Inner Song is the second studio album by Welsh electronic musician Kelly Lee Owens. It was released through Smalltown Supersound on 28 August 2020.[1] It features a collaboration with Welsh musician John Cale.[2]
Inner Song | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 28 August 2020 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 49:56 | |||
Label | Smalltown Supersound | |||
Producer |
| |||
Kelly Lee Owens chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Inner Song | ||||
|
Background
editInner Song was first announced on 25 February 2020 alongside a release of the album's lead single, "Melt!".[3] Owens wrote and recorded the album after what she considered to be the hardest three years of her life.[4] Originally, the album was scheduled to be released on 1 May 2020,[5] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release date was pushed back to 28 August 2020.[1] The album's name is borrowed from a 1974 album by Alan Silva.[4]
The single "Corner of My Sky" features vocals from John Cale in both English and Welsh.[6] Owens explained her collaboration with Cale and the inclusion of the Welsh language was a means to connect with her Welsh heritage.[6] Cale noted that his ability to conjure Welsh phrases was a "surprise since I hadn't written in Welsh for decades".[7]
The album also features a cover of the song "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" from the 2007 Radiohead album In Rainbows.[8]
Some vinyl editions of the album include a hidden bonus track, titled "My Own", which was released as a Bandcamp exclusive track in March 2021.[9]
Composition
editInner Song is a techno-pop,[10] dream pop,[11] ambient techno,[12] tech house,[13] downtempo,[14] ethereal pop,[12] electronic pop,[15] and progressive house[16] album with elements of trip hop,[14] bedroom pop,[17] industrial techno,[17] R&B,[18] electro,[19] experimental,[20] psychedelic,[20] minimalism[21] and avant-garde.[22]
Critical reception
editAggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.1/10[23] |
Metacritic | 84/100[24] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
Clash | 8/10[20] |
Exclaim! | 8/10[25] |
The Independent | [26] |
The Line of Best Fit | 8.5/10[18] |
NME | [10] |
Paste | 8.6/10[11] |
Pitchfork | 7.7/10[8] |
Q | [27] |
Uncut | 8/10[28] |
The album was released to critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 84 based on fourteen reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[29]
Critics praised Owens for her ability to combine multiple genres in a single album. Paul Simpson of AllMusic noted how Owens "flip[s] from downtempo dream pop to spacy techno with ease," and compared her multi-genre approach to her debut album, Kelly Lee Owens.[14] Nathan Smith for Pitchfork writes that Owens is able to utilize multiple styles in the album as a result of "her unusual ability to join the physical with the emotional."[8] Writing for NME, Ben Jolley lauded the album as "perfectly-arranged" and described it as "an emotive-yet-euphoric collection that's made for late-night reflection, Kelly Lee Owens has made one of the most beautiful records of the year."[10]
Critics also praised Owens' vocals. Smith writes, "her vocals are as confident and captivating as her beats."[8] Greg Cochrane of Uncut praised the development and use of Owens' voice: "this time, when deployed, it's positioned centrally."[28]
Accolades
editPublication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 27
|
|
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 21
|
|
Under the Radar | Top 100 Albums of 2020 | 26
|
Track listing
editAll lyrics and vocal melodies written by Kelly Lee Owens; all music written by Kelly Lee Owens & James Greenwood, unless otherwise noted.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Arpeggi" | 4:45 | ||
2. | "On" | 5:57 | ||
3. | "Melt!" | 3:34 | ||
4. | "Re-Wild" | 3:42 | ||
5. | "Jeanette" | 6:14 | ||
6. | "L.I.N.E." | James Greenwood | 3:47 | |
7. | "Corner of My Sky" (featuring John Cale) | John Cale | 7:27 | |
8. | "Night" | 5:10 | ||
9. | "Flow" | 4:54 | ||
10. | "Wake-Up" | 4:26 | ||
Total length: | 49:56 |
Vinyl hidden track
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
11. | "My Own" | 3:11 |
Total length: | 53:07 |
Charts
editChart (2020) | Peak position |
---|---|
Scottish Albums (OCC)[33] | 44 |
UK Albums (OCC)[34] | 80 |
References
edit- ^ a b Bloom, Madison (24 March 2020). "Kelly Lee Owens Delays New Album Release Due to Coronavirus". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- ^ "Kelly Lee Owens delays album because of coronavirus". NME. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
- ^ "Kelly Lee Owens announces new album 'Inner Song'". Crack Magazine. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ a b Moreland, Quinn (25 February 2020). "Kelly Lee Owens Announces New Album, Shares Video for New Song "Melt!"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ Smith, Mark (25 February 2020). "Kelly Lee Owens' second album, Inner Song, is a product of 'the hardest three years' of her life". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
- ^ a b Jones, Damian (4 August 2020). "Listen to Kelly Lee Owens and John Cale collaborate on new single". NME. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ Shaffer, Claire (4 August 2020). "Kelly Lee Owens Collaborates With John Cale on 'Corner of My Sky'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Nathan (1 September 2020). "Kelly Lee Owens: Inner Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ^ "My Own (Bandcamp Exclusive), by Kelly Lee Owens". Kelly Lee Owens. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ a b c Jolley, Ben (27 August 2020). "Kelly Lee Owens – 'Inner Song' review: techno-pop for the head and heart". NME. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ a b Freedman, Max (27 August 2020). "Kelly Lee Owens Masters the Dream Pop-Techno Divide on Inner Song". Paste. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ a b Thomas, Katie. "Album Review: Inner Song". Crack. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ "Review: LP.8 by Kelly Lee Owens". Sputnik. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Inner Song - Kelly Lee Owens". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ Empire, Kitty (30 August 2020). "Kelly Lee Owens: Inner Song review – a DJ finds her voice". The Observer. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ Younis, Reef. "Inner Song Album Review". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ a b Radley, Blaise. "Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song Album Review". Under the Radar. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ a b Lilly, Evan. "Kelly Lee Owens continues to be ahead of the curve on a richly expansive second outing". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ Dedman, Todd (September 2020). "ALBUM REVIEW: KELLY LEE OWENS – INNER SONG". BPM. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ a b c Crowe, Josh (25 August 2020). "Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song". Clash. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ Goggins, Joe (26 August 2020). "Album Review: Inner Song - Kelly Lee Owens". Gigwise. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ King, Pat. "Kelly Lee Owens Soothes and Disorients on LP.8". Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ "Inner Song by Kelly Lee Owens reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ "Inner Song by Kelly Lee Owens Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ Sylvester, Daniel (25 August 2020). "Kelly Lee Owens's Emotional 'Inner Song' Is About the Journey, Not the Destination". Exclaim!. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ O'Conner, Roisin (28 August 2020). "Album reviews: Dua Lipa – Club Future Nostalgia, and Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song". The Independent. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ Segal, Victoria. "Multifaceted electronica from Welsh producer". Q. No. Summer 2020. p. 104.
- ^ a b Cochrane, Greg. "A second dose of celestial techno". Uncut. No. September 2020. p. 35.
- ^ "Kelly Lee Owens Music Profile". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
- ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (8 December 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2020". Stereogum. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ^ "Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2020". Under the Radar. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2020.