SVIIB | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 12, 2016 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 41:48 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
School of Seven Bells chronology | ||||
|
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 83/100 [1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
musicOMH | [2] |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10 [3] |
Drowned in Sound | 9/10 [4] |
Pitchfork | 8.1/10 [5] |
No Ripcord | 8/10 [6] |
The Skinny | [7] |
The Guardian | [8] |
AllMusic | [9] |
PopMatters | 8/10 [10] |
DIY | [11] |
Under the Radar | 8/10 [12] |
Mixmag | 7/10 [13] |
Consequence | B− [14] |
NME | [15] |
Spin | 6/10 [16] |
SVIIB is the fourth and final studio album by American indie rock band School of Seven Bells, consisting of Alejandra Deheza (vocals) and Benjamin Curtis (instruments and production). After the 2013 death of Curtis from T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, Deheza completed the album using previously recorded material, with assistance from producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen. Most of the material had been recorded from before Curtis's illness, but one track, "Confusion," was recorded while Curtis was in the hospital, with help from Curtis's brother Brandon. [17] The album was released digitally on February 12, 2016, with US and UK releases February 26, 2016 by Vagrant Records and Full Time Hobby, respectively. [18] Deheza described the album as "a love letter from start to finish"; [19] although Deheza and Curtis had ended their relationship in 2010, the two remained close friends and collaborators until Curtis's death.
The album was generally well received, with Pitchfork describing it as "the group's most technically accomplished work, their perfected swan song." [5] Entertainment Weekly ranked it at #19 on their top 50 albums of 2016, calling it the group's "marvelous capstone," [20] and AllMusic named it one of the best indie albums of 2016, calling it "radiantly illustrated with expressions of bliss, frustration, consolation, reassurance, and, ultimately, grief." [9]
All tracks are written by Alejandra Deheza and Benjamin Curtis, except when noted
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Ablaze" | 5:09 |
2. | "On My Heart" | 4:17 |
3. | "Open Your Eyes" | 4:19 |
4. | "A Thousand Times More" | 4:30 |
5. | "Elias" | 4:22 |
6. | "Signals" | 3:45 |
7. | "Music Takes Me" (Curtis, Alejandra Deheza, and Claudia Deheza) | 5:10 |
8. | "Confusion" | 4:59 |
9. | "This Is Our Time" | 5:17 |
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
---|---|
Scottish Albums (OCC) [21] | 45 |
UK Albums (OCC) [22] | 54 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [23] | 10 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [24] | 13 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [25] | 1 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [26] | 24 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [27] | 17 |
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [28] | 89 |
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [29] | 13 |
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School of Seven Bells was an American indie rock band from New York City, formed in 2007. It originally consisted of Alejandra Deheza, her sister Claudia Deheza and Benjamin Curtis. Claudia left the group in 2010, and Curtis died of lymphoma in 2013. Using demos of songs Curtis had written prior to and during his illness, the band's fourth and final album, SVIIB, was completed posthumously and released in February 2016.
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