This Can't Be Life

The album was produced by Tony Berg and John Porter.{{cite news |last1=Shuster |first1=Fred |title=WILD COLONIALS GET BUSY |work=Los Angeles Daily News |date=August 9, 1996 |page=L21}} The album cover used artwork from a lithograph from the 1700s, which was discovered on a postcard. Bandmember Scott Roewe played a penny whistle, melodica, and didgeridoo, among other instruments.{{cite news |last1=Elkins |first1=Elizabeth |title=Scottish band likes to thrive on wild mix |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=October 11, 1996 |page=P4}} Rickie Lee Jones contributed to the album.{{cite news |last1=Renzhofer |first1=Martin |title=CD Reviews |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=September 15, 1996 |page=E3}} "Want" is about the death of singer Angela McCluskey's mother. McCluskey had a practice of starting to compose songs during year-end holiday seasons.{{cite news |last1=Healy |first1=James |title=Glasgow native finds her singing voice, again, in Hollywood |work=The San Diego Union-Tribune |date=December 19, 1996 |department=Entertainment |page=12}}

The cover image is from a 1917 German postcard. The sleeve design and photos were taken by Wild Colonials' violinist Paul Cantelon's brother Lee Cantelon. After a photo session at Rickie Lee Jones's house, Lee noticed the postcard on Rickie's kitchen wall.

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/this-cant-be-life-mw0000186211|title=Wild Colonials – This Can't Be Life Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic|via=www.allmusic.com}}

|rev2 = Los Angeles Times

|rev2score = {{rating|2.5|4}}{{cite news |last1=Appleford |first1=Steve |title=Wild Colonials, 'This Can't Be Life' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=29 Sep 1996 |department=Calendar |page=94}}

|rev3 = San Jose Mercury News

|rev3score = {{rating|2|4}}{{cite news |last1=Kava |first1=Brad |title=HALF OF HUMP DAY LOOKS FOR SOME GEMS AMID THE JUNK |work=San Jose Mercury News |date=October 4, 1996 |department=Eye |page=19}}

}}

The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed the album a "catchy, Eastern-flavored second effort."{{cite news |last1=Beckley |first1=Fred |title=WILD COLONIALS |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=13 Sep 1996 |department=FEATURES WEEKEND |page=19}} The Los Angeles Times wrote that "McCluskey sings messages for the lovelorn and the bitter over sounds that run from jazzy torch epics to the vaguely Middle Eastern." The San Jose Mercury News noted the "same low-range vocal ground" as 10,000 Maniacs. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette dismissed This Can't Be Life as "fuzzy acoustic vaguely Irish folk jazz."{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Philip |title=Wild Colonials, This Can't Be Life |work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette |date=October 11, 1996 |page=19W}}

The Orange County Register advised: "Imagine an Out of Time-era R.E.M. fronted by a raving mad Deborah Harry and you begin to get the idea of the punch Wild Colonials can pack."{{cite news |last1=Wener |first1=Ben |title=Wild Colonials 'This Can't Be Life' |work=Orange County Register |date=August 23, 1996 |page=F54}} The Star-Ledger stated that "McCluskey's husky, intelligent, sultry voice is the right vehicle to carry the band's jagged, edgy, Celtic-flavored alternative folk-rock that's as much Roxy Music as it is 10,000 Maniacs."{{cite news |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ben |title=Wild Colonials are anything but with a room half-empty |work=The Star-Ledger |date=September 23, 1996 |department=Today |page=25}}

The Oregonian listed This Can't Be Life among the 10 best albums of 1996.{{cite news |last1=Foyston |first1=John |title=EAR TO THE YEAR |work=The Oregonian |date=December 29, 1996 |page=E1}}

All songs written by the Wild Colonials

1. "This Misery" – 4:13
2. "Spirit" – 4:50
3. "Coy" – 3:44
4. "Wake Up Sad" – 5:05
5. "Charm" – 3:17
6. "Want" – 5:14
7. "If" – 4:05
8. "Blue" – 5:36
9. "Different" – 3:54
10. "Childhood" – 5:49

• Angela McCluskey – vocals
• Shark – guitars, vocals, percussion, ambient bass
• Paul Cantelon – violin, piano
• Scott Roewe – bass, piano, organ, melodica, wurlitzer, casio, didgeridoo, bass clarinet, penny whistle, tenor sax
• Thaddeus Corea – drums, percussion, vocals

• Martin Tillmann – cello
• Jon Brion – chamberlin, guitar, organ on "This Misery"
• Juliet Prater – world percussion
• Tony Berg – optigan, guitar, tambura
• Andrew Scheps – mütes galore on "Wake Up Sad" and "This Misery"
• Rickie Lee Jones – Guest vocals on "Spirit"
• Eric Reigler – uilleann pipes on "Want"
• Ethan James – hurdy-gurdy on "Childhood"
• Robert Burns – vibraphone on "Wake Up Sad"
• Whitney Wade – additional vocals on "If"

• Producers: Tony Berg, John Porter
• Mixers: Tchad Blake, Jim Rondinelli
• Recorded by: Brian Scheuble, Joe McGrath
• Additional engineering: Howard Willing

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Category:Wild Colonials albums

Category:1996 albums

Category:Geffen Records albums

Category:Albums produced by Tony Berg