| Ashes Grammar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 15, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | September – December 2008 | |||
| Studio | Downtown Performing Arts Center (Lambertville, New Jersey) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 63:08 | |||
| Label | Mis Ojos Discos | |||
| A Sunny Day in Glasgow chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Ashes Grammar | ||||
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Ashes Grammar is the second studio album by American indie rock band A Sunny Day in Glasgow. It was released on September 15, 2009, by Mis Ojos Discos. [4]
Following a successful European tour, A Sunny Day in Glasgow's Ben Daniels began preparations for the recording of the band's next album. [5] He rented a large dance studio space within the Downtown Performing Arts Center in Lambertville, which became the primary location for recording. [5] [6] He and bandmate Josh Meakim then began experimenting with sounds and setting up microphones in the space. [5] Prior to the start of formal work on the album, however, three members of A Sunny Day in Glasgow departed the band under varying circumstances: Brice Hickey, who had "very seriously" broken his legs in an accident while loading equipment into his car on the day that recording was set to begin; Lauren Daniels, who left in order to care for Hickey, her then-boyfriend; and Robin Daniels, who wished to pursue her graduate studies. [7] The band was subsequently reduced to Ben Daniels and Josh Meakim. [7] Annie Fredrickson was later invited to join A Sunny Day in Glasgow on the recommendation of a fan of the band who was familiar to Ben Daniels "from shows", after Daniels asked the fan whether he knew any vocalists. [8] The trio of Daniels, Meakim and Fredrickson helmed the album's recording. [9]
Ashes Grammar was recorded from September to December 2008. [6] The expansiveness of the dance studio space allowed Ben Daniels the freedom to experiment with different acoustics. [8] He has cited Alvin Lucier's I Am Sitting in a Room as an influence on the recording process. [7] [8] As Lauren and Robin Daniels, the lead singers on earlier A Sunny Day in Glasgow recordings, had left the band, vocal duties on Ashes Grammar were shared by Fredrickson and Meakim. [5] Fredrickson's friend Beverly Science performed additional vocals on the album. [5] Mich White, who was previously a touring bassist for A Sunny Day in Glasgow, also "contributed ideas" from his home in Austin. [5]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.9/10 [10] |
| Metacritic | 77/100 [11] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10 [13] |
| NME | 5/10 [14] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10 [15] |
| PopMatters | 6/10 [16] |
| The Skinny | [17] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | 4.5/5 [18] |
In 2016, Pitchfork ranked Ashes Grammar at number 35 on its list of the best shoegaze albums of all time. [2]
All tracks are written by Ben Daniels, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Magna for Annie, Josh, and Robin" | 0:10 | |
| 2. | "Secrets at the Prom" | 0:42 | |
| 3. | "Slaughter Killing Carnage (The Meaning of Words)" | 2:12 | |
| 4. | "Failure" |
| 3:30 |
| 5. | "Curse Words" |
| 1:43 |
| 6. | "Close Chorus" | 6:24 | |
| 7. | "Shy" | 5:43 | |
| 8. | "Lights" | 0:22 | |
| 9. | "Passionate Introverts (Dinosaurs)" |
| 4:31 |
| 10. | "West Philly Vocoder" | 2:05 | |
| 11. | "Evil, with Evil, Against Evil" | 2:30 | |
| 12. | "The White Witch" |
| 3:51 |
| 13. | "Nitetime Rainbows" |
| 5:31 |
| 14. | "Canalfish" |
| 1:30 |
| 15. | "Loudly" |
| 1:51 |
| 16. | "Blood White" | 4:20 | |
| 17. | "Ashes Grammar" | 1:11 | |
| 18. | "Ashes Maths" | 3:23 | |
| 19. | "Miss My Friends" | 1:30 | |
| 20. | "Starting at a Disadvantage" | 4:41 | |
| 21. | "Life's Great" | 0:41 | |
| 22. | "Headphone Space" | 4:47 | |
| Total length: | 63:08 | ||
Notes
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. [6]
A Sunny Day in Glasgow
Additional musicians
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