Forget the Night Ahead

Last updated

Forget the Night Ahead
Forgetthenightahead.jpg
Studio album by
The Twilight Sad
Released22 September 2009 (2009-09-22)
Recorded Chem19 Studios, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Genre Indie rock, shoegazing
Length49:14
Language Scottish English
Label FatCat
Producer Andy MacFarlane, Paul Savage
The Twilight Sad chronology
Killed My Parents and Hit the Road
(2008)		Forget the Night Ahead
(2009)		 The Wrong Car
(2010)
Singles from Forget the Night Ahead
  1. "I Became a Prostitute"
    Released: 3 August 2009
  2. "Seven Years of Letters"
    Released: 19 October 2009
  3. "The Room"
    Released: 5 April 2010

Forget the Night Ahead is the second studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by FatCat Records on 22 September 2009 in the US, and on 5 October 2009 in the UK. The album was produced by guitarist Andy MacFarlane and recorded and mixed by Paul Savage at Chem19 Studios in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. [1] The album features the singles "I Became a Prostitute", "Seven Years of Letters", and "The Room".

Contents

The album is the last to feature bassist Craig Orzel, who subsequently left the band in early 2010. [2] The recording sessions for Forget the Night Ahead also yielded the EP The Wrong Car , which followed the album in September 2010.

Background and recording

The band entered the studio in January 2009 to begin recording new songs. At this time, vocalist James Graham told The Skinny , "The band had definitely moved on from Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters , musically and lyrically. One thing that I can promise is that the lyrics are very dark, but you might have to look into them a bit to realise. They are mainly based around things that have happened to me over the past two years, revolving mainly around losing people and being none too proud or happy with myself about my antics and situations I've found myself in. So if you're looking for a record with a lot of hope and happy songs then fuck off, 'cause you won't find it here with us! Maybe on the third album when we all have coke and heroin addictions things will start to look a bit brighter!" [3]

The lyrics for the album were written during a two-month period after a close family member of Graham's died. "I didn't handle it very well at all, I started drinking far too much," said Graham in an interview with Planet Sound . [4]

About the recording process, guitarist and producer Andy MacFarlane said, "The recording was approached differently this time. We made a point of staying home to write. Writing on tour is a bad idea, so we stayed in Scotland for the full process. It let us go home after sessions – if we weren't getting snowed-in the studio – and we had more time to experiment and develop the ideas we had. We'd make a lot of use of an old, half-working, Roland Space Echo that we'd plug the vocals, noise strings and piano through, that would get an out-of-tune effect, like some of the early krautrock recordings. All the reverbs are natural, which were done by mic'ing up inside the studio walls and rooms on the other side of the building to get the drum sound. Three bass heads were blown up [in the process]. There are no big, long delayed guitars, just a lot more noisy ones and there were a few songs that maxed out the desk because of the amount that's on there!" [5]

About the different production style, Graham said, "We didn't want a polished pop record. The music just didn't lend itself to that style. Peter Katis did a great job mixing the first record, but we didn't want to repeat the sound. It's not being deliberately contrary to go darker, it's a broader record too." [4]

The album features a guest appearance by My Latest Novel's Laura McFarlane, who plays violin on "The Room" and "That Birthday Present". [5] She had previously collaborated with the band on the EP Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did . The album's title comes from a lyric in the song "Made to Disappear".

Singles and tracks

On 13 May 2009, "Reflection of the Television" premiered as a free download on Pitchfork.com. [6] On 3 August 2009, "I Became a Prostitute" was released as the first single in the UK. The video premiered on 3 July 2009 on The Line of Best Fit's website. [7] The album's second single was "Seven Years of Letters", released on 19 October 2009, and "The Room" was released as the third single on 5 April 2010.

"Made to Disappear" features the album title in its lyrics. Graham said, "The album title is autobiographical. It got to the stage where I just wanted each to day to end as quickly as it could, and I'd get drunk so I wouldn't have to face the night's reality." [8]

"The Neighbours Can't Breathe" first appeared as a live version on the 2008 compilation Killed My Parents and Hit the Road , under the title of "Untitled #28". It's the band's first song to have its title taken from a line of its lyrics. [8] An acoustic version of "The Room" was also included on the same compilation, with the title of "Untitled #27".

In September 2009, The Skinny published a track-by-track recount by guitarist Andy MacFarlane [9] that included notes about the writing and recording process, as well as the inspiration behind some of the song titles.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic (71/100) [10]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
The A.V. Club (B+) [12]
BBC (very favourable) [13]
Drowned in Sound (7/10) [14]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
NME (7/10) [16]
Pitchfork Media (7.3/10) [17]
PopMatters (6/10) [18]
The Skinny Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Tiny Mix Tapes Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [20]

Forget the Night Ahead was released to generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received a favourable score of 71, based on 18 reviews. [10] Mojo awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars, [21] while The Onion's A.V. Club stated the album "show[s] a band capable of muscling up without losing a fascination with fragile, fleeting moments." [12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Andy MacFarlane (music) and James Graham (lyrics).

No.TitleLength
1."Reflection of the Television"4:58
2."I Became a Prostitute"5:20
3."Seven Years of Letters"4:35
4."Made to Disappear"4:53
5."Scissors"3:16
6."The Room"4:34
7."That Birthday Present"5:03
8."Floorboards Under the Bed"3:26
9."Interrupted"4:00
10."The Neighbours Can't Breathe"5:24
11."At the Burnside"3:49

Release history

CountryDateLabelFormatCatalogue #
United States22 September 2009 FatCat Records CD; 2LPFATCD77; FATLP77
United Kingdom5 October 2009

Credits

The following people contributed to Forget the Night Ahead: [22]

Musicians

The Twilight Sad
Additional musicians

Production

Recording personnel

Artwork

Related Research Articles

My Latest Novel

My Latest Novel are a Scottish band, from Greenock & Gourock.

The Twilight Sad

The Twilight Sad are a Scottish post-punk/indie rock band, comprising James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar), Johnny Docherty (bass), Brendan Smith (keyboards) and Sebastien Schultz (drums). The band are signed to Rock Action Records and have released five albums, as well as several EPs and singles. Their 2007 debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, drew widespread acclaim from critics, who noted Graham's thick Scottish accent and MacFarlane's dense sonic walls of shoegazing guitar and wheezing accordion. The Twilight Sad's notoriously loud live performances have been described as "completely ear-splitting", and the band toured for the album across Europe and the United States throughout 2007 and 2008. Sessions inspired by stripped-down and reworked live performances yielded the 2008 mini-album, Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did.

<i>Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters</i> 2007 studio album by The Twilight Sad

Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by FatCat Records on 3 April 2007 in the US, and 7 May 2007 in the UK. The album features production from guitarist Andy MacFarlane and was mixed by Peter Katis. It was recorded over a short period of just three days, and the songs featured were the first ones the band had ever written. The album's influences include Van Dyke Parks, Phil Spector, Daniel Johnston, Arab Strap, Serge Gainsbourg, and Leonard Cohen.

<i>The Twilight Sad</i> (EP) 2006 EP by The Twilight Sad

The Twilight Sad is the debut EP by The Twilight Sad, released on 14 November 2006 on Fat Cat Records. The EP was only released on CD in the United States. Regarding its US-only release, former bassist Craig Orzel stated that "the American side of Fat Cat wanted a release to announce our arrival, so they got that. I think the UK side were, initially, more interested in albums than EPs." The EP was mixed by composer and Fat Cat labelmate Max Richter.

<i>Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did</i> 2008 EP by The Twilight Sad

Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did is a mini-album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released on 9 June 2008. At an acoustic performance promoting the record, singer James Graham noted that the band could have released another single from Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters but ultimately decided to release a fresh batch of recordings instead.

That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy

"That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, that appears on the EP The Twilight Sad, and their debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters. The song was released as the album's first single on 16 April 2007 on Fat Cat Records. The title is a reference to the film Stand by Me.

And She Would Darken the Memory

"And She Would Darken the Memory" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, that appears on the EP The Twilight Sad, and their debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters. The song was released as the album's second single on 16 July 2007 on Fat Cat Records. A music video was also produced for the song, directed by Mark Charlton. The track would appear in a re-worked version as the opening track to the mini-album Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did in June 2008.

<i>Killed My Parents and Hit the Road</i> 2008 compilation album by The Twilight Sad

The Twilight Sad Killed My Parents and Hit the Road is a compilation album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by FatCat Records on 8 December 2008. The compilation is composed of live tracks, covers and previously unreleased material, and was made to "help fund their tour with Mogwai" in late 2008. The compilation was initially limited to 1,000 CD copies only, and was only made available at live shows, in independent record shops, and at FatCat's official website. The CD has not been repressed, but the album was made available digitally shortly after the CD release, and pressed on vinyl for the first time in November 2019.

I Became a Prostitute

"I Became a Prostitute" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad. The song was released as the first single from the band's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead. It was released on 3 August 2009 on Fat Cat Records.

Seven Years of Letters

"Seven Years of Letters" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad. The song was released as the second single from the band's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead. It was released on 19 October 2009 on Fat Cat Records. The B-side of the single is an acoustic cover of British post-punk band The Wedding Present, originally from their 1991 album Seamonsters.

The Room (song)

"The Room" is a song by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad. The song was released as the third single from the band's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead. It was released on 5 April 2010 on Fat Cat Records. The song features violin by Laura McFarlane, of fellow Scottish band My Latest Novel, and was the first song to be written for the record.

<i>The Wrong Car</i> 2010 EP by The Twilight Sad

The Wrong Car is an EP by the Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released on 27 September 2010. The EP has two previously unreleased tracks, "The Wrong Car" and "Throw Yourself Into the Water Again", as well as two remixes of tracks from the band's second album Forget the Night Ahead: "The Room" remixed by Mogwai, and "Reflection of the Television" remixed by Errors. In late May 2010, Errors' remix of "Reflection of the Television" was chosen as The Line of Best Fit's "song of the day" and was made available as a free download. In January 2010, The Twilight Sad provided a remix of Errors' song "Bridge or Cloud?", which was posted as a free download on NME's website.

<i>No One Can Ever Know</i>

No One Can Ever Know is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by FatCat Records on 6 February 2012 in the UK, and a day later in the US. The album was produced by the band with assistance and advice from producer Andrew Weatherall, who helped the band in experimenting with analog synthesizers. No One Can Ever Know marks a shift in the band's "wall of sound" approach towards a darker, more industrial-influenced sound. Guitarist Andy MacFarlane describes the album's sound as "sparser... with a colder, slightly militant feel," influenced by artists such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Can, Public Image Ltd, Fad Gadget, Cabaret Voltaire, Wire, Bauhaus, Magazine and D.A.F..

<i>Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave</i> 2014 studio album by The Twilight Sad

Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave is the fourth studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by FatCat Records on 27 October 2014. The album was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews, with Allmusic summarising the album as "The Twilight Sad transform everything that came before into some of their most compelling music. By blending the extremes of their previous albums, they give intimate moments an epic scope in ways that sound truly revitalized... Equally desolate and majestic, Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave's naked emotions and sophisticated music mark a new high point for the Twilight Sad."

The discography of Scottish rock band The Twilight Sad consists of five studio albums, four compilation albums, fifteen singles, and five extended plays (EPs). The band currently consists of James Graham, Andy MacFarlane, Johnny Docherty (bass), Brendan Smith (keyboards) and Sebastien Schultz (drums). The Kilsyth-based band formed in 2003 and were signed to Fat Cat Records when Alex Knight, co-founder of the label, went to Glasgow to watch the band perform their third gig and signed them on the spot. The band released their debut EP The Twilight Sad in November 2006 in the United States only, followed by their debut album Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters in April 2007, which garnered widespread critical acclaim. The album spawned two singles, "That Summer, at Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy" in April, and "And She Would Darken the Memory" in July. The following year, the band released Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did, a mini-album of reworked versions of songs from Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters and two non-album tracks, inspired by stripped-down live performances. A collection of live versions and previously unreleased tracks entitled Killed My Parents and Hit the Road was released in December 2008. The Twilight Sad's second studio album, Forget the Night Ahead, was released in September 2009 to further acclaim and marked a shift in the band's direction towards a darker and more streamlined sound. The album produced three singles: "I Became a Prostitute" in August 2009, "Seven Years of Letters" in October 2009, and "The Room" in April 2010. Founding bassist Craig Orzel left the band in February 2010, and the band released The Wrong Car EP in September of that year.

Martin Doherty

Martin Clifford Doherty is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist, singer and record producer. He is a member of Glasgow-based electronic trio Chvrches, with whom he has recorded three studio albums. Prior to forming Chvrches, Doherty was a touring member of the indie rock bands The Twilight Sad and Aereogramme.

<i>Òran Mór Session</i> 2015 live album by The Twilight Sad

Òran Mór Session is a live recording by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, self-released as a limited edition tour-only CD EP in October 2014. The session was reissued with additional tracks and given a wider commercial release on 16 October 2015 via Fat Cat Records.

<i>It Won/t Be Like This All the Time</i> 2019 studio album by The Twilight Sad

It Won/t Be Like This All the Time is the fifth studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released by Rock Action Records on 18 January 2019. The album is the band's first studio album on Rock Action, and their first since the amicable departure of founding member Mark Devine in early 2018. Three singles preceded the album's release, along with nationwide tours of the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom. The album title originates from the lyrics in the song "Sunday Day13".

<i>It Won/t Be Like This All the Time Live</i> 2020 live album by The Twilight Sad

It Won/t Be Like This All the Time Live is a live concert album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released via Bandcamp by Rock Action Records on 16 April 2020, and via other streaming platforms on 15 May 2020. The album was recorded on the band's short UK tour of November 2019 to promote their album It Won/t Be Like This All the Time, which was released to universally positive reviews in January 2019.

<i>Òran Mór 2020</i> 2020 live album by The Twilight Sad

Òran Mór 2020 is a live concert album by Scottish indie rock band The Twilight Sad, released as a "pay-what-you-want" download via Bandcamp by Rock Action Records on 26 December 2020. It features only vocalist James Graham and guitarist Andy MacFarlane, together with some programmed drums.

References

  1. ↑ Breihan, Tom (18 May 2009). "Pitchfork: The Twilight Sad's James Graham Talks New Album, Forget the Night Ahead".
  2. ↑ The Twilight Sad Blog - Orzel's Departure
  3. ↑ In the Studio: The Twilight Sad
  4. 1 2 Teletext Planet Sound: The Twilight Sad: Dark Night
  5. 1 2 Fat Cat Records releases: Forget The Night Ahead
  6. ↑ Pitchfork: Hear the new Twilight Sad song "Reflection of the Television"
  7. ↑ "World Exclusive - The Twilight Sad Premier New Video on The Line of Best Fit". Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  8. 1 2 Livingscotsman.com: James Graham on the new Twilight Sad album Forget the Night Ahead
  9. ↑ The Twilight Sad's Forget the Night Ahead: Track-By-Track, By the Band
  10. 1 2 "Forget the Night Ahead by The Twilight Sad". Metacritic . Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  11. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Forget the Night Ahead". AllMusic . Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  12. 1 2 Murray, Noel. "The Twilight Sad: Forget the Night Ahead". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 29 September 2009.
  13. ↑ Diver, Mike. "BBC - Music - Review of The Twilight Sad - Forget the Night Ahead". BBC . Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  14. ↑ Gourlay, Dom. "The Twilight Sad - Forget the Night Ahead". Drowned in Sound . Retrieved 5 October 2009.
  15. ↑ Costa, Maddy (2 October 2009). "The Twilight Sad: Forget the Night Ahead". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  16. ↑ Harris, Tessa. "The Twilight Sad - Album review: Forget the Night Ahead". NME . Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  17. ↑ Dombal, Ryan. "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: The Twilight Sad: Forget the Night Ahead". Pitchfork . Retrieved 24 September 2009.
  18. ↑ Fiander, Matthew. "The Twilight Sad: Forget the Night Ahead". PopMatters . Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  19. ↑ Brown, Ally. "The Twilight Sad - Forget the Night Ahead". The Skinny . Retrieved 16 September 2009.
  20. ↑ Miller, Michael H. "The Twilight Sad - Forget the Night Ahead". Tiny Mix Tapes . Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  21. ↑ Mojo magazine, November 2009 issue, pg. 100
  22. ↑ Forget the Night Ahead 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.