The Trouble with Fever

Last updated
The Trouble with Fever
MBTroubleWithFever Cover.png
Studio album by
Michelle Branch
ReleasedSeptember 16, 2022 (2022-09-16)
Length35:05
Label Nonesuch
Producer Patrick Carney
Michelle Branch chronology
Hopeless Romantic
(2017)		The Trouble with Fever
(2022)
Singles from The Trouble with Fever
  1. "I'm a Man"
    Released: June 15, 2022
  2. "Not My Lover"
    Released: September 16, 2022

The Trouble with Fever is the fifth studio album by American singer and songwriter Michelle Branch. It was co-produced by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys and written solely by Branch. The album was released on September 16, 2022, through Audio Eagle/Nonesuch Records and Warner Records. The album's lead single, "I'm a Man", was released on July 15, 2022. [1] In support of the album, Branch embarked on The Trouble With Fever Tour, which commenced on September 15, 2022, with special guest Bad Bad Hats and Katelyn Tarver. [2]

Contents

Background

During the 2020 pandemic lockdown, Branch found herself in the studio with Patrick Carney. In a press release she said "I didn’t realize I was making a record at first — it was more just for our own sanity, getting time together to play music and screw around in the studio." [3] Branch told Billboard Magazine that due to the pandemic the writing process was very different. It was the first time she has written by herself in a long time. "I love collaborating with people, and had gotten in the flow of doing that ever since my Nashville days with The Wreckers, being a part of a songwriting community. And this was the first time that I was like, "Okay, I’m writing songs by myself." And it was nice to use that muscle again, and force myself to finish things on my own." [4] During the writing process for the album Branch found inspiration in a lyric book by David Berman from the Silver Jews. She would sit there, flipping through the pages of that book. "Just the cadence, the way he writes, was really inspiring to me – the way that he’s just so direct." [5]

During an interview with Nylon in September 2021, Branch announced the title for the record for the first time. In the same interview, she mentions that The Trouble with Fever will have the same vein as Hopeless Romantic . [6] The title explores the consequences of lust in all of its various forms. "It's more about the fever of lust, wanting someone, that first foray where you're falling for someone." [7]

The cover art for the album is a photograph that was captured by James Carney in 1970 during his time at Cape Cod Beach. Branch found the photo while she was looking for ideas for an album cover. She explains in an Instagram post that "it was like this photograph had been plucked straight from my imagination. It was evocative and moody. You could feel the stifling summer heat radiating through it." [8]

Promotion and release

On July 12, 2022, Branch announced on social media that the first single from the upcoming album will be titled "I'm a Man" and that it would be released July 15. [9] The song is a protest song that started as an empathetic view towards men struggling to find a new way to navigate in a post-‘Me Too’ world of toxic masculinity. [10] A few hours prior to the release, she revealed the artwork for the album. A second single, "Not My Lover", was released on September 15, 2022. [11] She performed it live for the first time on the Tamron Hall Show. [12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Pitchfork 5.1/10 [15]

In a positive review from That Music Magazine, Noelle Simeon wrote that "Branch can go deep into her feelings. Having complete creative control, Fever is a labor of love, and she allows herself to capture the mood of each song." Closing out the review, "Michelle Branch is a true musician's musician, and The Trouble with Fever enraptures all of her talents beautifully." [16]

Pete Tosiello of Pitchfork was more critical, writing that "the album isn’t bold enough to commit in any one direction, offsetting whispery synth-pop with saccharine country ballads. Still, the most glaring structural defects are overarching. The dressed-up guitars range from staticky to syrupy; the arrangements meander into melodramatic bridges", continuing by calling the instrumentation "bewildering" and the record a "mishmash" overall. [15] Jenessa Williams, writing for The Guardian , commented that the album "shouldn’t be consumed as scandal. Instead, it should be taken for what it is: a solid country-pop record. It’s a celebration of endings: a fortifying, bridging album that guides its author towards, hopefully, happier times." [13] Ben Hogwood of musicOMH concurred, writing that The Trouble with Fever "plots a relatively safe musical course amid turbulent personal life events". [14]

Track listing

All tracks co-produced by Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney except where noted.

The Trouble with Fever track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Closest Thing to Heaven"3:29
2."You Got Me Where You Want Me"3:29
3."I'm a Man"3:01
4."Not My Lover"3:10
5."When That Somebody Is You"3:30
6."You"3:34
7."Zut Alors!"3:17
8."Fever Forever"3:26
9."Beating on the Outside"4:31
10."I’m Sorry"3:38
Total length:35:05
Japanese bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."One Night" (demo)Kuney; Branch, Pearson3:36

Charts

Chart performance for The Trouble with Fever
Chart (2022)Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC) [17] 92
UK Americana Albums (OCC) [18] 8
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [19] 61
US Top Current Album Sales ( Billboard ) [20] 49

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Branch</span> American musician (born 1983)

Michelle Jacquet Branch is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums: The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper. She won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals with Santana for their 2002 single, "The Game of Love".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Williams (singer)</span> American singer and actress

Tenitra Michelle Williams is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the best-selling female groups of all time with over 100 million records, of which more than 60 million copies sold with the trio lineup that included Williams. During her time in the group she earned several accolades including a Grammy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Carney</span> American drummer

Patrick James Carney is an American musician and producer best known as the drummer of the Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everywhere (Michelle Branch song)</span> 2001 single by Michelle Branch

"Everywhere" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michelle Branch, co-written by Branch and American record producer John Shanks, who also produced the track. "Everywhere" is a pop rock song with ambiguous lyrics about having a crush on someone, with several music critics having compared the song's composition to works by Canadian singer Alanis Morissette. Branch originally wrote the song in a more acoustic form, but at Shanks' suggestion, she recorded a more up-tempo version of the track in January and February 2001. "Everywhere" was released on July 10, 2001, in the United States as Branch's debut single and the lead single from her first major-label studio album, The Spirit Room (2001). The single was also released in Australia and Europe throughout 2001 and 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Game of Love (Santana song)</span> 2002 single by Santana

"The Game of Love" is a song by American rock band Santana from their 19th studio album, Shaman (2002). The vocal performance on the song is by Michelle Branch. It was composed by Gregg Alexander and Rick Nowels. The song was released as a single on September 23, 2002, and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Commercially, "The Game of Love" peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, becoming that ranking's most successful track of 2003. The song also reached the top 10 in Canada, New Zealand, and six European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Branch discography</span>

American singer-songwriter Michelle Branch has released five studio albums, one video album, two extended plays, and twelve singles. She released her debut album, Broken Bracelet, through the independent label imprint Twin Dragon Records in 2000 before signing a recording contract with Maverick Records the following year. In August 2001, Branch released her second studio album and major-label debut, The Spirit Room. It peaked at number twenty-eight on the Billboard 200 and featured three Top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, including the top 10 hit "All You Wanted" and her debut single, "Everywhere", which entered the top 20 of multiple international record charts. The album has been certified 2× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over two million copies in the United States. Branch has sold 3 million certified copies of her albums in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyldoll</span> Canadian singer-songwriter (born 1993)

Shiloh Reann Hoganson, previously known mononymously as Shiloh and currently performing under the stage name Lyldoll, is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Shiloh has performed with Stereos, Hedley, Marianas Trench, and Faber Drive, and has been credited for writing in various hit songs, such as "Tonight I'm Getting Over You" by Carly Rae Jepsen. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Welch</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1986)

Florence Leontine Mary Welch is an English singer and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the indie rock band Florence and the Machine. The band's debut studio album, Lungs (2009), topped the UK Albums Chart and won the Brit Award for Best British Album. Their next four albums also achieved chart success. In 2018, Welch released a book titled Useless Magic, a collection of lyrics and poems written by her, along with illustrations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. Michelle</span> American singer

Kimberly Michelle Pate is an American R&B singer and television personality. She was a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta during its first two seasons, later returning to the show during its fifth season. She subsequently signed with Atlantic Records. Her debut studio album, Rebellious Soul, debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Her second studio album Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? was released in 2014, debuting at number six in the US and selling 87,000 copies in its first week. It spawned three singles, "Love 'Em All", "Maybe I Should Call" and "Hard to Do".

<i>Rebellious Soul</i> 2013 studio album by K. Michelle

Rebellious Soul is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter K. Michelle. The album was released on August 13, 2013, by Atlantic Records. Its songs were mostly co-written and co-composed by Michelle and Bianca Atterberry. Other artists who collaborated on the album include Tank, Priscilla Renea, Meek Mill, and Jack Splash. Musically, Rebellious Soul was inspired by Michelle's love for emotional ballads, and the 1970s and 1980s eras in music. She incorporated different combinations of musical genres, including electronic, R&B, hip hop, soul and gospel, for the album's songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Lindemann</span> American singer & songwriter (born 1998)

Margaret Elizabeth Lindemann is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 2016 breakout single "Pretty Girl", which peaked at number 4 in Sweden, number 6 in Ireland, and number 8 the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Following the song, Lindemann transitioned her music into a more alternative sound as pop music did not represent who she is as an artist. She then released her debut EP, Paranoia (2021). Her debut album, Suckerpunch, was released on September 16, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alessia Cara</span> Canadian singer and songwriter (born 1996)

Alessia Caracciolo, known professionally as Alessia Cara, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She began posting covers of songs on YouTube at age 13. After uploading acoustic covers of songs such as "Love Yourself" and "Sweater Weather" online, she signed with EP Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings in 2014 and released her debut single, "Here", the following year. It peaked at number 19 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart and was a sleeper hit in the US, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

<i>More Issues Than Vogue</i> 2016 studio album by K. Michelle

More Issues Than Vogue is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter K. Michelle. It was released on March 25, 2016, by Atlantic Records. The album was preceded by the release of the singles "Not a Little Bit" and "Ain't You".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrissy Costanza</span> American singer, songwriter and musician (born 1995)

Christina Nicola Costanza is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is best known as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Against The Current.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leave a Trace</span> 2015 single by Chvrches

"Leave a Trace" is a song by British synth-pop band Chvrches from their second studio album Every Open Eye. It was released as the band's first official single on 17 July 2015 via Virgin and Goodbye Records.

<i>Hopeless Romantic</i> (Michelle Branch album) 2017 studio album by Michelle Branch

Hopeless Romantic is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Michelle Branch. It was released on April 7, 2017, by Verve Records. Co-written and co-produced by Patrick Carney, the album is Branch's first release with Verve after leaving her previous label, Maverick Records, and having the original album material scrapped. Hopeless Romantic is also Branch's first full-length album to be released since Hotel Paper (2003), and first overall release since the Everything Comes and Goes EP in 2010.

"Hopeless Romantic" is a song by American singer and songwriter Michelle Branch, released as the lead single from her third studio album of the same name on February 3, 2017. The song was written by Branch, Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, Gus Seyffert, Amy Kuney and Harlan Silverman. Produced by Carney, it is Branch's first single since 2011's "Loud Music".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lennon Stella</span> Canadian singer and actress (born 1999)

Lennon Ray Louise Stella is a Canadian singer and actress. She portrayed Maddie Conrad on the musical-drama series Nashville (2012–2018). Before going solo in 2018, Stella performed with her sister as the duo Lennon & Maisy. Stella released her debut EP Love, Me in 2018. Her debut studio album Three. Two. One. was released in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arlo Parks</span> British singer

Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, known professionally as Arlo Parks, is an English singer and songwriter. Her debut studio album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, was released in 2021 to critical acclaim and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. It earned her nominations for Album of the Year, Best New Artist and Best British Female Solo Artist at the 2021 Brit Awards. It won the 2021 Mercury Prize for Best Album.

"I'm a Man" is a protest song by American singer and songwriter Michelle Branch. The single was released on July 14, 2022, through Nonesuch Records. It serves as the lead single from her fourth studio album The Trouble with Fever, released on September 16, 2022. The song tackles women's rights, toxic masculinity, reproductive rights, sexual harassment, and more. It was written by Branch and her husband Patrick Carney of the Black Keys.

References

  1. ↑ Vulpo, Mike (July 15, 2022). "The MixtapE! Presents P!nk, Kelsea Ballerini, Demi Lovato and More New Music Musts". ET Online . Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  2. ↑ @michellebranch (September 2, 2022). "The other shows with @katelyntarver and the @badbadhats are still staying put, and I hope to see you along the way 🖤🎶🎤" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ↑ Sacher, Andrew (July 18, 2022). "Michelle Branch announces new album & tour, shares protest song & video, "I'm A Man"". BrooklynVegan . Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  4. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (6 September 2022). "Michelle Branch: 'I'm Looking Forward to Standing on My Own Two Feet'". Billboard Magazine .
  5. ↑ "Michelle Branch Explains How David Berman Inspired Her New Album". Stereogum. 6 September 2022.
  6. ↑ Kaplan, Ilana (September 8, 2021). "Michelle Branch On Influencing Taylor Swift & Re-Recording 'The Spirit Room'". Nylon .
  7. ↑ Razzaq, Zane. "How a photo from a Cape Cod beach in the 70's became Michelle Branch's album art". Cape Cod Times.
  8. ↑ "Michelle Branch on Instagram". Instagram. July 17, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  9. ↑ Branch, Michelle [@michellebranch] (July 12, 2022). "I'm beyond thrilled to announce my new single "I'm A Man" comes out this Friday 7/15!!" (Tweet). Retrieved July 12, 2022– via Twitter.
  10. ↑ "New Music Monday–July 18, 2022". Yard Sale of Thoughts. 19 July 2022.
  11. ↑ Branch, Michelle [@michellebranch] (September 16, 2022). "The power of clip on bangs 🤪 Watch 'Not My Lover' out today! 🖤 https://youtu.be/cHInBqWCwS4" (Tweet). Retrieved September 19, 2022– via Twitter.
  12. ↑ Newsdesk, Laughing Place Disney (12 September 2022). ""Tamron Hall" Guest List: John Boyega, Michelle Branch and More to Appear Week of September 12th". LaughingPlace.com.
  13. 1 2 Williams, Jenessa (16 September 2022). "Michelle Branch: The Trouble With Fever review - solid country-pop, not notes on a scandal". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  14. 1 2 Hogwood, Ben (20 September 2022). "Michelle Branch - The Trouble With Fever". MusicOMH. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  15. 1 2 Tosiello, Pete (September 20, 2022). "Michelle Branch: The Trouble With Fever Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  16. ↑ "That Music Magazine » Album Review: Michelle Branch "The Trouble With Fever"".
  17. ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart". Official Charts Company. September 23, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Official Americana Albums Chart". Official Charts Company. September 23, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Michelle Branch Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 14, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Michelle Branch Chart History (Top Current Album Sales)". Billboard . Retrieved July 14, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.