History (Molly Nilsson album)

Last updated
History
Molly Nilsson History artwork.jpg
Studio album by
Molly Nilsson
Released14 December 2011 (2011-12-14)
Recorded2010–2011
StudioLighthouse Studios, Berlin
Genre Synth-pop
Length41:55
Label
  • Dark Skies Association
Producer Molly Nilsson
Molly Nilsson chronology
Follow the Light
(2010)		History
(2011)		 The Travels
(2013)
Singles from History
  1. "Skybound"
    Released: 21 October 2011
  2. "Hotel Home"
    Released: 2 December 2011
  3. "Intermezzo: The Party"
    Released: 30 April 2012
  4. "In Real Life"
    Released: 3 September 2012
  5. "I Hope You Die"
    Released: 19 September 2012

History is the fourth studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 14 December 2011. It was Nilsson's final album to be entirely self-released, as she started collaborating with Night School Records afterwards. History has been cited as Nilsson's "breakout" album, including by herself. [1] [2]

Contents

Background

Regarding the album's concept and title, Nilsson explained:

Each song tells a story, and together they form a narrative. [No one's] life weighs more than another, yet not everyone ends up in the history books. I took this opportunity to feel what it's like to hold the pen that writes history. [3]

Release

History was originally self-released through Nilsson's own label Dark Skies Association. The CD version was released on 14 December 2011 and the vinyl version followed in April 2012. [4] [5] In association with Night School Records, History was then released as a digital download on 31 January 2019, [6] while reissues of the CD and vinyl versions followed on 29 March 2019. [7] It was again reissued on vinyl on 29 September 2023. [8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [9]
ÉclatStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Pitchfork 7/10 [11]

History received positive reviews. Emilie Friedlander of Pitchfork , in a positive review, said that the album is "carried by the commanding, almost Nico-like ominousness of [Nilsson's] voice". [11] Tim Sendra, writing for AllMusic, praised Nilsson's "wonderfully idiosyncratic music" and noted its emotional impact. [9] In a positive review for German Éclat magazine, Marlena Julia Dorniak described Nilsson's music as "morbid", "melancholic", and "magical". [10]

"I Hope You Die" was positively highlighted as a standout song by several writers. [11] [9] [10] Friedlander noted that it demonstrates the "over-the-topness of Nilsson's aesthetic most forcefully". [11] Sendra praised it for its "heartbreakingly honest" lyrics, while Dorniak commended its combination of a "danceable beat" with "tragically romantic" lyrics. [9] [10] The song also quickly became a "fan favorite". [1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Molly Nilsson.

History track listing
No.TitleLength
1."In Real Life"4:06
2."You Always Hurt the One You Love"3:01
3."I Hope You Die"4:28
4."The Bottles of Tomorrow"2:03
5."Hiroshima Street"3:51
6."Intermezzo: The Party"2:55
7."Hotel Home"4:49
8."City of Atlantis"3:41
9."QWERTY (Censored Version)"4:35
10."The Clocks"3:31
11."Skybound"4:38
Total length:41:55

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References

  1. 1 2 Blair, Ed (24 January 2022). "Where to Start Exploring the Dazzling World of Molly Nilsson". Bandcamp . Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "Hooligan of the Heart Scarf". Dark Skies Association. 30 January 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Ritchie, Kevin (4 October 2012). "Molly Nilsson - Press-shy Swedish songwriter opens up". Now . Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Molly Nilsson - History (2011, CDr)". Discogs . Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "Molly Nilsson - History (2012, Vinyl)". Discogs . Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "Molly Nilsson - History (2019, File)". Discogs . Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "Molly Nilsson - History (2019, CD)". Discogs . Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "History: LP - Dark Skies Association". Dark Skies Association. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Sendra, Tim. "History Review by Tim Sendra". AllMusic . Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Dorniak, Marlena Julia (27 April 2012). "Molly Nilsson - History - Rezension des Musikmagazins éclat". Éclat (in German). Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Friedlander, Emilie (17 April 2012). "Molly Nilsson: History Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved 2 October 2023.
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