Beaker is the second album by the American band 22 Brides.[2][3] It was released in 1995.[4] The band supported the album by touring with Dick Dale.[5] The first single was "Lullabye".[4]
| Beaker | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1995 | |||
| Recorded | Summer 1995 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock, folk | |||
| Label | Zero Hour[1] | |||
| Producer | Adam Lasus, Carrie Johnson, Libby Johnson | |||
| 22 Brides chronology | ||||
| ||||
A comic book, 22 Brides, inspired in part by the band and created by Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti, was used to promote Beaker via a full-page ad in each issue.[6][7]
Production
editThe album was produced by Adam Lasus and band leaders/sisters Carrie and Libby Johnson, with additional production by J. Cox.[8] Much of it was recorded using Lasus's analog equipment.[9] Unlike the band's debut, Beaker included a studio drummer and an additional studio guitarist/bassist; full-time band members were recruited after its completion.[5]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
Trouser Press thought that "the graft of punky abandon to the trunk of folky preciousness doesn’t mesh strongly enough to make the second album more than moderately intriguing ... but experimental hybrids do have a way of sprouting strange flowers."[1] The Albuquerque Journal praised the "straightforward pop sincerity that rocks accordingly... No cutesy Veruca Salt beguilement or overly catchy riffs."[11] The State deemed the album "a refreshing blast of energetic guitar pop, reminiscent of the Bangles and the Pretenders."[12]
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch determined that "the melodies and execution frequently fall into pleasant genericism (and the slower stuff simply drags)."[13] The Austin American-Statesman labeled the group a "Pretenders-meets-Nirvana quartet."[14] Acknowledging the Indigo Girls comparisons resulting from the debut album, Tulsa World called the sisters "indie-go girls—all the guts without the cheap sentiment."[15] The Washington Post opined that, "though it's noteworthy for being livelier and more raucous than the band's self-titled debut, 22 Brides' Beaker reveals that [the] sibling singer-songwriters ... have gotten better at both ballads and rockers."[16]
AllMusic wrote that "22 Brides add a raw, electric edge to Carrie and Libby Johnson's blissful sibling harmonies on their sophomore release."[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lullabye" | |
| 2. | "Already Thrown" | |
| 3. | "House on Fire" | |
| 4. | "Crash" | |
| 5. | "Henry" | |
| 6. | "True" | |
| 7. | "Truck Stop" | |
| 8. | "Sunday Best" | |
| 9. | "Chain" | |
| 10. | "Every Last Day" | |
| 11. | "Still Remains" | |
| 12. | "Insomnia" | |
| 13. | "No Enemies" |
References
edit- ^ a b "22 Brides". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
- ^ "22 Brides Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ "Bigger 22 Brides checks in at Eastside". Bravo!. Kitsap Sun. Oct 26, 1995. p. 4.
- ^ a b c Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 306.
- ^ a b Bessman, Jim (Aug 12, 1995). "22 Brides say 'I do' to new band members". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 32. p. 10.
- ^ Stinnett, Conrad L. (August 19, 1996). "Stuff". Journal Star. p. C1.
- ^ Horak, Terri (Jul 20, 1996). "Zero Hour's 22 Brides find comic alter ego". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 29. p. 10.
- ^ "22 Brides by Beaker – Reviews & Previews". Billboard. Vol. 107, no. 48. Dec 2, 1995. p. 81.
- ^ Renzhofer, Martin (27 Oct 1995). "Johnson Sisters Bring Their Own Styles to 22 Brides and New Album, 'Beaker'". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. E10.
- ^ a b "Beaker". AllMusic.
- ^ Hopper, Kevin (1 Mar 1996). "22 Brides Springs from Tangled Roots". Albuquerque Journal. p. E18.
- ^ Miller, Michael (February 16, 1996). "Modern Rock Sounding Off in Midlands". Weekend. The State. p. 12.
- ^ Dickinson, Chris (22 Nov 1995). "22 Brides". Get Out. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 12.
- ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (23 Nov 1995). "Quick Picks". Austin American-Statesman. p. 4.
- ^ Conner, Thomas (March 1, 1996). "Brides to Be – Touring's a Family Affair for 22 Brides". Entertainment. Tulsa World. p. 10.
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (21 June 1996). "Ridgway ISO Style; Brides Find Theirs". The Washington Post. p. N13.