Freedom (Amen Dunes album)

Last updated
Freedom
Amen Dunes - Freedom.png
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 30, 2018 (2018-03-30)
Studio
Genre
Length47:06
Label Sacred Bones
Producer Chris Coady
Amen Dunes chronology
Cowboy Worship
(2015)
Freedom
(2018)
Singles from Freedom
  1. "Miki Dora"
    Released: January 17, 2018
  2. "Blue Rose"
    Released: February 14, 2018
  3. "Believe"
    Released: March 13, 2018

Freedom is the fifth studio album by American indie rock band Amen Dunes. It was released on March 30, 2018 by Sacred Bones Records. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

The album was written by Damon McMahon in Portugal and New York City in 2015. It was recorded primarily at the renowned Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village. Produced by Chris Coady, the album marks a clear shift from the lo-fi, dark sound and dense lyrics of previous Amen Dunes records to a more accessible pop rock style with more direct lyricism. It has a more electronic sound with synths backing the songs and electric guitar in place of McMahon's usual acoustic guitar sound. Written and recorded over the span of three years, Freedom features a number of musicians including Italian electronic artist Panoram (Raffaele Martirani), Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner and Amen Dunes collaborators Parker Kindred and Jordi Wheeler, as well as guitarist Delicate Steve and McMahon's brother Xander Duell. Its lyrical content draws from McMahon's childhood, his relationship with his father, masculinity, and his mother, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the beginning of the album's recording. Freedom has been described as a concept album, with each song being an exploration of self through both real and fictional characters.

Upon its release, Freedom received widespread acclaim from music critics, who later ranked it among the best albums of 2018. The album was described by Pitchfork as his "euphoric breakthrough". [5] It was preceded by the singles "Miki Dora", "Blue Rose" and "Believe".

Background and recording

In 2015, after numerous tours in support of Amen Dunes' fourth studio album Love , Damon McMahon spent a few weeks in Lisbon, Portugal, where he began writing Freedom. He came home to New York City shortly after and spent months with Amen Dunes collaborators Jordi Wheeler and Parker Kindred putting drums, guitars and keyboards to the songs and coming up with structural ideas himself. [6] [7] [8]

Recording of the album first began in February 2016 at Future Past Studios in Hudson, New York with Jordi Wheeler and Parker Kindred, joined by Delicate Steve. Dissatisfied with the results, McMahon decided to completely scrap what they had recorded and start over with a different approach. He called producer Chris Coady for help, who brought them into Electric Lady Studios. He brought in more musicians, including bass guitarist Gus Seyffert, multi-instrumentalist Panoram, guitarist Nick Zinner, and his brother Xander Duell. [9] [6] [10]

Freedom was recorded at four separate studios in the United States. The bulk of the songs were recorded at Electric Lady Studios in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York and finished at Sunset Sound Recorders in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. [11] McMahon, Nick Zinner and Gus Seyffert fleshed out the recordings at Sunset Sound. [7] A single vocal take from the sessions at Future Past Studios in Hudson, New York was kept. The album was also recorded at Trout Recording in Brooklyn, New York, with McMahon primarily overdubbing by himself. [10] [6]

Damon McMahon's mother, Thea Duell, was diagnosed with terminal cancer when he started writing Freedom. [12] She died in June 2018. [13] The opening track, "Intro", features a quote read by Thea. McMahon had her record herself using her phone, which he then altered to add a robotic effect. [12]

Composition

Musical style and influences

Aphex Twin, 2007.jpg
Tom Petty Live in Horsens (cropped).jpg
Aphex Twin (left) and Tom Petty (right) have been cited as having influenced the album's style.

Freedom marks a clear shift from the lo-fi, [14] dark sound and dense lyrics of previous Amen Dunes records to a more dynamic and pop rock [4] style with more direct lyricism. It has a more electronic sound with synths backing the songs and electric guitar in place of McMahon's usual acoustic guitar sound. [15] [5]

McMahon described Freedom himself as being centered around three kinds of music, "rock music, pop music, and electronic music." [12] He has said he was influenced by Michael Jackson; Tom Petty, early Oasis, late Nirvana, unplugged Nirvana but also Aphex Twin and Massive Attack. [12] Specifically, McMahon has said it was mainstream music that he was interested in, "really, really good mainstream music." [12]

Lyrics and themes

"This whole record is about letting go of my hang-ups through ego-death, man; it’s about relinquishing all the terrestrial identities and histories and personal events and family lineage – all the things that I’d kind of clung to my whole life."

—Damon McMahon [16]

Described as a "relinquishing of self through an exploration of self," [12] each song on Freedom explores a different aspect of self through both real and fictional characters. [17] The characters include father and mother, Amen Dunes, teenage glue addicts and drug dealer from Paris, ghosts above the plains, fallen surf heroes, vampires, thugs from Naples and thugs from Houston, the emperor of Rome, Jews, Jesus, Tashtego, Perseus, and even Damon McMahon himself. Each character portrait is a representation of McMahon, of masculinity, and of his past. [18] As such, McMahon himself has called Freedom a concept album, stating "It's like this image of this kid, it's this little boy who's like "now that I've shed my origins I'm going to start off in the world and get dreaming." Then he opens up, he's free of his father if you will, and he carries off into this dreamland of all these different characters." [6]

McMahon has described the album as his reckoning with a primary struggle in himself and that doing so revealed "secondary struggles with self" and eventually he realized he had "11 songs of struggle with self, of different colors and shapes and stuff." A core struggle present in Freedom is McMahon's relationship with his father, Paul, who he has said "never supported anything" he did." Other struggles explored in the album include masculinity; spirituality; his chaotic childhood; the realities of adulthood; and mortality, as examined through his mother's approach to her terminal cancer and overall how she had lived her life, which McMahon had previously been critical of. [6] [19]

All of the struggles and characters are explored and embodied in an attempt at letting them all go. The final track on the album, L.A., represents this breakthrough. [6]

The vacant mind

The concept of the "vacant mind" is introduced within the first minute of the album and is the central inspiration for the lyrics and themes that form Freedom. McMahon's songwriting style consists of recording himself sitting with guitar and singing unstructured words. He plays the recording back over and over until he can derive lyrics from it. He has said, "the vacant mind dictates the general lyric and then my conscious mind refines it." The final lyric on the album connects back to the vacant mind. [6]

Songs

The album opens with "Intro", a 50-second track beginning with a sample from a YouTube video of a child reciting Kurt Russell's pre-game speech in the 2004 film Miracle , where he played U.S. Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks. The phrase "this is your time" is repeated twice. The sample is backed by a "Spacemen 3-esque seasick" electronic drone. [20] The end of the song features the quote "I don't have any ideas myself; I have a vacant mind" by abstract painter Agnes Martin, as spoken by McMahon's mother.

"Blue Rose" is a "woozy disco-dub-folk jam" [21] that features "echoing" guitars, "propulsive" percussion [22] and "glowing" synths. [23] The narrator of the song is the Amen Dunes character. The beginning of the song includes the lyric "When the evening comes I go call up the band, we play religious music I don't think you'd understand," an allusion to musical energy of Amen Dunes that empowers McMahon. [6] The song is also an exploration of the relationship he had with his unpredictable father. [22] McMahon's father was very disapproving of his career as a musician, which McMahon describes as "a very early imprint of conflict" that he needed to explore. [24] "Blue Rose" is a song of retribution as a means of catharsis for McMahon's "adult self" and "little kid self," with the lyric "kill off my father" furthering this idea. [6] The song ends with the lyric "You weren't much a man to me, but you're the only one I've ever had". [21]

"Time" is a "warm" [25] song featuring "feathery" drumming, "hallow" synths and "country like-guitars". [26] [27] The narrator explores an "identity hang-up" as he lists instances of the persecution of Jews. McMahon's mother was Jewish. The song mentions the crucifixion of Jesus, the expulsion of Jews from Spain in the 15th century, moving to Ancient Rome, and The Holocaust. Pain is a central theme of the song, with it being described as a necessary evil as the narrator wails, "So much pain, induction pain, yeah". McMahon has said that acknowledging pain is healthy and the way to liberate yourself from your hang ups. [6] [28] The song is also about mortality, with imagery of an afterlife of sitting atop a "silver cloud, so empty now". [26]

"Skipping School" is a slow-burner featuring a "low, echoing" harmonica. The song builds tension through a "gentle, melancholic minor chord" that swells into a climactic release at the song's finish. [5] [28] Divided into two parts, the first half of the song finds the narrator waking up in a drugged out daze and thinking that he would "maybe stay high forever and drift along the Mekong if I could". The song locates McMahon's father as a child, "the coolest kid in school" whilst "in the alley, sniffing glue". He then recalls the cool kids that he grew up with and was bullied by, but whose lives ultimately did not pan out well. The song conflates the masculinity of McMahon's father with the troublemakers McMahon grew up with and looked up to, many of whom eventually went to prison or died. [28] In the second half of the song the narrator is older, "on the road somewhere" and "doing fine". He feels superior and criticizes his former friends, saying he would go back and show them if he could. He then finds himself in trouble on his way to "North Pigalle" in Paris. He realizes he is guilty of acting the same way he had been critical of them for. The song ends with the narrator letting go of himself and trying to find forgiveness. [6]

"Calling Paul the Suffering" is a "bright" song with a "danceable" groove in a "skittering" beat, backed by "gleaming" synthesizer hums and "glossy" guitars. [21] [20] [29] The song's lyrics and vocal style have been compared to glossolalia. [1] The song is about McMahon's father, Paul, but also about the regret people feel going through their lives wishing they could do it over. McMahon has said that the song has "a lot less of the conscious mind" in it and that it wrote itself. The lyric "I've been rolling for two years now, I'll make you proud boo" is reference to McMahon's mother, who his father called boo. [6]

"Miki Dora" is a "spacey" folk song with "slinky" guitars and a "coasting" beat that "ebbs and flows like the ocean waves". [30] [31] McMahon has attributed the song's "surfy" feel to its lack of a chorus. [6] Similar to "Skipping School", "Miki Dora" builds tension and swells to a climatic release. [5] It has been described as having the strongest melody on Freedom, [32] as well as being one of Damon McMahon's greatest songs. [33] The song's title is a reference to Miki Dora, a noted surfer of the 1950s and 1960s in Malibu, California. The song is largely about male identity. Miki Dora is often portrayed as a heroic and charismatic figure despite having been known also to be a surly and standoffish person with bigoted views and a criminal record. [34] [35] Damon McMahon has said, "He felt a little bit like me and a little bit like the bullshit that I've always been told to gravitate towards, like unavailable, shut down men who are macho, morally questionable and really aggressive. Those are the people that I think were modelled in my home or my community, or in the media". [6] He embodies Dora in the song, empathizing with him but also being critical of him. He illustrates how attractive and destructive some notions of masculinity can be, using Miki Dora as a symbol from an old era with the repeated lyric "the waves are gone". [31] Similar to "Calling Paul the Suffering", the song is also about regret. The narrator is an old man singing about his past: "pride destroyed me, man". [6]

"Satudarah" has "dirge-like" atmospherics. [28] The song's title is a reference to Satudarah MC, an outlaw motorcycle club from the Netherlands with a reputation from violent criminal activity. Satudarah MC is used in the song as a metaphor for the kids McMahon grew up with but also his family, specifically his father. McMahon broke away from his "gang" by defying his father's wishes and pursuing a career as a musician. The narrator of the song says "I stood up, pushed my chair back" as a sign of breaking away from the group. Satudarah MC is also used as an example of machismo masculinity, which McMahon grew up around. The song features the only vocal take kept from the recording sessions at Future Past Studios in Hudson, New York. [6]

Described as the "emotional centerpiece" of the album, [5] "Believe" is a "sultry" and "mid-tempo, folk-ish ballad". [36] [33] The narrator in the song is closer to the relinquishing of self than the other characters on the album. The song is primarily about Damon McMahon's mother, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the beginning of the album's recording. The lyric "They said you lived out on the wrong side, you said that's half the fun" describes his mother's lifestyle. McMahon has said that he was always very critical of her lifestyle and that in "Believe" is the realization that she was actually "free and unencumbered" and that maybe it was a better way of living than his own. The song is also about letting her go and about McMahon becoming at peace with his own mortality through hers. [6]

"Dracula" has a "roots rock shuffle" and is set in Houston, Texas. The narrator is an "aloof" character who is focused too much on his predatory past that he eventually repeats it. He later has a spiritual awakening while driving on the highway: "What can you do when every thought you had was untrue? Been dreaming too long". The Amen Dunes character comes through the car radio, singing the lyric "Powerful two-chord blues, coming through from me to you". The two characters merge and drive down the highway together, concluding the lyrics with "Maybe this is all, let's keep it short and sweet/Keeping my brights on, we got miles to go". At one point in the song, the narrator becomes the girl that he manipulates, saying "arm in arm with Houston thug" then "Cutie's mind is on fire, she had a spiritual good time". McMahon is re-embodying these characters and liberating them. Comparing the song to "Skipping School", he said the predatory narrator is about both people he grew up with and met along the way but also himself, saying "I've been on both sides of the coin". [6] [28]

"Freedom" is an anthem inspired by the music of Hüsker Dü and Bruce Springsteen that "unravels into a sun-baked slow dance". At the song's seeming conclusion, there is a brief moment of silence followed by a 55-second instrumental outro. McMahon has called the song the most abstract on the album, but added that it's partly about forgiveness, or letting go and being freed from the past. [6] [30] [37]

"L.A." is a sprawling, six-minute closer, "moving from guitar ambiance to fractured electronics". [38] [25] The song's character is a masculine identity: a man in Hollywood Hills dreaming about being the Emperor of the Roman Empire with his arm around a stranger. Later, as he is driving into town, the man has a fevered fantasy about having sex with his ex-girlfriend. The song then devolves into a nonsensical dream-state lyrics, leaving the man hung up on his past. McMahon compared the character to the character on "Miki Dora". McMahon called the drums and synthesizers on "L.A." a "direct rip off" of those on the Aphex Twin song "Acrid Avid Jam Shred". He also said the song's swells were inspired by Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy". The song features the YouTube sample included on Freedom's opening track "Intro". The final lyrics of "L.A.", "That's all not me", were inspired by the song "That's Not Me" by British grime artist Skepta. The final lyrics tie into the Agnes Martin quote featured on "Intro", relating to the concept of the vacant mind. McMahon said, "It conveniently ties into the theme of the album, which is "that's all not me," meaning all these things from the Irish dad, to the Jewishness, to the surf hero, to my childhood, to teen years, to my 20s; all this shit, as hung up as I am in it, it's actually not all me, it's an attempt at letting it go". [6] [17]

Artwork and title

The album's artwork features a headshot of Damon McMahon, framed by a white border. [20] The photograph and art direction are by Tuomas Korpijaakko, [10] who worked on the photography and art direction of previous Amen Dunes albums. The artist name and album title are located in the upper right-hand corner along with the Sacred Bones Records logo and catalog number, typical for Sacred Bones releases. The upper left-hand corner includes a label stating "in Stereo" to indicate the album is in stereophonic sound. [10] In contrast to Freedom, previous Amen Dunes records did not feature McMahon on the artwork. This change has been considered a representation of the album's musical clarity as well as the close up nature of the photograph being seen as representative of the more personal and direct nature of the lyrics and themes. [6]

The title Freedom corresponds to the "relinquishing of self through an exploration of self" theme of the album. It was, however, decided upon before the album was made. McMahon said "the same way that Love was kind of cheeky, this was a little bit of a smug, kind of punk thing to name an album." The tenth and penultimate track on the album also shares the album's name. [6]

Release and promotion

Freedom was announced on January 17, 2018 alongside the release of the album's lead single "Miki Dora" and an accompanying music video directed by Steven Brahms. [39]

"Blue Rose" was released on February 14, 2018 as the album's second single with an accompanying music video directed by Alex Goldberg. [40]

"Believe" was released on March 13, 2018 as the album's third and final single. [36] A music video for "Believe" was later released on June 18, 2018, also directed by Steven Brahms. [41]

The album was streamed a week in advance starting on March 22, 2018 through NPR's "First Listen" series. [42]

A deluxe version of Freedom was released digitally on November 30, 2018. It includes live versions of "Freedom", "Skipping School", "Miki Dora" and "L.A." recorded at various shows throughout Amen Dunes' European tour. [43]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10 [44]
Metacritic 87/100 [45]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [31]
Clash 8/10 [25]
Exclaim! 9/10 [29]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [46]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [30]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [47]
Paste 8.2/10 [21]
Pitchfork 8.6/10 [5]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [48]
Uncut 8/10 [49]

Freedom has received acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 87, based on 17 reviews. [45] Ben Homewood of NME gave the album a perfect score calling it a "grand, pop-rock masterpiece" and said, "It's the scale of Freedom's sound that cements it as an instantaneous classic; far and away McMahon's most complete work to date. His reedy, beaten-down vocal is so magnificent you wonder where he's been hiding it all these years, while every track thrums with its own deep groove." [30] Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork praised the album calling it "the most dynamic, confident Amen Dunes record to date" and said, "On Freedom, McMahon's voice is clearer, his hooks are sharper, and his music—once a hazy spider web of hisses, drones, and vamps—opens to reveal a latent aspiration toward the classic-rock songbook." [5]

In a mixed review, Rowan Savage of Tiny Mix Tapes felt that the album suffered from not being as "dark, as gnarly, or as weird" as previous Amen Dunes albums, stating, "The vocals are often low in the mix, which is a shame, but it creates a mumblecore naturalism that is also freedom of a sort. Synthesizers join or replace the folky guitars of his previous albums, and tracks meld together in memory over the course of the work." [32]

Year-end lists

PublicationRankList
BrooklynVegan 31Top 50 Albums of 2018 [50]
Digital Trends 3The Best Albums of 2018 [51]
Esquire UK N/AThe 50 Best Albums of 2018 [52]
Far Out Magazine3The 50 best albums of 2018 [53]
Flavorwire 11The 25 Best Albums of 2018 [54]
Flood Magazine11The Best Albums of 2018 [55]
Gorilla vs. Bear 4Albums of 2018 [56]
The Line of Best Fit 29The Best Albums of 2018 [57]
musicOMH 35Top 50 Albums of 2018 [58]
NME 31Albums of the Year 2018 [59]
Noisey 63The 100 Best Albums of 2018 [60]
OOR 13OOR's Eindlijst 2018 [61]
Paste 11The 50 Best Albums of 2018 [62]
Pitchfork 14The 50 Best Albums of 2018 [63]
The Skinny 32Top 50 Albums of 2018 [64]
Spin 4The 51 Best Albums of 2018 [65]
Tiny Mix Tapes 482018: Favorite 50 Music Releases [66]
Under the Radar 55Top 100 Albums of 2018 [67]
Uproxx 29The 50 Best Albums of 2018 [68]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Damon McMahon

No.TitleLength
1."Intro"0:50
2."Blue Rose"4:06
3."Time"4:50
4."Skipping School"5:28
5."Calling Paul the Suffering"3:01
6."Miki Dora"5:03
7."Satudarah"2:43
8."Believe"5:46
9."Dracula"4:16
10."Freedom"5:00
11."L.A."6:03
Freedom– Deluxe edition [69]
No.TitleLength
12."Freedom (Live in Vienna)"6:55
13."Skipping School (Live in Vienna)"5:57
14."Miki Dora (Live in Prague)"6:16
15."L.A. (Live in Brighton)"6:46

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. [10]

Charts

Chart (2018)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [70] 155
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [71] 7
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [72] 17

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing an Arab</span> 1978 single by the Cure

"Killing an Arab" is the debut single by English rock band the Cure. It was recorded at the same time as their first album Three Imaginary Boys (1979), but not included on the album. However, it was included on the band's first US album, Boys Don't Cry (1980).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">America (Simon & Garfunkel song)</span> 1968 song written and composed by Paul Simon

"America" is a song performed by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel, which they included on their fourth studio album, Bookends, in 1968. It was produced by the duo and Roy Halee. The song was later issued as the B-side of the single "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her " in 1972 to promote the release of the compilation album Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits. After peaking in the charts in July 1972, the song was switched to the A-side of the single and re-entered the charts in November 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew McMahon</span> American musician

Andrew Ross McMahon is an American singer-songwriter. He is the vocalist, pianist and primary lyricist for the bands Something Corporate and main songwriter for Jack's Mannequin and performs solo both under his own name as well as his moniker, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. On April 30, 2013, he debuted his first solo work, an EP titled The Pop Underground, which was followed by his debut album Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, released on October 14, 2014. His second album, Zombies on Broadway, was released on February 10, 2017. He released his third album, Upside Down Flowers, on November 16, 2018. His fourth album, Tilt at the Wind No More, was released on March 31, 2023. His memoir, Three Pianos, was published by Princeton Architectural Press on October 26, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Surprises</span> 1998 single by Radiohead

"No Surprises" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the fourth and final single from their third studio album, OK Computer (1997), in 1998. It was also released as a mini-album in Japan, titled No Surprises / Running from Demons.

<i>Everything in Transit</i> 2005 studio album by Jacks Mannequin

Everything in Transit is the debut studio album by American rock band Jack's Mannequin. Amid rising tensions within Something Corporate, the band went on a break; returning to his home in Orange County, California, frontman Andrew McMahon began working on a new project with producer Jim Wirt. Tracking commenced at 4th Street Studios in California, with additional recording done at other studios. Towards the end of the sessions, McMahon signed with major label Maverick Records; tracking was presumed finished in late 2004. McMahon began playing shows with Jack's Mannequin in early 2005; the group embarked on six-week tour, which coincided with the single release of "Holiday from Real".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who Wants to Live Forever</span> 1986 song by Queen

"Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by the British rock band Queen. A power ballad, it is the sixth track on the album A Kind of Magic, which was released in June 1986, and was written by lead guitarist Brian May for the soundtrack to the film Highlander. Queen was backed up by an orchestra, with orchestrations by film score composer Michael Kamen. The song peaked at No. 24 in the UK charts. In 1991, it was included in the band's second compilation album, Greatest Hits II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Wyatt</span> American musician

Andrew Wyatt Blakemore is an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Manhattan, New York, he began his career playing in New York bands such as The A.M. and Black Beetle. He gained wider notability as the frontman of the Swedish electronic pop band Miike Snow, which released its acclaimed debut album in 2009. Since that time, Wyatt has released two other albums with the band as well as his solo debut Descender on Downtown Records in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miki Dora</span> American surfer (1934–2002)

Miklos Sandor Dora III, known professionally as Miki Dora, was a noted surfer of the 1950s and 1960s in Malibu, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delicate Steve</span> Musical artist

Delicate Steve is the stage name of musician Steve Marion, an American multi-instrumentalist who leads the band of the same name. Delicate Steve's sound has been described as hand-crafted with elements of progressive rock, folksy twang, African rhythms, surf rock and 1970s pop. Marion has collaborated with a wide range of artists in a variety of styles and genres, performing live and recording in-studio with artists such as The Black Keys, Paul Simon, Amen Dunes, Mac DeMarco, Tame Impala, and others.

<i>People and Things</i> 2011 studio album by Jacks Mannequin

People and Things is the third and final studio album by American rock band Jack's Mannequin. It was released on October 4, 2011, through Sire Records. Following the release of The Glass Passenger (2008), the band's vocalist and pianist, Andrew McMahon, spent time during 2009 and 2010 writing, recording and then scrapping tracks for the follow-up. Shifting focus to his live band in a period during 2010, they began to work on new material. With the aid of producers Jim Scott and Rob Cavallo, the album was recorded at several studios from November 2010 to January 2011. The lead single "My Racing Thoughts" was released in August 2011, followed by the release of "Release Me" in November of that year, which was promoted by an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

<i>Old Ideas</i> 2012 studio album by Leonard Cohen

Old Ideas is the twelfth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, released in January 2012. It is Cohen's highest-charting release in the United States, reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200, 44 years after the release of his first album. The album topped the charts in 11 countries, including Finland, where Cohen became, at the age of 77, the oldest chart-topper, during the album's debut week. The album was released on January 27, 2012, in some countries and on January 31, 2012, in the U.S. On January 22, before its release, the album was streamed online by NPR and on January 23 by The Guardian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highway Don't Care</span> 2013 single by Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift featuring Keith Urban

"Highway Don't Care" is a song recorded by American country music singers Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift on vocals, featuring Keith Urban on guitar. It was released to US country radio on March 25, 2013, as the third single from McGraw's first album for Big Machine Records, Two Lanes of Freedom (2013). The song was written by Mark Irwin, Josh Kear and Brad and Brett Warren. McGraw and Swift recorded their parts separately. To date, this is Swift's seventh number one hit on Billboard's Country Airplay chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amen Dunes</span> New York rock band formed in 2006

Amen Dunes is the musical project formed by American singer-songwriter and musician Damon McMahon in 2006.

<i>Zombies on Broadway</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

Zombies on Broadway is the second studio album by American rock pianist Andrew McMahon, under the moniker Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. During a break touring to support his self-titled debut album, McMahon wrote new material with Gregg Wattenberg and Derek Fuhrmann. He began recording the album between May and September 2016 with a variety of producers in Los Angeles, New York City, and London. Described as a pop and pop rock album, several reviewers compared its sound to the band Fun.

<i>Graffiti U</i> 2018 studio album by Keith Urban

Graffiti U is the tenth studio album by New Zealand-born Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released on 27 April 2018, through Hit Red and Capitol Records Nashville. The album was heavily influenced by experiences from Urban's youth, and includes the singles "Female", "Parallel Line", "Coming Home", and "Never Comin' Down". The album has received mixed reviews from critics but received a nomination for CMA Award for Album of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damon McMahon</span> Musical artist

Damon Duell McMahon is an American indie rock musician and the primary member of the musical project Amen Dunes. Originally from Philadelphia, he is currently based in New York City.

"Rainier Fog" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. It is the fourth single and the title track to the band's sixth studio album, Rainier Fog (2018). Written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell, the song is a tribute to the Seattle music scene and the band's former members, Layne Staley and Mike Starr, and the title was inspired by Mount Rainier, a volcano that overlooks Seattle. The single peaked at No. 20 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. Excerpts from the lyrics are featured upside down on the album cover. The full lyrics to "Rainier Fog" are inscribed on the bottom plate of Jerry Cantrell's signature Dunlop Cry Baby Wah pedal, released in April 2019.

<i>No Danger</i> 2004 studio album by Inouk

No Danger is the only full-length studio album released by indie rock band Inouk in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuh You</span> 2018 single by Paul McCartney

"Fuh You" is a song by English musician Paul McCartney that was released as the second single from the album Egypt Station on 15 August 2018.

<i>Upside Down Flowers</i> 2018 studio album by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

Upside Down Flowers is the third studio album by American rock pianist Andrew McMahon, under the moniker Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, released on November 16, 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 Eisinger, Dale (March 29, 2018). "Amen Dunes Crafts Freedom Into His Most Compelling Album Yet". Spin . Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  2. Flanagan, Andrew (March 22, 2018). "Amen Dunes' Damon McMahon Pulls Back His Own Myths On 'Freedom'". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  3. Yung, Ben (2018-04-02). "Amen Dunes – 'Freedom' (album review)". The Revue. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  4. 1 2 Hine, Samuel (30 March 2018). "Damon McMahon of Amen Dunes Just Released the Best Album of 2018 (So Far)". GQ . Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sodomsky, Sam (March 30, 2018). "Amen Dunes: Freedom". Pitchfork . Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Hakimian, Rob (March 27, 2018). "Obeying the vacant mind: a conversation with Amen Dunes". The 405. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Amen Dunes". AdHoc. February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  8. Murray, Robin (June 12, 2018). "In Conversation: Amen Dunes". Clash . Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  9. Morgan, Steven (March 28, 2018). "Who Knew Amen Dunes Had It In Them?". All Things Loud. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Freedom (Liner notes). Amen Dunes. Sacred Bones Records. 2018. SBR-195CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. Whatley, Jack (January 17, 2018). "Amen Dunes continues to show his worth with 'Miki Dora'". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gaca, Anna (March 23, 2018). "Q&A: Amen Dunes on the Meaning of Freedom". Spin . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  13. "Thea Duell, Prolific Painter and Sculptor, Renaissance Woman". Vineyard Gazette . July 5, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  14. Brown, Austin (May 9, 2018). "Amen Dunes Is at Your Service". Flood Magazine. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  15. Leas, Ryan (December 3, 2018). "The End And Beginning Of Amen Dunes". Stereogum . Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  16. Traynor, Cian (April 5, 2018). "Amen Dunes on finding the freedom to open up". Huck . Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  17. 1 2 Vinti, Mike (November 26, 2018). "Amen Dunes has finally found Freedom". Notion. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  18. "Freedom | Amen Dunes". Bandcamp. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  19. Downing, Andy (May 16, 2018). "Concert preview: Amen Dunes at Express Live outdoors". Columbus Alive . Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  20. 1 2 3 Horton, Ross (April 20, 2018). "Songs of innocence and experience make Amen Dunes' Freedom a devastating listen". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Salmon, Ben (March 30, 2018). "Amen Dunes: Freedom Review". Paste . Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  22. 1 2 Myers, Owen (February 14, 2018). ""Blue Rose" by Amen Dunes Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  23. Hakimian, Rob (February 15, 2018). "Amen Dunes examines his relationship with his father on new song 'Blue Rose'". The 405. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  24. Ottenhof, Luke (March 19, 2018). "Amen Dunes Uncovers His Past So He Can Bury It". Vinyl Me, Please. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  25. 1 2 3 Murray, Robin (April 5, 2018). "Amen Dunes – Freedom". Clash . Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  26. 1 2 Yung, Ben (April 2, 2018). "Amen Dunes – 'Freedom' (album review)". The Revue. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  27. Nath, Aatish (May 21, 2018). "Amen Dunes' Freedom: Honest, introspective portrait of artist questioning long-cherished ideas". Firstpost . Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 Rodriguez, Juan Edgardo (April 2, 2018). "Amen Dunes: Freedom - Music Review". No Ripcord. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  29. 1 2 Mohenu, Max (March 31, 2018). "Amen Dunes: Freedom". Exclaim! . Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  30. 1 2 3 4 Homewood, Ben (March 29, 2018). "Amen Dunes – 'Freedom' Review". NME . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  31. 1 2 3 Phares, Heather. "Freedom – Amen Dunes". AllMusic . Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  32. 1 2 Savage, Rowan (April 11, 2018). "Amen Dunes - Freedom". Tiny Mix Tapes . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  33. 1 2 Smith, Barnaby (March 30, 2018). "Amen Dunes – Freedom". The Quietus . Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  34. Westwick, Peter; Neushul, Peter (2013-07-23). The World in the Curl: An Unconventional History of Surfing. Crown. ISBN   978-0307719485.
  35. USC Trojan Family "Dawn Patrol" by Agustin Gurza, Autumn 2014.
  36. 1 2 Gaca, Anna (March 13, 2018). "Amen Dunes – "Believe"". Spin . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  37. Hyden, Steven (March 28, 2018). "Amen Dunes' Hypnotic Stunner 'Freedom' Is One Of The Year's Best Indie Rock Records". UPROXX . Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  38. Leger, Eva. "Amen Dunes Channels David Gray on Fifth Album, Freedom". PPcorn. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  39. Sacher, Andrew (January 17, 2018). "Amen Dunes details new LP & shares video, playing MHOW with MIKE". BrooklynVegan . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  40. Gray, Julia (February 14, 2018). "Amen Dunes – "Blue Rose" Video". Stereogum . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  41. Haas, Anna (June 18, 2018). "Amen Dunes Releases Poignant "Believe" Music Video". Paste . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  42. Cantalini, Chris (March 22, 2018). "stream Amen Dunes' incredible new LP Freedom". Gorilla vs. Bear . Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  43. Kamp, Justin (November 7, 2018). "Amen Dunes Announces Deluxe Digital Version of Freedom, Expanded 2019 Tour Dates". Paste . Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  44. "Freedom by Amen Dunes reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  45. 1 2 "Freedom by Amen Dunes Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  46. Aston, Martin (May 2018). "Amen Dunes: Freedom". Mojo (294): 96.
  47. Empire, Kitty (April 1, 2018). "Amen Dunes: Freedom review – cosmic tilts and baggy beats". The Observer . Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  48. Segal, Victoria (May 2018). "Amen Dunes: Freedom". Q (384): 104.
  49. O'Connell, Sharon (April 2018). "Amen Dunes: Freedom". Uncut (251): 23.
  50. "BrooklynVegan's Top 50 Albums of 2018". BrooklynVegan . December 21, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  51. Hall, Parker (December 12, 2018). "The best albums of 2018". Digital Trends . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  52. Ovenden, Olivia (December 7, 2018). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2018". Esquire UK . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  53. Whatley, Jack (December 20, 2018). "The 50 best albums of 2018". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  54. Barnes, Shane (December 7, 2018). "The 25 Best Albums of 2018". Flavorwire . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  55. "The Best Albums of 2018". Flood Magazine. December 10, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  56. Cantalini, Chris (December 2, 2018). "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2018". Gorilla vs. Bear . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  57. "The Best Albums of 2018". The Line of Best Fit . December 3, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  58. "musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2018". musicOMH . December 5, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  59. "NME's Albums Of The Year 2018". NME . December 17, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  60. "The 100 Best Albums of 2018". Noisey . December 5, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  61. "Album van het jaar: Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer". OOR . December 4, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  62. "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Paste . November 26, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  63. "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Pitchfork . December 11, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  64. "The Skinny's Top 50 Albums of 2018". The Skinny . December 5, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  65. "The 51 Best Albums of 2018". Spin . December 12, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  66. "2018: Favorite 50 Music Releases". Tiny Mix Tapes . December 17, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  67. "Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2018". Under the Radar . December 30, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  68. "The 50 Best Albums Of 2018". Uproxx . December 3, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  69. "Freedom (Deluxe Edition) by Amen Dunes". iTunes . 30 March 2018.
  70. "Ultratop.be – Amen Dunes – Freedom" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  71. "Amen Dunes Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  72. "Amen Dunes Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 31, 2018.