Soil (album)

Last updated
Soil
Soil by Serpentwithfeet.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 8, 2018 (2018-06-08)
Length39:47
Label
Producer
Serpentwithfeet chronology
Blisters
(2016)
Soil
(2018)
Apparition
(2020)
Singles from Soil
  1. "Bless Ur Heart"
    Released: March 7, 2018
  2. "Cherubim"
    Released: May 2, 2018
  3. "Seedless"
    Released: June 6, 2018

Soil (stylized in all lowercase) is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Serpentwithfeet. It was released on June 8, 2018, by Secretly Canadian and Tri Angle. [1]

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 8.2/10 [2]
Metacritic 87/100 [3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Clash 9/10 [5]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Exclaim! 7/10 [7]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Pitchfork 8.1/10 [9]
PopMatters 10/10 [10]
Resident Advisor 4.0/5 [11]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Under the Radar 8/10 [13]

Soil received widespread acclaim from critics. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 87, based on 15 reviews. [3] Dmitry Teckel of Clash described the album as "magical" and called it "presents love as a great ritual of universal joy". [5] Sasha Geffen of Pitchfork said, "With soil, serpentwithfeet deeply engages with the complex membranes between the self and a loved one, the self and the world. Few albums attempt this much nuance in articulating love; Wise's success in his ambitions feels like a gift." [9] Heather Phares of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, commented that the album "captures a passionate, complex artist coming into his own." [4] Rachel Finn of DIY called the album as "a return to his roots and a celebration of finally having found his feet." [6] Katherine St. Asaph of Spin gave the album a positive review, calling the album was "full of subtleties: love lost, love mourned, love repurposed." [14] Comparing to his previous work blisters, Stephen Mayne of Under the Radar praised the album to have "richer, dense rhythms and surprising samples", commented that they "wrapped into sensuous tracks detailing love and loss." [13] A. Harmony of Exclaim! called the album as a "courageous effort where serpentwithfeet's bravery pays off." [7]

Accolades

Year-end lists
PublicationAccoladeRankRef.
The Atlantic 23 Best Albums of 2018Unranked
BrooklynVegan Top 50 Albums of 2018
39
Dazed The 20 Best Albums of 2018
19
Fact The 50 Best Albums of 2018
12
The Guardian 50 Best Albums of 2018
45
The New York Times
(Jon Pareles)
The 28 Best Albums of 2018
3
NPR Music The 50 Best Albums of 2018
24
PopMatters 70 Best Albums of 2018
5
20 Best Avant-Garde and Experimental Albums of 2018
8
Spin 51 Best Albums of 2018: Staff Picks
43
Tiny Mix Tapes Favorite 50 Music Releases of 2018
20
The Vinyl Factory 50 Favourite Albums of 2018
33
Awards
YearOrganizationAwardResultRef.
2019 A2IM Libera Awards Album of the YearNominated
Best Outlier AlbumNominated
Best R&B AlbumNominated

Track listing

Credits adapted from Bandcamp. [28]

All tracks are written by Serpentwithfeet, except where noted.

soil
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Whisper"
4:21
2."Messy" 
3:31
3."Wrong Tree" Serpentwithfeet3:43
4."Fragrant" 
  • Clams Casino
  • Serpentwithfeet
3:14
5."Mourning Song" 
  • Clams Casino
  • Gately
  • Serpentwithfeet
3:19
6."Cherubim" 
  • Gately
  • mmph
  • Serpentwithfeet
3:38
7."Seedless" 
  • Clams Casino
  • Serpentwithfeet
3:29
8."Invoice"
  • Epworth
  • Serpentwithfeet
4:01
9."Waft" 
  • mmph
  • Gately
  • Serpentwithfeet
2:48
10."Slow Syrup" 
  • Gately
  • Serpentwithfeet
3:20
11."Bless Ur Heart" 
  • Gately
  • Serpentwithfeet
4:23

Notes

Related Research Articles

Marissa Nadler American singer-songwriter

Marissa Nadler is an American musician and fine artist. Active since 2000, she is currently signed to Sacred Bones Records and Bella Union, and released her ninth full-length studio album, The Path of the Clouds, in October 2021. As a singer-songwriter, her music has been characterized as blending "traditional folk, Gothic Americana, and dreamy pop into an original musical framework". Her music "is rooted in old-school country and folk but brings in elements of experimental and black metal". Sometimes the term "dream folk" has been invoked to describe her work.

<i>WIXIW</i> 2012 studio album by Liars

WIXIW is the sixth studio album by experimental rock trio Liars, released on June 4, 2012. It was written in Los Angeles and in a remote cabin in the mountains around the city. Recording took place in Liars’ private studio below U.S. Highway 101 in Los Angeles under the guidance of the band's label boss, Daniel Miller. Writing for The Quietus, Luke Turner described WIXIW as the band's "most accessible album to date" as well as their most electronic record ever. Reflecting on WIXIW's themes of longing and doubt, Angus Andrew said "You find that throughout the record, even within single songs, there's this duality of wanting to be close to someone but at the same time being afraid of that and thinking it's best that they leave."

I Love It (Icona Pop song) 2012 Single by Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX

"I Love It" is a song by Swedish duo Icona Pop featuring vocals from British recording artist Charli XCX. It was released as a single in May 2012 as a digital download in Sweden, where it peaked at number two on the singles chart. The song was added to their debut studio album, Icona Pop, as well as their EP Iconic and their debut international album, This Is... Icona Pop.

<i>Excavation</i> (The Haxan Cloak album) 2013 studio album by The Haxan Cloak

Excavation is the second studio album by The Haxan Cloak, released on Tri Angle Records on April 16, 2013.

Girlpool Indie band from Los Angeles, California

Girlpool is 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 studio album, Forgiveness (2022), was released on April 29.

Alex G American musician

Alexander Giannascoli, better known by his stage names Alex G or, formerly, (Sandy) Alex G, is an American musician, producer, and singer-songwriter. He started his career with DIY self-releases on Bandcamp and began building up an audience with his label debut, DSU (2014), released on Orchid Tapes to critical acclaim from various publications. He later signed with Lucky Number, who reissued his earlier releases, Rules and Trick (2012). In 2015, he signed with Domino Recording Company and released his sixth studio album, Beach Music. He followed it in 2017 with Rocket, which received further acclaim and recognition. Giannascoli's eighth studio album, House of Sugar, was released in 2019.

<i>Ratchet</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Shamir

Ratchet is the 2015 debut studio album by American singer/songwriter Shamir, released on May 19, 2015, on XL Recordings.

<i>Product</i> (Sophie album) 2015 compilation album by Sophie

Product is the debut compilation album by Scottish electronic music producer Sophie. It was released by Numbers on 27 November 2015. Four of the eight songs on Product have appeared on singles released by Numbers from 2013 to 2015. The album was made available in "silicon bubble cases", and its release coincides with the launch of a line of apparel and a "silicon product" resembling a sex toy.

<i>Mutant</i> (album) 2015 studio album by Arca

Mutant is the second studio album by Venezuelan electronic music producer Arca. It was released on 20 November 2015 via Mute.

<i>We Are King</i> (album) 2016 studio album by King

We Are King is the debut album by R&B trio King, released on February 5, 2016. The album was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 59th Grammy Awards, making them the first independent artists to be nominated in that category. Upon its release, We Are King appeared 6 times in the Billboard charts for 1st week sales: #1 on the Heatseekers Chart, #7 for Independent Albums, #8 for R&B, #20 for Top Hip-Hop/R&B, #78 for Top Album Sales, and #158 in the Top 200.

World Eater is the third studio album by British musician Benjamin John Power, under his musical project Blanck Mass. It was released on 3 March 2017 by Sacred Bones Records.

Blissing Me 2017 single by Björk

"Blissing Me" is the second single from Icelandic singer Björk's ninth album, Utopia, released on 14 November 2017 via One Little Indian Records. The song was written by Björk and produced by Björk and Arca.

<i>Golden Hour</i> (Kacey Musgraves album) 2018 studio album by Kacey Musgraves

Golden Hour is the fourth studio album by American country music singer and songwriter Kacey Musgraves, released on March 30, 2018, through MCA Nashville. Musgraves co-wrote all 13 tracks and co-produced the album with Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. A country pop record, Golden Hour also contains elements of disco, electropop, electronica, and yacht rock.

Clairo American singer-songwriter

Claire Elizabeth Cottrill, known professionally as Clairo, is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Carlisle, Massachusetts, she began posting music on the internet at age 13.

<i>Oil of Every Pearls Un-Insides</i> 2018 album by Sophie

Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides is the only studio album by Scottish recording artist and producer Sophie. It was released on 15 June 2018, through Transgressive, Future Classic and Sophie's own label, MSMSMSM. According to one source, the title may be a variant spelling of the phrase "I love every person's insides". Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides was met with widespread acclaim by critics and received a nomination for the Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. A remix album was released in July 2019.

<i>Criminal</i> (album) 2018 studio album by The Soft Moon

Criminal is the fourth studio album by American post-punk band the Soft Moon. It was released on February 2, 2018 by Sacred Bones Records.

Serpentwithfeet American experimental musician

Josiah Wise, known professionally as serpentwithfeet, is an experimental musician based in New York City in Brooklyn. Wise released the EP Blisters in 2016, his debut studio album soil in 2018, his second EP Apparition in 2020, and his second studio album Deacon in 2021.

Black Dresses were a Canadian noise pop duo consisting of Ada Rook and Devi McCallion. Their debut album, Wasteisolation, was released independently in 2018. The duo released three additional albums, Thank You (2019), Love and Affection for Stupid Little Bitches (2019), and Peaceful as Hell (2020), before breaking up in 2020. Despite no longer being a band, Black Dresses have released two additional albums, Forever in Your Heart (2021) and Forget Your Own Face (2022).

<i>Pinned</i> (album) 2018 studio album by A Place to Bury Strangers

Pinned is the fifth studio album by American noise rock band A Place to Bury Strangers. It was released on April 13, 2018 under Dead Oceans.

<i>Deacon</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Serpentwithfeet

Deacon is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Serpentwithfeet. It was released on March 26, 2021, by Secretly Canadian.

References

  1. Yoo, Noah (March 7, 2018). "serpentwithfeet Announces Debut Album soil, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  2. "soil by serpentwithfeet reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Soil by Serpentwithfeet Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "Soil – serpentwithfeet". AllMusic . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Teckel, Dmitry (July 3, 2018). "serpentwithfeet – soil". Clash . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Finn, Rachel (June 8, 2018). "serpentwithfeet – soil". DIY . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  7. 1 2 Harmony, A. (June 4, 2018). "serpentwithfeet: soil". Exclaim! . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  8. Empire, Kitty (June 10, 2018). "Serpentwithfeet: Soil review – raptures of a former choirboy". The Observer . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  9. 1 2 Geffen, Sasha (June 14, 2018). "serpentwithfeet: soil Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  10. Fitzgerald, Colin (June 8, 2018). "serpentwithfeet's 'soil' Is a Visionary Statement of Arrival, a Potent and Singular Masterpiece". PopMatters . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  11. Ryce, Andrew (June 13, 2018). "serpentwithfeet – soil". Resident Advisor . Retrieved December 18, 2019.
  12. Weingarten, Christopher R. (June 11, 2018). "Review: Serpentwithfeet's Electronic-Gospel-R&B LP 'Soil' Is Impossibly Contemporary". Rolling Stone . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Mayne, Stephen (June 11, 2018). "serpentwithfeet: soil (Secretly Canadian/Tri Angle) Review". Under the Radar . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  14. St. Asaph, Katherine (June 19, 2018). "serpentwithfeet's Mystic soil Is a Triumph". Spin . Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  15. "The 23 Best Albums of 2018". The Atlantic . December 11, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  16. "BrooklynVegan's Top 50 Albums of 2018". BrooklynVegan . December 21, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  17. "The 20 best albums of 2018". Dazed . December 5, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  18. "The 50 best albums of 2018". Fact . December 13, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  19. "The 50 best albums of 2018: the full list". The Guardian . December 21, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  20. Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon (December 6, 2018). "The 28 Best Albums of 2018". The New York Times . Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  21. "The 50 Best Albums Of 2018". NPR Music . December 4, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  22. "The 70 Best Albums of 2018". PopMatters. December 20, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  23. Harrison, A. Noah; Fitzgerald, Colin; Gruel, Todd B.; Stasis, Spyros (December 17, 2018). "The 20 Best Avant-Garde and Experimental Albums of 2018". PopMatters. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  24. "51 Best Albums of 2018: Staff Picks". Spin. December 12, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  25. "2018: Favorite 50 Music Releases". Tiny Mix Tapes . December 17, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  26. "Our 50 favourite albums of 2018". The Vinyl Factory . December 6, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  27. Cirisano, Tatiana (March 28, 2019). "A2IM Reveals 2019 Libera Awards Nominees: Mitski, Bad Bunny, Snail Mail & More". Billboard . Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  28. "soil - serpentwithfeet". Bandcamp . Retrieved July 2, 2019.