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| rev9 = ''[[The Observer]]''
| rev9 = ''[[The Observer]]''
| rev9Score = (mixed)<ref name="observer"/>
| rev9Score = (mixed)<ref name="observer"/>
| rev10 = [[Yahoo! Music]]
| rev10 = ''[[Q Magazine]]''
| rev10Score = (5/10)<ref name="yahoo"/>
| rev10Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Q Magazine"/>
| rev11 = [[Yahoo! Music]]
| rev11Score = (5/10)<ref name="yahoo"/>
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''Light After Dark'' received generally mixed reviews from music critics. At [[Metacritic]] the album received an average score of 50 out of 100 based on 12 critical reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews", <ref name="metacritic">{{Cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/light-after-dark/critic-reviews|title=Light After Dark - Clare Maguire |publisher=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=21 May 2011}}</ref> while Aggregating website [[AnyDecentMusic?]] reports a score of 4.7 based on fifteen professional reviews.<ref name="adm">{{Cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/2719/Clare-Maguire-Light-After-Dark.aspx|title=Clare Maguire Light After Dark |publisher=[[AnyDecentMusic?]]|accessdate=12 March 2011}}</ref> Bryan Boyd of ''[[The Irish Times]]'' noticed that Maguire "eschews r’n’b tics and hip-hop inflections to marry a classic 1960s Dusty-style vocal with modern studio trimmings" and felt that the album "is coming down with elegance, style and promise".<ref name="irishtimes">{{cite news|last=Boyd |first=Bryan |title=Clare Maguire |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2011/0218/1224290086454.html |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''Irish Times Trust''|date= 18 February 2011}}</ref> Andrew Perry, of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' wrote that "contrary to the advance hype, Maguire [...] is hardly the new [[Kate Bush]], rather a flat-out belter of the [[Adele (singer)|Adele]]/[[Florence and the Machine|Florence]] school, surrounded variously by daft orchestral sturm-und-drang and flimsy ProTools disco/house", and awarded the album three out of five stars.<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|last=Perry |first=Andrew |title=Clare Maguire: Light After Dark, CD review |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/8334416/Clare-Maguire-Light-After-Dark-CD-review.html |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''Telegraph Media Group''|date= 18 February 2011}}</ref> David Smyth of the ''[[Evening Standard]]'' wrote that Maguire's "sound is grandiose, ever-so-slightly Gothic and frequently overwrought" and noticed that "she's in possession of a few fine pop tunes", but "the spectre of [[Susan Boyle]] rears its head when she tones down the backdrop".<ref name="standard">{{cite news|last=Smyth |first=David |title=CDs of the week: Beady Eye and Jessie J |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-23926770-cds-of-the-week-beady-eye-and-jessie-j.do |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''Evening Standard Ltd''|date= 18 February 2011}}</ref> Ally Carnwath from ''[[The Observer]]'' praised her voice but felt that "the songs themselves – a box-checking collection of commercial belters – do her few favours" and criticized the "over-egged production".<ref name="observer">{{cite news|last=Carnwath |first=Ally |title=Clare Maguire: Light After Dark – review |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/27/maguire-light-after-dark-review |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''[[Guardian Media Group]]''|date= 27 February 2011}}</ref> Jaime Gill of [[Yahoo! Music]] called the album "blustering and oddly emotionally lacking", however he felt that it "has some redeeming features" such as "Maguire's blowy, showy voice".<ref name="yahoo">{{cite news|last=Gill |first=Jaime |title=Clare Maguire - ‘Light After Dark’ |url=http://new.uk.music.yahoo.com/blogs/albumreviewsuk/6085/clare-maguirelight-after-dark/ |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''[[Yahoo!]]''|date= 4 March 2011}}</ref>
''Light After Dark'' received generally mixed reviews from music critics. At [[Metacritic]] the album received an average score of 50 out of 100 based on 12 critical reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews", <ref name="metacritic">{{Cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/light-after-dark/critic-reviews|title=Light After Dark - Clare Maguire |publisher=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=21 May 2011}}</ref> while Aggregating website [[AnyDecentMusic?]] reports a score of 4.7 based on fifteen professional reviews.<ref name="adm">{{Cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/2719/Clare-Maguire-Light-After-Dark.aspx|title=Clare Maguire Light After Dark |publisher=[[AnyDecentMusic?]]|accessdate=12 March 2011}}</ref> John Aizlewood, writing for [[Q magazine]], compliments Clare's vocals on the album, believing them to be "a rich, deep, anguished rumble, hewn from the very depths of her stomach", and notes the album is "not short of songs" either. <ref name=qmagazine>{{cite journal|last=John|first=Aizlewood|journal=Q Magazine|year=2011|month=March|url=http://www.qthemusic.com/|accessdate=21 May 2011}}</ref> Bryan Boyd of ''[[The Irish Times]]'' noticed that Maguire "eschews r’n’b tics and hip-hop inflections to marry a classic 1960s Dusty-style vocal with modern studio trimmings" and felt that the album "is coming down with elegance, style and promise".<ref name="irishtimes">{{cite news|last=Boyd |first=Bryan |title=Clare Maguire |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2011/0218/1224290086454.html |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''Irish Times Trust''|date= 18 February 2011}}</ref> Andrew Perry, of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' wrote that "contrary to the advance hype, Maguire [...] is hardly the new [[Kate Bush]], rather a flat-out belter of the [[Adele (singer)|Adele]]/[[Florence and the Machine|Florence]] school, surrounded variously by daft orchestral sturm-und-drang and flimsy ProTools disco/house", and awarded the album three out of five stars.<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news|last=Perry |first=Andrew |title=Clare Maguire: Light After Dark, CD review |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/8334416/Clare-Maguire-Light-After-Dark-CD-review.html |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''Telegraph Media Group''|date= 18 February 2011}}</ref> David Smyth of the ''[[Evening Standard]]'' wrote that Maguire's "sound is grandiose, ever-so-slightly Gothic and frequently overwrought" and noticed that "she's in possession of a few fine pop tunes", but "the spectre of [[Susan Boyle]] rears its head when she tones down the backdrop".<ref name="standard">{{cite news|last=Smyth |first=David |title=CDs of the week: Beady Eye and Jessie J |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-23926770-cds-of-the-week-beady-eye-and-jessie-j.do |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''Evening Standard Ltd''|date= 18 February 2011}}</ref> Ally Carnwath from ''[[The Observer]]'' praised her voice but felt that "the songs themselves – a box-checking collection of commercial belters – do her few favours" and criticized the "over-egged production".<ref name="observer">{{cite news|last=Carnwath |first=Ally |title=Clare Maguire: Light After Dark – review |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/27/maguire-light-after-dark-review |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''[[Guardian Media Group]]''|date= 27 February 2011}}</ref> Jaime Gill of [[Yahoo! Music]] called the album "blustering and oddly emotionally lacking", however he felt that it "has some redeeming features" such as "Maguire's blowy, showy voice".<ref name="yahoo">{{cite news|last=Gill |first=Jaime |title=Clare Maguire - ‘Light After Dark’ |url=http://new.uk.music.yahoo.com/blogs/albumreviewsuk/6085/clare-maguirelight-after-dark/ |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''[[Yahoo!]]''|date= 4 March 2011}}</ref>


Lewis G. Parker of [[BBC Music]] wrote that ''Light After Dark'' "is just the latest CD to keep in the car for the drive home after a hard day at the office"; he called the songs "unadventurous", the lyrics "so vague [...] that they can be interpreted to mean whatever we like" and stated that it "communicates nothing other than a total lack of imagination".<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|last=G. Parker |first=Lewis |title=Clare Maguire Light After Dark Review’ |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/crpn |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''[[BBC]]''|date= 28 February 2011}}</ref> Michael Hann of ''[[The Guardian]]'' praised Maguire's voice, however he noted that she is "another startling talent whose every point of interest has been sandblasted off between being signed and getting her album out".<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|last=Hann |first=Michael |title=Clare Maguire: Light After Dark – review |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/24/clare-maguire-light-after-dark-review |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''[[Guardian Media Group]]''|date= 24 February 2011}}</ref> Andy Gill from ''[[The Independent]]'' wrote that "over the course of an album her tremulous, stentorian con-tralto becomes hectoring" and noticed that "at full blast, she has the emotive subtlety of a foghorn". He concluded by saying that "a more restrained approach might expose her sensitivities".<ref name="independent">{{cite news|last=Gill |first=Andy |title=Album: Clare Maguire, Light After Dark (Polydor) |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-clare-maguire-light-after-dark-polydor-2224680.html |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''Independent Print Limited''|date= 25 February 2011}}</ref> Krystina Nellis from [[Drowned in Sound]] gave a negative review, saying that "the album’s fundamental fault is that none of it feels like it is coming from the girl herself"; she went on to add that "the vague ‘empowerment’ lyrics are so full of clichéd clangers they actually age Maguire several years, and reduce her to sounding like little more than a session singer for hire" and eventually described the album as "uninteresting".<ref name="dis">{{cite news|last=Nellis |first=Krystina |title=Clare Maguire Light After Dark |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16000/reviews/4142098 |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''Drowned in Sound''|date= 25 February 2011}}</ref> Laura Snapes of ''[[NME]]'' was equally negative; she wrote that the album contains "12 songs eruditely critiquing social plight with Viz-level wit", criticized Maguire's "gratingly wannabe-adult voice" and concluded by stating that the album's "central failing is having a woman roughly the same age as [[Katy B]] singing songs that’d sound a bit sexless at a WI Christmas party".<ref name="nme">{{cite news|last=Snapes |first=Laura |title=Album Review: Clare Maguire – Light After Dark (Polydor) |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/clare-maguire/11870 |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''[[IPC Media]]''|date= 23 February 2011}}</ref>
Lewis G. Parker of [[BBC Music]] wrote that ''Light After Dark'' "is just the latest CD to keep in the car for the drive home after a hard day at the office"; he called the songs "unadventurous", the lyrics "so vague [...] that they can be interpreted to mean whatever we like" and stated that it "communicates nothing other than a total lack of imagination".<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|last=G. Parker |first=Lewis |title=Clare Maguire Light After Dark Review’ |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/crpn |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''[[BBC]]''|date= 28 February 2011}}</ref> Michael Hann of ''[[The Guardian]]'' praised Maguire's voice, however he noted that she is "another startling talent whose every point of interest has been sandblasted off between being signed and getting her album out".<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|last=Hann |first=Michael |title=Clare Maguire: Light After Dark – review |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/24/clare-maguire-light-after-dark-review |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''[[Guardian Media Group]]''|date= 24 February 2011}}</ref> Andy Gill from ''[[The Independent]]'' wrote that "over the course of an album her tremulous, stentorian con-tralto becomes hectoring" and noticed that "at full blast, she has the emotive subtlety of a foghorn". He concluded by saying that "a more restrained approach might expose her sensitivities".<ref name="independent">{{cite news|last=Gill |first=Andy |title=Album: Clare Maguire, Light After Dark (Polydor) |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-clare-maguire-light-after-dark-polydor-2224680.html |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''Independent Print Limited''|date= 25 February 2011}}</ref> Krystina Nellis from [[Drowned in Sound]] gave a negative review, saying that "the album’s fundamental fault is that none of it feels like it is coming from the girl herself"; she went on to add that "the vague ‘empowerment’ lyrics are so full of clichéd clangers they actually age Maguire several years, and reduce her to sounding like little more than a session singer for hire" and eventually described the album as "uninteresting".<ref name="dis">{{cite news|last=Nellis |first=Krystina |title=Clare Maguire Light After Dark |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/16000/reviews/4142098 |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''Drowned in Sound''|date= 25 February 2011}}</ref> Laura Snapes of ''[[NME]]'' was equally negative; she wrote that the album contains "12 songs eruditely critiquing social plight with Viz-level wit", criticized Maguire's "gratingly wannabe-adult voice" and concluded by stating that the album's "central failing is having a woman roughly the same age as [[Katy B]] singing songs that’d sound a bit sexless at a WI Christmas party".<ref name="nme">{{cite news|last=Snapes |first=Laura |title=Album Review: Clare Maguire – Light After Dark (Polydor) |url=http://www.nme.com/reviews/clare-maguire/11870 |accessdate=12 March 2011|publisher=''[[IPC Media]]''|date= 23 February 2011}}</ref>

Revision as of 15:16, 21 May 2011

Untitled

Light After Dark is the debut album by British singer-songwriter Clare Maguire which went in at number 7 in the UK Albums Chart. "Ain't Nobody" was released as the first single from the album on 18 October 2010, followed by "The Last Dance", which was released on 20 February 2011.

Composition

Maguire worked solely with producer and songwriter Fraser T Smith, with the exception of "Freedom" which was produced by German producer Crada and songwriting team Parallel. The iTunes pre-order track "Burn" was produced by Starsmith.

Artwork

The artwork premiered on Maguire's Facebook page on 7 February 2011. She announced the artwork was shot by photographer Aitken Jolly.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
BBC Music(negative)[2]
The Daily Telegraph[3]
Drowned in Sound(3/10)[4]
Evening Standard[5]
The Guardian[6]
The Independent[7]
The Irish Times[8]
NME(2/10)[9]
The Observer(mixed)[10]
Q Magazine[11]
Yahoo! Music(5/10)[12]

Light After Dark received generally mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic the album received an average score of 50 out of 100 based on 12 critical reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews", [13] while Aggregating website AnyDecentMusic? reports a score of 4.7 based on fifteen professional reviews.[14] John Aizlewood, writing for Q magazine, compliments Clare's vocals on the album, believing them to be "a rich, deep, anguished rumble, hewn from the very depths of her stomach", and notes the album is "not short of songs" either. [15] Bryan Boyd of The Irish Times noticed that Maguire "eschews r’n’b tics and hip-hop inflections to marry a classic 1960s Dusty-style vocal with modern studio trimmings" and felt that the album "is coming down with elegance, style and promise".[8] Andrew Perry, of The Daily Telegraph wrote that "contrary to the advance hype, Maguire [...] is hardly the new Kate Bush, rather a flat-out belter of the Adele/Florence school, surrounded variously by daft orchestral sturm-und-drang and flimsy ProTools disco/house", and awarded the album three out of five stars.[3] David Smyth of the Evening Standard wrote that Maguire's "sound is grandiose, ever-so-slightly Gothic and frequently overwrought" and noticed that "she's in possession of a few fine pop tunes", but "the spectre of Susan Boyle rears its head when she tones down the backdrop".[5] Ally Carnwath from The Observer praised her voice but felt that "the songs themselves – a box-checking collection of commercial belters – do her few favours" and criticized the "over-egged production".[10] Jaime Gill of Yahoo! Music called the album "blustering and oddly emotionally lacking", however he felt that it "has some redeeming features" such as "Maguire's blowy, showy voice".[12]

Lewis G. Parker of BBC Music wrote that Light After Dark "is just the latest CD to keep in the car for the drive home after a hard day at the office"; he called the songs "unadventurous", the lyrics "so vague [...] that they can be interpreted to mean whatever we like" and stated that it "communicates nothing other than a total lack of imagination".[2] Michael Hann of The Guardian praised Maguire's voice, however he noted that she is "another startling talent whose every point of interest has been sandblasted off between being signed and getting her album out".[6] Andy Gill from The Independent wrote that "over the course of an album her tremulous, stentorian con-tralto becomes hectoring" and noticed that "at full blast, she has the emotive subtlety of a foghorn". He concluded by saying that "a more restrained approach might expose her sensitivities".[7] Krystina Nellis from Drowned in Sound gave a negative review, saying that "the album’s fundamental fault is that none of it feels like it is coming from the girl herself"; she went on to add that "the vague ‘empowerment’ lyrics are so full of clichéd clangers they actually age Maguire several years, and reduce her to sounding like little more than a session singer for hire" and eventually described the album as "uninteresting".[4] Laura Snapes of NME was equally negative; she wrote that the album contains "12 songs eruditely critiquing social plight with Viz-level wit", criticized Maguire's "gratingly wannabe-adult voice" and concluded by stating that the album's "central failing is having a woman roughly the same age as Katy B singing songs that’d sound a bit sexless at a WI Christmas party".[9]

Singles

  • "Ain't Nobody" was the first single from the album, released as a digital download on 17 October 2010; it peaked at number 78 in the UK Singles Chart. A music video was uploaded at Youtube on September 8, 2010. It has reached over 550,000 views.[16]
  • "The Last Dance", the second single from the album, was released on 20 February 2010 as a digital download, and 21 February as a physical release; it has reached number 23 in the UK Singles Chart.

Track listing

As well as premiering the artwork for the album, Maguire also announced the tracklisting for the album.[17]

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Are You Ready?" (Intro)Clare Maguire, Fraser T. Smith0:57
2."The Shield and the Sword"Maguire, Smith3:32
3."The Last Dance"Maguire, Smith3:34
4."Freedom"Crada, Parallel Music Group (Alexander, Akintola)3:21
5."I Surrender"Maguire, Smith3:45
6."Bullet"Maguire, Smith3:28
7."Happiest Pretenders"Maguire, Smith3:56
8."Sweet Lie"Maguire, Smith3:56
9."Break These Chains"Maguire, Smith3:34
10."You're Electric"Maguire, Smith3:57
11."Ain't Nobody"Maguire, Smith3:56
12."Light After Dark"Maguire, Smith3:58
13."This Is Not The End"Maguire, Smith3:21
iTunes bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)NotesLength
14."Lucky"Maguire, Smith 3:34
15."Ain't Nobody" (Video)  4:01
16."The Last Dance" (Video)  3:42
17."Burn" Listed as track one of CD two on iTunes3:13
18."Ain't Nobody (Breakage's Suck It Up Mix)" Listed as track two of CD two on iTunes4:58

Charts and release history

The album entered the Official UK Album Chart at Number 7. It spent a total of 5 weeks in the top 100 since its release.

References

  1. ^ "Ain't Nobody - EP". iTunes. www.apple.com/uk/itunes/. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  2. ^ a b G. Parker, Lewis (28 February 2011). "Clare Maguire Light After Dark Review'". BBC. Retrieved 12 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b Perry, Andrew (18 February 2011). "Clare Maguire: Light After Dark, CD review". Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 12 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b Nellis, Krystina (25 February 2011). "Clare Maguire Light After Dark". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 12 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ a b Smyth, David (18 February 2011). "CDs of the week: Beady Eye and Jessie J". Evening Standard Ltd. Retrieved 12 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ a b Hann, Michael (24 February 2011). "Clare Maguire: Light After Dark – review". Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 12 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ a b Gill, Andy (25 February 2011). "Album: Clare Maguire, Light After Dark (Polydor)". Independent Print Limited. Retrieved 12 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ a b Boyd, Bryan (18 February 2011). "Clare Maguire". Irish Times Trust. Retrieved 12 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ a b Snapes, Laura (23 February 2011). "Album Review: Clare Maguire – Light After Dark (Polydor)". IPC Media. Retrieved 12 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ a b Carnwath, Ally (27 February 2011). "Clare Maguire: Light After Dark – review". Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 12 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Q Magazine was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b Gill, Jaime (4 March 2011). "Clare Maguire - 'Light After Dark'". Yahoo!. Retrieved 12 March 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "Light After Dark - Clare Maguire". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  14. ^ "Clare Maguire Light After Dark". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  15. ^ John, Aizlewood (2011). Q Magazine http://www.qthemusic.com/. Retrieved 21 May 2011. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  16. ^ "Clare Maguire - Ain't Nobody". YouTube. www.youtube.com. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  17. ^ http://www.claremaguire.co.uk/news
  18. ^ "Chart Track". Irish Albums Chart. GfK. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  19. ^ "Archive Chart". UK Albums Chart. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
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