Erotic Probiotic 2 is the debut album by American singer and record producer Marcus Brown under the alias Nourished by Time, released on April 21, 2023, through Scenic Route Records. It received acclaim from critics, being ranked on several lists of the best albums of 2023.
| Erotic Probiotic 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Nourished by Time | ||||
| Released | April 21, 2023 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 34:13 | |||
| Label | Scenic Route | |||
| Producer | Marcus Brown | |||
| Nourished by Time chronology | ||||
| ||||
Recording
editBrown recorded the album in his parents' basement in Baltimore.[1]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Guardian |  [2] |
| Pitchfork | 8.2/10[3] |
Pitchfork named it "Best New Music", with the site's Stephen Kearse describing it as playing like "a sampler of a time-warped '80s that took place entirely in Brown's head" as well as "freestyle through a buoyant, time-warped haze" and "both captivating and elusive".[3] Exclaim!'s staff named it a pick upon release and called it "a wonderland, a lushly and unselfconsciously rendered world of deep blues and purples" with Brown combining "glittery freestyle, lean post-punk and sweeping Blue Nile-esque sophistipop into his own potent blend".[4] Chris Richards of The Washington Post described it as a "strange and superb debut album" influenced by "early '90s R&B, the outsider pop of Arthur Russell, house music, club music, his studies at Berklee College of Music and the singular weirdo ambiance of Baltimore itself".[1] Laura Snapes of The Guardian wrote that the album's "themes of sex, socialism and subjugation hit hard but never weigh heavy, couched in fuzzily buoyant, earwormy choruses that are almost as affirming as classic Lionel Richie or Barry White refrains."[2]
Pitchfork ranked it the fifth best album of 2023.[5] Paste ranked it the 17th best album of 2023, writing that its "blend of '90s R&B and '80s freestyle is so impressive because it appears to have arrived fully formed. For such a bare-bones operation, its fruits overwhelm".[6] Gorilla vs. Bear ranked it the best album of 2023, calling it "a refreshing, genre-defying outlier" that "sounds like no one but Nourished by Time, as Brown conjures a magical, one-of-a-kind modern synthesis of '90s R&B, '80s freestyle, bedroom pop, and soul that transcends any and all of his myriad influences".[7]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Quantum Suicide" | 3:45 |
| 2. | "Shed That Fear" | 3:23 |
| 3. | "Daddy" | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Interlude" | 0:58 |
| 5. | "The Fields" | 3:52 |
| 6. | "Rain Water Promise" | 5:07 |
| 7. | "Soap Party" | 5:43 |
| 8. | "Workers Interlude" | 2:11 |
| 9. | "Unbreak My Love" | 5:08 |
| Total length: | 34:13 | |
References
edit- ^ a b Richards, Chris (October 30, 2023). "Nourished by Time is taking R&B to unexpected altitudes". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Amin, Tayyab; Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Petridis, Alexis; Ahmed, Aneesa; Phillips, Stephanie; Cragg, Michael; Snapes, Laura; Simpson, Dave; Mistlin, Sasha (December 25, 2023). "The five-star albums we missed in 2023 – from Jane Remover to Jalen Ngonda". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
- ^ a b Kearse, Stephen (May 4, 2023). "Nourished by Time: Erotic Probiotic 2 Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
- ^ Bell, Kaelen (May 9, 2023). "Exclaim!'s Staff Picks: Nourished by Time's Erotic Probiotic 2 Does a Body Good". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
- ^ Larson, Jeremy D. (December 5, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
- ^ Soutar, Elise (November 27, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". Paste. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
- ^ Cantalini, Chris (November 30, 2023). "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2023". Gorilla vs. Bear. Retrieved December 2, 2023.