Hug of Thunder

Last updated

Hug of Thunder
Hug of Thunder cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 7, 2017
Genre Indie rock, baroque pop
Length52:19
Label Arts & Crafts
Producer
  • Jim Chiccarelli
  • Nyles Spencer
Broken Social Scene chronology
Forgiveness Rock Record
(2010)
Hug of Thunder
(2017)
Let's Try the After (Vol. 1)
(2019)

Hug of Thunder is the fifth studio album by Canadian indie rock musical collective Broken Social Scene. [1] It was released by the Arts & Crafts record label on July 7, 2017. [2]

Contents

Background

After declaring a hiatus in September 2011, Broken Social Scene performed at the Field Trip Arts & Crafts Music Festival in 2013 and played a few other festivals in 2015, which prompted band members Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Charles Spearin, Justin Peroff, and Andrew Whiteman to discuss recording new material. "When we're working, we understand that there will be a lot more input, so we leave space in the music as we're writing it," Spearin said. "We would send out invitations for all the usual crew, and say, 'Hey, we're doing this again. Would you be interested in being part of this?'" In the end, eighteen musicians were credited on Hug of Thunder. During sessions for the album, Feist conceived the idea for the title track, her first lead vocal on a Broken Social Scene song since 2006. [3] Drew explained that the title represents "exactly who we are. That is our show. We're trying to create that hug of thunder. That sound. That embrace amongst the chaos." [4]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.3/10 [5]
Metacritic 76/100 [6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The A.V. Club B+ [7]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Irish Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Pitchfork 8.4/10 [12]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Uncut 8/10 [15]

Hug of Thunder received positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 76, based on 30 reviews. [6]

Accolades

PublicationAccoladeYearRankRef.
Diffuser Top 25 Albums of 2017
2017
9
Drowned in Sound Top 100 Albums of 2017
2017
58
Time Out New York Top 29 Albums of 2017
2017
9
Under the Radar Top 100 Albums of 2017
2017
11
Vulture Top 10 Albums of 2017
2017
10

Track listing

Hug of Thunder [1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sol Luna"
  • Brendan Canning
  • Kevin Drew
  • Shawndra Everett
1:20
2."Halfway Home"4:41
3."Protest Song"
4:18
4."Skyline"
  • Canning
  • Drew
  • Peroff
  • Spearin
  • Whiteman
4:10
5."Stay Happy"
  • Canning
  • Drew
  • Engle
  • Peroff
  • Spearin
  • Whiteman
4:10
6."Vanity Pail Kids"
  • Canning
  • Drew
  • Peroff
  • Spearin
  • Whiteman
4:01
7."Hug of Thunder"
  • Canning
  • Drew
  • Feist
  • Peroff
  • Spearin
  • Whiteman
4:54
8."Towers and Masons"
  • Canning
  • Drew
  • Engle
  • Peroff
  • Spearin
  • Whiteman
4:01
9."Victim Lover"
4:55
10."Please Take Me with You"
  • Canning
  • Drew
  • Peroff
  • Spearin
  • Whiteman
4:54
11."Gonna Get Better"
  • Canning
  • Drew
  • Engle
  • Peroff
  • Spearin
  • Whiteman
5:11
12."Mouth Guards of the Apocalypse"
  • Canning
  • Cranley
  • Drew
  • Sam Goldberg
  • Peroff
  • Jimmy Shaw
  • Spearin
  • Whiteman
5:44

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Hitseekers) [21] 3
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [22] 102
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [23] 14
Scottish Albums (OCC) [24] 51
US Billboard 200 [25] 96
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [26] 3
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [27] 11
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [28] 17

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