Watching the Sky
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
Watching the Sky is the second studio album by Australian indie pop band Sheppard, released on 8 June 2018. The album was confirmed in January 2018 [2][3] with George Sheppard saying "an album is the true artistic statement, so announcing Watching the Sky is a really exciting step for us."[4]
The album was supported by a week of in-store appearances across Australia from 8 June 2018.[5]
In July 2018, the band announced a 30-venue national tour commencing on 10 August in Mount Isa and concluding on 20 October in Gold Coast, Queensland. The tour is their biggest national tour to date.[6]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| auspOp |   [7] |
| The Music | [8] |
Mac McNaughton from The Music said "Kids need this kind of non-threatening, relentlessly up-beat optimism and they'll lap it up" and that the album has "many sickly sweet highs".[8] David from auspOp said "The band doesn't mess with the formula that makes them so appealing" adding "There's nothing terrible about this album, but it just doesn't seem to go anywhere." David praised the songs "Coming Home", "Love Me Now" and "Edge of the Night".[7] Stack Magazine said the group have "delivered" on their second studio album, adding "[al]though not everything works. For example, 'Edge of the Night' over-reaches, trying too hard to be a party anthem but ending up sounding like a Peter Andre out take." The publication also acknowledged that "for every misfire there's a banger to ignite the party", saying "'Castaways' and 'Sorry' show genuine pop smarts" and "'We Belong' and 'Live for You' showcase Amy Sheppard's powerful vocal, which is perhaps underutilised."[9] Mikey Cahill from Herald Sun said "They ply feel-good, treacly jams that will turn your stomach. Their aim: to serve up inoffensive party pop. They nail the brief on "Coming Home" and "Love Me Now"... they fail on "Edge Of the Night" and … the rest of the LP."[10]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Watching the Sky" | 0:50 |
| 2. | "Coming Home" | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Keep Me Crazy" | 3:16 |
| 4. | "Love Me Now" | 3:31 |
| 5. | "We Belong" | 3:27 |
| 6. | "Edge of the Night" | 3:24 |
| 7. | "Live for You" | 3:54 |
| 8. | "Sorry" | 4:13 |
| 9. | "Choke" | 2:55 |
| 10. | "Call Me Up" | 3:09 |
| 11. | "Hometown" | 3:07 |
| 12. | "Castaways" | 3:26 |
| 13. | "Riding the Wave" | 3:24 |
| 14. | "I Was Lost" | 4:28 |
| Total length: | 46:59 | |
Charts
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[11] | 1 |
| New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[12] | 9 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 8 June 2018 | Empire of Song | EOS007 | |
| Australia | 5 October 2018[13] | Empire of Song | EOS007V |
See also
References
- ^ "Hometown". Spotify. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ "Sheppard Drops 'Coming Home' Video". Broadway World. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ "Sheppard might not be cool, but they're writing themselves a whole new line of descriptors". The Industry Observer. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ "Sheppard Release New Video & Details of Sophomore Album". V Music. January 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ "Sheppard Hits the Shops". auspOp. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
- ^ "Sheppard Just Announced Their Biggest National Tour To Date". Music Feeds. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
- ^ a b "Watching the Sky for David's Sheppard Review". auspOp. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ a b McNaughton, Mac (8 June 2018). "Sheppard – Watching The Sky". The Music. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "Sheppard Watching the Sky review". Stack Magazine. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "Album reviews: Beyonce & Jay-Z, Christina Aguilera, Sheppard". Herald Sun. 20 June 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Sheppard – Watching the Sky". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
- ^ "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "Watching The Sky (Vinyl)". JBHiFi. Retrieved 6 October 2018.