Cannibal Sea
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album|
| name = Cannibal Sea
| type = Album
| artist = The Essex Green
| cover = Cannibalsea.jpg
| alt =
| released = 2006
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Indie pop
| length =
| label = Merge Records
| producer =
| prev_title = The Long Goodbye
| prev_year = 2003
| next_title = Hardly Electronic
| next_year = 2018
}}
Cannibal Sea is the third album by indie rock band The Essex Green.{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Preston|title=The Essex Green: Cannibal Sea Album Review|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/the-essex-green-cannibal-sea|website=slant.com|date=28 April 2006 |publisher=Slant Magazine|accessdate=11 November 2014}} It was released in March 2006 by Merge Records.{{cite web|last1=Dorr|first1=Nate|title=The Essex Green:Cannibal Sea|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/the_essex_green_cannibal_sea/|website=popmatters.com|date=28 April 2006 |publisher=PopMatters|accessdate=11 November 2014}}
Background
Essex Green formed in 1997 in New York City. A part of The Elephant Six Collective, they released an EP and their debut album on Kindercore Records, followed by a second album, The Long Goodbye on Merge Records in 2003. Cannibal Sea was recorded in a number of studios, including producer Britt Meyers home studio, and released in April 2006.{{cite web|title=Interview with Chris Zither of The Essex Green|url=http://lacewings.wordpress.com/2006/10/05/interview-with-chris-zither-of-the-essex-green/|website=wordpress.com|date=5 October 2006 |publisher=WordPress}}
The cover artwork was designed by Maggie Fost.{{cite web|title=Cannibal Sea - The Essex Green - Credits|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/cannibal-sea-mw0000351268/credits|website=allmusic.com|publisher=Allmusic|accessdate=11 November 2014}}
Critical response
{{expand section|date=November 2014}}
{{Music ratings|rev1=Absolutepunk.net|rev1Score= (88%) [http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=198792 link]
|rev2=Allmusic|rev2Score= {{Rating|4.5|5}} [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r821778|pure_url=yes}} link]
|rev3=Pitchfork Media |rev3Score=(7.2/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/17507-cannibal-sea link]}}
Critical reaction to the album was mixed to positive. It currently holds a 78% rating, based on 16 critics' reviews, on the review aggregator site Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Of these, 13 are "positive", whilst 3 are considered "mixed." There are no "negative" reviews of the album. Most positive reviews praise the album for its innovative approach to pop, while criticisms include the fact that it is a bit "mellow," "familiar," and "empty."{{cite web|title=Critic Reviews for Cannibal Sea|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/cannibal-sea/the-essex-green/critic-reviews|website=metacritic.com|publisher=Metacritic|accessdate=11 November 2014}}
Track listing
All tracks written by The Essex Green.
{{track listing
| title1 = This Isn't Farmlife
| length1 = 4:06
| title2 = Don't Know Why (You Stay)
| length2 = 3:26
| title3 = Penny and Jack
| length3 = 2:53
| title4 = Snakes in the Grass
| length4 = 3:33
| title5 = Rue de Lis
| length5 = 3:15
| title6 = Cardinal Points
| length6 = 4:26
| title7 = Rabbit
| length7 = 2:24
| title8 = Uniform
| length8 = 3:22
| title9 = The Pride
| length9 = 3:13
| title10 = Sin City
| length10 = 2:32
| title11 = Elsinore
| length11 = 3:24
| title12 = Slope Song
| length12 = 3:33
}}