| Not Even Happiness | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 13, 2017 | |||
| Genre | Contemporary folk | |||
| Length | 32:37 | |||
| Label |
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| Julie Byrne chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Not Even Happiness | ||||
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Not Even Happiness is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Julie Byrne. It was released on 13 January 2017 by Basin Rock in the United Kingdom and on 27 January 2017 by Ba Da Bing Records in the United States. [1]
The album was recorded and mixed in Byrne's hometown, Buffalo, New York, except for the string arrangements by Jake Falby, which were recorded at a cabin in Holderness, New Hampshire.
The album is labeled as a contemporary folk release. [2] According to Ed Nash of The Line of Best Fit, Not Even Happiness features leitmotifs of "nature and matters of the heart". [3]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.7/10 [4] |
| Metacritic | 82/100 [5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
| Financial Times | [7] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| Mojo | [9] |
| NME | [10] |
| The Observer | [11] |
| Pitchfork | 8.3/10 [12] |
| Q | [13] |
| Record Collector | [14] |
| Uncut | 8/10 [15] |
Not Even Happiness received universal acclaim from music critics. On Metacritic, the album holds an average critic score of 82, based on 22 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [5] Ed Nash of The Line of Best Fit gave the album a positive review, dubbing it "Album of the Week". [3]
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| AXS TV | The Best Albums of 2017 | N/A | |
| Consequence of Sound | Top 50 Albums of 2017 | 37 | |
| Exclaim! | Top 10 Folk and Country Albums of 2017 | 10 | |
| Gorilla vs. Bear | Albums of 2017 | 25 | |
| MOJO | Mojo's Top 50 Albums of 2017 | 28 | |
| Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2017 | 27 | |
| Piccadilly Records | End of Year Review 2017: Top 100 Albums | 93 | |
| Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2017 | 37 | |
| Spin | 50 Best Albums of 2017 | 9 | |
| Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2017 | 20 | |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | 2017: Favorite 50 Music Releases | 43 | |
| Uncut | Albums of the Year | 14 | |
| Uproxx | 50 Best Albums of the Year | 45 |
All tracks are written by Julie Byrne, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Follow My Voice" | 4:02 | |
| 2. | "Sleepwalker" | 4:19 | |
| 3. | "Melting Grid" |
| 4:21 |
| 4. | "Natural Blue" | 3:59 | |
| 5. | "Interlude" |
| 1:37 |
| 6. | "Morning Dove" | 2:59 | |
| 7. | "All the Land Glimmered Beneath" | 3:04 | |
| 8. | "Sea as It Glides" | 4:12 | |
| 9. | "I Live Now as a Singer" | 4:04 | |
| Total length: | 32:37 | ||
Credits adapted from Not Even Happiness album liner notes. [29]
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