Ashes Grammar
Ashes Grammar | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 15, 2009 | |||
Recorded | September – December 2008 | |||
Studio | Downtown Performing Arts Center (Lambertville, New Jersey) | |||
Genre | Shoegazing | |||
Length | 63:08 | |||
Label | Mis Ojos Discos | |||
A Sunny Day in Glasgow chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Ashes Grammar | ||||
|
Ashes Grammar is the second studio album by American indie rock band A Sunny Day in Glasgow. It was released on September 15, 2009 by Mis Ojos Discos.
The vinyl version of the album was limited to 200 copies. It has a different sleeve and a slightly different track listing compared to CD and digital editions; the track "Blood White" appears between "Passionate Introverts (Dinosaurs)" and "West Philly Vocoder".
Background
Following a successful European tour, A Sunny Day in Glasgow's Ben Daniels began plans for work on a new album.[2] He rented a large dance studio in New Jersey for recording, where he and bandmate Josh Meakim began experimenting with sounds and setting up microphones.[2] Prior to the start of formal work on the album, however, several members exited the band under varying circumstances, including Brice Hickey, who had "very seriously" broken his legs in an accident while loading equipment into his car on the day that recording was set to begin; Lauren Daniels, who left in order to care for Hickey, her then-boyfriend; and Robin Daniels, who wished to pursue her studies.[3] The band was subsequently reduced to Ben Daniels and Josh Meakim.[3] Annie Fredrickson later joined the band, and the trio of Daniels, Meakim, and Fredrickson helmed the album's recording.[4]
Ashes Grammar was recorded from September to December 2008.[2] The expansive recording environment of the dance studio allowed Ben Daniels the freedom to experiment with different acoustics.[5] He has cited Alvin Lucier's I Am Sitting in a Room as an influence on the recording process.[3][5] Following the departures of Lauren and Robin Daniels, vocal duties on Ashes Grammar were shared by Meakim and Fredrickson.[3] Fredrickson's friend Beverly Science also performed additional vocals on the album.[3]
Reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.9/10[6] |
Metacritic | 77/100[7] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Drowned in Sound | 8/10[9] |
NME | 5/10[10] |
Pitchfork | 8.3/10[11] |
PopMatters | 6/10[12] |
The Skinny | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Tiny Mix Tapes | 4.5/5[14] |
In 2016, Pitchfork ranked Ashes Grammar at number 35 on its list of "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time".[15]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Ben Daniels, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Magna for Annie, Josh, and Robin" | 0:10 | |
2. | "Secrets at the Prom" | 0:42 | |
3. | "Slaughter Killing Carnage (The Meaning of Words)" | 2:12 | |
4. | "Failure" |
| 3:30 |
5. | "Curse Words" |
| 1:43 |
6. | "Close Chorus" | 6:24 | |
7. | "Shy" | 5:43 | |
8. | "Lights" | 0:22 | |
9. | "Passionate Introverts (Dinosaurs)" |
| 4:31 |
10. | "West Philly Vocoder" | 2:05 | |
11. | "Evil, with Evil, Against Evil" | 2:30 | |
12. | "The White Witch" |
| 3:51 |
13. | "Nitetime Rainbows" |
| 5:31 |
14. | "Canalfish" |
| 1:30 |
15. | "Loudly" |
| 1:51 |
16. | "Blood White" | 4:20 | |
17. | "Ashes Grammar" | 1:11 | |
18. | "Ashes Maths" | 3:23 | |
19. | "Miss My Friends" | 1:30 | |
20. | "Starting at a Disadvantage" | 4:41 | |
21. | "Life's Great" | 0:41 | |
22. | "Headphone Space" | 4:47 | |
Total length: | 63:08 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Magna for Annie, Josh, and Robin" | 0:10 | |
2. | "Secrets at the Prom" | 0:42 | |
3. | "Slaughter Killing Carnage (The Meaning of Words)" | 2:12 | |
4. | "Failure" |
| 3:30 |
5. | "Curse Words" |
| 1:43 |
6. | "Close Chorus" | 6:24 | |
7. | "Shy" | 5:43 | |
8. | "Lights" | 0:22 | |
9. | "Passionate Introverts (Dinosaurs)" |
| 4:31 |
10. | "Blood White" | 4:20 | |
11. | "West Philly Vocoder" | 2:05 | |
12. | "Evil, with Evil, Against Evil" | 2:30 | |
13. | "The White Witch" |
| 3:51 |
14. | "Nitetime Rainbows" |
| 5:31 |
15. | "Canalfish" |
| 1:30 |
16. | "Loudly" |
| 1:51 |
17. | "Ashes Grammar" | 1:11 | |
18. | "Ashes Maths" | 3:23 | |
19. | "Miss My Friends" | 1:30 | |
20. | "Starting at a Disadvantage" | 4:41 | |
21. | "Life's Great" | 0:41 | |
22. | "Headphone Space" | 4:47 | |
Total length: | 63:08 |
Personnel
Credits for Ashes Grammar adapted from album liner notes.[16]
A Sunny Day in Glasgow
Additional musicians
|
Production
Artwork and design
|
References
- ^ "Shy by A Sunny Day In Glasgow". United States: iTunes Store. Retrieved September 30, 2018.
- ^ a b c "A Sunny Day in Glasgow share first MP3 from Ashes Grammar". Force Field PR. July 27, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Schube, Will (June 16, 2017). "A Sunny Day In Glasgow Interview". Vinyl Me, Please. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ Clayman, Andrew (November 26, 2009). "Change is good for Philly dream-popsters A Sunny Day in Glasgow". Nashville Scene. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ a b Tincknell, Devon; Gordon, Scott (November 19, 2009). "A Sunny Day In Glasgow: "We don't have a career!"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ "Ashes Grammar by A Sunny Day In Glasgow reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
- ^ "Reviews for Ashes Grammar by A Sunny Day in Glasgow". Metacritic. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ Reges, Margaret. "Ashes Grammar – A Sunny Day in Glasgow". AllMusic. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ Takru, Radhika (September 29, 2009). "Album Review: A Sunny Day In Glasgow – Ashes Grammar". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ Dosanjh, Ash (September 27, 2009). "Album review: A Sunny Day In Glasgow – 'Ashes Grammar' (Mis Ojos Discos)". NME. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- ^ Gaerig, Andrew (September 15, 2009). "A Sunny Day in Glasgow: Ashes Grammar". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ Schumer, Ben (September 15, 2009). "A Sunny Day in Glasgow: Ashes Grammar". PopMatters. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
- ^ Crichton, Ian (September 4, 2009). "A Sunny Day In Glasgow – Ashes Grammar". The Skinny. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
- ^ Embling. "A Sunny Day In Glasgow – Ashes Grammar". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
- ^ "The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time". Pitchfork. October 24, 2016. p. 2. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ Ashes Grammar (liner notes). A Sunny Day in Glasgow. Mis Ojos Discos. 2009. OJO004.
{{cite AV media}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)