Mothertongue | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 26, 2008 | |||
Studio |
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Length | 49:01 | |||
Label | Bedroom Community | |||
Producer | Valgeir Sigurðsson | |||
Nico Muhly chronology | ||||
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Mothertongue is a studio album by American composer and musician Nico Muhly. [2] It was released on May 26, 2008, through Bedroom Community. [3] It received generally favorable reviews from critics. [4]
Mothertongue is Nico Muhly's second solo studio album, following Speaks Volumes (2006). [2] It contains three suites: "Mothertongue", "Wonders", and "The Only Tune". [5] It features contributions from vocalists Abigail Fischer (on "Mothertongue"), Helgi Hrafn Jónsson (on "Wonders"), and Sam Amidon (on "The Only Tune"). [6]
The album was originally released on May 26, 2008, through Valgeir Sigurðsson's Icelandic record label Bedroom Community. [3] [7] In the United States, it was released on July 22, 2008, through Brassland Records. [8] [9]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 78/100 [4] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The A.V. Club | B+ [11] |
Cokemachineglow | 82% [12] |
Now | 4/5 [13] |
The Phoenix | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 5.1/10 [6] |
PopMatters | 7/10 [5] |
Spin | 6/10 [15] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Mothertongue received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 from 10 critic scores. [4]
Dan Raper of PopMatters stated, "The three suites on the album do have a fidgety motion, but there are also moments of spare beauty." [5] He added, "But these works aren't large-scale in the way that Philip Glass' work is, and each idea is dealt with in a mode that shares more with indie pop than classical music." [5] Alexandra Savvides of Cyclic Defrost stated, "Mothertongue is an incredibly ambitious work, and its beauty is able to shine through from Muhly's meticulous layering of complex voices, instrumentation and context." [16] Michael Patrick Brady of The Phoenix commented that "Muhly is a perfect ambassador for a new generation of classical composers — his love of music knows no bounds or limitations." [14] Conrad Amenta of Cokemachineglow stated, "Mothertongue oscillates between the comfort/terror of singularities and excitement/terror of potentialities, but the possibilities this duality affords for Muhly's future work are frankly exhilarating." [12]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
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Pitchfork | Albums of the Year: Honorable Mention | — |
All tracks are written by Nico Muhly.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Mothertongue: I. Archive" | 5:49 |
2. | "Mothertongue: II. Shower" | 4:18 |
3. | "Mothertongue: III. Hress" | 3:53 |
4. | "Mothertongue: IV. Monster" | 4:43 |
5. | "Wonders: I. New Things & New Tidings" | 5:56 |
6. | "Wonders: II. The Devil Appear'd in the Shape of a Man" | 5:33 |
7. | "Wonders: III. A Complaint Against Thomas Weelkes" | 3:18 |
8. | "The Only Tune: I. Two Sisters" | 4:30 |
9. | "The Only Tune: II. The Old Mill Pond" | 6:24 |
10. | "The Only Tune: III. The Only Tune" | 4:47 |
Total length: | 49:01 |
Credits adapted from liner notes. [1]