Bleachers | ||||
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Released | March 8, 2024 | |||
Recorded | 2022–2023 | |||
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Length | 48:02 | |||
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Producer |
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Bleachers chronology | ||||
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Singles from Bleachers | ||||
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Bleachers is the fourth studio album by American rock band Bleachers, released on March 8, 2024. It is the band's first album under Dirty Hit and their own label, Bleachers Band Recordings, having departed from former label RCA Records in August 2023. It is also the first Bleachers album with longtime touring musicians Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Evan Smith, Michael Riddleberger, and Zem Audu credited as official members. The album was preceded by the release of four singles: "Modern Girl", "Alma Mater", "Tiny Moves", and "Me Before You".
A deluxe edition of the album was released in May 2024. Bleachers received generally favorable reviews from music critics and peaked within the top five in Scotland (number three) [3] and the United Kingdom (number five) [4] and at number 62 in the United States. [5]
Bleachers released their third studio album, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night , in July 2021. [6] On January 1, 2022, Jack Antonoff announced on Twitter that a fourth Bleachers album would be released in 2022, though no album was released that year. [7] In August 2023, they signed a new record deal with Dirty Hit, with their first release under the label, Live at Radio City, being released that same month. [8]
"Modern Girl" was released as the lead single to Bleachers on September 20, 2023. [9] It peaked at number five on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart and number six on the Alternative Airplay chart, charting for 20 weeks each. [10] [11] The second single, "Alma Mater", was released on November 15, featuring uncredited guest vocals and writing credits by American singer Lana Del Rey. The album was officially announced the same day. [12] It was followed by the third single, "Tiny Moves", on January 17, 2024, with an accompanying music video starring Antonoff and his spouse, Margaret Qualley. [13] The fourth and final single, "Me Before You", was released on February 22, which is according to Antonoff, a soft, "Streets of Philadelphia"–style song about the personal growth needed to begin a meaningful relationship, contrasting Antonoff's historical emotional drama with his contentment at Qualley asking him when he will be home for dinner. [14]
Bleachers was released on March 8, 2024. [15] The 22-track deluxe edition was released on May 17. [16] It includes the extra original songs "I Am in Your Hands", "The Backwards Heart", "Question Mark", "The Big Bad Turnpike Ghost", "Margo", and "Drug Free America"; original demo recording of "Alma Mater"; and an acoustic version of "Self Respect". [17]
Antonoff wrote Bleachers with themes of love, loss, grief, contentment, marriage, and maturity, mostly based on his personal thoughts and experiences, [18] influenced by the death of his sister, bad relationship experiences, childhood trauma, and his relationship with his wife. [19]
Antonoff stated that he wanted to "explore how to make room in his life for more than his defining losses" and to "paint a more peaceful and mature picture of love". He stated, "The most inspiring thing is when you meet someone and you truly just want for them to be so happy. It's not simple. It's huge, it's controversial and it's wild, but it's simple in how easy it is". [14]
Antonoff said about the process of making the album:
"In my past three albums, I felt very obsessed with the past and the future. I was deeply imagining things from before and things that could happen. But somewhere along the way, I just started only thinking about right now. This album feels like you're sitting in a room with me right now. It's definitely a new time for Bleachers because it feels like, things are really present, and that things are exciting and opening up for us.
There's always a fear in me that makes me want to make an album. I find myself scared of what was going to happen in my life, of who I would be, and where I would go. On this album, I felt terrified to enter a new phase of my life and also scared that it would mean that I wouldn't be able to take the people who I've lost with me. Which isn't true, because you can take them with you and still grow. This record is all about overcoming that fear". [20]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.6/10 [21] |
Metacritic | 68/100 [22] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [23] |
Clash | 9/10 [24] |
DIY | [2] |
The Independent | [18] |
The Line of Best Fit | 6/10 [25] |
MusicOMH | [1] |
NME | [26] |
Paste | 6.4/10 [27] |
Pitchfork | 6.4/10 [28] |
PopMatters | 7/10 [19] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 68 based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [22] The review aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? compiled 18 reviews and gave Bleachers an average of 6.6 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [21]
Lucy Gibbons of The Boar praised the concept and the sound of the album, calling it "a colourful album with a song for every occasion". [29] Lauren Hague of Clash called the album an entrance for "their most monumental era yet", praising the band's shift from "solo voice" to the current form of "ensemble unity". [24]
Sam Rosenberg of Paste called the album "handsomely crafted" and offers "a consistently pleasant" listen, yet "ultimately hollow" and never offers "a transcendent" listen. [27] In a review for PopMatters , Rachel R. Carroll claimed this album saw the band settle into "a cohesive sense of artistry" but still without reaching "a clear resolution", calling Bleachers the band's "most cohesive project to date". [19] Neive McCarthy of Dork called the album a "gorgeously tender return to form for the band". [30]
Many publications saw Bleachers influenced by Bruce Springsteen's work, whom Antonoff has proclaimed as his idol many times, having worked together on "Chinatown", one of the dual lead singles of Bleachers' previous album, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night. [31] [32] [19]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Am Right on Time" |
|
| 3:32 |
2. | "Modern Girl" |
|
| 3:43 |
3. | "Jesus Is Dead" |
|
| 3:10 |
4. | "Me Before You" |
|
| 3:24 |
5. | "Alma Mater" |
|
| 3:30 |
6. | "Tiny Moves" |
|
| 3:48 |
7. | "Isimo" | Antonoff |
| 3:23 |
8. | "Woke Up Today" | Antonoff |
| 2:31 |
9. | "Self Respect" |
|
| 4:14 |
10. | "Hey Joe" |
|
| 1:55 |
11. | "Call Me After Midnight" |
|
| 3:15 |
12. | "We Are Going to Know Each Other Forever" |
|
| 3:02 |
13. | "Ordinary Heaven" |
|
| 5:12 |
14. | "The Waiter" | Antonoff |
| 3:23 |
Total length: | 48:02 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "I Am in Your Hands" |
| Antonoff | 3:47 |
16. | "The Backwards Heart" | Antonoff | Antonoff | 4:06 |
17. | "Question Mark" |
| Antonoff | 1:48 |
18. | "The Big Bad Turnpike Ghost" | Antonoff | Antonoff | 2:33 |
19. | "Margo" | Antonoff | Antonoff | 3:08 |
20. | "Alma Mater" (from the day it was written) |
| Antonoff | 2:34 |
21. | "Drug Free America" | Antonoff | Antonoff | 4:33 |
22. | "Self Respect" (Acoustic) |
| Antonoff | 2:24 |
Total length: | 72:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "I Am in Your Hands" |
| Antonoff | 3:47 |
16. | "The Backwards Heart" | Antonoff | Antonoff | 4:06 |
17. | "Question Mark" |
| Antonoff | 1:48 |
18. | "The Big Bad Turnpike Ghost" | Antonoff | Antonoff | 2:33 |
Total length: | 60:16 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "I Am in Your Hands" |
| Antonoff | 3:47 |
16. | "Margo" | Antonoff | Antonoff | 3:08 |
17. | "Alma Mater" (from the day it was written) |
| Antonoff | 2:34 |
18. | "Drug Free America" | Antonoff | Antonoff | 4:33 |
Total length: | 62:04 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "Self Respect" (Demo) |
| Antonoff | 2:24 |
Total length: | 50:26 |
Bleachers
Additional musicians
Technical
Visuals
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [37] | 155 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [3] | 3 |
UK Albums (OCC) [4] | 5 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [38] | 1 |
US Billboard 200 [5] | 62 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [39] | 5 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [40] | 11 |
Jack Michael Antonoff is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Antonoff is the lead vocalist of rock band Bleachers. He was previously the guitarist and drummer for the pop rock band Fun and the lead vocalist for the indie rock band Steel Train. Aside from his work with the three groups, Antonoff has been prolific in songwriting and production for various music industry acts, including Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Sara Bareilles, the 1975, Lorde, St. Vincent, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Abstract, Carly Rae Jepsen, the Chicks, Tegan and Sara, and Clairo. Antonoff is credited with impacting the sound of popular music throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
Bleachers is an American indie pop band from New Jersey. Formed in 2013, singer and multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff was the only permanent member of the group until 2023, when longtime touring musicians Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Evan Smith, Michael Riddleberger, and Zem Audu became official members.
Strange Desire is the debut studio album released by American indie pop act Bleachers, led by guitarist Jack Antonoff. The album was released on July 11, 2014, through RCA Records, and produced the singles "I Wanna Get Better", "Shadow" and "Rollercoaster".
"I Wanna Get Better" is the debut single by American indie pop act Bleachers, released on February 18, 2014 through RCA Records. The song is from their debut studio album Strange Desire, and was written and produced by frontman Jack Antonoff and John Hill. "I Wanna Get Better" topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, becoming the band's first number-one single, and also reached the top ten of the Hot Rock Songs chart. Its accompanying music video stars Antonoff as a therapist and was directed by his then girlfriend, actress and filmmaker Lena Dunham.
Delirium is the third studio album by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released on 6 November 2015 by Polydor Records. Music critics were generally impressed by the overall production of the record, although they were ambivalent in regards to its originality. It debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200, earning Goulding her highest-charting record in the latter country and her highest first-week sales figures in both territories. The album spawned three singles: "On My Mind", "Army" and "Something in the Way You Move".
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Gone Now is the second studio album by American indie pop act Bleachers, released on June 2, 2017. The album deals with themes of growing old, as well as struggling with losing people in life, told over the course of day and a lifetime. It takes inspiration from the pop sounds of the 1980s, mixed with a modern view.
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Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night is the third studio album by American indie pop act Bleachers, released on July 30, 2021, by RCA Records. Jack Antonoff began working on the album in 2019 and finished it during the COVID-19 pandemic. It received generally positive reviews from critics, and peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard 200.
Red (Taylor's Version) is the second re-recorded album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on November 12, 2021, by Republic Records. A re-recording of Swift's fourth studio album, Red (2012), it is part of her re-recording projects following the 2019 dispute over the ownership of her back catalog.
Dance Fever is the fifth studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 13 May 2022 by Polydor Records. Work on the album was originally scheduled for early 2020 in New York City; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, recording took place in London instead. Frontwoman Florence Welch has cited Iggy Pop as the biggest musical influence on the album; which features a variety of styles, ranging from progressive pop to indie pop, disco, and industrial music.
Otherness is the fifth studio album by Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire. The album was released on June 24, 2022, thirteen years after the release of their last full-length album, Old Crows / Young Cardinals. It is also their first album since reuniting in 2015. The album takes its name from the first single from the album released, "Sweet Dreams of Otherness", which premiered on YouTube on March 10, 2022. It peaked at No. 4 on the Canadian albums chart.
Being Funny in a Foreign Language is the fifth studio album by English band the 1975. It was released on 14 October 2022 by Dirty Hit. The album was recorded primarily at Real World Studios in Wiltshire. The band released the lead single "Part of the Band" on 7 July 2022, which was followed by the subsequent singles "Happiness", "I'm in Love with You", "All I Need to Hear", "About You", "Oh Caroline", and "Looking for Somebody ".
Cracker Island is the eighth studio album by the British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 24 February 2023 via Parlophone and Warner Records. It features collaborations with Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, Bootie Brown and Beck. A deluxe edition was released with additional tracks featuring De La Soul, MC Bin Laden, Del the Funky Homosapien and Dawn Penn.
"This Is Why" is a song by American rock band Paramore, released as the lead single from their sixth studio album This Is Why, on September 28, 2022. It was written by Hayley Williams, Taylor York, and Zac Farro and produced by Carlos de la Garza. The song was accompanied by its music video, released the same day.
"Sweet Nothing" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote the song with Joe Alwyn, who is credited under the pseudonym William Bowery, and produced it with Jack Antonoff. An electric piano–led ballad, "Sweet Nothing" features a bedroom pop production that is reminiscent of 1970s ballads. It is accompanied by saxophone and clarinet accents. The lyrics are about a narrator's appreciation of her lover for his calming presence and simple gestures amidst the chaos of the outer world.
Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. Released on March 24, 2023, by Interscope and Polydor Records, the album features production by Del Rey, Mike Hermosa, Jack Antonoff, Drew Erickson, Zach Dawes, and Benji. It includes collaborations with Jon Batiste, Bleachers, Father John Misty, Tommy Genesis, SYML and Riopy.
"You Are in Love" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from the deluxe edition of her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Big Machine Records released the track as an iTunes Store-exclusive download on February 24, 2015. Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, whose relationship with the writer-actress Lena Dunham influenced its lyrical content. Some critics applauded the song's portrayal of love with simple lyrics and production, although a few others deemed the track insubstantial.
"I Wish You Would" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, who helped build it on an initial track sampling the snare drums on Fine Young Cannibals' 1989 song "She Drives Me Crazy". "I Wish You Would" is a bubblegum and synth-pop song instrumented by a staccato disco guitar lick, thick synths, erupting snares, and layered vocals. The lyrics are about the longing between two ex-lovers.