The Feminine Divine | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 28 July 2023 | |||
Studio | Famous Times, Hackney, London and others | |||
Length | 39:38 | |||
Label | 100% | |||
Producer |
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Dexys chronology | ||||
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The Feminine Divine is the sixth studio album by English pop rock band Dexys, released on 28 July 2023 by 100% Records. [1] The tracks were written by Kevin Rowland, Sean Read, Mike Timothy and Jim Paterson, and the album was produced by Pete Schwier and Toby Chapman. [2] It is the group's first album of original songs since One Day I'm Going to Soar in 2012, [3] and their first album in seven years since Let the Record Show in 2016.
The album's lead single, "I'm Going to Get Free", was released on 3 April 2023. [2] An accompanying promotional video, featuring Rowland dancing along Bethnal Green Road, was directed by Guy Myhill. [4] [3] The song was originally written by Rowland and Paterson in the early 1990s. [5] The song "It's Alright Kevin (Manhood 2023)" is a reworking of "Manhood", a song that Rowland performed on television in 1993 and later recorded for Let's Make This Precious: The Best of Dexys Midnight Runners (2003). [5]
"Coming Home", "My Submission" and title track "The Feminine Divine" were also released as teasers for the album, the first two accompanied by videos.
The album entered the UK Official Albums Chart at number 6, [6] making it the band's highest charting album in over 30 years.
Following the release of Let the Record Show: Dexys Do Irish and Country Soul by Dexys in 2016, the band's frontman Rowland lacked ideas for new music for at least three years. In 2021, however, he started writing and producing demos for songs that he had composed with Read, Timothy and Paterson. The following year, studio recordings were made in venues including Read's Famous Times studio in Hackney, London, Chapman's studio in Catford, and Timothy's studio in Willesden. Both actual and synthesized instruments were used. After tensions between Rowland and Chapman threatened to derail the sessions, Pete Schwier, who had previously co-produced Dexys recordings, was engaged to work with the group and Chapman, and work on the album was completed. [5]
Official press materials to publicise the album described it as "A personal, if not strictly autobiographical, record portraying a man whose views have evolved over time. Not just on women, but the whole concept of masculinity he had been raised with." [7] Rowland told Harriet Gibsone of The Guardian that a trip to Thailand, where he learnt about Tao, had been significant for him: "Through Tao, I learned about the concept of women as goddesses. I realised that women are powerful. Until then, I'd never really tried to understand them. That's quite an incredible admission, really." [8] Rowland explained that the first five songs of the album have a narratie where the narrator expresses different attitudes towards a relationship. in the fifth song, the title track, "he examines his relationships with women, and he sees that he's been sadly lacking". [9] The remaining tracks concern a new relationship after this insight. [9]
The album's cover art features an illustration inspired by Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire. [3] A supporting tour, of theatre venues, was organised, with the band intending to play the entire album live. [5] [10] Rowland told Tina Benitez-Eves of American Songwriter that the group would "theatrically perform the songs — act them out". [9]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 77/100 [11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
The Line of Best Fit | 6/10 [12] |
Record Collector | [13] |
Mojo | [14] |
The Guardian | [1] |
RetroPop | [15] |
The Feminine Divine received a score of 77 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. [11] Uncut felt that "the group confidently flits between low-key funk, lush symphonic Philly soul and the more punchy post-Motown dance grooves of Chairmen of the Board", with "the constant being Rowland's powerfully assured vocal delivery of his mea culpa confessionals". [11] Record Collector 's Shaun Curran wrote that the first half has a "recognisably Dexys feel: full of blaring brass, soul-inflections, Rowland's histrionic vocals and something of the musical theatre of 2012's One Day I'm Going to Soar ", calling the second half "a striking electronic makeover". He concluded that "if the premise is laid on a bit thick – Rowland never does things by halves – at least torch song My Submission is the most beautiful thing Dexys have ever done". [13]
Mojo 's David Hutcheon wrote that "the second half – 'a saucy, synth-heavy cabaret' – will undoubtedly lose a few fans, yet Rowland still manages to pull a gem out of the fire with the touching 'My Submission'". [14] Simon Heavisides of The Line of Best Fit concluded that the album "can't match those first three deathless classic albums and falls just below the convincing return that was One Day I'm Going to Soar. Still, there's enough of their unique brilliance on display to make this a qualified victory". [12]
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
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German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [16] | 100 |
Irish Albums (IRMA) [17] | 60 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [18] | 4 |
UK Albums (OCC) [19] | 6 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [20] | 1 |
Dexys Midnight Runners are an English pop rock band from Birmingham, with soul influences, who achieved major commercial success in the early to mid-1980s. They are best known in the UK for their songs "Come On Eileen" and "Geno", both of which peaked at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, as well as six other top-20 singles. "Come On Eileen" also topped the US Billboard Hot 100, and with extensive airplay on MTV they are associated with the Second British Invasion.
The Bureau were an English new wave soul group formed in November 1980 in Birmingham, England, when the original line-up of Dexys Midnight Runners split up. The Bureau retained their Dexys roots and played powerful brass-driven soul sounds.
Kevin Rowland is a British singer and musician best known as the frontman for the pop band Dexys Midnight Runners. The band had several hits in the early 1980s, the most notable being "Geno" and "Come On Eileen", both of which reached number one on the UK Singles Chart.
"Come On Eileen" is a song by the English group Dexys Midnight Runners, released in the United Kingdom in June 1982 as a single from their second studio album Too-Rye-Ay. It reached number one in the United States and was their second number one hit in the UK, following 1980's "Geno". The song was produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley and was initially claimed to be written by Kevin Rowland, Jim Paterson and Billy Adams, although Rowland later stated that the essence of the tune should be attributed to Kevin Archer.
Helen O'Hara is a British musician. She was a member and violinist of Dexys Midnight Runners from 1982 to 1987, including performing on songs such as "Come on Eileen", and in 2021 rejoined the band.
Searching for the Young Soul Rebels is the debut studio album by English soul group Dexys Midnight Runners, released on 11 July 1980, through Parlophone and EMI Records. Led by Kevin Rowland, the group formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England, and formed a strong live reputation before recording their first material. Recorded during April 1980, the album combines the aggressiveness of punk rock with soul music, particularly influenced by the Northern soul movement.
Too-Rye-Ay is the second studio album by English pop band Dexys Midnight Runners. It was released in July 1982 by Mercury Records. The album is best known for the hit single "Come On Eileen", which included the refrain that inspired the album's title. It was the band's most successful album, debuting at number two on the UK Albums Chart.
Don't Stand Me Down is the third studio album by English pop band Dexys Midnight Runners, released in September 1985 by Mercury Records. The title of the album was inspired by a line in the album's song "The Waltz".
BBC Radio One Live in Concert was a live album by Dexys Midnight Runners, recorded for the BBC in 1982 and released in 1995. It was the group's first official live album and remained their only official live album until the release of The Projected Passion Revue in 2007. The album is unique as it is Dexys' only live recording where the members of The Projected Passion Revue horn section are present alongside the Too-Rye-Ay strings. Immediately after this concert, the horn section left the group and formed The TKO Horns.
"You Wear It Well" is a song written by Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton, performed by Stewart. It uses an arrangement markedly similar to that of "Maggie May", one of Stewart's hits from the previous year.
"Geno" is a 1980 single by Dexys Midnight Runners. Written by Kevin Archer and Kevin Rowland, it was the band's second single and their first UK number one, staying at the top of the Singles Chart for two weeks. The song charted at number two in Ireland.
"Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)" is a song written and performed by Van Morrison and featured as the opening track on his sixth studio album, Saint Dominic's Preview. It was released by Warner Bros. in July 1972 as the first of three singles from the album and charted at number sixty-one on the US Billboard Hot 100. Both the music and lyrics are inspired by rhythm and blues singer Jackie Wilson and his song "Reet Petite", which is directly quoted in the song.
"Dance Stance" is the first single by Dexys Midnight Runners. Written by frontman Kevin Rowland, The song was released in 1979 on the independent label Oddball Records. It reached #40 on the UK Singles Chart in early 1980.
"There, There, My Dear" is a song by English pop band Dexys Midnight Runners, released in June 1980 as the second and final single from their debut album Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. It peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.
"The Celtic Soul Brothers" is a song by Dexys Midnight Runners, written by band members Mickey Billingham, Jimmy Paterson and Kevin Rowland.
The Very Best of Dexys Midnight Runners is a best of compilation album by English pop rock band Dexys Midnight Runners, released in 1991.
One Day I'm Going to Soar is a 2012 album by Dexys, the band formerly known as Dexys Midnight Runners. It was the band's fourth studio album, but its first in 27 years. The album features, alongside Dexys' lead singer Kevin Rowland, 1980s Dexys members Big "Jim" Paterson, Pete Williams and Mick Talbot, new recruits Neil Hubbard, Tim Cansfield and Lucy Morgan, and guest vocalist Madeleine Hyland, who duets with Rowland on several songs.
Let's Make This Precious: The Best of Dexys Midnight Runners is a best-of compilation album by Dexys Midnight Runners, which also contained two newly recorded songs by the group, "Manhood" and "My Life in England ". Dexys had broken up in early 1987, and these two songs, recorded in 2003, were the first new Dexys material since the single "Because of You" in 1986. Nevertheless, the album was similar to the 1991 compilation The Very Best of Dexys Midnight Runners, as eleven of the sixteen older Dexys songs on it had also been included on that album. However, to record the two new songs, Rowland put together a new version of Dexys that featured prior members Pete Williams and Mick Talbot (keyboards) plus new members such as Lucy Morgan (viola) and Neil Hubbard (guitar), and the reformed band played a series of live concerts later in 2003.
Let the Record Show: Dexys Do Irish and Country Soul is a 2016 album by Dexys, the band formerly known as Dexys Midnight Runners. The album includes interpretations of Irish songs and other select compositions. It reached number 10 in the UK Albums Chart on 10 June 2016.
"This Is What She's Like" is a song by Dexys Midnight Runners, released on their third studio album Don't Stand Me Down in September 1985 by Mercury Records, and in November 1985 as a single. The song is credited to Kevin Rowland, Billy Adams, and Helen O'Hara, with production by Rowland and Alan Winstanley. The song, inspired by Rowland's relationship with O'Hara, includes spoken conversations between Rowland and Adams. Rather than answering Adams's repeated in-song question about what "she" is like, Rowland contrasts the "she" of the title with people who irritate him, for example those who put creases in their jeans, and members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.