Strange Constellations

Last updated

Strange Constellations
Strange Constellations.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 17, 2017
Recorded2013–2016
Genre Rock
Length40:54
Label Misra Records
Producer Bud Carroll
William Matheny chronology
Blood Moon Singer EP
(2016)
Strange Constellations
(2017)
Moon Over Kenova
(2018)

Strange Constellations is the first full-length studio album by the singer-songwriter William Matheny since the indefinite hiatus of Southeast Engine, released on February 17, 2017. It is his debut release on Misra Records.

Contents

Recording

The album was primarily recorded at Trackside Studio in Huntington, West Virginia. Additional recording took place at 3 Elliott Studio in Athens, Ohio, as well as Ronnie's Place and Electric Thunder, both in Nashville, Tennessee. It was produced and engineered by Bud Carroll (with additional engineering by Justin Francis), and mixed by Francis. Jeff Lipton mastered the album at Peerless Mastering in Boston, Massachusetts, along with assistant mastering engineer Maria Rice.

Release

The illustration on the album cover was drawn by Bryn Perrott, with graphic design by David Pokrivnak. The album was released by Misra Records on compact disc and a limited-edition silver foil vinyl record for the first run. After it sold out, the LP for the second run became a gold-foil inlaid package.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Discogs Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Amazon Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Americana UKStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
PopMatters Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Daytrotter said of Matheny, "If you’re looking for your new favorite Americana rocker, look no further than the wonderful William Matheny," while comparing his sound favorably to The Jayhawks and Counting Crows. [6] Additionally, "Living Half to Death" was chosen as a Heavy Rotation selection on NPR's Weekend Edition, stating that "Matheny has a knack for spinning stores about roach-infested apartments and social anxiety into indie gold.". [7] Nashville Scene called it "a stout volume that folds some expert old-school storytelling into smart, nimble songs", [8] while Paste praised it as "the perfect fusion of alt-country, rock, roots and pop." [9]

Track listing

All songs written by William Matheny

  1. "Teenage Bones" – 3:25
  2. "God's Left Hand" – 3:29
  3. "Out for Revenge" – 2:41
  4. "Living Half to Death" – 4:01
  5. "Blood Moon Singer" – 4:08
  6. "My Grandfather Knew Stoney Cooper" – 5:13
  7. "29 Candles" – 3:24
  8. "Foolish of Me" – 3:16
  9. "Funny Papers" – 3:15
  10. "Man of Science" – 4:31
  11. "(I Pray) You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone" – 3:26

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>Restless</i> (Sara Evans album) 2003 studio album by Sara Evans

Restless is the fourth studio album by American country music singer Sara Evans. It was released in August 2003 via RCA Records Nashville. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

<i>Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.</i> 1967 studio album by The Monkees

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. is the fourth album by the Monkees. It was released on November 6, 1967, during a period when the band exerted more control over their music and performed many of the instruments themselves. However, although the group had complete artistic control over the procceedings, they invited more outside contributions than on their previous album, Headquarters, and used session musicians to complement their sound. The album also featured one of the first uses of the Moog synthesizer in popular music. Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. sold over three million copies. It was the band's fourth consecutive album to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

<i>Twin Sons of Different Mothers</i> 1978 studio album by Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg

Twin Sons of Different Mothers is a collaboration album by American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg and jazz flutist Tim Weisberg, released in 1978. It was the first of two collaborations between the pair; the second was No Resemblance Whatsoever.

<i>Gravitational Forces</i> 2001 studio album by Robert Earl Keen

Gravitational Forces is an album by Texas-based country/folk singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen. It was first released in the United States on August 7, 2001, on Lost Highway Records.

<i>Complicated</i> (Tanya Tucker album) 1997 studio album by Tanya Tucker

Complicated is the twenty-third studio album by American country music artist Tanya Tucker, released on March 25, 1997. Instead of longtime producer Jerry Crutchfield, Tucker employed Gregg Brown to produce the album. One track hit the Top Ten in the Billboard Top Country Singles charts, the number 9 "Little Things." "Ridin' Out the Heartache" was the only other single to chart, at number 45. The album reached #15 on the Country Albums chart.

<i>Brothers Keeper</i> (Rich Mullins album) 1995 studio album by Rich Mullins

Brother's Keeper is the eighth studio album by American singer and songwriter Rich Mullins, released in 1995.

<i>Back with a Heart</i> 1998 studio album by Olivia Newton-John

Back with a Heart is the sixteenth studio album by British-Australian singer Olivia Newton-John. It was released by MCA Nashville on 12 May 1998 in the United States. Her first album in four years, it marked her return to country music after two decades.

<i>Between Five and Seven</i> 1996 studio album by John Gorka

Between Five and Seven is the sixth studio album by folk singer-songwriter John Gorka. It was released in August 1996. It is the last of the five albums Gorka recorded for Windham Hill/High Street Records before returning to the smaller, Red House label. Gorka produced the album with John Jennings who also produced Gorka's previous record, Out of the Valley. Unlike the previous record made in Nashville, Tennessee, the recording was done at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, Minnesota and the instrumentation has been described as "more acoustic, less pop-oriented." Paisley Park is southwest of Minneapolis and is the studio designed and owned by the artist, Prince.

<i>Big Time</i> (Little Texas album) 1993 studio album by Little Texas

Big Time is the second studio album by American country music band Little Texas. The band's breakthrough album, it was released in 1993 on Warner Bros. Records, and produced the singles "What Might Have Been", "God Blessed Texas", "My Love", and "Stop on a Dime". Respectively, these peaked at numbers 2, 4, 1, and 14 on the Hot Country Songs charts. "What Might Have Been" was also a crossover hit, reaching 16 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts.

<i>Real Live Woman</i> 2000 album by Trisha Yearwood

Real Live Woman is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Trisha Yearwood, released on March 28, 2000.

<i>Revelations</i> (Wynonna Judd album) 1996 studio album by Wynonna

Revelations is the third solo studio album by American country music artist Wynonna, released in 1996 on MCA Records in association with Curb Records. It was her first album since Tell Me Why three years previous. The album's lead-off single, "To Be Loved by You", was her fourth and most recent to date #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The second single, "Heaven Help My Heart", peaked at #14 on the same chart, while "My Angel Is Here" and "Somebody to Love You" both missed the top 40, becoming the first two singles of her career to do so. The album itself peaked at #2 on the Top Country Albums charts and #9 on The Billboard 200, and was certified platinum by the RIAA.

<i>When Love Finds You</i> 1994 studio album by Vince Gill

When Love Finds You is the sixth studio album from American country music artist Vince Gill. It was released in 1994 on MCA Nashville. It features the singles "Whenever You Come Around," "What the Cowgirls Do," "When Love Finds You," "Which Bridge to Cross ," "You Better Think Twice" and "Go Rest High on That Mountain."

<i>The Other Side</i> (Wynonna Judd album) 1997 studio album by Wynonna

The Other Side is the fourth solo studio album by American country music artist Wynonna, released in 1997 on Curb Records in association with Universal Records. The album, which was certified gold by the RIAA, produced three chart singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks charts: "When Love Starts Talkin'", "Come Some Rainy Day" and "Always Will" respectively reached #13, #14 and #45. A fourth single, "Love Like That", failed to chart. The album also includes "We Can't Unmake Love", a duet with John Berry, which was also included on Berry's 2000 Greatest Hits album.

<i>Time* Sex* Love*</i> 2001 studio album by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Time* Sex* Love* is the seventh studio album from American country music artist Mary Chapin Carpenter. It was released in 2001 on Columbia Records Nashville as her first studio album since A Place in the World five years previous. This album produced two singles in "Simple Life," which peaked at number 53 on Billboard's Hot Country chart, and "This Is Me Leaving You" which failed to chart. Despite its low airplay ranking, "Simple Life" spent 28 weeks on Billboard's Top 25 Country Singles Sales chart, peaking at number 8 on May 5, 2001.

<i>I Prefer the Moonlight</i> 1987 studio album by Kenny Rogers

I Prefer the Moonlight is the twentieth studio album by American country music singer Kenny Rogers. It reached #18 on the charts. Though the album only reached #163 in the Billboard 200.It contained three top five singles: the title cut and the grammy-winning duet with Ronnie Milsap, "Make No Mistake, She's Mine" and "The Factory". The album was Rogers' final studio album for RCA Nashville.

<i>Love Is Strange</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Kenny Rogers

Love Is Strange is the twenty-third studio album by American country music artist Kenny Rogers. It was released on September 11, 1990, by Reprise Records. The album includes the single "Love Is Strange", which charted at number 21 on Hot Country Songs that same year.

<i>Love Travels</i> 1997 studio album by Kathy Mattea

Love Travels is the tenth studio album by American country music artist, Kathy Mattea. It was released on February 4, 1997, via Mercury Records Nashville. The disc contained a total of 11 tracks that blended a mixture of different musical styles. Love Travels spawned four singles, two of which made the North American country songs charts: "455 Rocket" and the title track. The album itself reached the top 20 of the American country albums chart and was reviewed positively by critics.

<i>Stampede</i> (Chris LeDoux album) 1996 studio album by Chris LeDoux

Stampede is a 1996 studio album by American country music artist Chris LeDoux. It was his first album released for Capitol Nashville after the Liberty Records name was retired. Overall, it is his 30th album. "Gravitational Pull", "When I Say Forever" and "Five Dollar Fine" were released as singles but didn't make the top 40. "Stampede" would later be released as a single from his 20 Greatest hits Collection in 1999. The album peaked at #33 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

William Matheny is an American singer-songwriter from Morgantown, West Virginia. Matheny was also a multi-instrumentalist for Southeast Engine and is currently a keyboardist and guitarist for The Paranoid Style. His musical style has been compared to the likes of Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Marshall Crenshaw, and The Modern Lovers’ Jonathan Richman.

<i>Lee Brice</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Lee Brice

Lee Brice is the fourth studio album by American country music singer Lee Brice. It was released on November 3, 2017 via Curb Records. The album's lead single is "Boy".

References

  1. "William Matheny – Strange Constellations". discogs.
  2. "Strange Constellations". Amazon.com. February 24, 2017.
  3. "William Matheny 'Strange Constellations' (Misra Records, 2017)". July 12, 2017.
  4. "William Matheny: Strange Constellations". February 20, 2017.
  5. "Strange Constellations – William Matheny – Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  6. "William Matheny Daytrotter Session Aug 28, 2017".
  7. "Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing".
  8. "William Matheny w/J.P. Harris, Country Westerns & Sweet Baby Richie".
  9. "Stream the Debut Album Strange Constellations From Country/Folk Artist, William Matheny".