| Giver Taker | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 18, 2020 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 27:03 | |||
| Label | Father/Daughter | |||
| Anjimile chronology | ||||
| ||||
Giver Taker is the debut studio album by American musician Anjimile. It was released on September 18, 2020, by Father/Daughter Records. [4]
Anjimile announced the release of their debut studio album on July 8, 2020. [4] [5]
On July 8, 2020, the first single "Maker" was released, alongside the announcement of the album. [4] In a press release, Anjimile explained how the song relates to "coming to terms with my transgender identity, ruminating on the lack of acceptance from my parents, and kind of relating my transness to the father/son/holy ghost trinity." [6] [7] The song was featured on Paste 's 7 Best Songs of the Week for July 10, 2020. [8]
On August 12, 2020, the second single "Baby No More" was released. [9] Of the single, Anjimile explained that they had written the song a month before they got sober, saying "I was in a romantic relationship but I was not taking care of myself in any sense of the phrase, and thusly the relationship was suffering as a result. At the time I quite literally felt like I was losing my mind vis a vis alcoholism. Active alcoholism and committed romantic relationships generally do not mix well, and ‘Baby No More’ is more or less what happens when you're not a good boyfriend. Although it's got a very groovy and relatively light-hearted musical vibe, some of the lyrics are quite dark." [9] [10]
The third single "In Your Eyes" was released on September 2, 2020, and focuses on Anjimile's struggles of grappling with homophobia. [11] The music video for the single was produced by Gabe Goodman and Justine Bowe. [12]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.7/10 [13] |
| Metacritic | 80/100 [14] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Beats Per Minute | 80% [15] |
| Consequence of Sound | B+ [16] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8.5/10 [17] |
| Loud and Quiet | 7/10 [18] |
| The Observer |   [19] |
| Paste | 8.6/10 [20] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10 [1] |
Giver Taker was met with "generally favorable" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 80 based on 9 reviews. [14] Aggregator Album of the Year gave the release a 79 out of 100 based on a critical consensus of 10 reviews. [2] At AnyDecentMusic?, which assigns a normalized rating out of 10 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received a weighted average score of 7.7 based on 7 reviews. [13]
Writing for Beats Per Minute , Gareth O'Malley said: "Chronicling grief and loss, and written while recuperating from drug and alcohol abuse, the debut album from Boston’s Anjimile Chitambo is an intense affair dressed up in sumptuous ornamentation." [15] He went on to say the "set of songs, intimate and filled with lyrical and musical nuances that encourage repeated listening, is supremely rewarding." [15] Kitty Empire of The Observer gave the album four stars out of five, explaining "Tracks like Maker or Ndimakukonda boast compelling African instrumentation and cadences, putting significant stylistic space between Anjimile and [Sufjan] Stevens. Throughout, the production – also by relative unknowns – is pin-sharp and generous." [19] Candace McDuffie of Paste gave the release an 8.6 out of 10, saying the release "is captivating in its detailed storytelling, luscious harmonies and admirable vulnerability. Anjimile’s devotion to his craft is both inspiring and harrowing, which we hear in the highs and lows of this consummate project. His trials and tribulations have only fueled his creative vision." [20]
| Publication | Accolade | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Consequence of Sound | Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 36 [21] |
| NPR Music | Top 50 Albums of 2020 | 48 [22] |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Your Tree" | 2:45 |
| 2. | "Baby No More" | 2:44 |
| 3. | "In Your Eyes" | 3:07 |
| 4. | "1978" | 4:28 |
| 5. | "Not Another Word" | 2:56 |
| 6. | "Maker" | 2:57 |
| 7. | "Ndimakukonda" | 1:38 |
| 8. | "Giver Taker" | 2:11 |
| 9. | "To Meet You There" | 4:17 |
Musicians
| Production
Other personnel
|
Goodbye Bread is the fourth album by San Francisco garage rock singer-songwriter Ty Segall. Pitchfork placed the album at number 31 on its list of the "Top 50 albums of 2011". The album presented a much more melodic, sappy energy relative to Segall's previous rock-oriented releases. Distortion effects such as fuzz and overdrive, though, were still heavily broadcast in songs such as "My Head Explodes" and "Where Your Head Goes".
Tearing at the Seams is the second studio album by American band Nathan Rateliff & The Night Sweats. It was released on March 9, 2018 under Stax Records.
Uniform Distortion is the third studio album by American musician and lead vocalist of My Morning Jacket Jim James. It was released on June 29, 2018 under ATO Records.
A Distant Call is the second studio album by American band Sheer Mag. It was released on August 23, 2019, through Wilsuns Recording Company.
Likewise is the debut studio album by Frances Quinlan of Hop Along. It was released on January 31, 2020, by Saddle Creek Records.
Nightmare Vacation is the debut studio album by American rapper Rico Nasty, released on December 4, 2020, through Artist Partner Group (APG), Atlantic Records and her own Sugar Trap label. The album features guest appearances from rappers Trippie Redd, Aminé, Gucci Mane and Don Toliver, among others. Frequent producers on the record also include 100 gecs, Take a Daytrip and Avedon, with additional work from producers such as Tay Keith, Buddah Bless and CashMoneyAP.
925 is the debut studio album by English indie band Sorry. It was released on 27 March 2020 under Domino Recording Company.
Limbo is the second studio album by American rapper Aminé. It was released on August 7, 2020, by CLBN and Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from JID, Charlie Wilson, Young Thug, Slowthai, Vince Staples, Summer Walker, and Injury Reserve.
For My Crimes is the eighth studio album by American musician Marissa Nadler. It was released on September 28, 2018 under Bella Union in the UK, and Sacred Bones Records in the US.
Constant Image is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Flasher. It was released on June 8, 2018 under Domino Recording Company.
Serpentine Prison is the debut solo studio album by Matt Berninger, lead singer and co-songwriter of The National, released on October 16, 2020. It was produced by Booker T. Jones and released on Book’s Records, a new imprint of Concord Records formed by Berninger and Jones.
Jordana Nye, known mononymously as simply Jordana, is an American bedroom pop musician.
Samia Najimy Finnerty is an American singer-songwriter from New York City.
Anjimile Chithambo, better known under the mononym Anjimile, is an American folk musician from Boston, Massachusetts.
Live Forever is the debut studio album by English-born American musician Bartees Strange. It was released on October 2, 2020, by Memory Music.
Shamir is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Shamir. The album was self-released by the artist on October 2, 2020.
On All Fours is the second studio album by English band Goat Girl. It was released on 29 January 2021 by Rough Trade Records.
The Shadow I Remember is the seventh studio album by American rock band Cloud Nothings. It was released on February 26, 2021 via Carpark Records.
Be Right Back is the third extended play by British singer Jorja Smith. The record was released on 14 May 2021 by FAMM. Self described as a "waiting room" in preparation for her sophomore album, Be Right Back features writing and production from long time collaborators Joel Compass and Ed Thomas, amongst others, as well as guest vocals from British-Nigerian rapper Shaybo. Written and recorded over a two-year period, Be Right Back sonically adopts experimental song structures and lyrically revolves around the complexity of ideal womanhood, relationships and self-awareness.
The King is the second studio album by American folk musician Anjimile Chithambo, better known as Anjimile. It was released on September 8, 2023, through 4AD. Chithambo wrote and co-produced all the songs, with additional production credits from Justine Bowe and Shawn Everett. It features contributions from Justine Bowe, Brad Allen Williams, Sam Gendel, and James Krivchenia.
