# Unknown Colors

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***Unknown Colors*** is the debut studio album by [Swedish](/source/Swedish_people) [quintet](/source/Quintet) [Sad Day for Puppets](/source/Sad_Day_for_Puppets). It was initially released exclusively in Sweden on 28 October 2008 by independent label HaHa Fonogram, with a United Kingdom release following eight months later on 1 June 2009 via Sonic Cathedral Recordings. The UK edition contained two exclusive bonus tracks, "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" and "Saddest Cloud".

## Recording and promotion

The majority of songs on the record were composed within a six-month period.[1] "Marble Gods" was released as the album's lead single, and appeared on [Rough Trade](/source/Rough_Trade_(shops))'s [sampler album](/source/Sampler_album) *Indiepop 09*.[2][3] "Cherry Blossom" was also released as a single.[4] The band promoted the album with performances at several UK music festivals, including [Truck Festival](/source/Truck_Festival).[5][6]

## Critical reception

The record received positive review upon release. Heather Phares of [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) rated the album four stars out of five, praising it for revisiting the "halcyon days of the late '80s and early '90s, when [indie pop](/source/Indie_pop) crossbred with [shoegaze](/source/Shoegazing), and groups like [Lush](/source/Lush_(band)), [Bettie Serveert](/source/Bettie_Serveert), and [Velocity Girl](/source/Velocity_Girl) mixed those dreamy sonics with immediate hooks and melodies." She summarised by saying: "Even if there aren't too many previously unknown sounds on *Unknown Colors*, Sad Day for Puppets know how to use them well."[7] A writer for *[Sydsvenskan](/source/Sydsvenskan)* complimented the disparity between the influences the band used in composing the record, and said they succeeded in making a record "better than their combined influences. There's something quite majestic going on here, even if you can't put your finger on it."[8] Likewise, Swedish magazine *Muzic* said: "The music and melodies are elaborate and well composed without being predictable or too easily accessible, which is an art in itself to master."[9] *[NME](/source/NME)* was complimentary of Anna Eklund's vocals, saying that her "spectral diction – enshrined under glacial washes of distortion – is seductive and richly evocative."[10] Although *Joyzine* was dismissive about the length of time it took the band to compose the album, and said such brevity often resulted in sub-par records, they described *Unknown Colors* as a major leap forward for the group.[1]

The album also received some mixed reviews. A writer for *Sonic Magazine* said they enjoyed the first ten songs, but "quickly lost interest" during the album's eleventh track, when "everything begins to fall flat".[11] *Groove* described the record as "nice" while indicating "Little Light" was its best song, but was unimpressed by the rest of the album.[12]

## Track listing

All songs written and composed by Martin Källholm.

1. "Little Light" – 3:17
1. "Blue Skies" – 4:00
1. "Marble Gods" – 3:45
1. "Mother's Tears" – 3:06
1. "Cherry Blossom" – 3:06
1. "Lay Your Burden On Me" – 5:21
1. "When the Morning Comes" – 2:54
1. "Last Night" – 3:38
1. "Shiny Teeth and Sharpened Claws" – 3:23
1. "Romans" – 3:18
1. "All the Songs" – 4:01
1. "My Twin Star" – 4:09
1. "Withering Petals and Dust" – 3:03
1. "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" – 3:22 (UK bonus track)
1. "Saddest Cloud" – 2:06 (UK bonus track)

## Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of *Unknown Colors*.[13]

- Anna Eklund – vocals
- Marcus Sandgren – lead guitar
- Martin Källholm – songwriter, guitar, piano, producer
- Alex Svenson-Metés – bass, keyboards, [background vocals](/source/Backing_vocalist), percussion, drums on "Mother's Tears", "Cherry Blossom", "Lay Your Burden On Me" and "My Twin Star", producer, [recording engineer](/source/Audio_engineering), [mixing](/source/Audio_mixing_(recorded_music))
- Micael Back – drums on "Little Light", "Marble Gods" and "Last Night"

Additional personnel:

- Patrik Andersson – [pedal steel guitar](/source/Pedal_steel_guitar) on "Lay Your Burden On Me", "Last Night" and "Withering Petals and Dust"
- Annika Eklund – background vocals
- Hannes Fornander – background vocals
- Gustaf Kjellin – photography, [artwork](/source/Cover_art)
- Henrik Lindquist – [sdfp](/source/Sad_Day_for_Puppets) logo
- Christoffer Narin – drums on "All the Songs" and "Withering Petals and Dust"
- Karl Alfred Nilsson – drums on "Blue Skies", "Shiny Teeth and Sharpened Claws" and "Romans"
- Andreas Tilliander – [mastering](/source/Audio_mastering)

## References

1. ["Joyzine | Recension – Skiva | Sad Day For Puppets: Unknown Colors, 2008"](http://joyzine.se/?p=2977) (in Swedish). *Joyzine*. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2019.

1. ["Rough Trade Shops – Indiepop 09"](https://www.sydsvenskan.se/2009-11-25/rough-trade-shops--indiepop-09). *[Sydsvenskan](/source/Sydsvenskan)*. [Bonnier Group](/source/Bonnier_Group). 6 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2019.

1. Monger, James Christopher. ["Rough Trade Shops: Indiepop 09"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/rough-trade-shops-indiepop-09-mw0001961412). *[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)*. [RhythmOne](/source/RhythmOne). Retrieved 30 November 2019.

1. Gourlay, Dom (20 April 2009). ["Shoegaze Week: Label Focus # 25: Sonic Cathedral / In Depth"](https://web.archive.org/web/20191203005105/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4136606-shoegaze-week--label-focus-25--sonic-cathedral). *[Drowned in Sound](/source/Drowned_in_Sound)*. Archived from [the original](http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4136606-shoegaze-week--label-focus-25--sonic-cathedral) on 3 December 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2020.

1. ["Crewe live music: Volume Festival returns for 2011"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/stoke/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9326000/9326167.stm). *[BBC Music](/source/BBC_Music)*. [BBC](/source/BBC). 29 December 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2019.

1. ["Full Truck Festival line-up announced"](https://www.nme.com/news/music/supergrass-15-1318170). *[NME](/source/NME)*. 3 July 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2019.

1. Phares, Heather. ["Unknown Colors – Sad Day for Puppets | Songs, Reviews, Credits"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/unknown-colors-mw0001740038). *AllMusic*. RhythmOne. Retrieved 30 November 2019.

1. Berg, Sara (6 November 2008). ["Sad Day For Puppets"](https://www.sydsvenskan.se/2008-11-06/sad-day-for-puppets). *[Sydsvenskan](/source/Sydsvenskan)*. [Bonnier Group](/source/Bonnier_Group). Retrieved 30 November 2019.

1. ["muzic.se – skivrecension – Sad Day For Puppets – Unknown Colors"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100823001638/http://muzic.se/show.php?typ=skivor&id=1329). *Muzic.se*. 7 November 2008. Archived from [the original](http://muzic.se/show.php?typ=skivor&id=1329) on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 30 November 2019.

1. Nicolson, Barry (27 May 2009). ["Album Review: Sad Day For Puppets – 'Unknown Colors'"](https://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews-sad-day-for-puppets-10505-319451). *[NME](/source/NME)*. Retrieved 7 January 2020.

1. ["Sad Day For Puppets: Unknown Colors"](https://sonicmagazine.com/2008/11/11/sad-day-for-puppets-unknown-colors/). *Sonic Magazine*. 11 November 2008. [ISSN 1650-2795](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1650-2795). Retrieved 1 December 2019.

1. Gustafsson, Anna. ["Sad Day For Puppets – Unknown colors – GROOVE – Sveriges största musktidning"](http://www.groove.se/site/recension.asp?recId=2890&mediumId=1) [Sad Day For Puppets – Unknown colors – GROOVE – Sweden's largest music magazine] (in Swedish). *Groove*. Retrieved 2 December 2019.

1. "Digital booklet". *Unknown Colors* (liner notes). Stockholm, Sweden: HaHa Fonogram. 2008. HHF0810.

## External links

- [Official website](https://www.saddayforpuppets.com)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Unknown Colors](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unknown_Colors) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unknown_Colors?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.