About Time of Rebirth (release date - 12 March 2004) “Tender and beautiful in its intimacy, it is all about softspoken loners and romantic gentle souls tweaking sensitivities and nursing wounds in dreamy cafes.” – Chris Ho, The Straits Times “The Observatory invoke otherworldly beauty through a blend of electric gadgetry and classic instrumentation … gradually laying bare their emotional core while taking your breath away.” – Yeow Kai Chai, The Straits Times “This is a band that pays no attention to traditional verse/chorus/verse song structures, managing to sound almost like Kings of Convenience meets Red House Painters...” – Zul Othman, Weekend Today “ … the entire album oozes with sweet sorrow and melancholy.” - Wayne Lee, Juice “It’s hard to put a finger on what genre The Observatory’s music fits into.” - Sharlene Tan, Streats “The Observatory take the good side of recent Radiohead by mixing an ambient chill with familiar guitar effects … sounding as exciting as they are bold in their sonic experiments.” - Raymond Goh, 8 Days “A classy debut … one that doesn’t tread the commercial path of popdom just for radio airplay.” - voted Album of the Month, FHM April’04 “Beyond the jazz subtext, whiffs of electronica, and folk rock roots, The Observatory makes compelling music through engaging storytelling … truly a work of genuine talent, a work from the heart, of belief seldom seen, and of passion rarely heard. - Sebastian Ho, MTV Asia “At a time when most people’s impression of alternative music extends only as far as Linkin Park or Coldplay, The Observatory comes across as breath of fresh air by simply daring to be different. A diverse long-player full of invention and promise is what awaits indie fans.” - Zack Yusof, The Star, Malaysia “By adopting a folk-rock outlook through laptop flourishes and an almost free-form indie aesthetic, this quiet riot outfit does reflect such diverse collective influences like Red House Painters, Neil Young, Velvet Underground, Bonnie Prince Billy and Aphex Twin (not in any particular order, mind).” - The Star Online, Malaysia “... impossible to pigeonhole. The Observatory’s Time of Rebirth is a downtempo record of unhurried beauty – its delicate strums, tinkles and whispers lingering like dying fireflies in the corners of your mind. … This refusal to rush allows the songs to unfold slowly and work their way into your consciousness. There is a sense that you’ve entered a timeless, intimate space.” - Eugene Loh, Fresh Music Showcase on Mediacorp Radio 93.8 Live