What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World

Last updated
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World.png
Studio album by
The Decemberists
ReleasedJanuary 20, 2015 (2015-01-20)
Genre Indie rock, folk rock, indie folk
Length52:57
Label Capitol (US), Rough Trade (Europe)
Producer Tucker Martine
The Decemberists chronology
We All Raise Our Voices to the Air (Live Songs 04.11–08.11)
(2012)		What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
(2015)		 florasongs
(2015)
Singles from What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
  1. "Make You Better"
    Released: November 2014
  2. "The Wrong Year"
    Released: April 6, 2015 [1]

What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World is the seventh studio album from The Decemberists, released on January 20, 2015. The album's title comes from a line in the song "12/17/12", a reference to the date of Barack Obama's speech in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and lead singer Colin Meloy's conflicting feelings about the shooting and his happy personal life.

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.2/10 [2]
Metacritic 77/100 [3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
The A.V. Club B [5]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
The Daily Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Pitchfork 5.6/10 [11]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Spin 7/10 [13]

Critical

What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World received mostly positive reviews. It currently has a metascore of 77 from Metacritic. [3] The Boston Globe described the album as one of the band's "most enjoyable and lively efforts in recent memory", [14] The New York Times noted that What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World "strikes a note of pop concision and maturity, building on what worked on ‘The King Is Dead.’ Lyrically, there are fewer thistles and minarets and palanquins—and, musically, less digressive excess—than once made up the Decemberists’ trademark style." [15] Jeremy D. Larson of Pitchfork was a detractor, bemoaning the album as "overlong and under-ambitious", though appreciating that listeners "start to see Meloy himself more than ever". Larson also wrote highly of "Make You Better", stating, "The band has never lacked the musical bona fides to write a great anthem." [11]

Commercial

The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 albums chart on its release, selling around 50,000 copies in the United States in its first week. It also debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums, [16] and No. 1 on the Folk Albums chart. [17] The album has sold 123,000 copies in the United States as of October 2015. [18]

Track listing

All songs written by Colin Meloy. [19]

No.TitleLength
1."The Singer Addresses His Audience"4:42
2."Cavalry Captain"3:17
3."Philomena"3:04
4."Make You Better"5:07
5."Lake Song"5:52
6."Till the Water's All Long Gone"5:01
7."The Wrong Year"3:53
8."Carolina Low"3:24
9."Better Not Wake the Baby"1:44
10."Anti-Summersong"2:12
11."Easy Come, Easy Go"2:22
12."Mistral"3:54
13."12/17/12"3:03
14."A Beginning Song"5:22
Total length:52:57

Personnel

According to the liner notes of What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World.

The Decemberists

Additional musicians

Backup singers
Strings and brass

Production

Charts

Related Research Articles

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

The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon. The band consists of Colin Meloy, Chris Funk, Jenny Conlee, Nate Query (bass), and John Moen (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Veirs</span> American singer-songwriter

Laura Pauline Veirs is an American singer-songwriter based in Portland, Oregon. She is known for her folk/alternative country records and live performances as well as her collaboration with Neko Case and k.d. lang on the case/lang/veirs project. Veirs has written a children's book and hosts a podcast about parenting and performing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Meloy</span> American musician (born 1974)

Colin Patrick Henry Meloy is an American musician, singer-songwriter and author best known as the frontman of the Portland, Oregon, indie folk rock band the Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, harmonica and percussion instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carson Ellis</span> American artist

Carson Friedman Ellis is a Canadian-born American children's book illustrator and artist. She received a Caldecott Honor for her children's book Du Iz Tak? (2016). Her work is inspired by folk art, art history, and mysticism.

<i>The Crane Wife</i> 2006 studio album by The Decemberists

The Crane Wife is the fourth album by the Decemberists, released in 2006. It was produced by Tucker Martine and Chris Walla, and is the band's first album on the Capitol Records label. The album was inspired by a Japanese folk tale, and centers on two song cycles, The Crane Wife and The Island, the latter inspired by William Shakespeare's The Tempest. National Public Radio listeners voted The Crane Wife the best album of 2006.

Tucker Martine is an American record producer, musician and composer. In 2010, Paste Magazine included Martine in their list of the 10 Best Producers of the Decade.

<i>The Hazards of Love</i> 2009 studio album by The Decemberists

The Hazards of Love is the fifth album by the American indie rock band The Decemberists, released through Capitol Records and Rough Trade in 2009. The album was inspired by an Anne Briggs EP titled The Hazards of Love. According to the band, frontman Colin Meloy had set out to write a song with the album's title, which eventually developed into an entire album. Becky Stark, Shara Nova, and Jim James provide guest vocals throughout the album, while Robyn Hitchcock makes a cameo guitar appearance on "An Interlude".

<i>July Flame</i> 2010 studio album by Laura Veirs

July Flame is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Laura Veirs, released on January 12, 2010.

<i>The King Is Dead</i> (album) 2011 studio album by The Decemberists

The King Is Dead is the sixth studio album by The Decemberists, released on Capitol Records on January 14, 2011. Described as the "most pastoral, rustic record they've ever made" by Douglas Wolk of Rolling Stone, the album reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart for the week ending February 5, 2011. The song "This Is Why We Fight" reached number 19 on the U.S Alternative Songs Chart, while the song "Down by the Water" also charted in the United States. In November 2011, the band released an EP of album out-takes, entitled Long Live the King.

<i>Long Live the King</i> (EP) 2011 EP by The Decemberists

Long Live the King is an EP by the American indie rock band The Decemberists, released on November 1, 2011, on Capitol. The release is composed of out-takes from their sixth studio album, The King Is Dead. The titles of both combine to create the traditional proclamation, "The king is dead, long live the king!"

<i>We All Raise Our Voices to the Air (Live Songs 04.11–08.11)</i> 2012 live album by The Decemberists

We All Raise Our Voices to the Air is a 2012 live album by the folk rock band The Decemberists. The album was recorded during the 2011 Popes of Pendarvia World Tour to promote the album The King Is Dead at venues across the United States. The album was released as a double Compact Disc and a triple vinyl LP set. The title comes from a line in the track "The Infanta", from the album Picaresque.

<i>The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond</i> 2012 soundtrack album by Various artists

The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond is the official companion album for the 2012 film The Hunger Games. The score for the film was composed by James Newton Howard, but the companion album consists primarily of songs by various artists inspired by, but not heard in, the film. "Safe & Sound", by Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars, was released as a promotional single for the soundtrack and is one of the three songs on the album used in the film, alongside "Abraham's Daughter" by Arcade Fire and "Kingdom Come", also by The Civil Wars. On February 13, 2012, "One Engine" by The Decemberists, was made available for download on iTunes. "Eyes Open", also by Swift, was released as the soundtrack's first official single on March 27, 2012. Swift performed the song live in Auckland, New Zealand on her Speak Now World Tour. The album debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, and has also charted in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland.

<i>Warp & Weft</i> 2013 studio album by Laura Veirs

Warp & Weft is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Laura Veirs. Released on August 19, 2013 in the United States, and August 24, 2013 in Europe, the album was written by Veirs herself and produced by her husband Tucker Martine.

<i>case/lang/veirs</i> (album) 2016 studio album by case/lang/veirs

case/lang/veirs is the self-titled debut album by Canadian-American supergroup case/lang/veirs which consists of Neko Case, k.d. lang, and Laura Veirs. The album was recorded in November 2015 and released June 17, 2016.

<i>Florasongs</i> 2015 EP by The Decemberists

Florasongs is an EP by the American indie rock band The Decemberists, released on October 9, 2015, on Capitol Records. The release is composed of five out-takes from their seventh studio album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World.

<i>Mura Masa</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Mura Masa

Mura Masa is the debut studio album by Guernsey-born music producer Alex Crossan, under his alias Mura Masa. It was released on 14 July 2017 by Polydor, Interscope, Downtown and Anchor Point Records. The album was produced and recorded by Crossan from 2014 to 2016, and has guest features by A. K. Paul, ASAP Rocky, Bonzai, Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens, Damon Albarn, Desiigner, Jamie Lidell, NAO and Tom Tripp. It received nominations for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Recording Package at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.

<i>Ruins</i> (First Aid Kit album) 2018 studio album by First Aid Kit

Ruins is the fourth studio album by Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit. The album was produced by Tucker Martine and features contributions from R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Wilco's Glenn Kotche and Midlake's McKenzie Smith. The album was released on 19 January 2018. The lead single "It's a Shame" was released on 28 September 2017.

<i>Ill Be Your Girl</i> 2018 studio album by The Decemberists

I'll Be Your Girl is the eighth studio album by the American indie rock band The Decemberists, released on March 16, 2018 on Capitol and Rough Trade. Produced by John Congleton, the band experimented with new instrumentation during the album's recording sessions, including several synth-based compositions inspired by New Order and Depeche Mode. The album was preceded by the singles, "Severed" and "Once in My Life".

<i>The Lookout</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Laura Veirs

The Lookout is the tenth studio album by American folk musician Laura Veirs, released on April 13, 2018 by Raven Marching Band Records to a positive critical reception. Veirs recorded the work around her collaboration case/lang/veirs and continued a streak of working with her husband Tucker Martine as producer.

<i>She Remembers Everything</i> 2018 studio album by Rosanne Cash

She Remembers Everything is Rosanne Cash's fourteenth album. The album was released on November 2, 2018, as well as Cash's second album for Blue Note Records. The album was produced by Tucker Martine, and Cash's husband John Leventhal, Cash co-wrote every song on the album. The track "Crossing to Jerusalem" received a Grammy Award for Best American Roots Song nomination at the 62nd Grammy Awards.

References

  1. ↑ "Future Releases on Triple A (AAA) Radio Stations". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015.
  2. ↑ "What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved December 8, 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Reviews for What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists". Metacritic . Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  4. ↑ Deming, Mark. "What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World – The Decemberists". AllMusic . Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  5. ↑ Everhart, John (January 20, 2015). "Inside The Decemberists' beguiling world". The A.V. Club . Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  6. ↑ Kot, Greg (January 16, 2015). "Decemberists change, but fans shouldn't panic". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  7. ↑ Chlilton, Martin (January 22, 2015). "The Decemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, album review". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  8. ↑ Simpson, Dave (January 15, 2015). "The Decemberists: What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World review – huge choruses in heartfelt songs". The Guardian . Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  9. ↑ Roberts, Randall (January 19, 2015). "New Decemberists, Belle & Sebastian albums are a lesson in confidence". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  10. ↑ "The Decemberists: What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World". Mojo (255): 91. February 2015.
  11. 1 2 Larson, Jeremy D. (January 19, 2015). "The Decemberists: What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World". Pitchfork . Retrieved January 22, 2015.
  12. ↑ Hermes, Will (January 20, 2015). "What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World". Rolling Stone . Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  13. ↑ Aftandilians, Natasha (January 21, 2015). "Review: The Decemberists Scale Back on 'What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World'". Spin . Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  14. ↑ "CD Review: The Decemberists, 'What a Beautiful World, What a Terrible World'". The Boston Globe.
  15. ↑ Chinen, Nate; Caramanica, Jon (19 January 2015). "New Releases From the Decemberists, Hanni El Khatib and Duane Eubanks". The New York Times.
  16. ↑ "Top Rock Albums". Billboard. February 7, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Folk Albums". Billboard. February 7, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015.
  19. ↑ "STREAM: The Decemberists – What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World | Mexico Indie". Archived from the original on 2014-12-03. Retrieved 2014-12-03.
  20. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Decemberists – What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Decemberists – What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Decemberists – What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 4 (dal 19-01-2015 al 25-01-2015)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Archived from the original on 29 January 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  25. ↑ "The Decemberists Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  26. ↑ "The Decemberists Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  27. ↑ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2015". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
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.