Underdressed at the Symphony

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Underdressed at the Symphony
Studio album by
Faye Webster
ReleasedMarch 1, 2024 (2024-03-01)
StudioSonic Ranch, Texas
Genre
Length36:45
LabelSecretly Canadian
Producer
  • Drew Vandenberg
  • Faye Webster
Faye Webster chronology
I Know I'm Funny Haha
(2021) 		Underdressed at the Symphony
(2024)
Singles from Underdressed at the Symphony
  1. "But Not Kiss"
    Released: June 20, 2023
  2. "Lifetime"
    Released: September 20, 2023
  3. "Lego Ring"
    Released: January 11, 2024
  4. "Feeling Good Today"
    Released: February 8, 2024

Underdressed at the Symphony is the fifth studio album by American singer Faye Webster. It was released on March 1, 2024, through Secretly Canadian.

Background and singles[edit]

Webster recorded Underdressed at the Symphony at Sonic Ranch in Texas with her long-time band.[1] She evolves a "familiar intimacy" within her songwriting skills on the album, blending "catharsis and humor" over a sonic palette of multiple genres like "indie rock, country, and R&B".[2] It sees the singer pushing herself "further than ever before" on a lyrical front, "truly leaving her emotions" on the tracks.[3] The album's title draws on Webster's experiences getting tickets to see the symphony orchestra in Atlanta, Georgia, at the last minute and not having time to adequately dress up for it.

On June 20, 2023, Webster released the lead single "But Not Kiss", a "bold and forceful" track compared to the likes of the Arctic Monkeys.[4] On September 20, the second single "Lifetime", a "reflective five-minute track", was released alongside a music video directed by Kyle Ng of Braindead Studios.[5] The album announcement on January 11, 2024, coincided with the release of the third single "Lego Ring" with Lil Yachty, whom she shares a lifelong friendship with.[6] On February 15, Webster released the single "Feeling Good Today". At just 86 seconds, the track mainly consists of a guitar and the singer's "Vocoder-altered voice", accentuated with "light piano" touches.[7]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[18]
Metacritic82/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Beats Per Minute72%[9]
DIY[10]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[11]
Exclaim!8/10[12]
Paste7.9/10[13]
Pitchfork7.5/10[14]
Slant Magazine[15]
SpinA-[16]
Under the Radar[17]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Underdressed at the Symphony received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from 15 critic scores.[19] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.6 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[18]

Writing for Beats Per Minute, Brianna Corrine concludes: "Her ability to speak about truly complex and philosophical facets of love and the self in a lyrically simplified way, but with sonically expansive and cohesive instrumentation, is admirable and incredibly progressive in the world of genres and storytelling."[9] In her review for Pitchfork, Arielle Gordon writes that the album "emphasizes the naturalism of her songwriting, building melodies with a grand piano, a drum kit, and an electric guitar."[14] Stephen Deusner of Uncut describes Webster on the album as a "minimalist songwriter who uses as few words as possible to conjure emotions too messy or too contradictory or simply too painful to state outright."[20] Writing for The Observer, Kitty Empire describes the album as "delicate and eclectic" and "70s-tinged alt-country."[21] Michelle Dalarossa of Under the Radar writes: "Existing fans will be happy to hear the same shimmering pedal-steel and alt-country instrumentation that have come to define the 26-year-old’s catalog, but the album paints a clear picture of Webster’s growth as an artist."[17] In her review for Paste, Sam Small praised the album's lyrics, writing: "Webster’s lyrics are like the underlined sentences of a novel—the lines glow from the page, compelling you to frantically dig into your purse to find a pen."[13] Adele Julia of The Line of Best Fit writes: "Amidst the unexpected twists in its production, Webster still retains a strong narrative voice throughout, her intentions unfolding with each new line."[11] Writing for Exclaim!, Megan LaPierre states that the album "builds upon the frameworks she’s established and pushes them to their limits."[12] Chris Taylor of DIY was critical of the album's lyrics, writing: "While it does see Faye and her band at their most musically warm and open - nearly every track is a devastating beauty - lyrically she feels more closed off than ever before."[10] Joshua Minsoo Kim of Rolling Stone describes the album as a "marvel of patient, obsessive contemplation."[22] John Murphy of MusicOMH describes the album as "deliberate, considered yet oddly beguiling mix of jazz, folk and indie, with some hip-hop stylings thrown in."[23] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes that "Webster emphasizes presentation and execution over composition or construction, letting her backing band and tight group of collaborators breathe along with her sighing melodies."[8] Evan Haga of Spin writes that the album's lyrics "push breakup-record pain against proclamations of a woman’s wants and needs, while mixing in funny, specific details of contemporary life."[16] Writing her review for Slant Magazine, Dana Poland states that "The real magic of the album [...] can be found in its instrumentation."[15]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Faye Webster (additional writing credits are noted)

Underdressed at the Symphony track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Thinking About You" 6:36
2."But Not Kiss" 3:42
3."Wanna Quit All the Time" 4:35
4."Lego Ring" (with Lil Yachty)
2:43
5."Feeling Good Today" 1:26
6."Lifetime" 5:06
7."He Loves Me Yeah!"
2:50
8."eBay Purchase History" 3:44
9."Underdressed at the Symphony" 3:33
10."Tttttime" 2:30
Total length:36:45

Personnel[edit]

  • Faye Webster – vocals, production
  • Drew Vandenberg – production, mixing (all tracks); engineering
  • Sarah Register – mastering
  • Annie Leeth – engineering, arrangement
  • Mario Ramirez – engineering
  • Luke Webster – artwork
  • Lil Yachty – vocals (track 4, "Lego Ring")
  • Nels Cline - Electric Guitar

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Underdressed at the Symphony
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Vinyl Albums (ARIA)[24] 16
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[25] 37
Scottish Albums (OCC)[26] 37
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[27] 16

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (January 11, 2024). "Faye Webster announces her new album, Underdressed at the Symphony". Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  2. ^ Natanawan, Grace Ann (January 11, 2024). "Faye Webster Announces New Album Underdressed at the Symphony". Paste. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  3. ^ Murray, Robin (January 11, 2024). "Faye Webster Announces New Album Underdressed at the Symphony". Clash. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  4. ^ Green, Walden (June 21, 2023). "Song You Need: Faye Webster, the commitment-phobe". The Fader. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  5. ^ Green, Walden (September 20, 2023). "Watch the Kyle Ng-Directed Music Video for Faye Webster's New Single "Lifetime"". Hypebeast. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  6. ^ Lane, Lexi (January 11, 2024). "Faye Webster Announced Her New Album Underdressed at the Symphony With The Fun Lil Yachty Collab "Lego Ring"". Uproxx. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  7. ^ Deville, Chris (February 8, 2024). "Faye Webster – "Feeling Good Today"". Stereogum. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, "Underdressed at the Symphony - Faye Webster", AllMusic, retrieved March 19, 2024
  9. ^ a b Corrine, Brianna (March 12, 2024). "Album Review: Faye Webster – Underdressed At The Symphony". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Taylor, Chris (March 1, 2024). "Faye Webster - Underdressed At The Symphony". DIY. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Julia, Adele. "Faye Webster: Underdressed at the Symphony review - lays bare her soul | Faye Webster". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  12. ^ a b LaPierre, Megan. "Faye Webster Breaks Her Own Conventions on 'Underdressed at the Symphony'". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Small, Sam. "Faye Webster: 'Underdressed at the Symphony' Album Review". Paste Magazine. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Gordon, Arielle. "Faye Webster: Underdressed at the Symphony". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Poland, Dana (February 29, 2024). "Faye Webster 'Underdressed at the Symphony' Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Haga, Evan (March 6, 2024). "Faye Webster's Sad-Funny Symphony". Spin.
  17. ^ a b Dalarossa, Michelle. "Underdressed at the Symphony". Under the Radar. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Underdressed at the Symphony by Faye Webster reviews | Any Decent Music". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Underdressed at the Symphony by Faye Webster", Metacritic, retrieved March 19, 2024
  20. ^ Deusner, Stephen (March 6, 2024). "Faye Webster - Underdressed At The Symphony". UNCUT. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  21. ^ Empire, Kitty (March 3, 2024). "Faye Webster: Underdressed at the Symphony review – petal-voiced power". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  22. ^ Kim, Joshua Minsoo (February 28, 2024). "Faye Webster Has Time on Her Side". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  23. ^ Murphy, John (March 1, 2024). "Faye Webster - Underdressed At The Symphony | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  24. ^ "ARIA Top 20 Vinyl Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  25. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  26. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  27. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
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