We the Common
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
We the Common is an album by alternative folk band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. It was released on February 5, 2013 on the Ribbon Music label.[1]
Produced by John Congleton, the album features a guest appearances from Joanna Newsom on "Kindness Be Conceived", Newsom having met singer Thao Nguyen at a songwriters' retreat at Hedgenrook.[2][3][4][5]
Background and recording
After the 2009 album Know Better Learn Faster, Thao Nguyen took a break from touring and recording, and volunteered with local outreach projects in her new home of San Francisco.[3][4] One of these was the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, and during prison visits she met several women who were serving long sentences. One of these was Valerie Bolden, who was the inspiration for the album's title track.[3] Nguyen considers this outreach work as a major influence on her music and stated that it had "emotionally shaped" much of We the Common.[3]
Nguyen stated of the album: "My intention from the beginning was to make an album full of songs that better captured the energy and hope and optimism of the collective and of one person in particular—myself—who wanted to be a part of that collective, and one who wanted to be more present in her own life and the lives of those she loved."[3]
To publicize the album, a series of short films were released, directed by Nguyen and Lauren Tabak.[1]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [6] |
| NME | (6/10)[7] |
| Pitchfork | (7.5/10.0)[4] |
The album received a largely positive critical reception. The SF Weekly described it as "socially conscious and brave, but...also a delight to listen to".[2] PopMatters described it as having a "big-tent sound", with Arnold Pan stating "the way We the Common gets across its open-minded, open-hearted attitude is a real triumph".[3] Allmusic gave the album a four star rating, with Fred Thomas commenting on the broader lyrical focus compared to earlier work, and viewing it as Nguyen's "most mature work and coincidentally some of her most enjoyable".[6] The NME's Kevin Perry scored it 6/10, stating that there was "something sunkissed and wholesome" about it.[7] Pitchfork Media's Linda Zoladz gave it 7.5 out of 10, calling it her "most sharply written record to date".
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "We the Common (For Valerie Bolden)" | 3:37 |
| 2. | "City" | 2:34 |
| 3. | "We Don't Call" | 2:59 |
| 4. | "The Feeling Kind" | 3:34 |
| 5. | "Holy Roller" | 2:36 |
| 6. | "Kindness Be Conceived (featuring Joanna Newsom)" | 3:16 |
| 7. | "The Day Long" | 3:21 |
| 8. | "Every Body" | 2:42 |
| 9. | "Move" | 3:15 |
| 10. | "Clouds for Brains" | 2:58 |
| 11. | "Human Heart" | 2:42 |
| 12. | "Age of Ice" | 3:08 |
References
- ^ a b Barosse, Emilia (2013) "Thao Nguyen doesn’t care about the critics and made a video to prove it", A.V. Club, January 29, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014
- ^ a b Port, Ian S. (2013) "The Top 12 Bay Area Rock Albums of 2013", SF Weekly, December 25, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014
- ^ a b c d e f Pan, Arnold (2013) "First Person, Singular and Plural: Thao Nguyen's Collective Consciousness", PopMatters, March 31, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2014
- ^ a b c Zoladz, Lindsay (4 February 2013). "Thao & the Get Down Stay Down: We the Common". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ Taylor, John (2013) "The Fruit of Thao Nguyen's Labors", Interview. Retrieved January 4, 2014
- ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "We the Common - Thao & the Get Down Stay Down". Allmusic. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
- ^ a b Perry, Kevin EG (6 February 2013). "Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - 'We The Common'". NME. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
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