To All Trains

Last updated

To All Trains
Shellac - To All Trains.jpg
Studio album by
Shellac
ReleasedMay 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
Recorded
  • November 5–6, 2017
  • October 18–21, 2019
  • September 1–6, 2021
  • March 2–3, 2022
Studio Electrical Audio, Chicago, Illinois, US
Genre
Length28:13
Label Touch and Go
Producer Shellac
Shellac chronology
The End of Radio
(2019)		To All Trains
(2024)

"It's marketing, which is maybe my most hated thing on earth. Like, fascism is up there, but marketing is right behind, you know?"

Contents

—Shellac guitarist Steve Albini on the decision to not send out promotional copies of any of their records to press outlets [3]

To All Trains is the sixth studio album by American rock band Shellac, released by Touch and Go Records on May 17, 2024. [4] It is the first original studio effort by the band in a decade and is the final recording made before band member Steve Albini's death days prior to the album's release. The recording was made around the band's touring over the course of several years and was not promoted with advance copies, specific tour dates, or singles. [5] The release coincided with Shellac's music being available on several streaming services for the first time in years. [6]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 84/100 [7]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Clash Music 9/10 [8]
Kerrang! 4/5 [9]
Louder Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Louder Than War 5/5 [11]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Pitchfork 8.1/10 [13]
The Scotsman Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Spin B+ [15]
Sputnikmusic 4.2/5 [16]

To All Trains received largely positive reviews. According to the review aggregator Metacritic , To All Trains received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from 7 critic scores. [7] Writing for AllMusic, critic Mark Deming stated that "it's practically impossible to listen to the music without hearing it through the filter of grief, which is odd, since this is music that sounds muscular, vital, and very much alive" and the band is "a lean, mean math rock machine... [with] concision of the songs [that] makes this a breathless, energetic listening experience". [1] Lux Sparks-Pescovitz of BoingBoing recommended this album to anyone, including those unfamiliar with Albini's previous work and favorably compared this album to blues rock, The Raconteurs, and David Bowie's final studio album Blackstar . [17] At Clash Music , Cal Cashin described the album as "beat-em-up mutant rock" that "showcases a rock band who get every single thing about being a rock band absolutely correct". [8] In Kerrang! , Olly Thomas hailed the release as "a masterclass in delivering musical precision with an undercarriage of scuzz and tension". [9]

Paul Brannigan at Louder Sound characterized it as "as thrillingly intense, darkly amusing and pleasingly unsentimental as expected" with emotions that are "grinding [and] typically unsentimental" as well as silly, describing the music as a whole as "never less than compelling throughout, never less than a bleakly beautiful good time". [10] At Louder Than War , John Robb awarded the album a perfect score and called it "another peep into the tight world of the band and another celebration of their minimalistic genius" that "sounds as thrilling and fresh as anything they have ever done". [11] Editors at Pitchfork included this among a shortlist of the eight best albums of the week, calling it a "record of righteous, riotous noise", [18] with critic Christopher R. Weingarten writing later on that it "naturally walks the same path and, had circumstances permitted, would likely have been appreciated simply as little more than Shellac's sixth excellent record". [13]

Writing for PopMatters , Seth Troyer rated this album a 7 out of 10 and used the review to give an overview of Shellac and Steve Albini's career, noting that "it can be hard not to indulge in the creepy feeling that the person who has been telling you these ghost stories was himself a ghost the whole time" and stating that it "feels like a group showing up, punching in, doing the good work, getting the job done, and then punching out for a night at the bar". [19] Online retailer Qobuz spotlighted this release and Jeff Laughlin called it "classic Shellac" with songs that "epitomizes Shellac's unique style" that invite "reflection on our collective folly". [20] In Rolling Stone , Kory Grow called these songs a mixture of Albini's sarcasm and biting noise rock "with its snarling lyrics and crisp sound" that serves as an appropriate final statement. [21] In a mixed review, Fiona Shepherd of The Scotsman called it Albini's "musical epitaph and testament to his tight partnership with bassist Bob Weston and mighty drummer Todd Trainer". [14]

In a May 31 roundup of the best albums of the year, editors at Exclaim! ranked this 25 stating that this might be Shellac's best release. [22] Staff at Consequence of Sound included this among the best albums of May, with Jonah Krueger writing that it "serves as a masterful, shockingly fitting project for Shellac, even down to the foreboding, black and white album cover" [23] and a June 4 overview of the best albums of the year so far ranked it 17, where he called it "an idiosyncratic, irreverent, beautiful final offering from Albini and company". [24] The same day, Stereogum did the same and ranked this album 20 and Tom Breihan characterized the release as "a document of a great American rock band, 30 years into its career, making the kind of spiky, scabrous post-punk that they always did better than anyone else". [2] Online retailer Qobuz chose this as one of the five best rock albums of May. [25]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Steve Albini, Todd Trainer, and Bob Weston.

  1. "WSOD" – 2:24
  2. "Girl From Outside" – 2:46
  3. "Chick New Wave" – 2:22
  4. "Tattoos" – 3:08
  5. "Wednesday" – 3:18
  6. "Scrappers" – 2:21
  7. "Days Are Dogs" – 1:42
  8. "How I Wrote How I Wrote Elastic Man (cock & bull)" – 4:09
  9. "Scabby the Rat" – 1:46
  10. "I Don't Fear Hell" – 4:18

Personnel

Shellac

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance for To All Trains
Chart (2024)Peak
position
Croatian International Albums (HDU) [26] 36
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [27] 44
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [28] 84

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapeman</span> American noise rock band

Rapeman was an American noise rock band founded in 1987 and disbanded in 1989. It consisted of Steve Albini on guitar and vocals, David Wm. Sims on bass and Rey Washam on drums. In the years since their brief tenure, Rapeman’s sound has also been described as post-hardcore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shellac (band)</span> American indie rock band from Illinois, US

Shellac was an American noise rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1992 by Steve Albini, Bob Weston and Todd Trainer. Their lineup remained consistent until Albini's death in May 2024.

<i>At Action Park</i> 1994 album by Shellac

At Action Park is the debut studio album by American rock band Shellac, released in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Math rock</span> Style of rock music

Math rock is a style of alternative and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures, counterpoint, odd time signatures, and extended chords. It bears similarities to post-rock.

<i>Surfer Rosa</i> 1988 studio album by Pixies

Surfer Rosa is the debut studio album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British label 4AD. It was produced by Steve Albini. Surfer Rosa contains many of the elements of Pixies' earlier output, including Spanish lyrics and references to Puerto Rico. It includes references to mutilation and voyeurism alongside experimental recording techniques and a distinctive drum sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Jesus Lizard</span> American alternative rock band

The Jesus Lizard is an American rock band formed in 1987 in Austin, Texas by vocalist David Yow, guitarist Duane Denison and bassist David Wm. Sims. They relocated to Chicago, Illinois, in 1989, where they found kindred spirits in recording engineer Steve Albini and Touch and Go Records. With the addition of drummer Mac McNeilly, they began performing live, eventually attracting an international audience with their powerful live show.

<i>Terraform</i> (Shellac album) 1998 album by Shellac

Terraform is the second full-length record by American band Shellac, released in 1998.

<i>Songs About Fucking</i> 1987 album by Big Black

Songs About Fucking is the second and final studio album by American rock band Big Black, released in 1987 by Touch and Go Records. The album includes a rendition of Kraftwerk's "The Model" in a remixed version from that which appeared on Big Black's then-recent single. The compact disc of Songs About Fucking added the other side of that single, a cover of Cheap Trick's "He's a Whore".

All Tomorrow's Parties (ATP) was a UK organisation based in London that promoted music festivals, concerts and records throughout the world for over 10 years. It was founded by Barry Hogan in 2001 in preparation for the first All Tomorrow's Parties Festival, the line-up of which was picked by Mogwai and took place at Pontins, Camber Sands, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Albini</span> American musician and audio engineer (1962–2024)

Steven Frank Albini was an American musician and audio engineer. He founded and fronted the influential post-hardcore and noise rock bands Big Black (1981–1987), Rapeman (1987–1989) and Shellac (1992–2024), and engineered acclaimed albums like the Pixies' Surfer Rosa (1988), PJ Harvey's Rid of Me and Nirvana's In Utero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Trainer</span> American drummer

Todd Trainer is an American musician who is the drummer for the band Shellac. He also performs as a solo artist under the name Brick Layer Cake. He previously played drums for the bands Breaking Circus and Rifle Sport, and he played drums with Scout Niblett in 2005.

<i>Starters Alternators</i> 1998 studio album by The Ex

Starters Alternators is an album by Dutch post-punk band The Ex. It is the band's 10th studio album and was produced by Steve Albini for a 1998 CD released jointly by Touch and Go Records and the band’s own label, Ex Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloud Nothings</span> American indie rock band

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.

<i>Dude Incredible</i> 2014 album by Shellac

Dude Incredible is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Shellac, released on September 16, 2014 on Touch and Go Records. This is the final studio album released during Steve Albini's lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Portrait</span> Musical artist

Jacob Martin Portrait is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He is the bassist of the New Zealand psychedelic rock band Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and a current member of the Portland-based alternative rock band Blouse.

<i>Soft Sounds from Another Planet</i> 2017 studio album by Japanese Breakfast

Soft Sounds from Another Planet is the second studio album by American indie pop band Japanese Breakfast. The album was released by Dead Oceans on July 14, 2017.

<i>Life Metal</i> 2019 album by Sunn O)))

Life Metal is the eighth studio album by American drone metal band Sunn O))). Through Southern Lord Records, the album received a limited release for Record Store Day on April 13, 2019, and a wide release two weeks later on April 26. Life Metal was recorded and mixed by Steve Albini entirely using analog tape. The title "life metal" is an inside joke among band members and collaborators that is meant to humorously contrast the genre death metal, and conceptually contrast anything that is "not doom-and-gloom". Sunn O))) chose this as the album's title because of both the music's shift in tone and the mindset of the band members at the time of writing. In addition to Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley, the album features collaborators Tos Nieuwenhuizen, Tim Midyett, Hildur Guðnadóttir, and Anthony Pateras.

<i>The End of Radio</i> 2019 album by Shellac

The End of Radio is a 2019 album by Shellac. The album contains two previously unreleased recordings made for the BBC Radio One's John Peel Show in 1994 and 2004. Steve Albini has spoken about his admiration for John Peel, stating that "he listened religiously to every single record he received in the mail, devoting hours of every day to the task".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primavera Sound 2024</span> Music festival in Barcelona, Spain

The Primavera Sound 2024 music festival took place from 30 May to 1 June at the Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona, Spain. The line-up was headlined by Pulp, Vampire Weekend and Justice on Thursday, Lana Del Rey, The National and Disclosure on Friday and SZA, PJ Harvey, Mitski and Charli XCX on Saturday.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Deming, Mark (n.d.). "To All Trains – Shellac". AllMusic . RhythmOne . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Breihan, Tom (June 4, 2024). "The 50 Best Albums Of 2024 So Far". Stereogum . Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  3. ↑ Khana, Vish (May 17, 2024). "Steve Albini on Shellac's New Album, His Love of Music and His Hatred of Promoting It". Exclaim! . ISSN   1207-6600 . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  4. ↑ Strauss, Matthew (March 20, 2024). "Shellac Announce First New Album in a Decade". News. Pitchfork . Condé Nast . Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  5. ↑ Currin, Grayson Haver (May 9, 2024). "Steve Albini Did the Work". Afterword. Pitchfork . Condé Nast . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  6. ↑ Pearis, Bill (May 17, 2024). "Steve Albini's bands Shellac and Big Black return to Spotify & other streaming services". BrooklynVegan . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  7. 1 2 "TO ALL TRAINS by Shellac". Metacritic . Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Cashin, Cal (May 20, 2024). "Shellac – To All Trains". Reviews. Clash Music . Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Thomas, Olly (May 23, 2024). "Album review: Shellac – To All Trains". Reviews. Kerrang! . ISSN   0262-6624 . Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  10. 1 2 Brannigan, Paul (May 17, 2024). ""The most bittersweet listening experience of the year cuts close to the bone." Shellac's To All Trains is Steve Albini's epitaph, and it's as thrillingly intense, darkly amusing and pleasingly unsentimental as expected". Reviews > Louder. Louder Sound . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  11. 1 2 Robb, John (May 18, 2024). "Shellac 'To All Trains' album review". Album Reviews. Louder Than War . Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  12. ↑ Currin, Grayson Haver (May 21, 2024). "Shellac To All Trains Review: Steve Albini's noiseniks bow out on powerful form". Articles | New Music. Mojo . ISSN   1351-0193 . Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  13. 1 2 Weingarten, Christopher R. (May 21, 2024). "Shellac: To All Trains Album Review". Albums. Pitchfork . Condé Nast . Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  14. 1 2 Shepherd, Fiona (May 24, 2024). "Album reviews: Lenny Kravitz | Paul Weller | Shellac | Bee Asha". What's On. The Scotsman . ISSN   0307-5850. OCLC   614655655 . Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  15. ↑ Cummings, Raymond (May 28, 2024). "Shellac's 'To All Trains' Is a Rousing Requiem for Steve Albini". Spin . ISSN   0886-3032 . Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  16. ↑ K., Simon (May 17, 2024). "Review: Shellac – To All Trains". Reviews. Sputnikmusic . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  17. ↑ Sparks-Pescovitz, Lux (May 17, 2024). "Steve Albini's incendiary final album with Shellac is his Bowie"Blackstar"". BoingBoing . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ Monroe, Jazz; Strauss, Matthew (May 17, 2024). "8 New Albums You Should Listen to Now: Billie Eilish, Crumb, Shellac, and More". News. Pitchfork . Condé Nast . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  19. ↑ Troyer, Seth (June 18, 2024). "Steve Albini's Black Swan Song: Shellac's 'To All Trains'". Reviews. PopMatters . Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  20. ↑ Laughlin, Jeff (May 17, 2024). "Shellac – To All Trains" . Qobuz Magazine. Qobuz . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  21. ↑ Grow, Kory (May 20, 2024). "Shellac's 'To All Trains' Perfectly Balances Steve Albini's Sarcasm With Biting Noise Rock". Music > Album Reviews. Rolling Stone . ISSN   0035-791X. OCLC   969027590 . Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Exclaim!'s 25 Best Albums of 2024 So Far". Exclaim! . May 31, 2024. ISSN   1207-6600 . Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  23. ↑ Jonah, Krueger (May 31, 2024). "Best Albums of May 2024: Staff Picks". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  24. ↑ Krueger, Jonah (June 4, 2024). "The 30 Best Albums So Far". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  25. ↑ Hong, Sujan; Laughlin, Jeff; Viraporn, Nitha (June 5, 2024). "Best Albums of May 2024: Staff Picks". Qobuz . Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Lista prodaje 43. tjedan 2024" (in Croatian). HDU. October 14, 2024. Archived from the original on November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  27. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Shellac – To All Trains" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Shellac – To All Trains". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 26, 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.