Sun on the Square | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 29, 2018 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 34:39 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | The Innocence Mission | |||
The Innocence Mission chronology | ||||
|
Sun on the Square is the eleventh studio album by American alternative band The Innocence Mission, released in the United States via Badman Recording Co. and in Japan by P-Vine Records on June 29, 2018, [2] with a European release following one week later on Bella Union. [3] The record is available for streaming via Badman's official SoundCloud channel. [4]
The band's lead vocalist and songwriter Karen Peris described the record as a "snapshot of a significant moment" in her life, as well as that of her husband Don, the band's lead guitarist. She said that lyrical content was predominantly inspired by "our son and daughter being older teenagers, which can mean possibility and hope for them but also the sadness of separation and my changing role as a mom, and the intensified awareness of the preciousness of life. So there is a lot about change on the album, and also about communication and the universal feelings of loneliness, but also of connectedness to other people through all of these shared feelings and experiences." [5]
Karen said of "Green Bus": "I've always liked color words. They seem to have an ability all on their own to make a visual world, especially the word green [which naturally makes you think of trees and grass and various aspects of nature]. The feeling of the song is a longing to give something of worth, and searching for that thing. And the [word] 'bus' may have come about because of the guitar rhythm I was playing, which maybe has a circular motion, but also just of the idea of a quiet place to view the city from, and to think one's thoughts and decide where to go next." She also said that "Shadow of the Pines" was inspired by "the absence of a loved one, through change of some kind. Missing that person. Communicating over distance and holding that person in thought. So, this is a kind of lyric I seem to write repeatedly, in different ways, because of things that have happened and that loom in the future." [5]
The album's title track was musically inspired by the work of Astrud Gilberto, while Karen said its lyrics were inspired by her "admiration for someone going out into the world bravely, and in kindness: the possibility for one person to be a light in the world—that love will prevail over fear." [4] "Light of Winter" is a re-recording of "From the Trains", a song from the band's 2017 EP The Snow on Pi Day. [6] Karen explained the difference between the two recordings: "When we recorded it for The Snow on Pi Day, it was mostly a guitar song, but I started playing it on piano after that and both [Don and I] heard some things that could be different. It was nice to be able to go back to that song and add the piano, pump organ and other things to make the interludes bigger, but to keep the verse as having all the space around Don's electric guitar part." She additionally said of the title change: "We were always calling it 'Light of Winter', which felt like the natural title because of the refrain, so we just renamed it, especially because it felt different enough from the first recording to be its own thing." [5] "Star of Land and Sea" features lead vocals from Don Peris. [7]
Sun on the Square is their first release issued on Bella Union: a British independent record label founded by former Cocteau Twins guitarist and keyboardist Simon Raymonde. [8] Karen and Don formed a friendship with Raymonde after Karen was asked to contribute vocals to "The Places We've Been"—a track on Lost Horizons' 2017 album Ojalá. [9] [10] The album was released on vinyl, with Bella Union in Europe pressing the record on transparent vinyl, [11] while North American copies – pressed by Badman Recording Co. – were made using translucent green vinyl. [12] "Shadow of the Pines" was the first song previewed from the album, after it appeared on episode 167 of The Big Takeover on April 2. [13]
Lead single "Green Bus" followed on April 19; [14] it was premiered on GoldFlakePaint. [15] Two animated music videos – for "Green Bus" and "Look Out from Your Window" – have been released in promotion of the album, both of which were illustrated by Karen. [16] [17] [18] The latter song was issued as a one-track digital single via streaming services on May 31. [19] In August, Karen and Don performed a live session for Paste , performing three songs from Sun on the Square: "Green Bus", "Light of Winter" and "Buildings in Flower". [20] In November, they performed two of the aforementioned songs – as well as "Tomorrow on the Runway", from 2003's Befriended – during a feature for NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts series. [21]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | (77/100) [22] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Loud and Quiet | 9/10 [23] |
Mojo | [24] |
Paste | (81/100) [7] |
Q | [25] |
RTÉ.ie | [26] |
Uncut | [27] |
The album received positive reviews upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, it received an average score of 77 out of 100, based on 6 publications, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [22]
Several publications praised the quality of the production, including Rock'n'Reel , which said: "There's not a note out of place amid the album's beautifully crafted ethereal sadness." [28] Similarly, Loud and Quiet said: "Records like Sun on the Square don't come around very often. ... Where The Innocence Mission has previously been a poster band for the slow-burning record, Sun on the Square wills you to cling on and not let go from the very beginning. It hunts out the curious minutiae of being alive, saves them and makes them spectacular. In an already strong back catalogue, this album feels like the crown jewel." [23] Other publications commended Karen's songwriting as well, particularly her lyrics. Paste said: "When you scan the lyrics for Sun on the Square, you realize just how often [Karen] is posing a question. ... Those questions give [the record] an engaging and poetic vibe that only enhances its sonic aesthetic. All told, the album feels like a hand-crafted work of art, put together carefully by its creators, charmingly imperfect but much preferred over a mass-produced piece with no stitch out of place, and no soul to match. Credit Karen and Don Peris, who've spun gold out of simplicity for so many years." [7] The Sunday Times wrote: "[They may] have been doing the same thing for nearly 30 years. But that's OK, because they do extremely delicate late-1960s/early-1970s folk rock as well as anyone ever has." [29]
Numerous writers complimented the arrangements found on the album. Timothy Monger of AllMusic said: "Since paring down their already-hushed folk pop sound to a mostly acoustic, drum-less trio in 1997, the band has lived comfortably within the parameters of their tonal world, painting different textures here and there, but otherwise consistently delivering a familiar version of their pastoral chamber folk with each release." Despite this, they went on to say: "The arrangements on [Sun on the Square] are somewhat denser and more intricate than on any of the band's previous outings, relying on rich string arrangements, horns, reverberating piano thrums and even a handful of clamorous drum parts." [1] Elizabeth Klisiewicz of The Big Takeover also complimented the "meticulous" arrangements, and described the entire record as "beautiful". [30] London in Stereo called Sun on the Square a "stunning collection of beautifully vulnerable folk songs, ... thanks to typically subtle picking and increasingly orchestrated and gently cinematic accompaniment. Peris’ effortless storytelling once again plays centre stage, weaving through bucolic scenes, touching on love and loss yet always maintaining a blissful hope that ensures the record has the moments of sun its title suggests. The band's first effort for Bella Union is simply gorgeous; mission accomplished." [31]
RTÉ.ie said that: "There may not be a purer sound in pop right now than The Innocence Mission. [They spin] a web of winsome beauty ... [Sun on the Square is] fragile, wispy and haunting orchestral folk without sounding tweely sadcore. Who knows what [Karen] is singing about on these delicate and enthralling songs, but there are moments here where The Innocence Mission sound like they're going to dissolve into the ether at any second. It makes them all the more powerful and beautiful." [26] Mojo additionally commented on the quality of the album's lyrics, and the Peris' personal lives, saying: "[Their] albums have traced the faultlines of parenthood, until now ... Their teenage kids are leaving home. Everywhere, [Karen] Peris notes absence." They went on to call the album "exquisite". [24] The Morton Report was generally positive, calling the album "dreamy". [32] Uncut also praised Karen's vocals, saying that her voice was "at the fluttering heart of this album; her phrasing and tonal glides are as distinctive as those of Victoria Williams or Iris DeMent." [27]
Paste included the album at number five on their list of the '10 Best Albums of June 2018', [33] while it featured at number three in NPR's list of the top albums of June 2018. [34] Similarly, the record topped the list on a Loud and Quiet feature called "July was a bit of a wasteland for new album releases – except for these 7 that we're rating". [35]
All tracks are written by Karen Peris, except track 7 by Karen and Don Peris; track 8 by Don Peris.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Records from Your Room" | 2:46 |
2. | "Green Bus" | 4:28 |
3. | "Look Out from Your Window" | 3:21 |
4. | "Shadow of the Pines" | 4:00 |
5. | "Buildings in Flower" | 2:57 |
6. | "Sun on the Square" | 3:27 |
7. | "Light of Winter" | 3:53 |
8. | "Star of Land and Sea" | 3:08 |
9. | "An Idea of Canoeing" | 3:42 |
10. | "Galvanic" | 2:37 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sun on the Square. [36]
Chart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [37] | 45 |
UK Americana Albums (OCC) [38] | 9 |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Catalog # | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
North America | June 29, 2018 | Badman Recording Co. | BRC–909 | [12] | |
Japan | P-Vine Records | PCD24742 | [39] | ||
Europe | July 6, 2018 | Bella Union | BELLA789 | [3] | |
Julie Anne Miller is a songwriter, singer, and recording artist living in Nashville, Tennessee. She married Buddy Miller in 1981. They sing and play on each other's solo projects and have recorded three duet albums.
Sunflower is the sixteenth studio album by the American rock band the Beach Boys, released on August 31, 1970, and their first on Reprise Records. It received favorable reviews, but sold poorly, reaching number 151 on the US record charts during a four-week stay and becoming the lowest-charting Beach Boys album to that point. "Add Some Music to Your Day" was the only single that charted in the US, peaking at number 64. In the UK, the album peaked at number 29.
Ophelia is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant, released on May 19, 1998, by Elektra Records. The album was supported by the singles "Kind & Generous" and "Break Your Heart", with the former being the most successful single of the album, reaching the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. "Break Your Heart" also received single and video treatment. These and the other videos from the album, plus three from Tigerlily, were gathered on a Warner Music Vision home video, also entitled Ophelia. "I love the opportunity to flex my thespian muscle," Merchant quips on it. The album became Merchant's only top ten hit on the Billboard 200, where it peaked at number eight.
The Innocence Mission is an American indie folk band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States, composed of Karen Peris, her husband Don Peris, and Mike Bitts. Although all members of the band have contributed to their music, Karen Peris is their main writer.
The Ocean Blue is an American indie pop band formed in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1986. Its original members included David Schelzel on lead vocals/guitar, Steve Lau on keyboards/saxophone, Bobby Mittan on bass guitar and Rob Minnig on drums and vocals.
Birds of My Neighborhood is the fourth studio album by the Innocence Mission. Released in 1999 on Kneeling Elephant, a sub-label of RCA, the album was out of print until Badman Recording acquired the license to remaster and reissue it in 2006.
Glow is the third album by the American folk rock band the Innocence Mission, released in 1995 on A&M Records. Musically, it marks a radical departure for the group, as the Sundays/10,000 Maniacs-inspired dream pop aesthetic found on their first two albums was replaced by a more straightforward, cleaner rock sound. The album was recorded over a several-month period at Kingsway Studios, New Orleans, Louisiana and Bad Animals Studios, Seattle, Washington.
Small Planes, subtitled Lost and Found Songs: 1996–2001, is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band The Innocence Mission, released on September 25, 2001 by What Are Records?. It consists of new and previously unreleased songs recorded by the band following the release of their 1995 album Glow. The album was released to positive reviews, with several publications describing it as an "outtake" album that contains better material than the primary work of most other bands. Small Planes was issued on vinyl for the first time on November 3, 2021. The vinyl featured an alternate track listing and the song "A Thousand Miles", which had been excluded from the original release.
Now the Day Is Over is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band The Innocence Mission, released by Badman Recording Co. on November 9, 2004. A collection of standards, traditional and classical works performed as lullabies, the album was recorded in August 2004 in the band's home studio. A portion of proceeds from sales of the album are donated to charitable organisations, including Catholic Relief Services.
Denison Witmer is an American singer-songwriter from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States. His first release, in 1995, was a cassette titled My Luck, My Love. He has since released six studio LPs; two live albums, a cover album (Recovered); three EPs; and an LP with The River Bends—a side project consisting of members of the Philadelphia-based alt-country band One Star Hotel. Witmer's 2005 album, Are You a Dreamer?, produced by Don Peris of The Innocence Mission and featuring Sufjan Stevens, received acclaim, including positive reviews from Pitchfork Media and Entertainment Weekly. Witmer and Stevens appeared on Rosie Thomas's 2007 album These Friends of Mine, an album which included Rosie Thomas' version of Paper Doll, a track originally written and recorded by Witmer. Witmer toured with Rosie Thomas in support of that album in venues across the US and Europe.
We Walked in Song is the eighth studio album by the Innocence Mission. It was released in North America on March 13, 2007 by Badman Recording Co., with a vinyl edition containing the bonus track "Shooting Star (Sketch)" following a week later on March 20. All international versions of the album include the bonus track.
Street Map is an EP of new studio recordings from the Innocence Mission. Limited to 5,000 copies, the release is their first since 2000's Christ Is My Hope to be sold though their website without the involvement of a record label.
Red House Painters were an American rock band, formed in San Francisco, California in 1988. They were one of the most prominent acts associated with the slowcore/sadcore subgenre. Fronted by primary songwriter Mark Kozelek, the band also included drummer Anthony Koutsos and bass guitarist Jerry Vessel. Guitarists Gorden Mack and Phil Carney both performed with the band during separate six-year tenures.
The discography of American alternative rock band The Innocence Mission consists of twelve studio albums, two compilation album, two releases issued for free download, five EPs, seventeen singles, ten music videos, and numerous appearances on soundtrack, tribute and sampler albums. The band have had their songs included on over a hundred different compilations and soundtracks, with many of those including the same select few songs. Therefore, only compilations and soundtracks which featured exclusive or otherwise rare content have been included. Also included on this list are their various solo albums and collaborations with other recording artists.
My Room in the Trees is the ninth studio album by the Innocence Mission, released July 13 by Badman Recording Company.
Badman Recording Co. is an independent label and production company located in Portland, Oregon, United States. Badman has released recordings by artists such as The Innocence Mission, My Morning Jacket, Mark Kozelek and Starfucker. The label is headed by the recording engineer, Dylan Magierek.
Hello I Feel the Same is the tenth studio album by American alternative band The Innocence Mission. It was released on October 16, 2015, via Korda Records, a cooperative record label founded by The Ocean Blue, a band with whom the Innocence Mission formed a "long and deep friendship that goes back to some of each band's first shows in Pennsylvania and their major label debut records on Sire and A&M". An edition on translucent green vinyl was released from early January 2016. It is their first studio album since 2010's My Room in the Trees, making five years the longest gap between studio albums in their career.
See You Tomorrow is the twelfth studio album by American alternative band The Innocence Mission, released on January 17, 2020 by Bella Union in Europe and Australia, and by Thérèse Records in the United States and Canada.
A Song Is Way Above the Lawn is the second solo album by Karen Peris, lead vocalist and songwriter of American alternative rock band the Innocence Mission. The album was released worldwide on October 8, 2021, via Bella Union.
{{cite magazine}}
: |author=
has generic name (help){{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)