Angry Cyclist

Last updated

Angry Cyclist
The Proclaimers Angry Cyclist.jpeg
Studio album by
The Proclaimers
Released10 August 2018
Studio Rockfield Studios, Wales
Genre
Length37:26
Label Cooking Vinyl
Producer Dave Eringa
The Proclaimers chronology
Let's Hear It for the Dogs
(2015)		Angry Cyclist
(2018)		 Dentures Out
(2022)
Singles from Angry Cyclist
  1. "Angry Cyclist"
    Released: 14 June 2018
  2. "Streets of Edinburgh"
    Released: 2018
  3. "Sometimes It's The Fools"
    Released: 2019

Angry Cyclist is the eleventh [1] studio album by Scottish folk rock duo The Proclaimers. The album was released on 10 August 2018 on the label Cooking Vinyl. [1] The album spawned the titular single "Angry Cyclist", [2] accompanied by a music video. Charting at No. 2 in Scotland, as well as at No. 17 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 3 on the Indie Charts, [3] the release of Angry Cyclist was followed by a promotional tour of the United Kingdom, Canada, Iceland, Asia and Australia. [4]

Contents

Receiving a generally favourable reception, with AllMusic praising the record an example of the band's best work, Angry Cyclist included politically-themed songs reflecting scepticism of Brexit and Donald Trump; it was described by Louder Than War as "an essential record" for those unhappy with the political landscape. The record was described as "punk in spirit" and showcased a variety of influences including country, jangle pop and soul. [5] [6] [2] [7] [4] [8]

Production

The album was produced by Dave Eringa who produced The Proclaimers' previous album Let's Hear It for the Dogs , and was likewise recorded in Wales at Rockfield Studios. On 15 June 2018, it was announced that the album would be released worldwide on 10 August that year. [9]

Release

Angry Cyclist was released on 10 August 2018. [6] Released through Cooking Vinyl, [10] the album saw Europe-wide release on CD, as well as vinyl and cassette releases in the UK. [10]

Style and content

Lyrical themes

The lyrics of Angry Cyclist included political themes. The title-track "Angry Cyclist" reflected dismay at a societal shift to the political right following Brexit and the election of Donald Trump, [2] band member Craig Reid metaphorically likening "sweating, angry cyclists “hemmed in” by city traffic with the polarisation of political discourse", the song was hailed "a metaphor for our times". [2] "Classy" was a wry insight into the "ludicrous strata" of the British class system. [11] The sentimental ballad "Streets of Edinburgh" looked backwards and forwards at the city where the band spent their formative years. [12]

Musical style

The York Press described the album as "soulful country-folk" as well as "punk in spirit", upgraded with strings in a manner reminiscent of producer Dave Eringa's work with Idlewild and Manic Street Preachers. [8] AllMusic stated that The Proclaimers "present a mix of style influences" on Angry Cyclist, [6] describing "The Battle of the Booze" as "countrified" and noting "Information"'s R&B infusions. [6] "Sometimes It's the Fools" has been described by The Scotsman as ringing out with a "pithy and pacey jangle", [4] comparable to R.E.M., declaring "You Make Me Happy" to be a "direct and driving Celtic soul stormer" and "A Way with Words" a "twanging country rock’n’roller". [4]

Reception

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 77/100 [5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The ScotsmanStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The Skinny Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Spill Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]

According to Metacritic , Angry Cyclist received a score of 77/100 based in 5 reviews, suggesting "generally positive reviews". [5]

Marcy Donelson of AllMusic described the record as "one of [the band's] best" and "the type of album that would be fun see performed live in full". [6]

Louder Than War described Dentures Out as "an absolutely essential record for those of us unhappy with the nasty turns the world has been taking". [7]

In an eight-out-of-ten review, Bryan Willitson of Toronto-based publication The Spill Magazine opined that the album had "many moments to enjoy" and that it "grows on the listener with each successive spin". [12]

The Skinny , in a four out-of five-star review by Alan O'Hare, while acknowledging the album to offer "a little less gravitas than usual", stated that " the taut Telecasters that dominate The Proclaimers' eleventh studio album provide a tension that seems to sit well within [...] these prescient compositions", [1] and further alluded to the track "Classy" as "lyrical genius". [1]

The Scotsman complimented Angry Cyclist as one of the band's "most cutting collections" and that "every track brims with confidence". [4]

Accolades

Angry Cyclist ranked at No. 64 on 100 Best Albums of 2018 by UK music retailer Fopp. [13]

Touring

The Proclaimers embarked on a worldwide tour following the release of Angry Cyclist. The 2018 leg of the Angry Cyclist tour saw the band perform 43 shows and 5 festivals in the United Kingdom, as well as 13 concerts in Canada supported by the English indie folk artist Siobhan Wilson. [14] [15] The 2019 portion included performances that April in Reykjavik, Dubai and Singapore, [16] [17] as well as a 10-date tour of Australia that May. [18] The tour concluded with a performance on 14 September 2019 at The Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. [19] The Angry Cyclist tour saw the duo perform to over 400,000 people across 111 performances. [19]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Craig and Charlie Reid

No.TitleLength
1."Angry Cyclist"2:26
2."Stretch"2:55
3."Streets of Edinburgh"3:46
4."Then It Comes to Me"3:05
5."You Make Me Happy"2:27
6."Looted"3:00
7."The Hours Between"3:16
8."Information"2:43
9."Sometimes It's the Fools"2:57
10."A Way With Words"2:11
11."Classy"2:38
12."The Battle of the Booze"2:34
13."I'd Ask the Questions"2:28

Personnel

Chart performance

Charts (2018)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [21] 2
UK Albums (OCC) [22] 17
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [23] 3

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 O'Hare, Alan (7 August 2018). "The Proclaimers – Angry Cyclist". The Skinny. The Skinny. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Alexander, Michael (11 August 2018). "Interview with The Proclaimers: Why new album title track 'Angry Cyclist' is a metaphor for our times". The Courier. The Courier. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  3. ↑ "Angry Cyclist album charts at Number 17". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Album reviews: The Proclaimers | Jah Wobble | Giant Sand | Israel Nash". The Scotsman. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 "Angry Cyclist by The Proclaimers". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Donelson, Marcy. "The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist - Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  7. 1 2 Joenk Watt, Angela (7 August 2018). "The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist". Louder Than War. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  8. 1 2 Hutchinson, Charles (10 August 2018). "Album of the Week: The Proclaimers, Angry Cyclist (Cooking Vinyl) ***". The York Press. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "The Proclaimers' new album "Angry Cyclist"". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  10. 1 2 "The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist". Discogs. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  11. ↑ Alinscoe, Mike. "The Proclaimers: Angry Cyclist – Video, single and Album News". Louder Than War. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 Williston, Bryan. "Spill Album Review: The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist". The Spill Magazine . Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  13. ↑ "Best Albums of 2018".
  14. ↑ "Angry Cyclist 2018 Tour". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  15. ↑ Murphy, Sarah (17 April 2018). "The Proclaimers Plot Fall Canadian Tour". Exclaim. Exclaim. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  16. ↑ "The Proclaimers will perform live in Singapore on 29 April 2019". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  17. ↑ "Latest news on Tour". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  18. ↑ "Australia - "Angry Cyclist tour" 2019". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  19. 1 2 "Angry Cyclist Tour - The last show". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  20. 1 2 3 The liner notes entail the musical and technical personnel of Angry Cyclist.
  21. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  22. ↑ "Proclaimers | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  23. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
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