Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 10 June 2013 | |||
Recorded | 2012 | |||
Studio | Wavelab Studios (Tucson, Arizona, USA) Toybox Studios (Bristol, England) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 47:17 (standard version) | |||
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Producer |
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KT Tunstall chronology | ||||
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KT Tunstall studio album chronology | ||||
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Singles from Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon | ||||
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Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon is the fourth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released on 10 June 2013 in the United Kingdom,entering the UK Albums Chart at Number 14,and on 6 August 2013 in the United States and Canada,debuting at number 64. It has a more country folk sound than her previous album, Tiger Suit . [1]
Tunstall announced through Facebook on 20 March 2013 that her official website had been redesigned ready for the new album,scheduled for a June 2013 release by Virgin Records. She also revealed the album cover,in which she is seen from behind in the desert of Tucson,Arizona. The same day,a trailer for the album was revealed on her YouTube page,showing her in the studio and driving around the Tucson desert.
The album was primarily recorded in Tucson with the singer Howe Gelb during two separate sessions in April and November 2012. [2] This has led to the sound of the album naturally separating into two distinct parts –which would explain the title of the album. Tunstall has explained that one side of the record,the Invisible Empire side,deals with the themes of mortality,a subject close to her heart following the death of her father in 2012. The second side,Crescent Moon,evokes an ethereal mood,more reflective of deeply felt changes in outlook and shifts in her personal life following her separation from her husband of four years later that year. [1] [3]
On The Culture Studio programme with Janice Forsyth,Tunstall explained that she had used old reel-to-reel tapes to record the album. "I like the unperfection of it." She said that she recorded the song "Made of Glass" in one take.
On 21 March 2013,an article from The Huffington Post website stated that the first single would be titled "Feel It All" and that it would be released in the same week as the album. [3]
On 11 April 2013,she revealed on her Facebook page that she was shooting the video for "Feel It All". The video was premiered on her Vevo channel at midday on 29 April 2013;its first radio play was on the BBC Radio 2 Ken Bruce Show. [4] but she also played the song live on Jools Holland's show in the UK and on some other radio shows.
On 16 July 2013,Tunstall offered a new video from the other version of "Feel It All" to re-promote the album,with vimeo-styled sequences. In this clip video,she wanders to a store opened at night,and buys make-up which she uses to look like a skeleton. Then,she runs to a party with people wearing the same make-up. The website Milky Tea Milk praised the video and said,"That first video... has been completely bulldozed by the recent revelation of another video for Feel It All. Aside from the video being more intriguing than the first it shows a little bit of vulnerability from Tunstall and some raw emotion."[ citation needed ] In an interview,the director Alex Kemp said,"I wanted to explore ideas of the walking dead,escapism and raving,and the vibe of the track felt quite sombre,so we decided to reflect this by using slo-mo as well as embracing the low light conditions of shooting almost entirely night-time exterior." [5]
On 21 July,Tunstall announced a new music video for "Invisible Empire" as the third single from the album. A music video was premiered on 30 July before the release of the single on 19 August. It shows Tunstall in a medieval world,fighting with a sword and riding a horse.
On 9 November 2013,Tunstall announced the release of a fourth single from Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon,"Made of Glass"..
A year after the album's release,Tunstall announced in June 2014 that she had shot a new music video for the song "Carried". The video was directed by Chris Turner,who previously directed the "Invisible Empire" and the"Made of Glass" videos. It was supposed to feature the Scottish actor and Game of Thrones star James Cosmo. However,as of 2021,the music video has not been shown.
In March 2013,Tunstall announced a UK tour in June and July to promote the album. Initial promotion was via the Internet,where the album's release was announced for June in Europe and Canada with the USA following in August.
Most of the earliest promotion was on the radio. On 29 April,the first single,"Feel It All",was the first song from the album to be played on UK radio. She later promoted the album on The Culture Studio with Janice Forsyth (BBC Radio Scotland) on 13 May,where she performed acoustic versions of the album's opening track "Invisible Empire","Made of Glass",where she explained the inspiration coming from her father's death,and the first acoustic version of "Feel it All". On 15 May,during the Jo Whiley Show,she played "Feel It All" and the Eye to the Telescope song "Other Side of the World".
On 16 May,she promoted the song on Welsh radio with an interview with Louise Elliott on BBC Radio Wales. After the broadcast of "Feel It All (Band Jam)" (the version ultimately released for radio play),she explained the inspirations for the album stemming from her personal circumstances and from the Tucson desert.
In the week after the release of Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon,Tunstall made appearances on some TV shows to play the lead single,including on Jools Holland and BBC Breakfast.
On 17 May 2013,Tunstall embarked on an Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon Tour to promote the album. Shows were scheduled all over the United Kingdom and United States,though the European and Asian shows were not then planned. On 20 June,Tunstall recorded her next live album after Live in London March 2011 . Live Islington Assembly Hall was released on 21 June.
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 74/100 [6] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Daily Express | [8] |
Evening Standard | (8/10) [9] |
Rolling Stone | positive [10] |
Irish Times | [11] |
The Guardian | [12] |
The Independent | [9] |
The Scotsman | [13] |
So So Gay | [14] |
Uncut | [9] |
Virgin Media | [15] |
MIMO | [16] |
Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon received critical acclaim upon release. Giving the album 4 stars out of 5,Caroline Sullivan said "there's little here that doesn't make you wonder where Tunstall has been hiding all this beauty until now". The blog Female First also gave a very good review of the album,calling it "her most honest and talent-filled album yet".[ citation needed ]
Andy Gill,from The Independent ,awarded the album four out of five stars,and highly advised listening to the tracks "Made of Glass","Feel It All","Yellow Flower" and "Honeydew". In that same article,he wrote "KT Tunstall's fourth album is by some distance her best". Virgin Media also awarded the album 4 stars,praising her voice by saying "Tunstall's voice is light,more pure than ever before" and describing "Crescent Moon" and "No Better Shoulder" as "wonderful". According to Theupcoming,who gave the album 3 stars out of 5,"Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon represents a turning point in her musical career:she’s grown up". In this review,Hannah Wallace said that "Waiting on the Heart" was " undoubtedly Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon’s killer track",but ended the article by saying,"It is questionable that such a strong Western motif was wise,but only time and play count can tell."
The Daily Express gave the album 5 out of 5 stars,and gave one of the most positive reviews of the album on its first week,saying,"Melodically perfect and lyrically heartfelt and with vocals that trip the eloquent songwriting fantastically,KT has on her hands a delicate masterpiece." With a similar enthusiasm,Ben Kelly from Sosogay gave 4 out of 5 stars,calling it "an emotional journey" and picking "Invisible Empire","Old Man Song" and "Feel It All" as his favourites. The Sun gave 4.5 stars out of 5.
Only a few critics were less enthusiastic with Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon. For instance,Entertainmentwise criticised the "lack of fiery performances" that was Tiger Suit's best asset,but Sam Hailes,the review's writer,added,"At the end of the day Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon should be judged on its own terms. It's a deep,reflective and thoughtful album which stirs a plethora of emotions. Best served by itself with no distractions,this is an unhurried release that speaks to the heart." The worst rating is from the website "musicomh",which gave 2.5/5 stars,and said,"Tunstall's songwriting remains as pedestrian as ever,with most tracks lacking anything in the way of a memorable melody or any other kind of unique selling point." He also criticised the songs "Feel It All" and "Waiting on the Heart",describing them as "lifeless".
All tracks produced by Howe Gelb &KT Tunstall,except where noted. Additional production of "Feel It All –Band Jam" by Martin Terefe.
All tracks are written by KT Tunstall, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Invisible Empire" | 3:52 | |
2. | "Made of Glass" | 4:11 | |
3. | "How You Kill Me" | 4:11 | |
4. | "Carried" | 3:41 | |
5. | "Old Man Song" | 3:12 | |
6. | "Yellow Flower" | 3:12 | |
7. | "Crescent Moon" | 3:52 | |
8. | "Waiting on the Heart" | Tunstall, Gelb | 4:29 |
9. | "Feel It All" | 4:11 | |
10. | "Chimes" (featuring Howe Gelb) | Tunstall, Gelb | 3:37 |
11. | "Honeydew" | 3:22 | |
12. | "No Better Shoulder" | 5:27 | |
13. | "Feel It All – Band Jam" (Radio edit) | 3:49 | |
Total length: | 47:17 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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14. | "Hallowed Ground" (Explicit) (featuring Howe Gelb) | 4:59 | ||
15. | "Never Be the Same Again" | 4:28 | ||
16. | "Crows" | The Suppliers | 3:28 | |
17. | "The Boys of Summer" | Don Henley, Mike Campbell | The Suppliers | 3:57 |
In the UK, the album debuted and peaked at number 14 and stayed 11 weeks in the top 100, longer than the previous album Tiger Suit .
In Europe, the album entered the Belgian charts at number 106 in Flanders, and 137 in Wallonia, and climbed to the 51st and 72nd position in its second week, surpassing Eye to the Telescope and Drastic Fantastic ; it stayed in the top albums for four weeks. It peaked at number 84 in Netherlands, but failed to enter the German Albums Chart. On its first week of release, it reached 240 in France and 56 in Switzerland while the iTunes European Top 100 albums ranked Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon 50th. In Ireland, the album peaked atnumber 30.
The album was released on 6 August in the US, and peaked at 64 on the Billboard 200 and at 16 in both the Billboard Tastemaker albums and Rock Albums charts. The album peaked at 183 in the Japanese Album Charts but, like its predecessor, Tiger Suit, it failed to chart in the Australian and New Zealand top 50.
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
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Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders) [20] | 51 |
Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia) [20] | 72 |
Japanese Albums Chart [21] | 183 |
Dutch Albums Chart [22] | 84 |
Irish Albums Chart [23] | 30 |
Swiss Albums Chart [24] | 56 |
Scottish Albums Chart [25] | 7 |
UK Albums Chart [26] | 14 |
US Billboard 200 [27] | 64 |
US Billboard Top Americana / Folk Albums [28] | 6 |
US Billboard Top Rock Albums [29] | 16 |
US Billboard Top Tastemaker Albums [30] | 16 |
Region | Date | Label | Format |
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Australia | 7 June 2013 | Relentless | CD, digital download CD+DVD |
Germany | |||
United Kingdom | 10 June 2013 | Relentless, under exclusive licence to Virgin | |
Europe | |||
Canada | 11 June 2013 | Virgin | |
Japan | 19 June 2013 | EMI Records Japan | |
Italy | 25 June 2013 | Virgin | |
United States | 6 August 2013 | Virgin / Blue Note Records |
Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained attention with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland. She has released eight studio albums internationally: Eye to the Telescope (2004), Drastic Fantastic (2007), Tiger Suit (2010), Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon (2013), Kin (2016), Wax (2018), Nut (2022), and a collaboration album with American musician Suzi Quatro, Face to Face (2023). She has also appeared in two episodes of the comedy series This is Jinsy on Sky Atlantic.
Howard “Howe” Gelb is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer based in Tucson, Arizona.
"Suddenly I See" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall from her debut studio album, Eye to the Telescope (2004). It was inspired by New York singer and poet Patti Smith, whose album cover for Horses (1975) also inspired Tunstall's album cover for Eye to the Telescope. The song was released on 29 August 2005 as the third single from the album in the United Kingdom. In the United States, it was released as the album's second single on 27 February 2006.
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall from her 2004 debut album, Eye to the Telescope. It is one of many songs that reuses the famous Bo Diddley beat from the influential 1955 song of his own name. The track was released on 21 February 2005 as the lead single from the album, charting at No. 28 on the UK Singles Chart the same month. The following year, the single became a hit outside Europe, reaching No. 7 in Canada and No. 20 in the United States and New Zealand.
Drastic Fantastic is the second studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It features some unreleased tracks she wrote before Eye to the Telescope such as new tracks she wrote in 2003. The record was released by Relentless Records on 10 September 2007 in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, on 15 September in Australia, and 18 September 2007 in the United States and Canada. However, the album was leaked on P2P networks on 3 September 2007.
"Hold On" is a song by Scottish singer KT Tunstall, written by Tunstall and produced by Steve Osborne for Tunstall's second album, Drastic Fantastic (2007). The song was released as the album's first single on 16 July 2007 in the United States. It was then released in the United Kingdom as a download single on 13 August 2007 and as a CD and 7-inch single on 27 August 2007. "Hold On" peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart, number 19 in Norway, and number 26 in Italy and Switzerland. In North America, the song reached number 46 in Canada and number four on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100, topping the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs chart for 11 weeks.
The discography of KT Tunstall, a Scottish rock and folk recording artist, includes eight studio albums, seven as a solo artist, a a collaboration album with Suzi Quatro, and twenty-three singles. In addition to her recording work, she has also written various soundtracks for movies. In 2014, Tunstall wrote "Miracle" as an official soundtrack single for the film Winter's Tale, and "We Could Be Kings" for Million Dollar Arm.
"Saving My Face" is a song performed by Scottish singer KT Tunstall. The song was written by Tunstall and produced by Steve Osborne for the Tunstall's second album Drastic Fantastic (2007). The song's lyrics were inspired by a documentary Tunstall watched on the Discovery Channel "about old women having really disturbing amounts of plastic surgery to look very, very young."
"If Only" is an alternative rock song performed by Scottish singer KT Tunstall. The song was written by Tunstall and Jimmy Hogarth for Tunstall's second album Drastic Fantastic (2007). It was released as the album's third single in the United Kingdom on 3 March 2008. "If Only" reached No. 45 on the UK Singles Chart.
Tiger Suit is the third studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released by Relentless Records in Ireland on 24 September 2010, in the United Kingdom on 27 September 2010 and in the United States and Canada on 5 October 2010. It was released in Europe on the 22 and 25 October 2010. The Japanese edition, released on 22 September, features two additional tracks: a cover of LCD Soundsystem's "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" and "It Doesn't Have to Be Like This (Baby)"
"Feel It All" is a song by Scottish recording artist KT Tunstall. It was released as the UK lead single from her fourth studio album Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon, on 29 April 2013 through iTunes on 1 May 2013 through Amazon, and was released as a physical single on 10 June 2013. The cover for the single depicts Tunstall in a desert, with minimal outfits, wild-looking, pointing out the natural, acoustic influences of the album.
Live Islington Assembly Hall is KT Tunstall's fifth live album, recorded on 20 June 2013. It features some tracks from her previous albums, but mostly, new tracks from her 2013 release Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon, and a cover of Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer". Tunstall interacts with the audience, having conversations and making jokes, making the gig feel intimate and personal.
"Invisible Empire" is a single by Scottish recording artist KT Tunstall. It was released as the third single from her fourth studio album Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon, on 19 August 2013 through iTunes, Amazon and other platforms. The cover for the single depicts Tunstall wearing medieval outfits, holding a rusting crown in front of the sea. The song was first played live in 2012 in a concert with Daryl Hall, and then, it was played a few weeks before the album release on the Jools Holland show and on some radios. A music video premiered on 30 July 2013, and was acclaimed by critics for its Game of Thrones medieval style.
"Made of Glass" is the fourth and last single from KT Tunstall's Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon. The song is an acoustic ballad dealing with death and fragility of life, since the album deals with mortality. The song was first played acoustically on radio with Jo Whiley on 13 May 2013 along with "Feel It All" and "Invisible Empire", the two previous singles from the album. A music video was released on 11 November 2013.
The Coincidentalist is the 21st studio album by American singer-songwriter Howe Gelb. It was released on 5 November 2013 worldwide, by American independent label New West Records. Teaming up with M. Ward and Steve Shelley from Sonic Youth, Gelb brings eleven songs inspired by his native Arizona Desert, in which he recorded KT Tunstall's fifth album Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon earlier in 2013.
"Miracle" is a song by Scottish recording artist KT Tunstall for the film Winter's Tale. It was released on 11 February 2014. The song is the second soundtrack written and released by Tunstall after The Kid's "Boy", and marks a new orientation in Tunstall's career after her fifth release Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon.
"We Could Be Kings" is a song by Scottish recording artist KT Tunstall and Academy Award winning composer A. R. Rahman for the film Million Dollar Arm. It was released on 12 May 2014. The song is the third soundtrack written and released by Tunstall after The Kid's "Boy", and "Miracle".
Kin is the fifth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. It was released on 9 September 2016 worldwide, following up her previous album, the folk-toned Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon. It was preceded by the Golden State EP, which included one of the songs from the album, "Evil Eye". The album was produced by Tony Hoffer in a studio in Los Angeles.
"Maybe It's a Good Thing" is a song by Scottish recording artist KT Tunstall. It was released as the lead single off her fifth studio album KIN. The song was released on 15 July 2016, right after the Golden State EP and its promotional single "Evil Eye". The song was produced by Tony Hoffer.
Wax is the sixth studio album by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, and the second album in the "soul, body and mind" trilogy. It was released on 5 October 2018, following up the first album of the trilogy, Kin. The first single from the album is "The River", released on 23 August 2018.