Ooh La La is the ninth studio album by Guster. It was preceded by the singles "Keep Going" and "All Day", and was released on May 17, 2024. It was mainly produced by Josh Kaufman, who had previously produced albums for the National and the Hold Steady.[1] It is their first album since 2019's Look Alive, which was released over five years prior.[3]
| Ooh La La | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 17, 2024 | |||
| Studio |
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| Length | 37:06 | |||
| Label | Ocho Mule | |||
| Producer | Josh Kaufman | |||
| Guster chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Ooh La La | ||||
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Recording
editAccording to frontman Ryan Miller, "Most of these songs were written against the backdrop of what felt like an apocalypse. It was such a transformative time, and we were dealing with a lot of existential questions about what it means to be a father, a husband, a creative person in the midst of all the chaos." Guitarist Adam Gardner stated that "One thing we've continually done as a band is acknowledge what's going on in our world but still bring some positivity to the music. We're always going to be real about what's happening, but we still want to leave people with a feeling of hope." According to Exclaim! magazine, the album "marks a bold departure from its predecessor, 2019's Look Alive, through a bedrock of rich acoustic guitar and lush piano".[1]
Release
editThe album is preceded by two singles, "All Day" and "Keep Going", which Exclaim! called "a big, organic-sounding slice of inspira-rock". Both songs were released on February 28, 2024.[4]
On March 30, Guster sold pre-release CD copies of the album at the Boston date of their We Also Have Eras Tour at MGM Music Hall.[5]
Track listing
editAll lyrics are written by Ryan Miller; all music is composed by Miller, Adam Gardner, Brian Rosenworcel, and Luke Reynolds. "This Heart Is Occupied" and "The Elevator" composed with Josh Kaufman; "Keep Going" composed with Rob Kleiner.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "This Heart Is Occupied" | 4:44 |
| 2. | "When We Were Stars" | 4:38 |
| 3. | "All Day" | 3:23 |
| 4. | "My Kind" | 3:18 |
| 5. | "Keep Going" | 4:08 |
| 6. | "Gauguin, Cézanne (Everlasting Love)" | 4:04 |
| 7. | "Witness Tree" | 3:02 |
| 8. | "Black Balloon" | 2:58 |
| 9. | "The Elevator" | 3:03 |
| 10. | "Maybe We're Alright" | 3:48 |
| Total length: | 37:06 | |
Personnel
edit- Josh Kaufman – producer
- Adam Ayan – mastering
- Daniel James Goodwin – mixing (track 1), engineering (tracks 1, 4–10)
- Rich Costey – mixing, engineering (tracks 2, 3)
- Peter Katis – mixing (tracks 4–10)
- Jeff Citron – engineering (tracks 2, 3)
References
edit- ^ a b c "Guster Return with First New Album in Five Years, Ooh La La". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ Album liner notes.
- ^ "'Ooh La La': Guster Confirms 1st New Album In 5 Years & Shares Singles". JamBase. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ White, Logan (February 28, 2024). "Guster announce first new album in 5 years + share new singles". Substream Magazine. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ Pearis, Bill. "Guster announce 2024 'We Also Have Eras' tour". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved March 31, 2024.