| The Navigator | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 10, 2017 | |||
| Recorded | 2016 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Length | 40:34 | |||
| Label | ATO | |||
| Producer | Paul Butler | |||
| Hurray for the Riff Raff chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Navigator | ||||
| ||||
The Navigator is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band Hurray for the Riff Raff. It was released by ATO Records on March 10, 2017. [1] The album was recorded in 2016 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City and Panoramic House in West Marin with producer Paul Butler, a member of the band The Bees.
By the end of 2014, Hurray for the Riff Raff had managed to gain a wider audience following the successes of Small Town Heroes . Rather than immediately follow it up quickly by recording another album, frontperson Alynda Mariposa Segarra used the opportunity to travel back to their ancestral homelands in Puerto Rico and reconnect with their roots. Much of the album was inspired by their travels. They witnessed the effects that both the debt crisis and continual environmental damage had done to the communities, as well as the way Puerto Rican culture had continued to flourish despite the hardships that had been endured. [2]
Segarra also returned to their childhood hometown in The Bronx to see how gentrification had affected the area since they had left to start their music career. These changes would also become central to the themes covered within the album. After returning from their travels, Segarra and the rest of the band decided to relocate from New Orleans to Nashville in order to start writing the new album. [3]
Segarra conceived The Navigator with a storyline following the protagonist Navita in an overgentrified city in the future. They based the character on themself as a 16-year old street kid. [4] As They later told Drowned in Sound :
She's this very independent spirit, a tough girl. She feels very suffocated by the city, the poverty and how everyone is cramped together. She has this overwhelming feeling that something is wrong. And she's also very ashamed of where she comes from. So that's where The Navigator begins. She wants to escape. It's like this Wizard of Oz story: Navi asks this wise woman to wake up the next day without remembering or recognizing anyone or anything. So this woman puts her to sleep for forty years; she then wakes up in the same city. In this future, gentrification has gone rapid. And basically in my mind, Trump is mayor in this place. I thought about this very extreme dictator-like figure who wants to separate everyone. Someone who wants to get all people of color and the poor out of certain neighborhoods to somewhere remote. [4]
Once writing the album had been completed, the band then spent most of 2016 recording the album at Electric Lady Studios in New York and Panoramic House in West Marin. [5] The band asked Paul Butler to produce the album, based on his work with British soul singer Michael Kiwanuka. Butler was hired with the aim to recapture the same sound he had brought to Kirwanuka's albums and combine it with the various musical influences of the places Segarra had visited. To accomplish the task an ensemble of musicians were brought in, including percussionist Juan-Carlos Chaurand and Devendra Banhart's drummer Gregory Rogove. [6]
Segarra said, "I was listening to Kendrick Lamar a lot during the making of The Navigator. I started writing the lyrics for [the title] track on my phone, with no music. That's the part of the album where Navita starts to transform. I wanted it to sound very cinematic. I listened to a lot of Jorge Ben Jor too, especially his album Força Bruta . The strings on that album are gorgeous." [4]
The album was announced on December 5, 2016 alongside the release of the video for lead single 'Rican Beach'. Details on the tour to support the album were also listed, as well as a statement from Segarra regarding the album. In the statement Segarra wrote, "This is dedicated to the water protectors of Standing Rock—thank you for your bravery and giving us hope. Also, to the people of Peñuelas, Puerto Rico, who are demanding an end to the AES dumping of coal ash which leads to water contamination—we are with you." [7]
Two additional songs were taken from the album in order to promote it. The first of these two songs, 'Hungry Ghost' was released on January 6, 2017. [8] Following the album's release in March, the final single - 'Living in the City' was unveiled on August 29, 2017. [9]
For the Billboard charting week of April 1, 2017, The Navigator was the No. 2 album sold in the breaking-and-entry category by the Heatseekers Albums. In addition, the album was the No. 9 most sold Independent Albums, and it was the No. 7 most sold Top Tastemaker Albums. It also sold enough copies to attain No. 43 on the Top Rock Albums chart.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.3/10 [10] |
| Metacritic | 83/100 [11] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| The Guardian | [12] |
| The Independent | [13] |
| Mojo | [14] |
| NME | [15] |
| The Observer | [16] |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10 [17] |
| Q | [18] |
| Rolling Stone | [19] |
| Uncut | 9/10 [20] |
The Navigator received positive appraisal from music critics upon release. At Metacritic, the album holds a score of an 83 out of 100 based upon 18 selected independent ratings and reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim". [11]
At AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote, "The Navigator is nothing if it isn't a bold risk, a record that attempts to carve out a new kind of Americana, one where the past informs the present instead of the present preserving the past -- and one where the political is personal, too." [5] Caroline Sullivan was similarly positive in her review for The Guardian stating; "Segarra personalises the political by foregrounding her Hispanic roots. If that sounds as if it’s a recipe for unmitigated worthiness, be assured that folk melodies and wild-hearted Latin beats play as big a role as Segarra’s flamethrower polemics" [12] Writing for The Independent, Andy Gill claimed, "[Segarra] effectively expands the notion of Americana to accommodate another cultural strain alongside the usual blues and country influences." [13]
Writing for NME, Leonie Cooper said, "Serious stuff for sure, but doesn’t deliver its message with a po-face. ‘Living in The City’ is a fun doo-wop number while the title track is a sultry slice of mid-1980s Tom Waits-ian southern gothic. Hurray for the Riff Raff indeed." [15] Kitty Empire also praised the album in a five-star review for The Observer: "The Navigator might be full of site-specific anger and yearning, but like its predecessors, it is incredibly easy on the ear. The songs just flow--slinky, sad or elegant in their own ways." [16] In a review for Pitchfork, contributor Matthew Ismael Ruiz commended the album too, commenting that "The Navigator is ostensibly a rock’n’roll record, but it expands Segarra’s palette beyond the folk/country/blues lane she’s thus far occupied." [17]
In the review for Q, Andrew Perry felt that "The Navigator feels like a mighty, empowering antidote to 2017's many spiritual agonies." [18] Laura Snapes' article for Uncut also related the album to the contemporary political climate: "Segarra is skilled at identifying the shifting goalposts that immigrants have to live by, and staring past them." [20] Writing for Rolling Stone, editor Will Hermes simply stated, "This is proudly intersectional folk music". [19] For Vice , Robert Christgau named "Living in the City", "Pa'lante", and "Rican Beach" as highlights while writing of Segarra, "Bronx Puerto Rican emigrates to New Orleans, where she crystallizes a rock group fit to declaim her story". [21]
All music is composed by Alynda Lee Segarra, except where noted [5]
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Entrance" | 1:43 | |
| 2. | "Living in the City" | 3:16 | |
| 3. | "Hungry Ghost" | 3:25 | |
| 4. | "Life to Save" | 2:56 | |
| 5. | "Nothing's Gonna Change That Girl" | 4:00 | |
| 6. | "The Navigator" | 3:07 | |
| 7. | "Halfway There" | 2:11 | |
| 8. | "Rican Beach" | 3:32 | |
| 9. | "Fourteen Floors" | 4:13 | |
| 10. | "Settle" | 2:57 | |
| 11. | "Pa'lante" | Alynda Lee Segarra, Pedro Pietri | 5:53 |
| 12. | "Finale" | Alynda Lee Segarra, Yvarume Tapia | 3:21 |
| Total length: | 40:34 | ||
Hurray for the Riff Raff
Additional musicians
| Production
Artwork
|
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [23] | 133 |
| New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ) [24] | 10 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [25] | 58 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [26] | 76 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [27] | 9 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [28] | 43 |
Nuyorican is a portmanteau word blending "New York" and "Puerto Rican," referring to Puerto Ricans located in or around New York City, their culture, or their descendants. This term is sometimes used for Puerto Ricans living in other areas in the Northeastern US Mainland outside New York State as well. The term is also used by Islander Puerto Ricans to differentiate those of Puerto Rican descent from the Puerto Rico–born.
ATO Records is an American independent record label based in New York City. The label was established in 2000 by Dave Matthews and manager Coran Capshaw.
Todd Daniel Snider is an American singer-songwriter whose music incorporates elements of folk, rock, blues, alt country, and funk.
Ninfa Segarra is the last President of the New York City Board of Education. She served as President of the Board from 2000 to 2002 when the Board was abolished by the State of New York and power of the city schools was transferred to Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Hurray for the Riff Raff is an American band formed in New Orleans in 2007 by Alynda Segarra, a singer-songwriter from the Bronx, New York.
Mod Mobilian was a regional website focused on the music, art and culture of metro Mobile, the Eastern Shore, and the surrounding areas of the Southeastern United States. It was started in 2009 by co-editors Trey Lane and Doc Valso. It had over 20 contributing writers including videographer Kris Skoda, disc jockey Emily Hayes, columnist Kevin Lee, playwright Danielle Juzan, and political columnist Jessica James. It was the largest independent arts and culture website on the Central Gulf Coast in terms of social network followers and monthly views. In 2012, it was the official interview crew for Deluna Fest in Pensacola, Florida. In 2012, it was selected as "Best Local Website" by the newspaper Lagniappe. It is a contributing site to the multi-state Southern music aggregator website, SouthSounds Review.
My Dearest Darkest Neighbor is the fourth full-length album by New Orleans musical group Hurray for the Riff Raff. It was originally available only as a reward in a Kickstarter campaign to fund their previous album Look Out Mama, and in local record stores. A version of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" was included in the new release. The album was released July 1, 2013 by Mod Mobilian Records and This Is American Music.
Small Town Heroes is the fifth full length studio album by Hurray for the Riff Raff, and their first to be released by ATO Records. The album was released on February 11, 2014, and produced by their front-woman Alynda Lee Segarra. This album is considered the band's breakthrough after receiving a warm critical reception and strong commercial sales.
Benjamin Booker is an American musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He cites The Gun Club, Blind Willie Johnson and T. Rex as influences. His music was described by the Chicago Tribune as "a raw brand of blues/boogie/soul,", by The Independent as "frenzied guitar-strumming and raw, soulful vocals that are hair-raising in intensity" and by Spin as "bright, furious, explosive garage rock."
Tuba Skinny is a traditional jazz street band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's instrumentation includes cornet, clarinet, trombone, tuba, tenor banjo, guitar, frottoir, and vocals. The ensemble draws its inspiration from the early jazz, ragtime, and blues music of the 1920s and 1930s. The group began as an itinerant busking band and has performed around the world, including at music festivals in Mexico, Sweden, Australia, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Spain.
The Firewatcher's Daughter is the fifth studio album by Brandi Carlile, released on March 3, 2015, on ATO Records. The lead single, "The Eye", was released in December 2014. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album at the 2016 awards.
Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit is the debut studio album by Australian indie rock musician Courtney Barnett, released on 20 March 2015. The album received wide acclaim and was ranked as one of the best albums of 2015 by numerous publications.
Benjamin Booker is the debut studio album by American musician Benjamin Booker. It was released on 9 August 2014 by ATO Records and Rough Trade Records.
Americana is an album by English rock musician Ray Davies, released by Legacy Recordings in April 2017. Like Davies' 2013 book of the same name, it explores his lifelong fascination with the music and culture of the United States, and his experiences of touring and living there. The album features contributions from members of American country rock band the Jayhawks.
Taína Asili is an American musician, singer, songwriter, poet, artist and activist. Born in Binghamton, New York to Puerto Rican parents, she first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the singer for the punk band Anti-Product, and later for her social justice themed music with the band Taina Asili y la Banda Rebelde. Asili’s musical career has spanned genres as diverse as Afro-Caribbean music, flamenco, hardcore punk and opera, and her art is driven by her work on prisoner justice, climate justice and food justice.
Front Porch is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Joy Williams. It was released on May 3, 2019 by Sensibility Recordings. It was nominated for Best Folk Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
Olga Dies Dreaming is the debut novel of American writer Xochitl Gonzalez. It was published by Flatiron Books in January 2022.
Life on Earth is the seventh studio album by Hurray for the Riff Raff, released on February 18, 2022, through Nonesuch Records, their first release through the label. It received acclaim from critics.
Just Like That... is the eighteenth studio album by American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Bonnie Raitt. Released on April 22, 2022, it is her first studio album since 2016's Dig In Deep. The album was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Americana Album in 2023. Its title track won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Best American Roots Song and lead single "Made Up Mind" won Best Americana Performance.
The Past Is Still Alive is the eighth studio album by Hurray for the Riff Raff. It was released on February 23, 2024, through Nonesuch Records. Produced by Brad Cook, the album features contributions from Conor Oberst, Meg Duffy, Anjimile and S.G. Goodman.
