Several Songs About Fire

Last updated

Several Songs About Fire
Andrew Savage - Several Songs About Fire.png
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 6, 2023 (2023-10-06)
Length46:06
Label Rough Trade
Producer John Parish
A. Savage chronology
Thawing Dawn
(2017)
Several Songs About Fire
(2023)

Several Songs About Fire is the second solo studio album by Andrew Savage under the stage name A. Savage, released on October 6, 2023, through Rough Trade Records. It was preceded by the lead single "Elvis in the Army". [1]

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 72/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
Loud and Quiet 8/10 [3]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Pitchfork 7.4/10 [5]
Uncut 7/10 [6]

Several Songs About Fire received a score of 72 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. [2] Zara Hedderman of Loud and Quiet called the album "even more engaging than its predecessor" Thawing Dawn (2017), commenting that "the songs are densely (but deftly) penned, and his unhurried performance draws you closer in regardless of him sharing mundane details of a popcorn dinner or stark revelations about himself". [3] Shaad D'Souza of The Saturday Paper described the album as "sharply attuned to the indignities of modern life", writing that "Savage is still more able than most songwriters in his milieu to write specifically and literally about 21st-century culture without resorting to hoary metaphors". [7]

Reviewing the album for Pitchfork , Ryan Leas wrote that the album "plays less like an anxious lifeboat and more like a meditative breadcrumb trail from an old life to a new one, destination unknown" and that there is "nothing shaggy" about the music, as "most songs unspool slowly and with intent, as Savage takes time to refine both his melodies and his images". [5] Mojo felt that it "traces lines to both Bill Callahan's downbeat philosophising and Jonathan Richman's crafted wit and primal rock'n'roll chug", [4] while Uncut found there to be "subtle dynamic shifts and spikes throughout". [6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Andrew Savage

Several Songs About Fire track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Hurtin' or Healed"6:01
2."Elvis in the Army"3:37
3."Le Grand Balloon"6:09
4."My My My Dear"5:01
5."Riding Cobbles"1:52
6."Mountain Time"5:23
7."David's Dead"4:01
8."Thanksgiving Prayer"4:53
9."My New Green Coat"5:46
10."Out of Focus"3:23
Total length:46:06

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Several Songs About Fire
Chart (2023)Peak
position
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [8] 20

Related Research Articles

<i>Laugh Track</i> 2023 studio album by The National

Laugh Track is the tenth studio album from American indie rock band The National. The surprise album was released on September 18, 2023, having been announced only days prior. The album's material was mostly written and recorded alongside the band's earlier 2023 album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, with several songs being re-recorded at producer Tucker Martine's studio after honing their arrangements while on tour in 2023. Preceded by the singles, "Weird Goodbyes", "Alphabet City" and "Space Invader", the album features guest vocal appearances from Justin Vernon, Phoebe Bridgers and Rosanne Cash. Laugh Track has received positive reviews from critics.

<i>Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs</i> 2005 studio album by Andrew Bird

Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs is the third album of Andrew Bird's career post-Bowl of Fire, released in 2005, following his Weather Systems in 2003. The album art, along with track illustrations in the accompanying booklet were drawn by Jay Ryan. Bird expanded on his earlier work on Weather Systems; the song "Skin Is, My" is an outgrowth of his earlier song "Skin".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girlpool</span> Indie band from Los Angeles, California

Girlpool was an indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed by friends Avery Tucker and Harmony Tividad. Their debut self-titled EP Girlpool was released on Bandcamp in 2014 and re-released on Wichita Recordings later that year. They released their debut album Before the World Was Big in 2015, followed by Powerplant (2017) and What Chaos Is Imaginary (2019). Their fourth and final studio album, Forgiveness (2022), was released on April 29. In August 2022, the duo announced that they will be taking an indefinite break from the band.

<i>Turn Out the Lights</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Julien Baker

Turn Out the Lights is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Julien Baker. It was released on October 27, 2017, by Matador Records.

<i>Quiet Signs</i> 2019 studio album by Jessica Pratt

Quiet Signs is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt. It was released on February 8, 2019, through Mexican Summer. The album was produced by Al Carlson.

<i>Healing Is a Miracle</i> 2020 studio album by Julianna Barwick

Healing Is a Miracle is the fourth studio album by American musician Julianna Barwick. It was released on July 10, 2020 under Ninja Tune.

<i>Sundowner</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Kevin Morby

Sundowner is the sixth studio album by American indie rock musician Kevin Morby, released on October 16, 2020, on Dead Oceans.

<i>Love Is the King</i> 2020 studio album by Jeff Tweedy

Love Is the King is the fourth solo studio album by American musician Jeff Tweedy. It was released on October 23, 2020, via dBpm Records. Recording sessions took place at the Loft in Chicago during lockdown in April 2020 after Wilco's tour dates were cancelled due to COVID-19. Production was handled by Tom Schick and Tweedy himself. It features contributions from his sons Spencer and Sam.

<i>Sympathy for Life</i> 2021 studio album by Parquet Courts

Sympathy for Life is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Parquet Courts. The album was released on October 22, 2021, on Rough Trade Records. Produced by Rodaidh McDonald and John Parish, the album was preceded by the singles, "Plant Life", "Walking at a Downtown Pace", "Black Widow Spider" and "Homo Sapien".

<i>Hey What</i> 2021 studio album by Low

Hey What is the thirteenth and final studio album by Minnesota-based duo Low, released on September 10, 2021, through Sub Pop. It is their third recording in a row produced by BJ Burton, building on the distorted sound of the band's previous album Double Negative (2018). Burton and Hey What were nominated in the Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical category at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. It is their only album as a duo of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker, all earlier Low albums being recorded as a trio.

<i>The Witness</i> (Suuns album) 2021 studio album by Suuns

The Witness is a 2021 album by Canadian rock band Suuns, released on September 3, 2021, by Joyful Noise Recordings and Secret City Records. The album was recorded from December 2019 through September 2020 at Breakglass Studios, with additional tracking at Studio Toute Garnie, both in Montreal.

<i>How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars</i> 2022 studio album by the Weather Station

How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars is the sixth studio album by the Canadian folk band the Weather Station, released March 4, 2022, by Fat Possum Records. The album was recorded over three days in March 2020 in Toronto. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics who also frequently compared the album to the band's previous release Ignorance, mainly noting the stark differences between the two despite the songs from both all coming from the same writing sessions in 2018.

<i>In Amber</i> 2022 studio album by Hercules and Love Affair

In Amber is the fifth studio album by Hercules and Love Affair, released digitally and physically on 17 June 2022 by Skint Records/BMG. The band's founder, singer and musician, Andy Butler worked again with singer Anohni : Anohni appeared on several tracks, including the singles "Poisonous Storytelling", and "One". "Grace", the first song released ahead of the album, was sung by Butler with Icelandic singer Elin Ey.

<i>Hit Parade</i> (Róisín Murphy album) 2023 studio album by Róisín Murphy

Hit Parade is the sixth solo studio album by Irish singer Róisín Murphy, released on 8 September 2023 through Ninja Tune. It was produced by DJ Koze and was preceded by the singles "CooCool", "Can't Replicate", "The Universe", "Fader" and "You Knew". "CooCool" was released alongside Murphy's announcement she had signed to Ninja Tune. Murphy will play select shows in North America following the album's release.

<i>Time Aint Accidental</i> 2023 studio album by Jess Williamson

Time Ain't Accidental is a 2023 studio album by American indie folk singer-songwriter Jess Williamson, released by Mexican Summer. The album has received positive reviews.

<i>Good Luck</i> (Debby Friday album) 2023 studio album by Debby Friday

Good Luck is the debut studio album by Nigerian–Canadian electronic musician Debby Friday, released by Sub Pop on March 24, 2023. The album has received positive reviews from critics.

<i>Tracey Denim</i> 2023 studio album by Bar Italia

Tracey Denim is the third full-length studio album by British alternative rock band Bar Italia, released by Matador Records on 19 May, 2023. It has received positive reviews from critics.

<i>I Dont Know</i> (album) 2023 studio album by Bdrmm

I Don't Know is the second studio album by British shoegaze band Bdrmm, released on 30 June 2023 through Rock Action Records. It was produced by Alex Greaves and received positive reviews from critics.

<i>End</i> (album) 2023 studio album by Explosions in the Sky

End is the eighth studio album by American post-rock band Explosions in the Sky, released on September 15, 2023, through Temporary Residence Limited. It was announced alongside the release of lead single "Ten Billion People". The band will tour North America, Europe and the UK in support of the record from September 15 to November 20, 2023.

<i>2020</i> (Molly Nilsson album) 2018 studio album by Molly Nilsson

2020 is the eighth studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 2 November 2018.

References

  1. Murray, Robin (August 23, 2023). "A. Savage Confirms Solo Album Several Songs About Fire". Clash . Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Several Songs About Fire by A. Savage Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Hedderman, Zara (October 2, 2023). "A. Savage – Several Songs About Fire – Album Review". Loud and Quiet . Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "A. Savage – Several Songs About Fire". Mojo . November 2023. p. 94.
  5. 1 2 Leas, Ryan (October 6, 2023). "A. Savage: Several Songs About Fire Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "A. Savage – Several Songs About Fire". Uncut . November 2023. p. 32.
  7. D'Souza, Shaad (September 30, 2023). "Andrew Savage's Several Songs About Fire". The Saturday Paper . Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  8. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2023.