Owl John (album)

Last updated

Owl John
Owl John.jpg
Studio album by
Owl John
Released4 August 2014 (2014-08-04)
StudioAtlantic Studios, Hollywood; Creature Club Studios, Echo Park; Fluorescent Egg, Laurel Canyon
Genre Indie rock
Length35:18
Label Atlantic Records
Producer Andy Monaghan

Owl John is the only album by Owl John, the solo musical project by Frightened Rabbit vocalist and guitarist Scott Hutchison. [1] It was released on Atlantic Records on 4 August 2014 (perhaps coincidentally, the date also being International Owl Awareness Day since 2011).

Contents

The music for the album was written and recorded on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, in early 2014, with Hutchison working with Frightened Rabbit's Andy Monaghan and Simon Liddell. He then moved to Los Angeles, where the lyrics were written and recorded. Scottish musician Peter Kelly plays drums on the album, which was mastered by Mazen Murad. [2] [3] [4]

A further two tracks were recorded for the project but not included on the album: the Christmas song "It Gets Cold", released on Soundcloud under the artist name Christmas John, and "All I Want for Me Is You", which features Ed Harcourt on piano. A short instrumental track credited to Owl John, "Hailstones", was used as the soundtrack for the video piece London - Christmas Morning in December 2014; it was released as part of an album accompanying the Neu!Reekie! poetry compilation #UntitledOne in 2015. [5]

Three music videos were released for songs from the album: "Los Angeles, Be Kind", "Hate Music" and "Red Hand". All were directed by Storme Whitby-Grubb and Charles Gibson.

In 2019, Coldplay sampled "Los Angeles, Be Kind" in their song "Champion of the World".

Background and production

The Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, fronted by Scott Hutchison, released their fourth studio album Pedestrian Verse on 4 February 2013, via Atlantic Records. [6] To promote the album, the band embarked on an extensive 18-month tour, during which members of Frightened Rabbit suffered from burnout. [7] Frightened Rabbit drummer Grant Hutchison told Jason Keil of the Phoenix New Times that the band "just got run absolutely ragged" by the Pedestrian Verse touring cycle, and that they "all lost each other and ourselves a little bit" in the process. [8]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.2/10 [9]
Metacritic 76/100 [10]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Clash 7/10 [12]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Drowned in Sound 7/10 [14]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The List Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Paste 7.8/10 [18]
The Skinny Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Sputnikmusic4.5/5 [20]

Owl John was met with mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Owl John has an average score of 76 based on 13 reviews. [10] The review aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album 7.2 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [9]

In other media

Track listing

All lyrics by Scott Hutchison and all music by Andy Monaghan, Scott Hutchison and Simon Liddell.

No.TitleLength
1."Cold Creeps"4:25
2."Two"3:46
3."Hate Music"2:48
4."Songs About Roses"3:50
5."Los Angeles, Be Kind"3:40
6."Ten Tons of Silence"3:14
7."A Good Reason to Grow Old"4:12
8."Red Hand"3:30
9."Don't Take Off the Gloves"3:24
10."Stupid Boy"2:29

Charts

Chart performance for Owl John
Chart (2014)Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC) [21] 99
Scottish Albums (OCC) [22] 17
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [23] 38

Related Research Articles

The Skinny is a monthly free magazine distributed in venues throughout the cities of Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland. Founded in 2005, the magazine features interviews and articles on music, art, film, comedy and other aspects of culture across Scotland and beyond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody Takes a Tumble</span> 2007 single by The Waterboys

"Everybody Takes a Tumble" is a song from Scottish-Irish folk rock band The Waterboys, released as the only single from their ninth studio album Book of Lightning. It was written by Mike Scott and Anthony Thistlethwaite, and produced by Scott and Phil Tennant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Twilight Sad</span> Scottish post-punk/indie rock band

The Twilight Sad are a Scottish post-punk/indie rock band, comprising James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar), Johnny Docherty (bass), Brendan Smith (keyboards) and Grant Hutchison (drums). They have released five studio albums, as well as several EPs, live recordings and singles. Their 2007 debut album, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, drew widespread acclaim from critics, who noted Graham's thick Scottish accent and MacFarlane's dense sonic walls of shoegazing guitar and wheezing accordion. The Twilight Sad's notoriously loud live performances have been described as "completely ear-splitting", and the band toured for the album across Europe and the United States throughout 2007 and 2008. Sessions inspired by stripped-down and reworked live performances yielded the 2008 mini-album, Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frightened Rabbit</span> Scottish rock band

Frightened Rabbit were a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. Initially a solo project for vocalist and guitarist Scott Hutchison, the final lineup of the band consisted of Hutchison, his brother Grant (drums), Billy Kennedy, Andy Monaghan, and Simon Liddell (guitar). From 2004, the band were based in Glasgow.

<i>Sing the Greys</i> 2006 studio album by Frightened Rabbit

Sing the Greys is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, originally released in May 2006 on Hits the Fan Records, with a limited run of 1000 copies. A remixed/remastered version was released in the United States by FatCat Records on 2 October 2007 and in the UK on 17 November 2007.

<i>The Midnight Organ Fight</i> 2008 studio album by Frightened Rabbit

The Midnight Organ Fight is the second studio album by Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit. Recorded during 2007 between studios at Bridgeport, Connecticut and Glasgow, Scotland, the album was released on 14 April 2008 through independent label Fat Cat Records. Hailed by critics as "one of the finest [breakup records] of recent vintage", frontman Scott Hutchison has described the album as being "a lot more intense" than its predecessor Sing the Greys (2006). Following the album's completion, it took around a month for him to be able to listen to it. The album's title comes from a line in the song "Fast Blood", and is said to be a euphemism for sex.

<i>Quietly Now!</i> 2008 live album by Frightened Rabbit

Quietly Now! is a live album by Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, released on 21 October 2008 in the US and on 30 March 2009 in the UK and Europe. The album is a "primarily acoustic" performance of the band's acclaimed second album, The Midnight Organ Fight, recorded live at The Captain's Rest in Glasgow on 30 July 2008.

<i>The Winter of Mixed Drinks</i> 2010 studio album by Frightened Rabbit

The Winter of Mixed Drinks is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, released on 1 March 2010 through independent label FatCat Records. As with its predecessor, the critically acclaimed The Midnight Organ Fight (2008), the album was recorded and produced by Peter Katis. Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Scott Hutchison states that The Winter of Mixed Drinks is "more of a storytelling record" than the band's previous two albums, and notes that the album is "about an escape and maybe even a slight breakdown. I have to say, it's semi-fictional. There's a protagonist who is possibly male but it doesn't really describe my life because if I did that it wouldn't make for an interesting album this time around as I’ve been quite solid and content, thankfully."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Katis</span> American musician and producer

Peter Katis is an American Grammy Award-winning record producer, audio engineer, mixer, and musician.

<i>Pissing on Bonfires / Kissing with Tongues</i> 2008 studio album by Meursault

Pissing On Bonfires / Kissing With Tongues is the debut studio album by Scottish indie folk band Meursault, released in 2008 to a generally positive reception from the music press and online community critics. The band initially self-released the album in 2008, before a second run was released on the Edinburgh-based independent label, Song, by Toad Records, in 2009.

<i>State Hospital</i> (EP) 2012 EP by Frightened Rabbit

State Hospital is an EP by Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, released on 24 September 2012 on Atlantic Records. Produced by both Leo Abrahams and the band itself, the EP includes the single, "State Hospital", alongside four tracks written and recorded in contention for the band's fourth studio album, Pedestrian Verse.

<i>Pedestrian Verse</i> 2013 studio album by Frightened Rabbit

Pedestrian Verse is the fourth studio album by the Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, released on 4 February 2013 on Atlantic Records. Produced by Leo Abrahams and the band itself, it is the only studio album to feature guitarist and keyboardist Gordon Skene, who departed from Frightened Rabbit following the album's accompanying tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frightened Rabbit discography</span>

The discography of Frightened Rabbit consists of five studio albums, two EPs, two live albums, and ten singles. The band released its debut album, Sing the Greys, in 2006 on independent label Hits the Fan, before signing to Fat Cat Records in 2007. In 2008, the band released its second studio album, The Midnight Organ Fight, to critical acclaim and subsequently developed a large cult following. The band's third studio album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, was released in 2010, with the band signing to Atlantic Records later that year. A new EP, State Hospital, was released in September 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Hutchison</span> Scottish musician

Scott John Hutchison was a Scottish singer, songwriter, guitarist and artist. He was the founding member and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, with whom he recorded five studio albums, and created the artwork for each release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant Hutchison</span> Scottish musician

Grant Hutchison is a Scottish drummer and percussionist. He is best known as the drummer of the indie rock band Frightened Rabbit, with whom he recorded five studio albums. In 2022, Hutchison joined The Twilight Sad after a four-year hiatus from performing, following the death of his brother and bandmate, Scott Hutchison.

<i>Strange Friend</i> 2014 studio album by The Phantom Band

Strange Friend is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Phantom Band, released on 2 June 2014 through Chemikal Underground Records.

<i>Painting of a Panic Attack</i> 2016 album by Frightened Rabbit

Painting of a Panic Attack is the fifth and final studio album by Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit. The album was released on 8 April 2016, through Atlantic Records. It is the band's only studio album to feature guitarist and keyboardist Simon Liddell, a touring member who joined them in a permanent capacity after the departure of Gordon Skene. After frontman and founding member Scott Hutchison's disappearance and subsequent death in 2018, the remaining members retired the Frightened Rabbit name, leaving Painting of a Panic Attack as their final album.

Mastersystem were a British rock supergroup composed of two sets of brothers, who were members of the groups Frightened Rabbit, Editors and Minor Victories. They released their debut album, Dance Music, on 6 April 2018 to critical acclaim. The band began a UK tour supporting the album in April 2018. Further summer dates and a plan for a wider tour later in the year were halted after the passing of Scott Hutchison in May.

<i>Thank You for Today</i> 2018 studio album by Death Cab for Cutie

Thank You for Today is the ninth studio album by American indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie. The album was released on August 17, 2018, on Atlantic Records.

Jill O'Sullivan is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter who grew up in Chicago and is based in Glasgow, Scotland. Currently performing as Jill Lorean, O'Sullivan has been a member of bands Sparrow and the Workshop, Bdy_Prts and Three Queens in Mourning, as well as contributing to records by Frightened Rabbit, James Yorkston, Roddy Woomble, Broken Chanter, The Grand Gestures, The Fruit Tree Foundation and the Gral Brothers.

References

  1. ↑ "Interview: Frightened Rabbit's Scott Hutchison". Village Voice. 14 October 2008.
  2. ↑ Bermingham, Finbarr (1 August 2014). "Saving Grace: Owl John on the record that rescued Frightened Rabbit". The Skinny.
  3. ↑ Hutchison, Scott (1 August 2014). "Listen to the new Owl John album from Frightened Rabbit's Scott Hutchison – Exclusive Guide". Q Magazine.
  4. ↑ Hannah, Andrew (5 August 2014). "Scott Hutchison on Owl John: "I would love it if this album appealed to people who hate Frightened Rabbit"". The Line of Best Fit.
  5. ↑ Sutherland, Angus (6 April 2015). "Neu! Reekie! Waiting for the ink to dry". The Skinny.
  6. ↑ Carle, Darren (31 January 2013). "Death Becomes Them: Frightened Rabbit talk Pedestrian Verse". The Skinny . Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Hamad, Michael (3 May 2016). "Distance, Time Off Inform Frightened Rabbit's New Album" . Hartford Courant . Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  8. ↑ Keil, Jason (18 May 2016). "Happiness Is a Warm Bike Seat For Frightened Rabbit Drummer". Phoenix New Times . Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Owl John by Owl John Reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Owl John by Owl John Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  11. ↑ Kerr, Scott. "Owl John – Owl John". AllMusic . Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  12. ↑ Murray, Robin (28 July 2014). "Owl John – Owl John". Clash . Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  13. ↑ Morris, Hugh (29 July 2014). "Owl John – Owl John". DIY . Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  14. ↑ Reynolds, Aidan (28 July 2014). "Album Review: Owl John – Owl John". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  15. ↑ Gibsone, Harriet (31 July 2014). "Owl John: Owl John review – self-hate and bitterness make for great songs". The Guardian . Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  16. ↑ Ennor, Laura (15 July 2014). "Owl John – Owl John". The List . Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  17. ↑ Dowden, Neil (4 August 2014). "Owl John – Owl John". musicOMH . Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  18. ↑ Golden, Grant (5 August 2014). "Owl John: Owl John Review". Paste . Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  19. ↑ Bermingham, Finbarr (29 July 2014). "Owl John – Owl John". The Skinny . Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  20. ↑ SowingSeason (4 August 2014). "Review: Owl John – Owl John". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  21. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  22. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  23. ↑ "Owl John Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.