Sound & Fury (Sturgill Simpson album)

Last updated
Sound & Fury
Sturgill Simpson - Sound & Fury.png
Studio album by
Sturgill Simpson
ReleasedSeptember 27, 2019 (2019-09-27)
Recorded2019
Studio
Genre
Length41:08
Label Elektra
Producer Sturgill Simpson
Sturgill Simpson chronology
A Sailor's Guide to Earth
(2016)		Sound & Fury
(2019)		 Cuttin' Grass, Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions
(2020)
Singles from Sound & Fury
  1. "Sing Along"
    Released: August 20, 2019

Sound & Fury (stylized in all caps) is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson, released through Elektra Records on September 27, 2019. Its release is accompanied by an original Netflix dystopian anime film, Sturgill Simpson PresentsSOUND & FURY, written and produced by Simpson and Japanese director Junpei Mizusaki of the animation studio Kamikaze Douga. [1] The album marks a significant departure from Simpson's country roots, embracing hard rock, psychedelic, blues, and funk.

Contents

The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 63rd Grammy Awards. This makes Simpson the first artist to ever be nominated for both Best Rock Album and Best Country Album by the Grammy Awards. [2]

Background and production

Simpson and his band spent two weeks [3] recording the majority of the album at the McGuire Motor Inn in Waterford, Michigan. [4] They recorded the songs "All Said and Done" and "Last Man Standing" at the Butcher Shoppe in Nashville, Tennessee. [4] Simpson produced the album, with co-production from John Hill and bandmates Bobby Emmett, Chuck Bartels and Miles Miller. [4] He said that while making the album, he was listening to "a lot of hip-hop, and Black Sabbath, and the Cars, and old funk records and things." [5]

Simpson said that while in Detroit, he was inspired after listening to Eminem to write "a bunch of mad shit-talking songs about how fucking awesome we are" but later began to think that what he and his band had produced was not "weird" enough, so came up with the idea to travel to Japan and "get the five most legendary animation directors in history together and get them all drunk and put them to competition to see who can outdo one another, and we'll just animate the whole fucking album". Simpson later characterized the album as a "sleazy, steamy, rock 'n' roll record", calling it his "most psychedelic" and "heaviest". [5] Bobby Moore of The Boot described the album as "a collection of dystopian rock songs". [5] Musically, SOUND & FURY has been described by critics as blues-rock, [6] [7] psychedelic rock, [7] boogie rock, [8] and synth-rock. [8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 79/100 [9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [11]
Exclaim! 9/10 [12]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [13]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Paste 6.5/10 [15]
Pitchfork 7.2/10 [16]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Sputnikmusic4.0/5 [7]
Under the Radar Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [18]

Sound & Fury received positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Metacritic, the album has an average review score of 79/100, based on 16 reviews. [9] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian rated the album 5 out of 5 stars and wrote that "It seems almost beside the point to note that Sturgill Simpson's fourth album sounds nothing like its predecessors, as his previous three albums didn't sound much like each other either", calling it a "hugely exciting album that underlines Simpson's status as a daring, restless and unique artist. He isn't the first musician to throw his label a curveball while protesting about the pressures of fame and the grim nature of the music business. That said, it's hard to think of anyone else who's done it by making an album as gripping and enjoyable as this." [13] Reviewing the album in Hot Press Pat Carty reckoned "you’ve got to applaud an artist who follows his muse as resolutely as this and refuses to be corralled." [19]

Accolades

PublicationAccoladeRankRef.
Billboard Top 50 Albums of 2019
35
Chicago Tribune Top 10 Albums of 2019
7
Good Morning America Top 50 Albums of 2019
13
Rolling Stone Top 50 Albums of 2019
16
Vulture Top 10 Albums of 2019
9
Yahoo! Top 10 Albums of 2019
6

Commercial performance

Sound & Fury debuted at No. 3 on Top Country Albums with 32,000 album equivalent units, 26,000 of which are in true album sales. [26] It has sold 72,900 copies in the United States as of March 2020. [27]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sturgill Simpson; "A Good Look" was co-written by John Prine.

No.TitleLength
1."Ronin"3:48
2."Remember to Breathe"2:56
3."Sing Along"2:54
4."A Good Look"4:01
5."Make Art Not Friends"5:51
6."Best Clockmaker on Mars"3:54
7."All Said and Done"3:58
8."Last Man Standing"2:10
9."Mercury in Retrograde"4:31
10."Fastest Horse in Town"7:05
Total length:41:08

Personnel

Adapted from album notes. [4]

Charts

Related Research Articles

<i>Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace</i> 2007 studio album by Foo Fighters

Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace is the sixth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on September 25, 2007, through Roswell and RCA Records. The album is noted for a blend of regular rock and acoustic tracks with shifting dynamics, which emerged from the variety of styles employed on the demos the band produced. It also marks the second time the band worked with producer Gil Norton, whom frontman Dave Grohl brought to fully explore the potential of his compositions and have a record that sounded different from their previous work. Grohl tried to focus on songs with messages that resonated with his audience, writing reflective lyrics that drew inspiration from the birth of his daughter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Isbell</span> American singer-songwriter

Michael Jason Isbell is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell has won six Grammy Awards.

<i>Ode to Billie Joe</i> (album) 1967 studio album by Bobbie Gentry

Ode to Billie Joe is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry. It was released on August 21, 1967, by Capitol Records.

<i>West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum</i> 2009 studio album by Kasabian

West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum is the third studio album by British indie rock band Kasabian, which was released on 5 June 2009. It was the band's first album not to feature Christopher Karloff, the band's lead guitarist and songwriter who departed during the writing stages of Empire (2006). Rhythm guitarist Sergio Pizzorno became lead songwriter and co-producer for the band. It is also their first album to feature guitar contributions from Tim Carter, who would become the band's touring guitarist in 2013 and a full-fledged member of the band in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sturgill Simpson</span> American country music singer-songwriter

John Sturgill Simpson is an American country music singer-songwriter and actor. As of February 2022, he has released seven albums as a solo artist. Simpson's style has been met with critical favor and frequent comparisons to outlaw country.

<i>Metamodern Sounds in Country Music</i> 2014 studio album by Sturgill Simpson

Metamodern Sounds in Country Music is the second studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson. The album was produced and engineered by Dave Cobb and was released on May 13, 2014, through High Top Mountain, Thirty Tigers and Loose Music (Europe). The title is an homage to the album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music by Ray Charles, and also references the philosophical and cultural aesthetic of metamodernism.

Meredith Cody Jinks is an American outlaw country music singer and songwriter. His breakout 2016 album, I'm Not the Devil, reached No. 4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, while a number of other albums such as Lifers, After the Fire, and The Wanting reached No. 2 on the same chart.

<i>High Top Mountain</i> 2013 studio album by Sturgill Simpson

High Top Mountain is the debut studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and was released on June 11, 2013. Simpson self-funded the album. The record is named after a cemetery near Jackson, Kentucky where many of his family are buried.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turtles All the Way Down (song)</span> 2014 single by Sturgill Simpson

"Turtles All the Way Down" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Sturgill Simpson. It was released in April 2014 as the second single from his album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.

<i>A Sailors Guide to Earth</i> 2016 studio album by Sturgill Simpson

A Sailor's Guide to Earth is the third studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson. It was announced on March 3, 2016, with the release of the single "Brace for Impact ". The album was released on April 15, 2016, and won Best Country Album at the 59th Grammy Awards; it was also nominated for Album of the Year.

<i>A Deeper Understanding</i> 2017 studio album by the War on Drugs

A Deeper Understanding is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band The War on Drugs. It was released on August 25, 2017 through Atlantic Records. The album was mixed by engineer Shawn Everett. The album won Best Rock Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler Childers</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1991)

Timothy Tyler Childers is an American singer and songwriter. His music is a mix of neotraditional country, bluegrass, and folk. He released his breakout studio album Purgatory in August 2017. Childers has released six studio albums as well as many EPs and singles.

<i>Heartache Medication</i> 2019 studio album by Jon Pardi

Heartache Medication is the third studio album by American neotraditional country artist Jon Pardi. The album was released on September 27, 2019, via Capitol Nashville. Following the success of 2016's California Sunrise, Pardi reteamed with co-producer Bart Butler and brought in Ryan Gore to work on new material for his next country album, carrying traditional content that evoked sad emotions but gave the listener good vibes at the same time. Heartache Medication debuted at numbers two and 11 on the Top Country Albums and Billboard 200 charts, respectively. It has spawned three singles: the title track and "Ain't Always the Cowboy". and "Tequila Little Time" A deluxe version was released on October 2, 2020.

<i>Country Squire</i> 2019 studio album by Tyler Childers

Country Squire is the third studio album by American country musician Tyler Childers. Recorded at the Butcher Shoppe in Nashville, the album was produced by Sturgill Simpson and was released on August 2, 2019, through Childers' own Hickman Holler label.

<i>Whiskey Myers</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Whiskey Myers

Whiskey Myers is the fifth album of the American Rock N Roll band Whiskey Myers. It was released on September 27, 2019 via Wiggy Thump Records.

<i>High Road</i> (Kesha album) 2020 studio album by Kesha

High Road is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Kesha. It was released on January 31, 2020, through RCA and Kemosabe Records. Announced in late 2019, the album saw the singer once again taking over the role of sole executive producer, following Rainbow (2017). She collaborated with various songwriters and record producers to achieve her desired sonority, combining elements of her career beginnings and Rainbow. Musically, High Road is primarily a pop, country and classic rock record, although it encompasses a variety of genres, including dance-pop, folk, electronic pop, synthpop, trip hop, electro-country, EDM, trap, dream pop, hip hop, and gospel.

<i>The Slow Rush</i> 2020 studio album by Tame Impala

The Slow Rush is the fourth studio album by Australian musical project Tame Impala, released on 14 February 2020. It follows the 2015 album Currents and the 2019 singles "Patience" and "Borderline", with the latter serving as the first single from the album. Rooted in psychedelic disco music, the album was positively received by critics and reached the top 10 on many record charts around the world, debuting atop the charts in three countries and as well as on the US Alternative and Rock charts.

<i>Cuttin Grass, Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions</i> 2020 studio album by Sturgill Simpson

Cuttin' Grass, Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions is the fifth album by American country musician Sturgill Simpson, released on October 16, 2020, through Simpson's own label, High Top Mountain. The album consists of bluegrass renditions of songs from elsewhere in his catalog.

<i>The Ballad of Dood and Juanita</i> 2021 studio album by Sturgill Simpson

The Ballad of Dood and Juanita is the seventh studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson, released on August 20, 2021. Simpson describes the album as "traditional country, bluegrass and mountain music, including gospel and a cappella." Simpson wrote and recorded the album in a week, with a backing band known as the Hillbilly Avengers. Willie Nelson guests on the song "Juanita".

References

  1. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (July 21, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson Announces New Album, Anime Film 'Sound & Fury'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Still Have Questions About 2021 Grammy Nominations? We Have Answers". Billboard .
  3. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (September 19, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson Leaves His Old Sound (and the Spotlight) in the Rear View". The New York Times . Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Sound & Fury (album liner notes). Sturgill Simpson. Elektra Records. 2019.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. 1 2 3 Moore, Bobby (September 23, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson's 'Sound and Fury' Album + Film: What We Know". The Boot . Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  6. ↑ Pearis, Bill (September 27, 2019). "Listen to Sturgill Simpson's Sound & Fury' (and watch the anime)". BrooklynVegan . Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 SowingSeason (September 27, 2019). "Review: Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  8. 1 2 Hyden, Steven (September 26, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson Has Made The Groove-Heavy Guitar-Hero Album Of The Year". Uproxx . Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  9. 1 2 "Sound & Fury by Sturgill Simpson Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  10. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sound & Fury - Sturgill Simpson". AllMusic . Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  11. ↑ Kot, Greg (September 27, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson review: 'Sound & Fury' aims to blow up speakers and country music boundaries". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  12. ↑ Mullin, Kyle (September 30, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson - Sound & Fury". Exclaim! . Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  13. 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (September 26, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson: Sound & Fury review – country's outlaw catches fire". The Guardian . Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  14. ↑ O'Connor, Roisin; Bray, Elisa (September 26, 2019). "Album reviews: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds – This is the Place, and Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 2022-05-24. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  15. ↑ Danton, Eric R. (September 26, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson Applies Brute Strength to Sound & Fury". Paste . Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  16. ↑ O'Connell, Chris (October 1, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson: SOUND & FURY Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  17. ↑ Bernstein, Jonathan (September 26, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson's 'Sound and Fury' Is His Most Left-Field Record Yet". Rolling Stone . Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  18. ↑ Moody, Mark (October 9, 2019). "Sturgill Simpson: Sound & Fury". Under the Radar . Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  19. ↑ Carty, Pat (October 29, 2019). "Album Review: Sturgill Simpson, SOUND & FURY". HotPress.
  20. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2019". Billboard . December 10, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  21. ↑ Kot, Greg (December 3, 2019). "Best Albums of 2019". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  22. ↑ "50 of the Best Albums of 2019". Good Morning America . December 26, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  23. ↑ Bernstein, Jonathan (December 5, 2019). "50 Best Albums of 2019". Rolling Stone . Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  24. ↑ Jenkins, Craig (December 4, 2019). "The Best Albums of 2019". Vulture . Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Yahoo!'s Top 10 of 2019". Yahoo! . December 20, 2019. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  26. ↑ Asker, Jim (October 8, 2019). "Whiskey Myers Scores First Top Country Albums No. 1, Jon Pardi & Sturgill Simpson Debut in Top 3". Billboard.
  27. ↑ Bjorke, Matt (March 10, 2020). "Top 10 Country Albums Pure Sales Chart: March 9, 2020". RoughStock. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  28. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  29. ↑ "Sturgill Simpson Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  30. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  31. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Sturgill Simpson – Sound & Fury". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Sturgill Simpson Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  34. ↑ "Sturgill Simpson Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Sturgill Simpson Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
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.