| Path of Wellness | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 11, 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2020–2021 | |||
| Studio | Hafling Studios (Portland, Oregon) | |||
| Genre | Punk rock [1] | |||
| Length | 38:57 | |||
| Label | Mom + Pop | |||
| Producer | Sleater-Kinney | |||
| Sleater-Kinney chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Path of Wellness | ||||
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Path of Wellness is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney. The album was released on June 11, 2021 by Mom + Pop Music. [2] [3]
Following a nine-year hiatus, the American punk rock band Sleater-Kinney announced their return with the track "Bury Our Friends" on October 19, 2014. [4] On January 20, 2015, they released No Cities to Love via Sub Pop Records, the first Sleater-Kinney album since 2005's The Woods . [5] Three years later, singer and guitarist Carrie Brownstein told Pitchfork that Sleater-Kinney was working on a follow-up effort to No Cities To Love, but that they were "going to do this very slowly". [6] In January 2019, Brownstein confirmed to NPR that the album was produced by St. Vincent and would be released later in the year. [7]
On July 1, 2019, drummer Janet Weiss announced over Instagram that she was leaving Sleater-Kinney, saying, "The band is heading in a new direction and it is time for me to move on." [8] Sleater-Kinney's ninth studio album, The Center Won't Hold , was released a month and a half later, on August 16. [9] There was some speculation among fans that Weiss had left Sleater-Kinney due to St. Vincent's involvement in the new record, which Brownstein denied, saying that it was originally Weiss's idea to work with her. [10] Responding to a fan on Instagram, Brownstein added, "She left. We asked her to stay. We tried. It's hard and sad." [11] When Sleater-Kinney went on tour that September to promote The Center Won't Hold, they recruited Angie Boylan of Aye Nako as their touring drummer. [12] That November, Weiss appeared on the Trap Set With Joe Wong podcast, saying that she had left Sleater-Kinney because the "roles changed within the band", and that she was "just the drummer now" as opposed to "a creative equal" with Tucker and Brownstein. [13]
On May 11, 2021, Sleater-Kinney announced the album title, cover art, and release date for Path of Wellness, and promised their fans "so much more, soon". [14] Accompanying the album announcement was the release of Path of Wellness's lead single and music video, "Worry With You". [15] The video, directed by Alberta Poon, features a young couple, played by Fabi Reyna and Megan Watson, attempting to cohabitate in their undersized house. Tucker and Brownstein make cameo appearances as an actor in a pharmaceutical commercial and as a television fitness instructor, respectively. [16] On May 26, the band released their follow-up single and video to "Worry With You", titled "High in the Grass". [17] Directed by Kelly Sears, the video for "High in the Grass" provides a psychedelic element, with trees with eyes and a number of decapitated figures, both dancing and attempting cardiopulmonary resuscitation, before culminating in a dance party. [18] The final single to be released in advance of Path of Wellness was "Method", which came out on June 9. [19] The song was accompanied by a Lance Bangs-directed lyric video. [20]
To accompany the June 11 release of Path of Wellness, Sleater-Kinney announced a variety show-style livestream on Amazon Music's Twitch channel, beginning at 9 p.m. (ET) on June 10. [21] Hosted by Chris Hewett, the livestream featured "interviews, live performances and a fortune teller weighing in on [the band's] future prospects", as well as a variety of guest appearances from celebrities and musicians such as Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and Matt Berninger from the National. [21] On June 25, Sleater-Kinney released a live extended play titled Live At The Hallowed Halls, featuring recordings of the four tracks on Path of Wellness that they played during the livestream event. [22] Sleater-Kinney promoted Path of Wellness with two other live and recorded events. On June 16, Sleater-Kinney appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to perform "Worry With You". Rather than playing in front of a live studio audience, the band submitted a pre-taped performance from an abandoned skate park. [23] The next day, Tucker and Brownstein appeared on the Audible service Words + Music to discuss "30 years of shared history making music and making noise". [24]
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2023) |
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.1/10 [25] |
| Metacritic | 78/100 [26] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The A.V. Club | B [27] |
| Beats Per Minute | 58% [28] |
| Clash | 7/10 [29] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ [30] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10 [31] |
| NME |   [32] |
| Paste | 7.3/10 [33] |
| Pitchfork | 6.8/10 [34] |
| Rolling Stone | [35] |
| Under the Radar |    [36] |
Path of Wellness was met with mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Path of Wellness has an average score of 78 based on 18 reviews. [26] The review aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album 7.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [25]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Path of Wellness" | 2:40 |
| 2. | "High in the Grass" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Worry with You" | 3:50 |
| 4. | "Method" | 4:20 |
| 5. | "Shadow Town" | 5:10 |
| 6. | "Favorite Neighbor" | 2:49 |
| 7. | "Tomorrow's Grave" | 3:52 |
| 8. | "No Knives" | 1:16 |
| 9. | "Complex Female Characters" | 3:00 |
| 10. | "Down the Line" | 4:06 |
| 11. | "Bring Mercy" | 3:49 |
| Total length: | 38:57 | |
| | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2023) |
Sleater-Kinney
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [37] | 22 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [38] | 14 |
Sleater-Kinney is an American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1994. The band's lineup features Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, following the departure of longtime member Janet Weiss in 2019. Sleater-Kinney originated as part of the riot grrrl movement and has become a key part of the American indie rock scene. The band is also known for its feminist and progressive politics.
Heavens to Betsy was an American punk band formed in Olympia, Washington in 1991 with vocalist and guitarist Corin Tucker and drummer Tracy Sawyer. The duo were part of the DIY riot grrrl, punk rock underground, and were Tucker's first band before she co-formed Sleater-Kinney.
Corin Lisa Tucker is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for her work with rock band Sleater-Kinney. Tucker is also a member of the alternative rock supergroup Filthy Friends, and previously recorded with the punk band Heavens to Betsy as well as The Corin Tucker Band.
Carrie Rachel Brownstein is an American musician, actress, writer, director, and comedian. She first came to prominence as a member of the band Excuse 17 before forming the rock trio Sleater-Kinney.
Mary Bozana Timony is an American independent singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, and violist. She has been a member of the bands Helium, Autoclave, Wild Flag, and Hammered Hulls, and currently fronts Ex Hex.
The Woods is the seventh studio album by American rock band Sleater-Kinney. It was released in 2005 on Sub Pop. The album was produced by Dave Fridmann and recorded in late 2004. The album received widespread critical acclaim.
Janet Lee Weiss is an American rock drummer, a member of Quasi and former member of Sleater-Kinney. She was the drummer for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, leaving after the album Mirror Traffic, and contributed to the Shins' fourth studio album, Port of Morrow (2012). She was also the drummer for the supergroup Wild Flag.
Sleater-Kinney is the debut studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released in 1995 by Chainsaw Records. The album received favorable reviews from critics.
One Beat is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on August 20, 2002, by Kill Rock Stars. It was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded between March and April 2002 at Jackpot! Studio in Portland, Oregon. The album peaked at number 107 in the United States on the Billboard 200 and entered the Billboard Top Independent Albums at number five. One Beat was very well received by critics. Praise centered on its cathartic musical delivery and progressive politics.
Dig Me Out is the third studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on April 8, 1997, by Kill Rock Stars. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded from December 1996 to January 1997 at John and Stu's Place in Seattle, Washington. Dig Me Out marked the debut of Janet Weiss, who would become the band's longest-serving drummer. The music on the record was influenced by traditional rock and roll bands, while the lyrics deal with issues of heartbreak and survival. The album cover is an homage to the Kinks' 1965 album The Kink Kontroversy.
All Hands on the Bad One is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on May 2, 2000, by Kill Rock Stars. The album was produced by John Goodmanson and recorded from December 1999 to January 2000 at Jackpot! Studio in Portland, Oregon and John & Stu's Place in Seattle, Washington. The music on the record ranges from softer melodies to fast punk rock guitar work, while the lyrics address issues such as women in rock, morality, eating disorders, feminism, music journalism, and media.
The Hot Rock is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on February 23, 1999, by Kill Rock Stars. It was produced by Roger Moutenot and recorded at the Avast! recording studio in Seattle, Washington in July 1998. The Hot Rock marks a considerable change in the band's sound, veering into a more relaxed and gloomy direction than the raucous punk rock style of its predecessors. The lyrical themes of the album explore issues of failed relationships and personal uncertainty.
Call the Doctor is the second studio album by the American rock band Sleater-Kinney. It was released on March 25, 1996, by Chainsaw Records to critical acclaim.
The Friends of Rachel Worth is the seventh album by Brisbane indie band The Go-Betweens, released in 2000, 12 years after their sixth, 16 Lovers Lane. For this album, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan were joined by all members of American indie rock bands Sleater-Kinney and Quasi as well as new bassist Adele Pickvance. The album was recorded in Portland, Oregon at Jackpot! Recording Studio by Larry Crane.
Wild Flag was an American four-piece indie rock supergroup based in Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C. The group consisted of Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony, Rebecca Cole and Janet Weiss, who were ex-members of the groups Sleater-Kinney, Helium and the Minders.
No Cities to Love is the eighth studio album by American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on January 20, 2015, through Sub Pop. It is the first album following a decade-long hiatus and the band's 2005 release, The Woods. The album received universal acclaim from music critics and was listed on several "Best Albums of 2015" lists.
Drumgasm is a collaborative album by the drummers Janet Weiss, Matt Cameron, and Zach Hill. Recorded by Larry Crane, the album was released on August 27, 2013, through Jackpot Records.
"Going Blind" is a song by the Australian indie rock band The Go-Betweens that was released as the lead single from their seventh album The Friends of Rachel Worth. It was released as a CD single by W. Minc Records in Australia, on the Circus Records label in the United Kingdom and Jetset Records in the United States in September 2000. "Going Blind" was The Go-Betweens' first single since "Love Goes On" in 1989.
The Center Won't Hold is the ninth studio album by American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on August 16, 2019 by Mom + Pop Music. The album was produced by St. Vincent and is the last album with drummer Janet Weiss, who announced her departure from the band on July 1, 2019, a month before the album was released. Upon release, the album received generally favorable reviews from critics.
Little Rope is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Sleater-Kinney, released on January 19, 2024, on Loma Vista. Produced by John Congleton, the album was preceded by the singles: "Hell", "Say It Like You Mean It", and "Untidy Creature".