Afraid of Ghosts

Last updated
Afraid of Ghosts
Afraid of Ghosts.jpg
Studio album by
Butch Walker
ReleasedFebruary 3, 2015
Recorded PAX AM Studios, Los Angeles
Genre Alternative rock, pop rock, folk rock
Length39:01
Label Dangerbird Records (US), Lojinx (Europe)
Producer Ryan Adams
Butch Walker chronology
The Spade
(2011)		Afraid of Ghosts
(2015)		 Stay Gold
(2016)

Afraid of Ghosts is the seventh full-length studio album from Butch Walker, and was released on Lojinx records in Europe on 2 February 2015 [1] and Dangerbird Records in North America on February 3, 2015. [2] The album was announced on October 6, 2014, with the release of its first single, "Chrissie Hynde". The album's title track premiered on October 20, 2014. [3]

Contents

Walker spent a year writing this album, and recorded it in only four days, a year after the passing of his father. According to Walker, the album is a way of "coming to terms with the past and living for the future." It's about "coming to terms with your ghosts, taking what scares you the most. And turning it into something real." [4] The album was produced by singer/songwriter Ryan Adams at his PAX AM Studios, and features guest musicians such as Johnny Depp, Mike Viola, and Bob Mould. [5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 77/100 [6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
American Songwriter Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The A.V. Club B [10]
Music Connection Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
SputnikmusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]

Afraid of Ghosts received mostly positive reviews. Its Metacritic rating of 77 out of 100 indicates "generally favorable reviews". [6]

The album debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 104, [13] selling around 6,000 copies in the first week. It has sold 13,000 copies in the United States as of July 2016. [14]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Afraid of Ghosts"Butch Walker4:57
2."I Love You"Walker3:01
3."Chrissie Hynde"Walker4:09
4."Still Drunk"Walker4:05
5."How Are Things, Love?"Walker4:15
6."Bed On Fire"Walker3:58
7."21+"Walker3:45
8."Autumn Leaves"Walker3:31
9."Father's Day"Walker, Ryan Adams4:45
10."The Dark"Walker, Adams2:35

Musicians

Charts

Chart (2015)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [15] 104
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [16] 6
US Folk Albums (Billboard) [17] 4
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [18] 12
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [19] 21
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [20] 13

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butch Walker</span> American musician (born 1969)

Bradley Glenn "Butch" Walker is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the glam metal band SouthGang from the late 1980s to early 1990s and the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.

<i>Another Passenger</i> 1976 studio album by Carly Simon

Another Passenger is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on June 5, 1976.

<i>Rise and Shine</i> (Randy Travis album) 2002 studio album by Randy Travis

Rise and Shine is the fourteenth studio album by American country music artist Randy Travis. It was released on October 15, 2002 by Word Records. It was produced the single "Three Wooden Crosses", which in 2003 became his first Number One single on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart since 1994's "Whisper My Name". The only other single release from this album was "Pray for the Fish", which peaked at #48.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brendon Urie</span> American singer and musician (born 1987)

Brendon Boyd Urie is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is best known as the former lead vocalist and frontman of Panic! at the Disco, the only constant member throughout the band's 19-year run.

<i>The Hits</i> (Faith Hill album) 2007 greatest hits album by Faith Hill

The Hits is the first greatest hits album by American country music singer Faith Hill issued in the United States. Originally slated for release on May 8, 2007, the album was delayed several times until it was finally released on October 2, 2007.

<i>Everybody Knows</i> (Trisha Yearwood album) 1996 studio album by Trisha Yearwood

Everybody Knows is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Trisha Yearwood, containing country pop-styled ballads.

<i>Home at Last</i> (Billy Ray Cyrus album) 2007 studio album by Billy Ray Cyrus

Home at Last is the tenth studio album by American singer and actor, Billy Ray Cyrus. It was released on July 24, 2007, and is follow-up album to Wanna Be Your Joe, which was released in 2006. Home at Last is Cyrus' debut and only album to date for Walt Disney Records.

<i>Time* Sex* Love*</i> 2001 studio album by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Time* Sex* Love* is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, released by Columbia Nashville on May 29, 2001. It rose to No. 6 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and produced two singles: "Simple Life," which peaked at No. 53 on the Hot Country Songs chart, and "This Is Me Leaving You", which failed to chart. Despite its low airplay ranking, "Simple Life" spent 28 weeks on Billboard's Top 25 Country Singles Sales chart, peaking at No. 8 on May 5, 2001.

<i>Everybody</i> (Ingrid Michaelson album) 2009 studio album by Ingrid Michaelson

Everybody is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. The album was released on August 25, 2009, on Cabin 24 Records. The first single from the album, "Maybe", was released on July 14, 2009.

<i>National Ransom</i> 2010 studio album by Elvis Costello

National Ransom is a studio album by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, released on 25 October 2010 through the Hear Music label. It was recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles with American songwriter and producer T Bone Burnett. The album's cover art is made by Maakies creator Tony Millionaire.

<i>Room to Breathe</i> (Delbert McClinton album) 2002 studio album by Delbert McClinton

Room to Breathe is a solo studio album by American blues rock singer-songwriter Delbert McClinton. It was released on August 24, 2002 via New West Records. It was recorded at Sound Emporium at Nashville, Tennessee with additional recording at Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Texas. Production was handled by Gary Nicholson and McClinton himself.

<i>The Spade</i> 2011 studio album by Butch Walker

The Spade is the sixth full-length studio album by Butch Walker, and the second released under the name Butch Walker and the Black Widows. It was released on August 30, 2011 on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. The lead single was "Summer of '89".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everything Has Changed</span> 2013 single by Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran

"Everything Has Changed" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring the English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran from Swift's fourth studio album, Red (2012). It was released as the sixth single from the album on July 14, 2013, by Big Machine Records. A music video for the song was released earlier on June 6, 2013. Produced by Butch Walker, "Everything Has Changed" is a guitar-led folk-pop ballad. Its lyrics are about wanting to know a new lover better. The song received mixed reviews from critics, who either complimented or criticized the production.

<i>Fuse</i> (Keith Urban album) 2013 studio album by Keith Urban

Fuse is the eighth studio album by New Zealand-born Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released on 10 September 2013 via Hit Red and Capitol Records Nashville. The album includes features from Miranda Lambert and Eric Church and has spawned six singles, four of which have topped the newly introduced US Billboard Country Airplay chart, making it his first album to produce four chart-topping singles.

<i>Morning Phase</i> 2014 studio album by Beck

Morning Phase is the twelfth official studio album and twelfth overall by American singer Beck. The album was released in February 2014 by his new label, Capitol Records. According to a press release, Morning Phase is a "companion piece" to Beck's 2002 album Sea Change. Almost every credited musician who recorded parts for Sea Change returned to record for Morning Phase, with the sole exception being Sea Change producer Nigel Godrich.

<i>Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes</i> 2014 studio album by The New Basement Tapes

Lost on the River: The New Basement Tapes is an album produced by T Bone Burnett featuring a collective of musicians recording under the moniker The New Basement Tapes—Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Taylor Goldsmith, Jim James and Marcus Mumford.

<i>PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit</i> 2014 studio album (re-recording) by Trisha Yearwood

PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit is a re-recorded studio album by American country artist Trisha Yearwood. It was released on November 17, 2014, via Gwendolyn Records and RCA Records Nashville. The album marked Yearwood's first release of new material since 2007's Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love.PrizeFighter contained six new songs as well as ten re-recorded versions of her hits. Two singles were released to radio, including the title track, which became a charting single on the Billboard country chart. The album received mixed reviews from critics upon its release.

<i>The Firewatchers Daughter</i> 2015 studio album by Brandi Carlile

The Firewatcher's Daughter is the fifth studio album by Brandi Carlile, released on March 3, 2015, on ATO Records. The lead single, "The Eye", was released in December 2014. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album at the 2016 awards.

<i>Stay Gold</i> (Butch Walker album) 2016 studio album by Butch Walker

Stay Gold is the eighth full-length studio album from American musician Butch Walker, released on August 26, 2016, through DangerBird records in the United States and Lojinx in Europe. The album was announced in June of that year with the lead single “East Coast Girl”.

<i>Wild Blue (Part I)</i> 2019 studio album by Hunter Hayes

Wild Blue (Part I) is the fourth major label studio album released by American singer-songwriter Hunter Hayes, released on August 16, 2019, through Warner Music Nashville. Hayes co-produced and co-wrote every track on the album.

References

  1. ↑ "Butch Walker - Afraid of Ghosts (Lojinx)". 2 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "Afraid of Ghosts".
  3. ↑ "Butch Walker - Maybe It's Just Me... — New day, new song (If you missed the premiere". Archived from the original on 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2014-10-31.
  4. ↑ "Butch Walker - Maybe It's Just Me... — I'm thinking today is a day for new beginnings". Archived from the original on 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2014-10-31.
  5. ↑ "Butch Walker - Maybe It's Just Me... — heyoooooo". Archived from the original on 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2014-10-31.
  6. 1 2 "Afraid of Ghosts – Butch Walker". Metacritic. CBS Interactive . Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  7. ↑ Manning, Craig. "Butch Walker – Afraid of Ghosts". AbsolutePunk. SpinMedia . Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  8. ↑ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "Afraid of Ghosts – Butch Walker". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation . Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  9. ↑ Horowitz, Hal (February 3, 2015). "Butch Walker: Afraid of Ghosts". American Songwriter . ForASong Media, LLC. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  10. ↑ Zaleski, Annie (February 3, 2015). "Songwriter/producer Butch Walker confronts his ghosts with no fear". The A.V. Club . The Onion . Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  11. ↑ Kaufmann, Andy (January 27, 2015). "Album Review: Butch Walker – Afraid of Ghosts". Music Connection . Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  12. ↑ Jon (January 30, 2015). "Review: Butch Walker – Afraid of Ghosts". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved February 14, 2015.
  13. ↑ "The Billboard 200". Billboard. February 21, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Butch Walker Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  16. ↑ "Butch Walker Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  17. ↑ "Butch Walker Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard.
  18. ↑ "Butch Walker Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  19. ↑ "Butch Walker Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard.
  20. ↑ "Butch Walker Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.