Talk Memory | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 8, 2021 | |||
Length | 42:11 (digital version) | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
BadBadNotGood chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Talk Memory | ||||
|
Talk Memory is the fifth studio album by Canadian instrumental group BadBadNotGood. It was released on October 8, 2021, by XL Recordings and Innovative Leisure, and is the band's first album in five years. A mostly improvisational work, it was produced and written by the trio with contributions from featured American instrumentalists Laraaji, Karriem Riggins, Terrace Martin, and Brandee Younger, and string arrangements from Brazilian composer Arthur Verocai. [1]
Following promotion on social media in early July, the band officially announced the album on July 15, 2021, simultaneously releasing the lead single "Signal from the Noise". [2]
Aside from the 2020 single "Goodbye Blue", this is the first original release to be recorded in five years, since the sessions for IV. In a press release, the band said: "It took a year or two of just living life to get to the place where the creative process was exciting again and once we actually went in to the studio it was the most concise recording and writing process we’ve ever had. We hope that the improvised studio performances bring the listener closer to our live experience." [1] [3]
This is the first album from the band without founding keyboardist Matthew Tavares; he departed in 2019. The long period of time between Talk Memory and IV was partly due to Taveres' leaving the group. As Leland Whitty told PostGenre, "[a]fter [Matt] quit the band in 2019, it took us time to establish a new vision of what the band would be like without him." [4]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.5/10 [5] |
Metacritic | 80/100 [6] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Clash | 8/10 [8] |
Exclaim! | 8/10 [9] |
NME | [10] |
Pitchfork | 8/10 [11] |
The Guardian | [12] |
The trio released their first album single on July 15, 2021, "Signal from the Noise"; a "nine-minute psychedelic jazz fusion odyssey", the track was produced with Floating Points and accompanied by a music video directed by Duncan Loudon. [3] [13] The second single, "Beside April", was released on September 8, 2021. [14]
The album was released on October 8, 2021. It is the band's first album with XL Recordings, who released it in partnership with Innovative Leisure (to which the band has been signed since 2013). [3] [15] Multiple limited edition color variants of the LP are available from different retailers, including their web store and VMP (Vinyl Me, Please). [16] [17] [18] [19]
Overall, the album received generally favorable review from critics, with opinions of the album ranging from "virtuosic" to that of "considered jam sessions." [18] In a very positive review, Dean Van Nguyen of Pitchfork commented: “BadBadNotGood are known for turning tradition inside out, but Talk Memory is not just their finest album—it’s evidence of the historic appreciation that roots their reverence;” comparing the album to the group’s previous work, he detailed that “the velvety play and mildly psychedelic grooves are still present, but Talk Memory is also BBNG’s most compositionally complex record to date; it draws you in with vibrant hooks and melodic flourishes, then begs you to return and fully absorb its subtleties.” [20]
The album was longlisted for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize. [21]
Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|
Wired | Albums of the Year | 2021 | 4 [22] |
Clash | Albums of the Year | 2021 | 48 [23] |
Okayplayer | Albums of the Year | 2021 | 19 [24] |
Allmusic | Albums of the Year | 2021 | – |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Signal from the Noise" |
| 9:02 | |
2. | "Unfolding (Momentum 73)" (featuring Laraaji) |
| BadBadNotGood | 4:30 |
3. | "City of Mirrors" (featuring Arthur Verocai) |
| BadBadNotGood | 3:50 |
4. | "Beside April" (featuring Karriem Riggins and Arthur Verocai) |
| BadBadNotGood | 5:13 |
5. | "Love Proceeding" (featuring Arthur Verocai) |
| BadBadNotGood | 5:25 |
6. | "Open Channels" (physical version only) |
| BadBadNotGood | 4:23 |
7. | "Timid, Intimidating" |
| BadBadNotGood | 6:17 |
8. | "Beside April (Reprise)" (featuring Arthur Verocai) |
| BadBadNotGood | 1:40 |
9. | "Talk Meaning" (featuring Arthur Verocai, Terrace Martin and Brandee Younger) |
| BadBadNotGood | 6:14 |
Total length: | 42:11 |
Notes
Adapted from album notes.
BadBadNotGood
Musicians
Technical
Artwork
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [26] | 38 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [27] | 143 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [28] | 61 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP) [29] | 17 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [30] | 36 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [31] | 7 |
US Top Contemporary Jazz Albums (Billboard) [32] | 1 |
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard) [33] | 3 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [34] | 4 |
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [35] | 5 |
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [36] | 65 |
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [37] | 6 |
Laraaji is an American multi-instrumentalist specializing in piano, zither and mbira. His albums include the 1980 release Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, produced by Brian Eno as part of his Ambient series.
Cloud Nothings is an American indie rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States, founded by singer-songwriter Dylan Baldi. It currently consists of lead singer and guitarist Dylan Baldi, drummer Jayson Gerycz, and bassist Chris Brown.
BadBadNotGood is a Canadian instrumental band and production team from Toronto, Canada. The group was founded in 2010 by bassist Chester Hansen, keyboardist Matthew Tavares, and drummer Alexander Sowinski. In 2016, they were joined by frequent collaborator Leland Whitty. Among other projects, the group has released five solo studio albums, with the latest, Talk Memory, released in October 2021. They have had critical and crossover success, finding audiences in the hip hop, jazz, and alternative music communities.
BBNG2 is the second studio album from Canadian music group BADBADNOTGOOD. It was made available on April 3, 2012, via the band's website as a free download in various formats. The album is a mixture of original compositions and covers of Earl Sweatshirt, Feist, Tyler, The Creator and Gucci Mane, James Blake, Kanye West, and My Bloody Valentine. It received generally very positive reviews.
BBNG is the debut album from Canadian jazz instrumental hip hop band BadBadNotGood. It was released as a free download in 2011. The album features a mixture of original compositions and covers of songs from the artists Flying Lotus, Gang Starr, J Dilla, Joy Division, Nas and Ol' Dirty Bastard. The cover artwork was designed and made by Connor Olthuis and Sam Zaret.
III is the third studio album from Canadian jazz instrumental hip hop band BadBadNotGood. It was released on May 6, 2014. It is the group's first album of completely original material.
Bad Suns is an American rock band from Woodland Hills, California, formed in 2010. The band currently consists of Christo Bowman, Gavin Bennett, and Miles Morris. All of the band members are from Los Angeles, California. The group has been signed to Vagrant Records, where they released their debut album Language & Perspective in 2014. The band's sound is inspired from 1970s and 1980s post-punk pioneers like The Cure and Elvis Costello. Their second album was released on September 16, 2016, titled Disappear Here. Their third album, Mystic Truth, was released on March 22, 2019. Their fourth album, Apocalypse Whenever, was released on January 28, 2022. Their second extended play, Infinite Joy, was released on November 17, 2023.
Sour Soul is a collaborative studio album from Canadian jazz instrumental hip hop band BadBadNotGood and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah. It was released worldwide on February 24, 2015.
The Healing Component is the debut studio album by American rapper Mick Jenkins. It was released on September 23, 2016, by Cinematic Music Group.
99.9% is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Kaytranada, released May 6, 2016, through XL Recordings worldwide and Ultra Records in Canada. The 15-track album features guest contributions from by Anderson .Paak, Vic Mensa, Little Dragon, Syd, Craig David, AlunaGeorge, and BadBadNotGood amongst others. 99.9% was supported by five singles: "Leave Me Alone" featuring Shay Lia, "Drive Me Crazy" featuring Vic Mensa, the Karriem Riggins and River Tiber-assisted instrumental "Bus Ride", "Glowed Up" featuring Anderson .Paak, and "Lite Spots".
IV is the fourth studio album from Canadian jazz instrumental hip hop band BadBadNotGood. It was released on July 8, 2016. It features collaborations with Future Islands frontman Sam Herring, saxophonist Colin Stetson, Haitian-Canadian musician Kaytranada, American hip hop artist Mick Jenkins, and Canadian singer-songwriter Charlotte Day Wilson.
"Lavender" is a song released by Canadian jazz instrumental hip hop band BadBadNotGood (BBNG) as part of their 2016 album IV. The song has been adapted into two music videos. The official video was released by BBNG in November 2016. The American rapper Snoop Dogg added lyrics to the song and released the "Nightfall Remix" version in 2017. The music video to this version caused some controversy because of a scene depicting a mock assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump.
"Lust" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The ninth track on the album, the song was written by Lamar, DJ Dahi, Mark Spears a.k.a. Sounwave, and BadBadNotGood, and was produced by DJ Dahi, Sounwave, and BadBadNotGood. The song features uncredited guest vocals from record producer Kaytranada. Although not released as a single, the song charted in multiple countries in 2017.
The discography of BadBadNotGood, the Canadian instrumental jazz and hip-hop group, includes five solo studio albums as well as collaborative projects like 2015's Sour Soul with Ghostface Killah, and numerous singles. Collaborative since their origin, BBNG is well known for working with artists like Daniel Caesar, MF DOOM, Kali Uchis, and Mick Jenkins. Outside of their own output, BBNG are noted producers and songwriters and often work with fellow Canadian producers Frank Dukes and Kaytranada.
Jaime is the debut solo studio album from Brittany Howard, released on September 20, 2019, via ATO Records. It has received acclaim from critics and has been nominated for several awards; it was a moderate sales success, appearing on several charts. The album is a mix of several musical styles that reflects intimate events and perspectives in Howard's life, which she supported with her first solo tour.
Arthur Cortes Verocai is a Brazilian composer, singer, and producer. He is best known for his 1972 self-titled debut album which garnered a cult following during the 2000s in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Alexander William Sowinski is a Canadian musician, producer, and drummer for instrumental group BADBADNOTGOOD. With the band, he has released five studio albums and is noted for his jazz drumming musicianship.
Matthew Adam Tavares, also known as Matty, is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and music producer. He is best known as a founder of the instrumental group BADBADNOTGOOD, with whom he released five studio albums and produced with for other artists. Tavares released his first solo album in 2018 and has since released a series of solo and collaborative genre-spanning albums. As a songwriter, he has helped pen songs for the likes of Post Malone, Rosalía, Camilla Cabello, Kendrick Lamar, and Kali Uchis, and often works with producer Frank Dukes.
The following is the production discography of Canadian instrumental group and production team BadBadNotGood. Formed in 2010, the group has been producing music for other artists since 2012 and are known for their jazz-influenced compositions in hip hop, R&B, and electronic music.
"Time Moves Slow" is a song by Canadian instrumental group BADBADNOTGOOD and American singer Samuel T. Herring, from the former's album IV. The track was released on May 17, 2016, as the second single from the album to critical and commercial acclaim.
The Memory Catalogue, is a print series which provides visual language to our next instrumental album, Talk Memory.