Historian (album)

Last updated

Historian
Historian Lucy Dacus.jpg
Studio album by
Lucy Dacus
ReleasedMarch 2, 2018 (2018-03-02)
Studio
  • Trace Horse Studio (Nashville, Tennessee)
  • The Smoakstack (Nashville, Tennessee)
  • Montrose Studios (Richmond, Virginia)
Genre
Length47:35
Label Matador
Producer
  • Jacob Blizard
  • Lucy Dacus
  • Collin Pastore
Lucy Dacus chronology
No Burden
(2016)		Historian
(2018)		 Boygenius
(2018)
Singles from Historian
  1. "Night Shift"
    Released: December 12, 2017
  2. "Addictions"
    Released: January 16, 2018
  3. "Next of Kin"
    Released: February 13, 2018

Historian is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus, released on March 2, 2018, through Matador Records. [3]

Contents

Background and recording

Historian was produced by Dacus, Jacob Blizard and Collin Pastore, the same team that produced her debut album, No Burden . [4] Dacus and her band recorded the album over the course of a week in March 2017 in Nashville. [4] [5] She described the album as a song cycle about "living through loss and the inevitable darkness of life, and doing so hopefully and joyfully." [4] Of the title of the album, Dacus explained, "It's me having this impulse to document and capture and create a history of my life and the people that I know ... Because as I'm making this history and capturing these things that I hold dear, those things won't stay." [6]

On December 12, 2017, Dacus formally announced the album, alongside the first single from the album "Night Shift". [7] The second single "Addictions" was released on January 16, 2018. [8]

Music and lyrics

The album's music has drawn comparisons to Wilco, specifically the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot era. [9] Lyrical themes explored on the album include death and hope. [10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.8/10 [11]
Metacritic 82/100 [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The A.V. Club B [14]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [15]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Pitchfork 8.1/10 [19]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [20]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Uncut 8/10 [21]

Historian was met with "universal acclaim" reviews from critics, many of whom considered it to be an improvement over No Burden . At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 82 based on 20 reviews. [12] Marcy Donelson of AllMusic said of the release: "Ultimately, the forte passages don't encroach on the songwriting, as they underline emotion, but they do, at times, step on Dacus' voice, when she's clouded by high-volume accompaniment or even vocal processing. Thankfully, those moments are brief and rare, allowing her lyrics and expressive sense of melody to shine." [13] Sasha Geffen of Pitchfork gave the album a score of 8.1 of 10, saying: "Th[e] gradual unfolding is one of Historian’s many delights. It’s not an easy album to wear out. It lasts, and it should, given that so many of its lyrics pick at time, and the way time condenses around deep emotional attachments to other people." [22]

DIY gave the album a score of 8 of 10, and said: "Even as Lucy deals with massive topics including death, hope, and major life transitions, she offers listeners entry points back into their own worlds, all while strengthening her already taut grip on rustling, soul-blemished rock." [10] NME also gave the album this score, and wrote: "The 10-track Historian is far bigger, meatier beast than its predecessor. Recorded in Nashville, this is a rock’n’roll album with deep understanding of pop melody but layered up with bold lyrics which disarm you as much as they connect with you." [23] Rolling Stone also gave the album a score of 8 of 10, saying: "Dacus and her band sound emboldened, confident, like kids who are thrilled they still have something to prove." [24] Paste awarded the album 8.7 out of 10, saying: "At 23, Dacus has already made a career album with Historian, and she’s really only just getting started." [25]

The Chicago Tribune gave the album a perfect score, saying: "As good as No Burden was, Historian is better: songs like short stories; sneakily hard-hitting arrangements; dreaminess and catharsis, often in the space of a few verses." The 405 gave the album a score of 9 out of 10, saying: "Historian is a complete album, cavernous in its emotional depths and regally sophisticated in its songwriting, yet palatably relatable at the point of contact. It’s a work of perfectly realised ambition in which anyone who’s ever waded the swamp of heartache can recognise themselves." Uncut gave the album a score of 8 out of 10, saying Historian "fulfills all the promises" of its predecessor. Mojo also gave the album this score, saying: "Even the less bristling episodes feel luminous and ecstatic, but mostly the magnificent Historian thrives on tension." The A.V. Club gave the album a score of 7.5 out of 10 and wrote: "Historian stumbles occasionally, with some songs taking a while to get up the hill, but it’s rewarding because it carries such weight and commands such attention." [26]

The Line of Best Fit gave the album a score of 9 out of 10, and wrote: "Toning down her wry wit and wrapping her songs around the common theme of reckoning with and rebuilding from loss, Historian offers a more cohesive testament to Dacus’s exceptional songwriting." [27] Drowned in Sound also gave the album a score of 9 of 10, saying: "Historian feels like a universe that exists before time, somewhere to reach up to when you need to express something greater than yourself. And Dacus shows us the way, with grace and patience and the quiet confidence of writers twice her age." [28]

Not all reviews were positive. No Ripcord gave the album a score of 5 out of 10, and wrote: "It’s as though Dacus’s best parts have been filtered through a focus group--just imagine what it could have been with the patina scraped off." Q gave the album a score of 6 of 10, and said: "The only gripe here is that the odd longueur makes Historian solid rather than spectacular." Record Collector also gave the album this score. [26]

Accolades

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Night Shift"6:31
2."Addictions"3:24
3."The Shell"4:37
4."Nonbeliever"3:40
5."Yours & Mine"5:14
6."Body to Flame"3:05
7."Timefighter"5:48
8."Next of Kin"4:06
9."Pillar of Truth"7:14
10."Historians"3:56
Total length:47:35

Personnel

Charts

2018 weekly chart performance for Historian
Chart (2018)Peak
position
UK Americana Albums (OCC) [42] 9
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [43] 39
2023 weekly chart performance for Historian
Chart (2023)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [44] 14
UK Album Sales (OCC) [45] 45
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [46] 10
US Folk Albums ( Billboard ) [47] 12
US Top Album Sales ( Billboard ) [48] 20
US Top Tastemaker Albums ( Billboard ) [49] 8

References

  1. ↑ Adcock, Lee (March 2, 2018). "Album Review: Historian by Lucy Dacus". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Hopper, Jessica (March 5, 2018). "Review: Lucy Dacus Turns Interior Drama Into Indie-Rock Gold on 'Historian'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  3. ↑ Gaca, Anna (December 12, 2017). "Lucy Dacus Announces Sophomore Album Historian; Hear "Night Shift"". Spin . Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 Coscarelli, Joe (February 15, 2018). "How an Indie-Rock Star Is Made in 2018". The New York Times . Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  5. ↑ Wilson, Carl (March 7, 2018). "Lucy Dacus' History in the Making". Slate . Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  6. ↑ Hilleary, Mike (June 7, 2018). "Lucy Dacus on "Historian"". Under the Radar . Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  7. ↑ Day, Laurence (December 12, 2017). "Lucy Dacus has announced second LP Historian, which she says is the record she "needed to make"". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  8. ↑ Day, Laurence (January 16, 2018). "Lucy Dacus directs stunning clip for her new single "Addictions"". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Historian - Record Collector Magazine" . Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Matador, Reviewer: Max Freedman Released: 2nd March 2018 Label (March 2, 2018). "Lucy Dacus - Historian". DIY. Retrieved August 25, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "Historian by Lucy Dacus reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  12. 1 2 "Historian by Lucy Dacus Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Donelson, Marcy. "Historian – Lucy Dacus". AllMusic . Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  14. ↑ Anthony, David (March 2, 2018). "Lucy Dacus, Historian". The A.V. Club . Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  15. ↑ Kot, Greg (March 2, 2018). "Lucy Dacus takes a big leap with 'Historian'". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  16. ↑ Freedman, Max (March 2, 2018). "Lucy Dacus – Historian". DIY . Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  17. ↑ Aston, Martin (April 2018). "Lucy Dacus: Historian". Mojo (293): 94.
  18. ↑ Cooper, Leonie (March 2, 2018). "Lucy Dacus – 'Historian' Review". NME . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  19. ↑ Geffen, Sasha (March 6, 2018). "Lucy Dacus: Historian". Pitchfork . Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  20. ↑ Mongredien, Phil (May 2018). "Lucy Dacus: Historian". Q (384): 107.
  21. ↑ Watts, Peter (April 2018). "Lucy Dacus: Historian". Uncut (251): 26.
  22. ↑ Geffen, Sasha. "Lucy Dacus: Historian". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  23. ↑ Cooper, Leonie (March 2, 2018). "Lucy Dacus - 'Historian' Review". NME. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  24. ↑ Historian by Lucy Dacus , retrieved August 25, 2025
  25. ↑ "Lucy Dacus: Historian". Paste Magazine. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  26. 1 2 Historian by Lucy Dacus , retrieved August 25, 2025
  27. ↑ "Lucy Dacus's second outing is a monolith of American songwriting". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  28. ↑ "Album Review: Lucy Dacus - Historian". DrownedInSound. March 2, 2018. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  29. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018 So far". Billboard . June 5, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Top 50 Albums of 2018". Consequence of Sound . December 3, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  31. ↑ "The 100 Top Albums of the 2010s". Consequence of Sound . December 30, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  32. ↑ "The 100 Best Albums of 2018". Noisey . Vice. December 6, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  33. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". NPR Music . December 4, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  34. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Paste . November 26, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  35. ↑ "The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s". Paste . October 9, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  36. ↑ "The Best Rock Albums of 2018". Pitchfork . December 17, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  37. ↑ "The 70 Best Albums of 2018". PopMatters . December 20, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  38. ↑ Dolan, Jon (December 13, 2018). "50 Best Albums of 2018". Rolling Stone . Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  39. ↑ Wilson, Cark (December 12, 2018). "The Best Albums of 2018". Slate . Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  40. ↑ "Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2018". Under the Radar . December 30, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  41. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Uproxx . December 3, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  42. ↑ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  43. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  44. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  46. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  47. ↑ "Americana/Folk Albums: Week of June 10, 2023". Billboard . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  48. ↑ "Top Album Sales: Week of June 10, 2023". Billboard . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  49. ↑ "Tastemaker Albums: Week of June 10, 2023". Billboard . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
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