Almost Here (Unbelievable Truth album)

Last updated

Almost Here
Unbelievable Truth Almost There Cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released11 May 1998
Studio
Genre Soft rock
Length42:05
Label Virgin
Producer
  • Nigel Powell
  • Jeremy Wheatley
Unbelievable Truth chronology
Almost Here
(1998)
Sorrythankyou
(2000)

Almost Here is the debut studio album by English rock band Unbelievable Truth. Available on Virgin Records, catalogue number CDVX2849. Also available on MiniDisc MDV2849 / 7243 8 45155 8 4.

Contents

Background and recording

Vocalist and guitarist Andy Yorke and drummer Nigel Powell met while attending school, with the latter later meeting bassist Jason Moulster through mutual friends. Yorke had been studying Russian literature abroad in Russia; while there, he wrote several songs and subsequently asked Moulster to form a band on his behalf so they could work on the material when he returned. Unbelievable Truth subsequently formed in 1993, [1] taking their name from a Hal Hartley film. After initial performances, and despite receiving a publishing offer from Zomba Group, [2] Yorke took several more trips to Russia over the next few years, offering himself as an interpreter. [1] The band reformed in September 1996, [2] signing to Virgin Records in March 1997, [3] and getting a publishing deal with Chrysalis Music. [2]

Unbelievable Truth's debut single, "Stone", was released in mid-1997, and was promoted with supporting slots for Beth Orton, Sparklehorse and the Sundays. [2] Almost Here was recorded at Great Linford Manor in Buckinghamshire and Powell's house. Powell acted as the producer, with Jeremy Wheatley co-producing the sessions. The latter also served as the engineer for the whole album, with Andy Lovegrove and Andy Shillito also engineering "Finest Little Space" and "Higher Than Reason", respectively. Powell did some additional engineering, with Ady Winman assisting at Great Linford Manor. Wheatley mixed the recordings at Olympic Studios in London with assistant engineer Wayne Wilkins. [4]

Composition and lyrics

Musically, the sound of Almost Here has been described as soft rock. [5] AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine referred to it as an "alluringly moody record, similar to the epic soundscapes" of Radiohead and the Verve, "only with a bit of a country-rock underpinning". [6] PopMatters founder Sarah Zupko wrote that it "relies on largely acoustic arrangements and intricate dynamics", with influences from emo and Dog Man Star (1994) by Suede. [7] Yorke said the music is typically written first with the lyrics coming last; Powell said he would take each individual's part and coalesce them together to form a complete song. [1] String instrumentation was added to the various recordings by other musicians: Sharon Warnes (violin on "Angel", "Same Mistakes" and "Building"); Olivier Bonnici (violin on "Angel" and "Building"); Philip Heyman (viola on "Angel" and "Building"); and William Bruce (cello on "Solved", "Angel" and "Stone"). [4] "Solved" and "Settle Down" had the most similarities to Radiohead, with the former not sounding out of place from the material on their third studio album OK Computer (1997). [8] "Higher Than Reason" evoked the sound of Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake. [3]

Release

To promote the "Higher Than Reason" single, the band went on a UK tour in November 1997. [9] Jim Crosskey assisted the band for their live shows, playing guitars and keyboards. [4] In February 1998, they went on another UK tour. [9] "Higher Than Reason" was released as a single in the US on 2 February 1998. [3] Almost Here was released through Virgin Records on 11 May 1998. The band promoted it with a launch show at the Virgin Megastore in Oxford, prior to a UK tour for the rest of the month. Shortly afterwards, they appeared at T in the Park and Glastonbury Festival. [10] Almost Here was issued in the US on 20 October 1998. [11] Between October and December 1998, the band supported Tori Amos on her cross-country tour of the US. [12]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The Independent 4/5 [13]
NME 4/10 [14]
Pitchfork 5/10 [5]
PopMatters Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]

Erlewine said Yorke's lyricism can be viewed as "adolescent and the Unbelievable Truth's ambition often outweighs their accomplishments, but the promise they flaunt on their debut proves that they are almost there". [6] Zupko added to this, saying that the band had "sculpted a set of compelling, introspective songs that form a cohesive artistic statement". [7] The Independent writer Angela Lewis saw it as a "true beaut of a debut album [...] with 11 arresting songs that eschew everything the Cool Britannia party has to offer". [13] Pitchfork writer Brent DiCrescenzo said they perform "sylvan, introspective soft-rock that's pretty and pleasant, but too mono-emotional (read: sad)". [5] MTV's Kim Stitzel called it "restrained, mild, kinda pretty, and overwhelmingly inoffensive". [15] Victoria Segal of NME went further by writing that it was "supernaturally dull, vaporised by its earnestness" and that it was "useful only as road music for somnambulists, 'Almost Here' will knock you out. Cold." [14]

Several reviews compared it to Radiohead; Segal wrote that the band had "enough of a resemblance to Radiohead - serious, sensitive, the usual - to make it unavoidable". [14] DiCrescenzo was not surprised that the band "sounds like a watered-down Radiohead", though felt that Andy Yorke lacked the "intensity, tension, and questionable sanity" of Thom Yorke. [5] Tim Mohr of Consumable Online dismissed this comparison, stating that the band "don't sound remotely similar to Radiohead", being more inline with Arnold and Crowded House. He goes on to say Andy Yorke's vocal "style is completely his own and shows no trace of Thom". [16] CMJ New Music Monthly 's David Jarman wrote that the album "reveals a promising band that doesn't need to ride on anyone's coattails", though did admit that Yorke "shares some vocal tics with his brother – a lilting tenor, a fondness for quivering and hurt phrasing". [17] Spin writer Tracey Pepper said Yorke "asserts his independence [from his brother Thom] with a more acoustic sound and lyrics far removed from android paranoia." [18]

Track listing

All songs written by Jason Moulster, Nigel Powell and Andy Yorke. All lyrics by Yorke. [4]

No.TitleLength
1."Solved"3:48
2."Angel"3:50
3."Stone"3:38
4."Same Mistakes"3:03
5."Forget About Me"3:59
6."Settle Down"3:14
7."Finest Little Space"4:24
8."Building"5:04
9."Almost Here"4:09
10."Higher Than Reason"4:02
11."Be Ready"2:53
Total length:42:05
Bonus track on Japanese edition
No.TitleLength
4."From This Height"4:08

Personnel

Personnel per booklet. [4]

Related Research Articles

Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. They comprise Thom Yorke ; brothers Jonny Greenwood and Colin Greenwood (bass); Ed O'Brien ; and Philip Selway. They have worked with the producer Nigel Godrich and the cover artist Stanley Donwood since 1994. Radiohead's experimental approach is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock.

<i>OK Computer</i> 1997 studio album by Radiohead

OK Computer is the third studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 21 May 1997. With their producer, Nigel Godrich, Radiohead recorded most of OK Computer in their rehearsal space in Oxfordshire and the historic mansion of St Catherine's Court in Bath in 1996 and early 1997. They distanced themselves from the guitar-centred, lyrically introspective style of their previous album, The Bends. OK Computer's abstract lyrics, densely layered sound and eclectic influences laid the groundwork for Radiohead's later, more experimental work.

<i>Kid A</i> 2000 studio album by Radiohead

Kid A is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 2 October 2000 by Parlophone. It was recorded with their producer, Nigel Godrich, in Paris, Copenhagen, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Departing from their earlier sound, Radiohead incorporated influences from electronic music, krautrock, jazz and 20th-century classical music, with a wider range of instruments and effects. The singer, Thom Yorke, wrote impersonal and abstract lyrics, cutting up phrases and assembling them at random.

<i>The Bends</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Radiohead

The Bends is the second studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 13 March 1995 by Parlophone. It was produced by John Leckie, with extra production by Radiohead, Nigel Godrich and Jim Warren. The Bends combines guitar songs and ballads, with more restrained arrangements and cryptic lyrics than Radiohead's debut album, Pablo Honey (1993).

<i>Pablo Honey</i> 1993 studio album by Radiohead

Pablo Honey is the debut studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 22 February 1993 in the UK by Parlophone and on 20 April 1993 in the US by Capitol Records. It was produced by Sean Slade, Paul Q. Kolderie and Radiohead's co-manager Chris Hufford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonny Greenwood</span> English musician (born 1971)

Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood is an English musician. He is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the rock band Radiohead, and has composed numerous film scores. He has been named one of the greatest guitarists by numerous publications, including Rolling Stone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thom Yorke</span> English musician (born 1968)

Thomas Edward Yorke is an English musician who is the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. He plays guitar, bass, keyboards and other instruments, and is noted for his falsetto. Rolling Stone described Yorke as one of the greatest and most influential singers of his generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Greenwood</span> English bassist (born 1969)

Colin Charles Greenwood is an English bassist and a member of the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays upright bass and electronic instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paranoid Android</span> 1997 single by Radiohead

"Paranoid Android" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the lead single from their third studio album, OK Computer (1997), on 26 May 1997. The lyrics were written by singer Thom Yorke following an unpleasant experience in a Los Angeles bar. The song is over six minutes long and contains four sections. The name is taken from Marvin the Paranoid Android from the science fiction series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

<i>This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours</i> 1998 album by Manic Street Preachers

This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours is the fifth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 14 September 1998 by Epic Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigel Godrich</span> English producer and musician (born 1971)

Nigel Timothy Godrich is an English record producer, recording engineer and musician. He has worked with acts including Radiohead, Travis, Beck, Air, Paul McCartney, U2, R.E.M., Pavement, Roger Waters, Arcade Fire and Idles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idioteque</span> 2000 song by Radiohead

"Idioteque" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released on their fourth album, Kid A (2000). Radiohead developed it while experimenting with modular synthesisers. It contains samples of two 1970s computer music compositions.

Unbelievable Truth are a British rock band, led by Andy Yorke, with Nigel Powell, Jason Moulster, and Jim Crosskey. Their sound has been described as "slow, melancholy, country-tinged ballads, wrapped in a soft blanket of acoustic guitars and minor chords".

"Everything in Its Right Place" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the opening track of their fourth studio album, Kid A (2000). It features synthesiser, digitally manipulated vocals and unusual time signatures. The lyrics were inspired by the stress felt by the singer, Thom Yorke, while promoting Radiohead's album OK Computer (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How to Disappear Completely</span> 2000 song by Radiohead

"How to Disappear Completely" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead from their fourth studio album, Kid A (2000). It was produced by the band with their producer, Nigel Godrich, and was released as a promotional single in the US, Poland and Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bends (song)</span> 1996 single by Radiohead

"The Bends" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead from their second studio album, The Bends (1995). In Ireland, it was released by Parlophone on 26 July 1996 as the album's sixth and final single, and reached number 26 on the Irish Singles Chart.

Andy Yorke is an English musician best known as the lead singer and guitarist for the band Unbelievable Truth. He is the younger brother of the Radiohead singer Thom Yorke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigel Powell</span> English musician

Nigel Powell is an English multi-instrumental musician from Abingdon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Smile (band)</span> English rock band

The Smile are an English rock band comprising Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner (drums). Critics likened them to Yorke and Greenwood's band Radiohead, with more jazz, krautrock and progressive rock influences and a looser, wilder sound.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Maurer, Ullrich (August 1998). "Unglaublich" (in German). Gaesteliste.de. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Sexton 1998, p. 8
  3. 1 2 3 Sinclair 1998, p. 48
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Unbelievable Truth (1998). Almost Here (booklet). Virgin Records. 7243 8 45155 0 8/CDVX2849.
  5. 1 2 3 4 DiCrescenzo, Brent. "Unbelievable Truth Almost Here (Virgin)". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 10 October 1999. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Unbelievable Truth - Almost Here Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Zupko, Sarah. "Unbelievable Truth, Almost Here". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  8. Cohen, Jonathan. "Unbelievable Truth Almost Here". Nude as the News. Archived from the original on 20 January 2003. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Unbelievable Truth Hit the Road in UK". NME. 27 October 1997. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  10. "Free Ticket Offer for Unbelievable Truth Live in Oxford". NME. 29 March 1998. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  11. "Almost here / Unbelievable Truth". United States Copyright Office . Retrieved 2 December 2023.In the Search for box enter Unbelievable Truth, select Name, click Begin Search and then click on the second entry listed.
  12. Helms ed. 1998, p. 32
  13. 1 2 Lewis, Angela (15 May 1998). "Pop & Jazz: Album Reviews". The Independent . Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 Segal, Victoria. "Unbelievable Truth Almost Here". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  15. Stitzel, Kim. "Unbelievable Truth Almost Here (Virgin)". MTV. Archived from the original on 14 September 2000. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  16. Mohr, Tim (21 November 1998). "Unbelievable Truth, Almost Here- Tim Mohr". Consumable Online. Archived from the original on 5 December 2000. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
  17. Jarman 1998, p. 55
  18. Pepper 1998, p. 48

Sources