Major Arcana (album)

Last updated
Major Arcana
Speedy Ortiz Major Arcana album cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 9, 2013 (2013-07-09)
Genre Indie rock, noise pop, alternative rock, grunge
Length34:30
Label Flag of the United States.svg Carpark Records
Producer Justin Pizzoferrato
Speedy Ortiz chronology
The Death of Speedy Ortiz
(2011)
Major Arcana
(2013)
Real Hair EP
(2014)

Major Arcana is the debut full-length studio album from the indie rock group Speedy Ortiz. It was released on July 9, 2013, by Carpark Records.

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 81/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The A.V. Club A- [3]
Consequence of Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Pitchfork Media (8.4/10) [5]
PopMatters Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]

Major Arcana has received critical acclaim. The album has a score of 81 out of 100 on the review aggregate site Metacritic, based on 16 reviews. [1]

Pitchfork Media's Lindsay Zoladz gave the album a Best New Album designation, claiming that frontwoman Sadie Dupuis "writ[es] lyrics that are actually worth poring over". [5] David Brusie of The A.V. Club also praised the album, writing "a markedly assured debut, one that makes Speedy Ortiz an act to watch". [3] Consequence of Sound's Katherine Flynn called the album "strong, punchy musical concentrate". [4] Robin Smith of PopMatters described "its angular, moody ‘90s feel conjures the image of an overgrown punk hanging around a playground at night, drinking, smoking, wasting". [6]

Pitchfork Media ranked Major Arcana #48 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2013, writing: "Speedy Ortiz strains the strangled chords and corkscrew interplay of 90s guitar heroes [...] into jaggedly axed anthem". [8] The album was listed 31st on Stereogum's list of top 50 albums of 2013. [9]

The song "No Below" was featured in the 2017 Square Enix/Deck Nine game Life Is Strange: Before the Storm .

Track listing

All songs by Speedy Ortiz.

No.TitleLength
1."Pioneer Spine"3:37
2."Tiger Tank"2:46
3."Hitch"2:35
4."Casper (1995)"2:48
5."No Below"3:44
6."Gary"3:26
7."Fun"2:05
8."Cash Cab"3:35
9."Plough"2:53
10."MKVI"7:08
Total length:34:30
iTunes bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."Speedy Ortiz"2:17

Charts

Chart (2013)Peak
position
US Top Heatseekers [10] 30

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References

  1. 1 2 Critic Reviews for Major Arcana. Metacritic. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  2. Lymangrover, Jason. Major Arcana - Speedy Ortiz. Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 Brusie, David. Speedy Ortiz: Major Arcana. The A.V. Club. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 Flynn, Katherine. Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana. Consequence of Sound. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 Zoladz, Lindsay. Speedy Ortiz: Major Arcana. Pitchfork Media. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 Smith, Robin. Speedy Ortiz: Major Arcana. PopMatters. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  7. Powell, Mike. Speedy Ortiz, 'Major Arcana'. Rolling Stone. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  8. The Top 50 Albums of 2013. Pitchfork Media. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  9. The 50 Best Albums of 2013 - Stereogum. Stereogum. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  10. "Major Arcana - Speedy Ortiz Awards". AllMusic . Retrieved 4 January 2014.