Belladonna of Sadness (album)
| Belladonna of Sadness | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 7, 2017[1] | |||
| Recorded | 2014–2015 | |||
| Studio | Vox, Los Angeles | |||
| Length | 40:56 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Alexandra Savior chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Belladonna of Sadness | ||||
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Belladonna of Sadness is the debut studio album by American singer Alexandra Savior, released on April 7, 2017 by Columbia Records.
Background and recording
The recording process for Belladonna of Sadness was captured by film director Ben Chappell in the video "Alexandra Savior – An Introduction", which featured on Savior's YouTube channel. In June 2016, Savior stated in an interview that the studio setup for the album mostly consisted of collaborators Alex Turner and James Ford, with the three occasionally augmented by bassist Zachary Dawes.
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 66/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| DIY | [4] |
| The Guardian | [5] |
| Pitchfork | 6.0/10[6] |
Belladonna of Sadness was released to mostly positive reviews. Paste praised Savior's singing, comparing her style to Françoise Hardy and Lana del Rey.[7]
In a mixed review, Pitchfork praised the "eerie, campy" quality of songs like "Bones" and "Mystery Girl," but criticized the album as too closely resembling her collaborators' body of work, deeming it "an Alex Turner album passed off as Savior’s simply because she sang it."[8]
Accolades
| Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Independent | The 30 Best Albums of 2017 | 2017
|
30
|
Track listing
All tracks are written by Alexandra Savior and Alex Turner, except where noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mirage" | 3:25 |
| 2. | "Bones" (Turner) | 2:49 |
| 3. | "Shades" | 3:50 |
| 4. | "Girlie" | 3:24 |
| 5. | "Frankie" | 3:48 |
| 6. | "M.T.M.E." | 3:23 |
| 7. | "Audeline" (Savior, Turner, James Ford) | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Cupid" | 2:58 |
| 9. | "'Til You're Mine" | 3:32 |
| 10. | "Vanishing Point" | 4:20 |
| 11. | "Mystery Girl" | 5:35 |
Personnel
Personnel adapted from album liner notes.
Musicians
- Alexandra Savior – vocals
- James Ford – drums, percussion, keyboards, synthesisers, vibraphone (tracks 3, 4 and 7–10), guitars (tracks 2 and 7), bass (track 10)
- Alex Turner – bass (except tracks 4 and 10), guitars, keyboards, synthesisers
- Zach Dawes – bass (track 4), vibraphone (track 4), organ (track 5)
Production
- James Ford – production, mixing
- Alex Turner – production
- Michael Harris – engineering
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
Artwork
- Alexandra Savior – photography, art direction and design
- Samuel Kristofski – photography
- Maria Paula Marulanda – art direction and design
Charts
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[10] | 9 |
References
- ^ "Alexandra Savior announces debut LP Belladonna Of Sadness, shares "Mystery Girl" single". The Line of Best Fit.
- ^ "Reviews for Belladonna of Sadness by Alexandra Savior". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^ Wacey, Rob. "Belladonna of Sadness – Alexandra Savior : Songs, Credits, Reviews". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^ "Alexandra Savior - Belladonna of Sadness". DIY.
- ^ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/apr/09/alexandra-savior-belladonna-of-sadness-observer-cd-review
- ^ https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23176-belladonna-of-sadness/
- ^ "Alexandra Savior: Belladonna of Sadness Review". Paste.
- ^ https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/23176-belladonna-of-sadness/
- ^ "The 30 best albums of 2017". The Independent. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- ^ "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.