Before I Sleep (album)

Last updated

Before I Sleep
Bo Bruce Before I Sleep.jpg
Studio album by
Released29 April 2013 (2013-04-29)
Genre Indie pop, trip hop
Length57:33 (standard version) 69:04 (deluxe version)
Label Mercury
Producer
Bo Bruce chronology
Search the Night
(2010)
Before I Sleep
(2013)
Singles from Before I Sleep
  1. "Save Me"
    Released: 29 April 2013
  2. "Alive"
    Released: 24 June 2013
  3. "The Hands I Hold"
    Released: 26 August 2013

Before I Sleep is the debut studio album from British singer-songwriter Bo Bruce, released on 29 April 2013. The lead single from the album is titled Save Me, which was released on the same day as the album. [1] The album peaked at number 6 in the Official Charts midweek UK Albums Chart on 1 May 2013 [2] and charted at number 10 on the Official UK Top 40 Album Chart, on 5 May 2013. [3]

Contents

Background

Before I Sleep is the follow up to Bruce's independently released 2010 extended play (EP), titled Search The Night , which peaked at number two on the iTunes chart in June 2012. [4] The album also marks Bruce's first release on a major record label. Bo commented of the writing process "The process of making this album has been extraordinary. It's also been the hardest and most testing time of my life. But I’ve made an album I'm incredibly proud of and I can't wait for people to hear it." [5]

The release features a number of collaborations, including Johnny McDaid of Snow Patrol, [6] Sia, Greg Kurstin, Henry Binns of Zero 7, Joel Pott of Athlete and the second single co-written with former The Voice UK mentor Danny O'Donoghue, entitled 'Alive'. [7] [8] [9] The album features several producers, including Tom Marsh, who worked on Bo's previous release Search The Night and James Flannigan. [10]

It was announced that "Save Me" would be the first track from the album to be released as a single, which was released on the same day as the album. The track was written by Bruce, Shelly Poole and Matt Schwartz. [11]

The second single from the album has been confirmed as "Alive", which is due for release in June 2013. The track was co-written by Bruce, Danny O'Donoghue and James Barry. [12] [13] [14]

The artwork for the album was shot by photographer Eliot Lee Hazel, with Bruce describing his work as "gritty, cinematic and raw". Bruce also credits Hazel with helping to select the location for the video shoot for lead single "Save Me". [15]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Daily Mirror Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Entertainment FocusStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [18]
New! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
The Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [20]
There Goes The FearStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Virgin Media Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [22]

The release has also received largely positive reviews from critics, based on the album sampler and previews. Contact Music stated of the release, "we've already had a taste of what to expect with free download 'The Fall', with its breathtaking video. Album highlights include the stunning first single 'Save Me'; 'The Hands I Hold', a soaring, anthemic classic and the perky, panoramic 'Over & Over' - all driven by Bo's captivating voice." [23]

On 26 April 2013 The Daily Mirror highlighted Before I Sleep as the "stand out album" of the week and awarded it a 3 star rating, with Gavin Martin commenting that the release was a "thoughtful, sensual work" and that Bruce's voice "has striking intimacy and character". [16] Will Hodgkinson reviewed the album for The Times and gave a further of 3 out of 5 star rating, stating "you don't doubt the authenticity of feeling in Bruce's voice" and further commenting of Bruce's voice "shifting from quiver to whisper against tribal drums, keyboard melodies and backing choirs" on the release. [20] The Guardian also gave the album a rating of 3 stars. [18]

On 28 April 2013, the day before its release, The Daily Mirror featured Before I Sleep as the "must listen" release on that week's Hotlist. [24] On 30 April 2013, New! gave the album a four star rating and voted it as "album of the week", stating that Before I Sleep was "an impressive, dramatic debut". [19]

Singles

"Save Me" is the lead single from the album and was released on 29 April 2013, the same day as the album. [25] The release was written by Bruce, Shelly Poole and Matt Schwartz who also produced the track. [26] "Save Me" received its first radio play on 20 March 2013 on BBC Radio 2, with a music video for the single being released the week before. [27] [28]

"Alive" is the second single from Before I Sleep and was released on 24 June 2013. The track was co-written by Bruce and Danny O'Donoghue of The Script [29]

Music videos

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Landslide"
  • Binns
  • Milliner
3:23
2."Save Me"
  • Schwartz
4:13
3."Alive"
  • Binns
  • Milliner
  • O'Donoghue [a]
3:18
4."Speed the Fire"
  • Flannigan
4:38
5."Telescope"
  • Brudenell-Bruce
  • Binns
  • Milliner
  • Leonard
  • Binns
  • Milliner
4:21
6."Ghost Town"
  • Etherington
  • Poole [b]
3:52
7."On the Wire"
  • Brudenell-Bruce
  • K. Poole
  • Etherington
  • Etherington
  • Poole [b]
3:38
8."Holding the Light"
  • Brudenell-Bruce
3:39
9."Lightkeeper"
  • Brudenell-Bruce
  • McDaid
  • Flannigan
4:18
10."The Fall"
  • Flannigan
4:34
11."The Hands I Hold"
  • Binns
  • Kurstin
4:32
12."Echoes"
  • Binns
  • Milliner
3:50
13."Golden"
  • Flannigan
3:55
14."How We're Made"
  • Brudenell-Bruce
  • McDaid
  • McDaid
5:22
Digital Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Search the Night"
  • Brudenell-Bruce
  • Tom Marsh
  • Marsh
4:40
16."Another Life"
  • Pott
3:32
17."Over & Over (Run With the Horses)"
  • Brudenell-Bruce
  • Marsh
  • Pott
  • Pott
3:19
Amazon Digital Deluxe Edition Bonus Track
No.TitleLength
18."Charlie Brown" (Live Acoustic)3:07

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from Before I Sleep liner notes. [14]

Charts

Album

Chart (2013)Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC) [34] 10

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
UK
"Save Me"201353Before I Sleep
"Alive"201358

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabel
United Kingdom24 April 2013 CD, digital download Mercury Records

See also

Related Research Articles

Kenneth Gordon, better known by his stage name Tyler James, is an English singer and songwriter signed to Island Records.

<i>So Real</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Mandy Moore

So Real is the debut studio album by American singer Mandy Moore. The album was released on December 7, 1999, in the United States by Epic Records. The album was released at a critical turning point in pop music - known as the teen pop revival - which saw other teen artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson release their debut albums that same year to commercial and critical success. Conceptually, the album addresses themes such as teenage love, romance and heartbreak, all of which were common subjects in teen pop music at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Saucedo</span> Swedish singer and songwriter

Daniel Gabriel Alessandro Saucedo Grzechowski, known professionally as Danny Saucedo or simply Danny, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. He rose to fame as one of the finalists in Idol 2006, the Swedish version of Idol, where he reached the top six.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erik Segerstedt</span> Swedish singer

Mats Erik Segerstedt is a Swedish singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Jin-young</span> South Korean singer and producer (born 1971)

Park Jin-young, also known by his stage names J. Y. Park and The Asiansoul or the initials JYP, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer, record executive, and reality television show judge. Park rose to stardom as a singer following the release of his 1994 debut album, Blue City. In 1997, he became the founder of JYP Entertainment, one of the most profitable entertainment agencies in South Korea. As the former head of JYP Entertainment, Park has developed and managed highly successful K-pop artists including Rain, Wonder Girls, 2PM, Miss A, Got7, Day6, Twice, Stray Kids, Itzy, Xdinary Heroes and Nmixx, as well as Mandopop group Boy Story and J-pop group NiziU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Script</span> Irish rock band

The Script are an Irish rock band formed in 2001 in Dublin, consisting of lead vocalist and keyboardist Danny O'Donoghue, lead guitarist Mark Sheehan, and drummer Glen Power. The band moved to London after signing to Sony Label Group imprint Phonogenic and released their eponymous debut album in August 2008, preceded by the debut single "We Cry" as well as other singles such as "The Man Who Can't Be Moved", "Breakeven" and "Before the Worst". The album peaked at number one in both Ireland and the UK. Their next three albums, Science & Faith (2010), #3 (2012) and No Sound Without Silence (2014), all topped the album charts in Ireland and the UK, while Science & Faith reached number two in Australia and number three in the United States. Some of the hit singles from the albums include "For the First Time", "Nothing", "Hall of Fame" and "Superheroes". The band's fifth studio album, Freedom Child, was released on 1 September 2017, and features the UK Top 20 single "Rain". Their sixth studio album, Sunsets & Full Moons, was released on 8 November 2019, and features the single "The Last Time". A Greatest Hits album was released on 1 October 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny O'Donoghue</span> Irish singer

Daniel John Mark Luke O'Donoghue is an Irish singer-songwriter best known for being the frontman of the Irish rock band The Script and as a coach on the first two series of the television singing talent show The Voice UK. He was earlier a member of the Irish boy band Mytown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Say Anything discography</span>

The discography of Say Anything, an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Say Anything is composed of Max Bemis, Coby Linder (drums), Jake Turner, Jeff Turner, and Parker Case. They have released eight studio albums, four EPs, and seven singles. In addition, they have appeared on numerous compilation albums and have recorded many tracks that were never officially released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Gokey</span> American singer

Daniel Jay Gokey is an American singer and former church music director. He was the third-place finalist on the eighth season of American Idol. After his placing on the show, Gokey signed to 19 Recordings and RCA Nashville at the beginning of a career in country music, releasing the single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me.” His debut album, My Best Days, was released in March 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B.o.B. discography</span>

The discography of American rapper and record producer B.o.B consists of seven studio albums, five compilation albums, three extended plays (EPs), 26 mixtapes, 51 singles, 14 promotional singles, and 76 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Tonight</span> 2011 single by Michael Jackson

"Hollywood Tonight" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, included on his posthumous album, Michael. The song was released by Epic Records on February 11, 2011, as the second single from Michael. The spoken parts were performed by Jackson's nephew, Taryll Jackson and written by Teddy Riley. An accompanying music video was released on March 10, 2011. It features Algerian dancer Sofia Boutella dressed in a Jackson-inspired outfit performing a routine with 60 dancers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grouplove</span> American alternative rock band

Grouplove is an American alternative rock band that was formed in 2009 by Hannah Hooper, Christian Zucconi, Sean Gadd (bass), Andrew Wessen, and Ryan Rabin (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colton Dixon</span> American musician

Michael Colton Dixon is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He placed seventh on the eleventh season of American Idol.

The Voice UK is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The second series was hosted by Holly Willoughby and Reggie Yates on BBC One and started on 30 March 2013. On 13 November 2012, it was confirmed that all four coaches from last year would return. The show's Blind Auditions moved to dock10, MediaCityUK in Salford, Greater Manchester. It was also confirmed that the live show format would be tweaked for this series, which included the cutback from six live shows in the first series to only three live shows, and the pre-recorded results show had also been dropped, with the results given on the same night as the performances. On 28 February 2013, four ten-second teaser trailers were posted to the show's official website and YouTube page.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bo Bruce</span> Musical artist

Lady Catherine Anna Brudenell-Bruce, known as Bo Bruce, is an English singer-songwriter previously signed to Mercury Records. She has released one EP, Search the Night (2010), and an album Before I Sleep in 2013, both of which received a degree of chart success. She is also known for her appearance on talent show The Voice UK, and has toured mainly around the UK. Throughout her career she has featured on a number of dance-oriented singles, notably with Chicane and Gareth Emery.

<i>3</i> (The Script album) 2012 studio album by the Script

#3 is the third studio album released by Irish pop rock trio, The Script. The album was released in Ireland on 7 September 2012, in the United Kingdom on 10 September and in the United States on 9 October. The album was preceded by the release of the single "Hall of Fame", a duet with will.i.am, who was, at the time, lead singer Danny O'Donoghue's co-judge on The Voice UK. The album reached number one in Ireland, number two in the UK, and number 13 in the US, but received generally unfavourable reviews.

D-Unit was a South Korean girl group under the label D-Business Entertainment. The groups concept includes the addition of a new member with every promotion cycle. The group debuted as a trio consisting of Ram, UJin and Zin with a full-length album, featuring the title track "I’m Missin’ You" on August 1, 2012. This was followed by their debut stage on August 2, 2012 on M!Countdown. In March 2013, D-UNIT added their first guest member, JNey, a member of GP Basic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bo Bruce discography</span>

The discography of English singer-songwriter, Bo Bruce consists of one studio album and one extended play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park Bo-ram</span> South Korean singer (born 1994)

Park Bo-ram is a South Korean singer. She took a part in Mnet's SuperStar K2 and finished in eighth place. Park made her debut with release digital single "Beautiful" featuring Zico on August 7, 2014. That year, she won Artist of the Year for August at the Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards and was nominated for Best New Artist at the Mnet Asian Music Awards, Golden Disk Awards, and Melon Music Awards.

<i>Leo Rising</i> 2016 studio album by Karmin

Leo Rising is the second and final studio album by American music duo Karmin, released exclusively on Apple Music on September 9, 2016, before being released to all other platforms on September 23, 2016. It is the follow-up to their 2014 major label debut Pulses. Preceding the album's release, five singles were released to promote the album: "Along the Road", "Didn't Know You", "Come with Me ", "Sugar", and "Blame It on My Heart".

References

  1. At Last The Time Has Come! Unknown (25-02-2013). Retrieved (25-02-2013).
  2. Rudimental's Home set to debut at the top of the Official Albums Chart Official Charts (01-05-2013). Retrieved (01-05-2013).
  3. THE OFFICIAL UK TOP 40 ALBUMS CHART Radio 1 (05-05-2013). Retrieved (05-05-2013).
  4. "Bo Bruce overwhelmed by Chart success". TellyMix.
  5. The Voice's Bo Bruce releases video for new single, Save Me… Heatworld (11-03-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  6. Bo Bruce offers free download of 'The Fall' MusicNews.com (13-12-2012). Retrieved (02-02-2013).
  7. Interview: Bo Bruce The Cut (20-12-2012). Retrieved (01-02-2013).
  8. Bo Bruce - An Introduction To 'Before I Sleep' YouTube (27-02-2013). Retrieved (28-02-2013).
  9. WATCH: 'The Voice' Contestant Bo Bruce Debuts Video 'Save Me' Ahead Of New Album - Is She The Show's Real Winner? Huffington Post (11-03-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013)
  10. Bo Bruce Announces Debut Album 'Before I Sleep' Released April 29th 2013 Contact Music. Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  11. New Video | Bo Bruce – Save Me Punch Bowl Blog (11-03-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  12. 1 2 Bo Bruce premieres new single 'Alive' music video - watch - Music News - Digital Spy Digital Spy (23-05-2013). Retrieved (28-05-2013).
  13. 1 2 Come Alive With The New Music Video by Bo Bruce, Co-written With Danny O'Donoghue ~ Kernel's Corner Kernel's Corner (19-05-2013). Retrieved (28-05-2013).
  14. 1 2 Before I Sleep (CD liner notes). Bo Bruce. Mercury Records. 2013. 3731631.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. Planet Notion - Moodboard: Bo Bruce Planet Notion (Unknown Date). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  16. 1 2 Martin, Gavin (26 April 2013). "Music, Delightfully dreamy". Daily Mirror.
  17. Bo Bruce – Before I Sleep album review Entertainment Focus (28-04-2013). Retrieved (28-04-2013).
  18. 1 2 Sullivan, Caroline (26 April 2013). "Reviews Rock, Pop, World & Jazz". The Guardian.
  19. 1 2 Unknown (30 April 2013). "Album of the Week 2". New!.
  20. 1 2 Hodgkinson, Will (26 April 2013). "Iggy follows up his finest hour". The Times.
  21. http://www.theregoesthefear.com/2013/04/album-review-bo-bruce-before-i-sleep.php There Goes The Fear (29-04-2013). Retrieved (29-04-2013).
  22. Bo Bruce: Before I Sleep Album Review - Reviews - Music - Virgin Media Virgin Media (28-04-2013). Retrieved (28-04-2013).
  23. Bo Bruce Announces Debut Album 'Before I Sleep' Released April 29th 2013 Contact Music (Unknown Date). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  24. Unknown (28 April 2013). "This week's Hotlist". Daily Mirror.
  25. 'The Voice' UK star Bo Bruce debuts 'Save Me' music video - watch Digital Spy (11-03-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  26. Save Me! Bo Bruce Releases Yet Another Ethereal Music Video Kernel's Corner (12-03-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  27. Sinead O'Connor picks two more favourites on Tracks of my Years BBC (20-03-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  28. WATCH: 'The Voice' Contestant Bo Bruce Debuts Video 'Save Me' Ahead Of New Album - Is She The Show's Real Winner? Huffington Post (11-03-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  29. Danny O'Donoghue admits he is open to dating 'The Voice' contestants Hello! (24-03-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  30. First Taster Of My Album Archived 20 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine Bo Bruce (Unknown Date). Retrieved (01-02-2013).
  31. 'The Voice' Bo Bruce unveils video for new single 'The Fall' - watch Digital Spy (28-11-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  32. 1 2 Interview: Bo Bruce There Goes The Fear (25-03-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  33. EXCLUSIVE: Behind The Scenes With 'The Voice' Contestant Bo Bruce For The Making Of 'Save Me' Video Huffington Post (28-03-2013). Retrieved (01-04-2013).
  34. "Chart Archive > 11 May 2013". Official Charts Company. 11 May 2013.