Dolls of Highland

Last updated
Dolls of Highland
Kyle Craft - Dolls of Highland.jpg
Studio album by Kyle Craft
Released April 29, 2016 (2016-04-29)
Length44:30
Label Sub Pop
Producer Kyle Craft
Kyle Craft chronology
Dolls of Highland
(2016)		 Full Circle Nightmare
(2018)

Dolls of Highland is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician Kyle Craft. It was released on April 29, 2016 through Sub Pop record label.

Kyle Craft, is an American singer-songwriter and musician based in Portland, Oregon. He released his debut album, Dolls of Highland from Sub Pop records in 2016.

Sub Pop American record label

Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often credited with helping popularize grunge music. The label's roster includes Fleet Foxes, Foals, Beach House, The Postal Service, Flight of the Conchords, Sleater-Kinney, Blitzen Trapper, Father John Misty, Shabazz Palaces, METZ, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, and The Shins. In 1995 the owners of Sub Pop sold a 49% stake of the label to the Warner Music Group.

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 79/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Paste 8/10 [4]
Pitchfork 8.1/10 [5]
PopMatters 8/10 [6]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Skinny Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]

Dolls of Highland received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 79, which indicates "generally positive reviews", based on 7 reviews. [1] AllMusic critic Mark Donelson gave the album a positive review, stating: "Taken together, Craft delivers a fun and loose breakup album replete with colorful characters, memorable tunes, and an even more memorable vocal delivery--a noteworthy debut." [2] The Guardian 's Dave Simpson described the record as a "brilliant, rollicking debut," which "hurls together Craft’s Dylan-meets-Brett Anderson holler with rollicking ragtime stomp, reminiscent of vintage Cockney Rebel or early Suede." [3] Tiffany Daniels of Paste described Craft as "an unlikely hero of rock music", stating that he’s "created a noteworthy, potentially groundbreaking debut album in Dolls of Highland." [4]

Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of media products: films, TV shows, music albums, video games, and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged. Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc Doyle, and Julie Doyle Roberts in 1999. The site provides an excerpt from each review and hyperlinks to its source. A color of green, yellow or red summarizes the critics' recommendations. It has been described as the video game industry's "premier" review aggregator.

AllMusic Online music database

AllMusic is an online music database. It catalogs more than 3 million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musical artists and bands. It launched in 1991, predating the World Wide Web.

<i>The Guardian</i> British national daily newspaper

The Guardian is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian, and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers The Observer and The Guardian Weekly, the Guardian is part of the Guardian Media Group, owned by the Scott Trust. The trust was created in 1936 to "secure the financial and editorial independence of the Guardian in perpetuity and to safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values of the Guardian free from commercial or political interference". The trust was converted into a limited company in 2008, with a constitution written so as to maintain for The Guardian the same protections as were built into the structure of the Scott Trust by its creators. Profits are reinvested in journalism rather than distributed to owners or shareholders.

Stuart Berman of Pitchfork praised the album, stating: "Craft’s outsized personality is matched by less flashy, more fundamental skills: vivid, immersive storytelling and sharply focused, fat-free songs that have the lived-in feel of 40-year-old FM-radio favorites." [5] PopMatters' Chris Ingalis described the record as "the sound of a young man returning home to chronicle his small town roots with the use of his ample talents" and "an exhilarating ride from start to finish." [6] David Harvey of Record Collector magazine compared the album to the works of Bowie, Dylan and Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player -era Elton John, writing: "There are touches of My Morning Jacket in the vocals too, but in chief it is the already-mentioned artists who dominate Dolls Of Highland and if you’ve been missing them a lot, then this is an album not to be missed, filled with yearning and melody." [7] Uncut magazine described the album as "a head-turning mix, a sort of pop-art take on Southern gothic, and highly infectious." [9]

FM broadcasting

FM broadcasting is a method of radio broadcasting using frequency modulation (FM) technology. Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. FM broadcasting is capable of better sound quality than AM broadcasting, the chief competing radio broadcasting technology, so it is used for most music broadcasts. Theoretically wideband AM can offer equally good sound quality, provided the reception conditions are ideal. FM radio stations use the VHF frequencies. The term "FM band" describes the frequency band in a given country which is dedicated to FM broadcasting.

PopMatters is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater, visual arts, travel, and the Internet.

<i>Record Collector</i> magazine

Record Collector is a British monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.

Nevertheless, Duncan Harman of The Skinny gave the album a mixed review, stating: "Craft’s nutcracker vocals and lyrical self-exposure never quite as endearing as they threaten to be." [8]

The Skinny is a 72-page monthly and bi-monthly publication distributed in approximately 1,450 establishments throughout the cities of Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow in Scotland and, from 2013 to 2017, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds in the north of England. Founded in 2005, the magazine features interviews and articles on music, art, film, comedy and other aspects of culture.

Track listing

All songs are written by Kyle Craft.

  1. "Eye of a Hurricane" — 4:31
  2. "Balmorhea" — 3:01
  3. "Berlin" — 4:17
  4. "Lady of the Ark" — 5:06
  5. "Gloom Girl" — 4:49
  6. "Trinidad Beach (Before I Ride)" — 2:10
  7. "Future Midcity Massacre" — 3:07
  8. "Black Mary" — 3:36
  9. "Pentecost" — 4:01
  10. "Dolls of Highland" — 1:27
  11. "Jane Beat the Reaper" — 4:23
  12. "Three Candles" — 4:02

Personnel

Album personnel as adapted from album liner notes: [10]

Double bass Acoustic stringed instrument of the violin family

The double bass, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra.

The Helio Sequence

The Helio Sequence is an American indie rock duo from Beaverton, Oregon, signed to Sub Pop. The band consists of Brandon Summers on vocals and guitars and Benjamin Weikel on drums and keyboards.

Audio mixing (recorded music) audio mixing to yield recorded sound

In sound recording and reproduction, audio mixing is the process of combining multitrack recordings into a final mono, stereo or surround sound product. These tracks that are blended together are done so by using various processes such as equalization and compression. Audio mixing techniques and approaches can vary widely, and due to the skill-level or intent of the mixer, can greatly affect the qualities of the sound recording.

Related Research Articles

<i>Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse</i> 1986 studio album by Skinny Puppy

Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse is the second studio album by Skinny Puppy, released on September 5, 1986. It contained the single "Dig It", which inspired several industrial music contemporaries, including Nine Inch Nails. "Dig It" received extensive airplay on MTV and was listed by Billboard as a recommended dance track. The song "Stairs and Flowers" was also released as a single.

<i>Tin Machine II</i> 1991 studio album by Tin Machine

Tin Machine II is the second and final studio album by Anglo-American rock group Tin Machine, originally released by Victory Music in 1991. After this album and the supporting tour, Tin Machine dissolved as frontman David Bowie resumed his solo career.

<i>Cmon</i> (Low album) 2011 studio album by Low

C'mon is the ninth full-length album by indie rock band Low. It was released on April 12, 2011 on Sub Pop records. The album was recorded at Sacred Heart Studio, a former Catholic church in Duluth, Minnesota, where the band previously recorded 2002's Trust. The album includes guest contributions from Nels Cline, Caitlin Moe of Trans-Siberian Orchestra (violin) and Dave Carroll of Trampled by Turtles (banjo).

<i>Smoke in the Shadows</i> 2004 studio album by Lydia Lunch

Smoke in the Shadows is the fifth album by American singer-songwriter Lydia Lunch, released in November 2004 by record labels Atavistic and Breakin Beats.

<i>To Be Kind</i> 2014 studio album by Swans

To Be Kind is the thirteenth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans, released on May 12, 2014. It was released as a triple LP, a double CD, and a two-CD deluxe edition that includes a live DVD of performances from Hellfest Open Air Festival, Pitchfork Music Festival and Primavera Sound Festival, as well as a digital download. Critical reception of the album was very positive, continuing a string of well-received albums from the band. The album peaked at number 37 on US Billboard 200, and later debuted at number 38 on the UK Albums Chart. Both are the highest chartings that Swans had ever achieved on a studio album, and it is the first time that the band cracked the top 40 in both countries.

<i>Alvvays</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Alvvays

Alvvays is the self-titled debut studio album by Canadian indie pop band Alvvays, released on 22 July 2014 by Polyvinyl, Royal Mountain and Transgressive.

<i>Eyes Wide Open</i> (Sabrina Carpenter album) 2015 studio album by Sabrina Carpenter

Eyes Wide Open is the debut studio album by American singer Sabrina Carpenter. It was released by Hollywood Records on April 14, 2015. Carpenter began planning the project in 2014, after she launched her debut EP Can't Blame a Girl for Trying, she wanted to make a full-length LP. All the tracks on that EP were included on the album. The majority of the album was recorded in 2014, but she recorded since 2013 until 2015. The album was produced by various artists like Jerrod Bettis, Mitch Allan, Brian Malouf, Jim McGorman, Steven Solomon, Captain Cuts, Matthew Tishler, Jon Ingoldsby, Jon Levine, Jordan Higgins, Matt Squire and John Gordon. Musically, the album has a pop sound with folk, pop rock and teen pop influences. Its production consists on guitars, piano, drums and keyboards. In general, the album talks about Carpenter's personal experiences, friendship, love and teenage problems.

<i>Algiers</i> (Algiers album) 2015 studio album by Algiers

Algiers is the eponymous debut album by American experimental band Algiers. The album was released through Matador Records on June 2, 2015.

<i>What Went Down</i> 2015 studio album by Foals

What Went Down is the fourth studio album by British rock band Foals, released on 28 August 2015 via Transgressive Records in the United Kingdom. The album is produced by James Ford, known for his work with Simian Mobile Disco, The Last Shadow Puppets and Arctic Monkeys amongst others. According to frontman Yannis Philippakis, it is slated to be their loudest and heaviest record to date. What Went Down debuted at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 58 on the Billboard 200, making it their highest charting album in the United States to date. With the departure of bassist Walter Gervers on 05 January 2018, this album marked the last album to feature him on bass.

<i>More Rain</i> 2016 studio album by M. Ward

More Rain is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter M. Ward. The album was released on March 4, 2016 on Merge Records and Bella Union. More Rain is Ward's first solo album since 2012's A Wasteland Companion, having released Volume Three and Classics with Zooey Deschanel as She & Him in the interim as well as recording and producing other artists.

<i>Singing Saw</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Kevin Morby

Singing Saw is the third studio album by American indie rock musician Kevin Morby, released on April 15, 2016 on Dead Oceans.

<i>Pool</i> (Porches album) 2016 studio album by Porches

Pool is the second studio album by New York-based musician Aaron Maine's Porches project. The album was recorded in Maine's New York City apartment, and released on February 5, 2016 on Domino Records.

<i>Light Upon the Lake</i> 2016 studio album by Whitney

Light Upon the Lake is the debut studio album by American rock band Whitney, released on June 3, 2016 on Secretly Canadian.

<i>Minor Victories</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Minor Victories

Minor Victories is the self-titled debut studio album by British alternative rock supergroup Minor Victories. It was released on 3 June 2016 on Fat Possum Records and PIAS Recordings.

<i>Evolution</i> (Sabrina Carpenter album) 2016 studio album by Sabrina Carpenter

Evolution is the second studio album by American singer Sabrina Carpenter, released on October 14, 2016, by Hollywood Records. Sabrina began recording the album in 2015, shortly after the launch of her first studio album, Eyes Wide Open until 2016.

<i>Gods Problem Child</i> 2017 studio album by Willie Nelson

God's Problem Child, released on April 28, 2017, is the sixty-sixth studio album by singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. The album features new songs co-written by Nelson and producer Buddy Cannon. Using their frequent method, Cannon and Nelson wrote the songs exchanging the lyrics in text messages, while Nelson later recorded his vocals in the studio.

<i>Strange Trails</i> 2015 studio album by Lord Huron

Strange Trails is the second studio album by indie rock band Lord Huron. It was released by PIAS Recordings on April 7, 2015, in the United Kingdom, and by Iamsound the next day in the United States. The album received positive reviews from music critics, and charted in Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.

<i>1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow</i> 2017 compilation album by the Beach Boys

1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow is a compilation album recorded by American rock band the Beach Boys and released by Capitol Records on June 30, 2017. It consists of previously unreleased tracks largely stemming from the group's 1967 album Wild Honey. Included is the album's first ever complete stereo mix, various live renditions of its songs, outtakes, session highlights, and additional material sourced from Smiley Smile (1967) and the unreleased live effort Lei'd in Hawaii, both of which immediately preceded the Wild Honey sessions.

The Other is the fourth studio album by American musician King Tuff. It was released in April 2018 under Sub Pop

References

  1. 1 2 "Dolls Of Highland by Kyle Craft". Metacritic . Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Donelson, Marcy. "Kyle Craft - Dolls of Highland". AllMusic . Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Simpson, Dave (April 28, 2016). "Kyle Craft: Dolls of Highland review – brilliant, rollicking debut". The Guardian . Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Daniels, Tiffany (April 29, 2016). "Kyle Craft: Dolls of Highland Review". Paste . Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Berman, Stuart (April 25, 2016). "Kyle Craft - Dolls of Highland". Pitchfork . Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Ingalis, Chris (April 27, 2016). "Kyle Craft - Dolls of Highland". PopMatters . Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Harvey, David (June 2016). "Kyle Craft - Dolls of Highland". Record Collector . Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Harman, Duncan (April 8, 2016). "Kyle Craft – Dolls of Highland". The Skinny . Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Kyle Craft - Dolls of Highland". Uncut : 73. July 2016.
  10. ↑ Kyle Craft — Dolls of Highlandalbum liner notes.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.