesizers and an ambitiously wide array of musical instruments, many unconventional and prominent. The instruments used include glockenspiel, woodwinds, xylophone, flute, four different kinds of guitar, trumpet, tuba, trombone, melodica, thumb piano, clarinet, recorder, bass, and various drums and percussion including hand claps, finger snaps, and the taps of tap shoes. It also uses a variety of voices, mainly in gender and age.
In 2007, "Souvenirs" received attention for its use in a Sprint Nextel commercial., and in 2009 excerpts from the song were used in a popular commercial for Fanta in the United Kingdom.
Critical reception
Allmusic's Heather Phares felt the album showed a "very appealing collage of electronic and indie pop." Dan of BigYawn initially "had some trouble deciding whether or not I really enjoyed the debut album" but ultimately declared "The songs are catchy enough, and their unique instrumentation and feel for textured sounds show great promise." Jenny Yuen of Prefix Mag noted "[it] should be categorized as a kids' soundtrack. It captures innocence at its best moments by using a ridiculous amount of instruments (thirty-one, to be exact) that could keep a marching band happy, all of which makes up fourteen very shiny and happy songs." However, Stylus Magazine's Akiva Gottlieb "[found] their puerile, psychologically regressive child's play boring and self-absorbed".