The Storm Before the Calm

Last updated
The Storm Before the Calm
Alanis Morissette - The Storm Before the Calm.png
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 17, 2022
Genre Ambient
Length106:38
Label
Producer Dave Harrington
Alanis Morissette chronology
Such Pretty Forks in the Mix
(2020)
The Storm Before the Calm
(2022)
Singles from The Storm Before the Calm
  1. "Safety—Empath in Paradise"
    Released: May 18, 2022 [1]

The Storm Before the Calm (stylized in all lowercase) is the tenth (and eighth international) studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released June 17, 2022, via Epiphany Music and Thirty Tigers, [2] as well as by RCA Records in Europe. Described as a meditation album, the ambient project was co-written with and produced by Dave Harrington, known for his work in the electronic music duo Darkside. [1] [3] The album is hosted on streaming services and the meditation app Calm. [4]

Contents

Style

The Arts Desk's Katie Colombus noted Morissette's "musical journey of self-discovery and healing", going as far back as songs such as "Thank U" from Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie and multiple cuts from Flavors of Entanglement and Havoc and Bright Lights , leading up to the singer "remov[ing] her ego completely" with The Storm, with an album "comprised of long pieces between five and 12 minutes as guidance through our internal machinations." Lead single "Safety—Empath in Paradise" is described as "a guidance for us to think and clarify, as well as feel connected and supported on our own journeys" with "a soothing rhythmic pattern of drumming and a gentle sense of connection in the swell of euphoric voices that join together", while album opener "Light—The Lightworker's Lament" and mid-album cut "Awakening—In Between Thoughts" are "gentler, with sounds of gongs, synthesis and contemplative guitar." Colombus closed by calling the album "calming", "strong in its vulnerability", and "music that traverses the landscape of the self." [5] Uncut's Wyndham Wallace noted "Space—Pause on Violence" as "recalling Julianna Barwick's The Magic Place and called "Mania—Resting in the Fire" "indulgently noisy prog-jazz". [3]

Reception

The Storm Before the Calm ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The Arts Desk Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Clash 7/10 [7]
Uncut 7/10 [3]
Financial Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
The Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Clash's Isabella Miller wrote that while The Storm Before the Calm "may be an unexpected project from one of the worlds [ sic ] much loved vocalists", the album "is proof that Alanis Morissette offers more than catchy melodies, clever lyricism and reminding us how 'life has a funny way of helping you out when you think everything's gone wrong'" and the artist "exhibits genius musicianship and knows exactly the right way to evoke emotion." [7] Financial Times's Ludovic Hunter-Tilney wrote that "rather than angry songcraft, the results are some really quite decent ambient works" with "a hint of krautrock's cosmic music in 'Safety—Empath in Paradise'" and "Restore—Calling Generation X" being a "chill-out peace offering to the snarky generation of apathetic ironists that Morissette was anomalously born into." [8]

The Times's Will Hodgkinson wrote that meditation "is meant to turn you into a calmer, happier, more accepting person", but that listening to the album "has left me a gibbering, miserable, judgmental wreck" and that the album contains "seemingly endless slabs of ambient ponderousness that wax, wane and go nowhere". [9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Alanis Morissette and Dave Harrington. All tracks produced by Harrington. All track names stylized in all lowercase

The Storm Before the Calm track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Light—The Lightworker's Lament"5:28
2."Heart—Power of a Soft Heart"7:46
3."Explore—The Other Side of Stillness"12:01
4."Space—Pause on Violence"12:51
5."Purification—The Alchemical Crunch"9:10
6."Restore—Calling Generation X"9:47
7."Awakening—In Between Thoughts"9:42
8."Ground—I Want to Live"11:43
9."Safety—Empath in Paradise"11:02
10."Mania—Resting in the Fire"7:22
11."Vapor—Amplified in Stillness"9:46
Total length:106:38

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for The Storm Before the Calm
Chart (2022)Peak
positions
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [10] 26
UK Album Sales (OCC) [11] 85
UK Digital Albums (OCC) [12] 95

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alanis Morissette</span> Canadian-American singer (born 1974)

Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting. Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two dance-pop albums. In 1995, she released Jagged Little Pill, an alternative rock-oriented album with elements of post-grunge. This album sold more than 33 million copies globally, propelling her to become a cultural phenomenon. It earned her the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1996 and was adapted into a rock musical of the same name in 2017. The musical earned fifteen Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. Additionally, the album was listed in Rolling Stone's 2003 and 2020 editions of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" guide. The lead single, "You Oughta Know", was also included at #103 in their "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

<i>Jagged Little Pill</i> 1995 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Jagged Little Pill is the third studio album by Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, released on June 13, 1995, through Maverick and her first album to be released worldwide. It marked a stylistic departure from the dance-pop sound of her first two albums, Alanis (1991) and Now Is the Time (1992). Morissette began work on the album after moving from her hometown Ottawa to Los Angeles, where she met producer Glen Ballard. Morissette and Ballard had an instant connection and began co-writing and experimenting with sounds. The experimentation resulted in an alternative rock album that takes influence from post-grunge and pop rock, and features guitars, keyboards, drum machines, and harmonica. The lyrics touch upon themes of aggression and unsuccessful relationships, while Ballard introduced a pop sensibility to Morissette's angst. The title of the album is taken from a line in the first verse of the song "You Learn".

<i>So-Called Chaos</i> 2004 studio album by Alanis Morissette

So-Called Chaos is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released on May 18, 2004, through Maverick Records. It was preceded by the single "Everything" on April 13, which went on to become Morissette's lowest peaking song on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 76. The album was met with mixed reviews from critics upon release, with some calling it her most accessible record since Jagged Little Pill (1995) while others criticized the project's confusing messages and felt the singer had lost what made her a cultural icon of the '90s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ironic (song)</span> 1996 single by Alanis Morissette

"Ironic" is a song by Canadian singer Alanis Morissette. It was released in February 1996 as the third single from her third studio album, Jagged Little Pill (1995). It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, and was produced by him. "Ironic" is a song written in the key of B major, and includes a moderate tempo of eighty-five beats per minute. The lyrics present several situations that are described as "ironic"; this has led to debate as to whether any of these actually match the accepted meaning of irony.

<i>Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie</i> 1998 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie is the fourth studio album and second internationally released album by singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released by Maverick Records in the United States on November 3, 1998. The album was positively received by critics and performed well commercially, breaking the record for album sales in its first week by a female artist. The first single from the album, "Thank U", reached the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100. Morissette promoted the album with worldwide touring.

<i>Under Rug Swept</i> 2002 studio album by Alanis Morissette

Under Rug Swept is the fifth studio album and third internationally released album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. Released by Maverick Records in the United States on February 26, 2002, and in the United Kingdom a day earlier, it was the first album Morissette had written and produced all on her own. It debuted at number one on charts in 12 countries, including the United States and Canada, and produced the singles "Hands Clean" and "Precious Illusions". Sales, however, did not match those of Morissette's previous two studio albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Oughta Know</span> 1995 single by Alanis Morissette

"You Oughta Know" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released as the lead single from her third studio album, Jagged Little Pill (1995), on July 6, 1995. After releasing two studio albums, Morissette left MCA Records Canada and was introduced to manager Scott Welch. Morissette began working on new music after moving from her hometown of Ottawa to Toronto, but made little progress. In Los Angeles, she met producer Glen Ballard, with whom she wrote songs including "You Oughta Know".

<i>MTV Unplugged</i> (Alanis Morissette album) 1999 live album by Alanis Morissette

MTV Unplugged is the first live album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released by Maverick Records in the United States on November 9, 1999. It comprises songs performed by Morissette on the television program MTV Unplugged. Twelve tracks were included on the album, but Morissette also performed "Baba", "Thank U" and "Your House" during the live taping. These were later released as B-sides on the "King of Pain" single release. The first single, "That I Would Be Good", was moderately successful, and two other tracks, "King of Pain" and "You Learn" were released as singles outside North America. As of March 2012, the album has sold 673,000 copies in the U.S.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thank U</span> 1998 single by Alanis Morissette

"Thank U" is a song by Canadian-American recording artist and songwriter Alanis Morissette from her fourth studio album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (1998). The song was written by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard, who produced her previous album, Jagged Little Pill (1995). Morissette wrote the song after she came back from a trip to India. Maverick and Reprise Records released the song as a single on October 12, 1998.

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Flavors of Entanglement is the seventh studio album, fifth international release and last Maverick Records release by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. The album, which was originally set for an April release, came out on May 30, 2008, in Germany, Benelux, and Ireland, internationally on June 2, and in the United States on June 10. It was produced by Guy Sigsworth. Flavors won Pop Album of the Year prize at the 2009 Juno Awards. The album gets its name from a lyric in the track "Moratorium".

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Dave Harrington is an American multi-instrumentalist, producer and one half of the electronic music duo Darkside, along with Nicolas Jaar. Harrington attended Brown University where he studied modern culture and media. He played in numerous Brooklyn indie-rock bands including ARMS, Thunder And Lightning, and Translations. Harrington also scored the 2010 documentary about Pablo Escobar which aired on the BBC. Harrington is based in Los Angeles.

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Such Pretty Forks in the Road is the ninth studio album by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released on July 31, 2020, through Epiphany Music and Thirty Tigers in North America, and by RCA and Sony Music in the United Kingdom and Europe. It is Morissette's first studio album in eight years, following 2012's Havoc and Bright Lights.

References

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