Welcome Back to Milk

Last updated
Welcome Back to Milk
Welcome Back to Milk cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released18 May 2015 (2015-05-18)
Recorded2015
Genre Alternative rock
Length35:59
Label Mute
Producer Jim Sclavunos
Youth for Big Life Management
Beth Jeans Houghton
Du Blonde chronology
Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose
(2012)
Welcome Back to Milk
(2015)
Lung Bread for Daddy
(2019)
Singles from Du Blonde
  1. "Black Flag"
    Released: 2015
  2. "Hunter"
    Released: 2015

Welcome Back To Milk is the second studio album by Beth Jeans Houghton and the first for her as Du Blonde, to be released in the United Kingdom on 18 May 2015 (and on May 19 in the United States), by Mute Records. [1] The album was written, composed, and performed by Du Blonde and produced by Bad Seed and Grinderman member Jim Sclavunos. [2]

Contents

Background

After Beth Jeans Houghton's debut album Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose 's release in 2012, she and the band toured extensively, performed at high-profile musical events, including Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Latitude and Bestival. In November 2012, midway through recording the follow-up in Los Angeles with The Hooves of Destiny, the crisis broke out. [3] "When I listened back to what we’d recorded, I didn't see any of myself in it… None of it was angry, none of it was sad. I wasn't being true to myself," the singer said, speaking to The Observer . She broke up the band and ditched her name, opting for a different sound, described as "spiky, propulsive" and "exhilarating." This drastic move had been preceded by a breakdown she had in the summer of 2012 in a Zürich hotel room, during a European tour. "I felt my head go. It was the scariest thing. It felt like my brain was melting," Houghton remembered. After several months of dieting and meditating she completely recovered. [4]

"This is a new sound, a new project. Du Blonde is a new incarnation and one step closer to assuming my ultimate form. Having freed myself from the rusty and bloody shackles of Beth Jeans Houghton – both musically and spiritually – I felt it only right to step forth under a new name and let the rituals commence," Houghton stated, explaining the moniker conversion. [5] Asked what has prevented her from playing louder on Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose, Du Blonde said: "I think a lot of it had to do with the way I learnt how to write and play guitar. I taught myself, and therefore had no concept of time signatures and keys, so often my songs would turn out pretty experimental because, well, they were experiments… Due to the complex or odd nature of the songs I was writing, putting distortion on things just didn’t work. To make the best of a raw, overdriven sound, I needed to keep it simple, which is only something I learned once I had a better grasp on chord progressions and rhythms." [6]

Artwork

The photograph used on the cover (credited to Tommy Chavannes) [7] was 'a castoff' from a shoot she's done with her friends, Houghton explained.

These are people I've known since I was in my mid-teens, we’ve always dressed up and made things together, so the picture was a product of that… This album is a very honest one, and one on which I decided to be unashamedly myself and the picture represents that really well. It was a moment when I had no concept of other people seeing it, so I’m relaxed and I think a lot of my humor comes through. The intention was not a sexual one. I was trying to pose like the captain of a football team… [6]

Houghton said it was important to her not to Photoshop it: "I spent so many of my younger years worried about stretch marks and cellulite that it felt good to finally be in a position to say, 'I don’t care', and I think it's crucial that young girls see other girls not only showing what society and the media would deem as flaws, but being confident that these things are natural." [6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 73/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg
Consequence of Sound 67/100
Drowned in Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
The Line of Best FitStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
New Musical Express Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
Pitchfork 74/100
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg
The Skinny Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
Under the Radar Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg

Upon its release, Welcome Back To Milk received positive reviews from most music critics. Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, reports an average score of 73, based on 12 reviews. [2]

"Clearly, Houghton's found fertile ground in connecting with her inner rage monster, but there's a different side to the album too: anthemic glam rock reminiscent of Bowie's work with guitarist Mick Ronson," noted NME 's Dan Stubbs in his 4/5 rating review. Commenting on Future Islands' Samuel T. Herring's guesting on "My Mind Is on My Mind", Stubbes noticed "a clear kinship: Future Islands have managed to sneak something out-there into the mainstream; thanks to this strong set, Du Blonde should do the same." [9]

"Welcome Back to Milk gives Du Blonde's blisteringly creative mind space to experiment, and her edits show immaculate choice," Nina Corcoran of Consequence of Sound wrote, praising the artist's voice and inventiveness. [3] "Du Blonde is a triumph on nearly every level and her new MO (in short – loud guitars, rage) is a blast," opined The Skinny 's Gary Kaill. [8] "There aren't many musicians in the country as creative and as interesting as her at this point in time, and Welcome Back To Milk represents another triumph in her weird and wonderful saga," Drowned in Sound reviewer Paul Brown concluded, providing another 4/5 rating. [10]

Houghton "has managed to marry her way with a melody and an arresting image with a splash of ire and a dollop of heartbreak, resulting in a hugely likeable and enjoyable whole," according to Jude Clarke of The Line of Best Fit. The reviewer enjoyed both "an effective and judicious deployment of swears, always enjoyable," and "some more nuanced shades." "Houghton has a wonderful singing voice, gifted with subtlety in its delivery and a great range. And she uses it to convey a range of emotions, subtly as well as furiously," she added, giving the album the 8.5/10 rating. [11]

"While she possesses a silvery voice that would sound right at home on album after album of Yours Truly''s ethereal folk-pop, her transformation from Beth Jeans Houghton's soap bubble iridescence to Du Blonde's biker jacket toughness is surprisingly effective," writes Allmusic. "While something suggests Houghton isn't done surprising her listeners, Welcome Back to Milk is so intriguing that they'll be impatient to hear whatever she has to offer," reviewer Heather Phares suggested. [12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Du Blonde

No.TitleLength
1."Black Flag"2:56
2."Chips To Go"2:27
3."Raw Honey"2:59
4."After the Show"3:58
5."If You're Legal"2:59
6."Hunter"3:17
7."Hard To Please"2:44
8."Young Entertainment"2:55
9."Mr. Hyde"2:50
10."Four In the Morning"2:58
11."Mind is On My Mind"2:36
12."Isn't It Wild"3:20

Related Research Articles

Johnette Napolitano is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and bassist for the alternative rock group Concrete Blonde.

Capitol K is the name under which Kristian Craig Robinson works as a musician, producer, recording engineer and label manager.

<i>Trilogy of Terror</i> 1975 television film by Dan Curtis

Trilogy of Terror is a 1975 American made-for-television anthology horror film directed by Dan Curtis and starring Karen Black. It features three segments, each based on unrelated short stories by Richard Matheson. The first follows a college professor who seeks excitement with her students; the second is about twin sisters who have a bizarre relationship. These two segments were adapted by William F. Nolan. The third, adapted by Matheson himself, focuses on a woman terrorized by a Zuni fetish doll in her apartment. Black stars in all three segments, and plays dual roles in the second.

<i>Theres More Where That Came From</i> 2005 studio album by Lee Ann Womack

There's More Where That Came From is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Lee Ann Womack, released in 2005. It received numerous awards and critical acclaim and was also Womack's highest selling album since 2000's I Hope You Dance. The album was Womack's return to a traditional country music style, producing three charting singles between 2004 and 2006: "I May Hate Myself in the Morning", "He Oughta Know That by Now" and "Twenty Years and Two Husbands Ago", which peaked at numbers 10, 22, and 32, respectively, on the Hot Country Songs charts. Womack's ex-husband, Jason Sellers, sang background vocals on "I May Hate Myself in the Morning".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want You (Bob Dylan song)</span> 1966 song by Bob Dylan

"I Want You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, which was released as a single in June 1966, and, later that month, on his seventh studio album, Blonde on Blonde. The song was written by Dylan, and produced by Bob Johnston. The song has been interpreted as a straightforward expression of lust, although critics have highlighted that the symbolism of the song is complex. It was the last song recorded for Blonde on Blonde, with several takes recorded in the early hours of March 10, 1966. It was included on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits (1967). The song has received a largely positive critical reception, with a number of commentators highlighting Dylan's use of imagery, although some of the meanings are obscure.

Ben Hillier is an English songwriter and pop-rock record producer who is part of the creative team 140 dB. He produced the notable albums Playing the Angel, Sounds of the Universe and Delta Machine by Depeche Mode, Think Tank by Blur, Some Cities by Doves and Cast of Thousands by Elbow.

Beth Jeans Houghton is an English multi-disciplinary musician, composer, artist, animator and video director. Their influences range from psychedelic rock, punk, blues, 1960s garage rock and soul. They create art under their birth name, Beth Jeans Houghton, using photography, illustration, animation, video, sculpture and embroidery. They have directed and animated music videos for multiple artists including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ezra Furman, and Laura Marling's band LUMP. They write, perform and produce music under the name Du Blonde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Am... Yours</span> 2009 concert residency by Beyoncé

I Am... Yours was the first concert residency by American singer Beyoncé. It was held four consecutive nights in July and August 2009 in support of her third studio album, I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). The residency was held at the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. Beyoncé performed over thirty songs backed by an orchestra and her all-female band, the Suga Mamas, to an audience of 1,500. The residency was deemed "an intimate encounter" as Beyoncé portrayed a more raw and uninhibited show versus her previous concert performances. The concept of the shows revolves around Beyoncé's recording career.

<i>Yours Truly</i> (Ariana Grande album) 2013 studio album by Ariana Grande

Yours Truly is the debut studio album by American singer Ariana Grande. It was released on August 30, 2013, by Republic Records. The album's songs were recorded over nearly a three-year period, with Harmony Samuels, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Patrick "J. Que" Smith and Grande's Victorious co-star Leon Thomas III, as well as others, handling the album's music production. Featured collaborators include Big Sean, Mika, Mac Miller, and The Wanted's Nathan Sykes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby I</span> 2013 single by Ariana Grande

"Baby I" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande. It was released on July 22, 2013 by Republic Records as the second single from her debut studio album, Yours Truly (2013). The song was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio Dixon and Patrick "J. Que" Smith and produced by the first two. "Baby I" is a pop and R&B song with drums, horns and a syncopated beat. It also contains an uptempo '90s-inspired beat. Lyrically, the song is about not being able to fully express your feelings towards someone you love. The song was well-received by music critics, who complimented the song's "throwback" sound, while others praised Grande's vocals, which were compared to those of Mariah Carey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Right There (Ariana Grande song)</span> 2013 single by Ariana Grande featuring Big Sean

"Right There" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande, featuring American rapper Big Sean. It was released on August 6, 2013 by Republic Records as the third and final single from Grande's debut studio album Yours Truly (2013), It was written by Grande, Harmony Samuels, H. "Carmen Reece" Culver, J. "Lonny" Bereal, James "J-Doe" Smith, Al Sherrod Lambert, Jeff Lorber and Sean. It features a prominent sample of the jazz instrumental song "Rain Dance" (1979) by The Jeff Lorber Fusion. The song is a throwback to R&B music of the 1990s, a sonority that predominates the production of Yours Truly and the first single "The Way", which Grande considered "Right There" as a sequel to, that uses heavy programmed snare drums, snaps and synthesizers as complement of its sound. In the lyrics, Grande expresses her passion to her love interest affirming that she will always be there for him, with Sean responding to her affirmation while using several double entendres in a more sexual perspective.

<i>There There</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Megan Washington

There There is the second studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Megan Washington, the first crediting her full name. It was released in Australia on 12 September 2014. The album peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Charts.

<i>Blood to Bone</i> 2015 studio album by Gin Wigmore

Blood to Bone is the third album from New Zealand alternative rock singer Gin Wigmore. Recorded during a two-week period in California, the album has a different sound from its predecessors, relying mostly on electronic beats, and introspective lyrics where Wigmore reflected in her life choices since predecessor Gravel & Wine, such as breaking an engagement to a long-time lover and moving from Australia to Los Angeles. Upon its release on 24 June 2015, Blood to Bone received positive reviews and was Wigmore's third straight chart-topper at the Official New Zealand Music Chart. It also debuted at No. 13 at the ARIA Charts, her biggest Australian performance.

<i>Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose</i> 2012 studio album by Beth Jeans Houghton

Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose is the debut studio album by Beth Jeans Houghton recorded with the Hooves of Destiny and released in the United Kingdom on 6 February 2012, by Mute Records. The album was produced by Ben Hillier, noted for his works with Blur, Elbow and Depeche Mode, among many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel T. Herring</span> American singer

Samuel Thompson Herring, also known as Hemlock Ernst, is an American singer, rapper and actor from Baltimore, Maryland. He is best known as the frontman of the synth-pop band Future Islands, with whom he has recorded seven studio albums. He has also previously been a member of Art Lord & the Self-Portraits, The Snails, and Trouble Knows Me.

<i>Head Above Water</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Avril Lavigne

Head Above Water is the sixth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. It was released on February 15, 2019, through BMG Rights Management. It is Lavigne's first studio release since her self-titled fifth studio album five years prior, marking the longest gap between two of her studio albums, and is her first and only album recorded for the new incarnation of BMG She assumed an integral role in the album's production and collaborated with several producers including Chad Kroeger, Stephan Moccio, Chris Baseford, Johan Carlsson, Lauren Christy from The Matrix, Ryan Cabrera, Travis Clark of We the Kings, Bonnie McKee, JR Rotem and Mitch Allan among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cellophane (FKA Twigs song)</span> 2019 single by FKA Twigs

"Cellophane" is a song by English singer FKA Twigs, released as the lead single from her second studio album Magdalene (2019). The song was released on 24 April 2019 through Young. It was her first single in three years. Its music video was also released on 24 April. "Cellophane" was met with widespread critical acclaim, with Twigs' vocal performance drawing significant praise.

<i>Lung Bread for Daddy</i> 2019 studio album by Du Blonde

Lung Bread for Daddy is the third studio album by English musician Beth Jeans Houghton and the second under their musical project Du Blonde. It was released on 22 February 2019 through Moshi Moshi Records.

<i>Magdalene</i> (album) 2019 studio album by FKA Twigs

Magdalene is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter FKA Twigs. Released on 8 November, 2019, by Young Turks, it is her first project since her EP M3LL155X (2015), and first full-length record since LP1 (2014). The album features a sole guest appearance from American rapper Future. FKA Twigs produced the album herself, with a wide range of co-producers including Nicolas Jaar, Koreless, Daniel Lopatin, Skrillex, Benny Blanco, Michael Uzowuru and Noah Goldstein, who also served as executive producer alongside Twigs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonely Hearts (JoJo song)</span> 2020 song by JoJo

"Lonely Hearts" is a song by American R&B singer and songwriter JoJo. It was released April 24, 2020, as the first promotional single from JoJo's fourth studio album, Good to Know (2020). The song was written by JoJo, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Martin McKinney, Merna Bishouty and Dylan Wiggins, while the latter handled the song's production alongside Doc McKinney and Merna Bishouty vocally producing the song. Lyrically the song is a story of self-improvement and self love for people who struggle with codependency.

References

  1. "Welcome Back to Milk by Du Blonde reviews". Any Decent Music?. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Welcome Back to Milk by Du Blonde reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  3. 1 2 Corcoran, Nina (12 May 2015). "Welcome Back to Milk by Du Blonde". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  4. Fox, Killian (2015). "Du Blonde: 'It was the scariest thing. I don't know how I made it through'". The Observer. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  5. Etheridge, Loz (13 May 2015). "Welcome Back to Milk by Du Blonde". God Is in the TV. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Brodsky, Rachel (May 12, 2015). "Du Blonde Pushes Dirt Under Her Nails on 'Welcome Back to Milk'". Spin Magazine. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  7. Welcome Back to Milk. Credits. - AllMusic.
  8. 1 2 Kaill, Gary (29 April 2015). "Welcome Back to Milk by Du Blonde". The Skinny. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  9. Stubbs, Dan (7 May 2015). "Welcome Back to Milk by Du Blonde review". New Musical Express (NME). Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  10. "Welcome Back to Milk by Du Blonde review". Drowned In Sound. 14 May 2015. Archived from the original on 16 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  11. Clarke, Jude (12 May 2015). "Welcome Back to Milk by Du Blonde". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  12. Phares, Heather. "Back to Milk by Du Blonde review". Allmusic . Retrieved 1 May 2015.