A New Nature
| A New Nature | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 31 August 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2014 | |||
| Studio | Electrical Audio, Chicago, Illinois | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, post rock, post-punk | |||
| Length | 54:28 | |||
| Label | Nostromo Records | |||
| Producer | Steve Albini | |||
| Esben and the Witch chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from A New Nature | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 69/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10[2] |
| NME | (7/10)[3] |
| TLOBF | (8.5/10)[4] |
| AllMusic | (8/10)[5] |
A New Nature is the third studio album by British alternative rock band Esben and the Witch, released on 1 September 2014 through their own label Nostromo Records.
Background[edit]
In early 2014, the band left Matador Records and made their own label Nostromo Records. They pledged on PledgeMusic, which is an online Direct-to-Fan music platform that facilitates musicians reaching out to their fanbase to pre-sell, market, and distribute music projects including recordings, music videos, and concerts. On PledgeMusic they put pre-orders for their third album up, in which some include a hand-made bonus EP called And New Life Blossoms From the Ruins, and the money went towards the recording costs.[6]
On April 7, 2014, they released an untitled split EP with Thought Forms, featuring two songs "No Dog" and "Butoh".[7] On April 7, they performed "No Dog" and two new songs "Dig Your Fingers In" and "Those Dreadful Hammers" on BBC Radio 6.[8] They began recording with Steve Albini in April 2014 at Electrical Audio studios in Chicago.[9][10] Their song "Strangers In a Sunless Valley" was featured on the third Audioscope Music For A Good Home compilation in May.[11]
They announced the album in June 2014, and have released the first single from the album, "Blood Teachings", on iTunes. The album was scheduled to be released on 1 September 2014.
Music[edit]
The Guardian compared lead single "Blood Teachings" to early PJ Harvey.[12] The Quietus said that ""Blood Teachings" is a good case in point, with its Swans-esque heaving repetition providing a soundbed over which Rachel Davies unfurls a mesmeric vocal, not dissimilar to former Albini collaborator PJ Harvey, building to a razing, fuzzed crescendo."[13]
The band said of the album:
"We wanted to create a record that had a level of purity to it. To strip away the layers and loops and see what lay beneath. To keep things naked, unadorned and raw. The three of us, in a room, making noise. We looked to create a more primal record, full of human emotion and sonic intensity. Drawing on themes of endurance, strength, determination and self-actualisation. Themes that have always inspired us but perhaps, only now, a few years down the line, a few years of touring under our belts, we feel we have the confidence and maturity to explore and shout about."[10]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Press Heavenwards!" | 10:16 |
| 2. | "Those Dreadful Hammers" | 3:34 |
| 3. | "Dig Your Fingers In" | 4:39 |
| 4. | "No Dog" | 6:01 |
| 5. | "The Jungle" | 14:32 |
| 6. | "Wooden Star" | 6:51 |
| 7. | "Blood Teachings" | 7:54 |
| 8. | "Bathed In Light" | 2:01 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Press Heavenwards!" | 10:16 |
| 2. | "Dig Your Fingers In" | 4:39 |
| 3. | "No Dog" | 6:01 |
| 4. | "The Jungle" | 14:32 |
| 5. | "Those Dreadful Hammers" | 3:34 |
| 6. | "Wooden Star" | 6:51 |
| 7. | "Blood Teachings" | 7:54 |
| 8. | "Bathed In Light" | 2:01 |
Release history[edit]
| Region | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 31 August 2014 | DD | Nostromo Records |
| 1 September 2014 | CD, LP |
References[edit]
- ^ "Album Review". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ Bland, Benjamin (1 September 2014). "Album Review". Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ Cooke, Robert (31 August 2014). "Album Review". NME.com. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ Day, Lawrence (31 August 2014). "Album Review". thelineofbestfit.com. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ Monger, James Christopher (31 August 2014). "Album Review". AllMusic.com. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ^ "Esben and the Witch: New Album". Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ "Esben and the Witch: New Album". Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ "ESBENANDTHEWITCH on Twitter". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ "ESBENANDTHEWITCH on Twitter". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ a b "Esben And The Witch Confirm New Album". 24 June 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ "Music For A Good Home 3, by Audioscope". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ Richards, Sam (24 June 2014). "Julian Casablancas gets political and Gary Oldman has a rant – plus the rest of today's breaking pop culture news". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ "The Quietus - News - Esben And The Witch Announce New Album". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ "ESBENANDTHEWITCH on Twitter". Retrieved 5 October 2016.
- ^ "Archived copy". iTunes. Archived from the original on 17 September 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
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