Shebang (album)

Last updated

Shebang
Shebang (album).jpg
Studio album by
Oren Ambarchi
Released30 September 2022 (2022-09-30)
Studio
  • Choose (Berlin)
  • Challis (Sydney)
  • Stately Wayne Manor (London)
  • Summa (Stockholm)
  • The Crystal Ball (Berlin)
  • Steamroom (Japan)
  • Good Mixture (Berlin) [1]
Length35:00
Label Drag City
Oren Ambarchi chronology
Simian Angel
(2019)		Shebang
(2022)

Shebang is a solo studio album by Australian musician Oren Ambarchi. It was released on 30 September 2022, through Drag City. It received universal acclaim from critics. [2]

Contents

Background

The inspiration for Shebang came when Oren Ambarchi saw Julia Reidy playing a concert on 12-string guitar. [3] The album includes performances by Ambarchi (on guitar), Joe Talia (on drums), Sam Dunscombe (on bass clarinet), B. J. Cole (on pedal steel guitar), Johan Berthling (on double bass), Chris Abrahams (on piano), Jim O'Rourke (on synthesizer), and Reidy (on 12-string guitar). [4] It is said to be an extension of past "long-form rhythmic workouts" found on Ambarchi's albums Quixotism (2014) and Hubris (2016). [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 82/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Beats Per Minute 79% [6]
Pitchfork 8.1/10 [7]
Spectrum Culture70% [8]
Uncut 7/10 [9]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic , Shebang received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from 6 critic scores. [2]

Vanessa Ague of The Quietus commented that "There's something enticing about the ways Shebang offers each artist their own space yet still maintains cohesiveness, finding the connections between each line to form a quilt made of each artist's individuality." [10] Paul Simpson of AllMusic stated, "As dense as the mix gets, it never suffocates, and all of the instruments are allowed to breathe easily." [4] He called the album "an inventive, vibrant work that constantly surprises and uplifts." [4]

Lucas Martins of Beats Per Minute stated, "For an outsider, it is best approached without expectations, as Ambarchi has no intention to conform to them." [6] He added, "Long-time followers of his work, however, will find the label of 'workout' very appropriate, as he flexes the creative muscles which have allowed him to create so many long-winded symphonies in the past." [6] Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork called the album "Ambarchi's most ambitious and absorbing piece to date." [7] He commented that "Even when Ambarchi's instrument is hard to pick out, his vision is unmistakable." [7]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Shebang
PublicationListRankRef.
Mojo The 75 Best Albums of 2022
57
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2022
41
The Quietus Quietus Albums of the Year 2022
10
The Wire The Wire's Releases of the Year 2022
4

Track listing

Shebang track listing
No.TitleLength
1."I"8:00
2."II"10:34
3."III"6:16
4."IV"10:10
Total length:35:00

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 Oren Ambarchi (2022). Shebang (CD booklet). Drag City.
  2. 1 2 3 "Shebang by Oren Ambarchi". Metacritic . Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  3. ↑ Richards, Sam (7 March 2024). "Oren Ambarchi: album by album". Uncut . Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Simpson, Paul. "Shebang - Oren Ambarchi". AllMusic . Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  5. ↑ Eede, Christian (12 July 2022). "Oren Ambarchi Reveals New Solo Album, 'Shebang'". The Quietus . Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 Martins, Lucas (26 October 2022). "Album Review: Oren Ambarchi – Shebang". Beats Per Minute . Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Sherburne, Philip (4 October 2022). "Oren Ambarchi: Shebang". Pitchfork . Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  8. ↑ Simpson, J (11 October 2022). "Oren Ambarchi: Shebang". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  9. ↑ Pattison, Louis (October 2022). "New Albums". Uncut : 23.
  10. ↑ Ague, Vanessa (29 September 2022). "The Whole Kit & Caboodle: Oren Ambarchi's Shebang". The Quietus . Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "The Best of 2022". Mojo : 34. January 2023.
  12. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2022". Pitchfork . 6 December 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  13. ↑ "Quietus Albums Of The Year 2022 (In Association With Norman Records) (page 5)". The Quietus . 31 December 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  14. ↑ "The Wire's Releases Of The Year 2022". The Wire . December 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
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