Major Arcana is the debut full-length studio album from the indie rock group Speedy Ortiz. It was released on July 9, 2013, by Carpark Records.
| Major Arcana | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 9, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, noise pop, alternative rock, grunge | |||
| Length | 34:30 | |||
| Label |  Carpark Records | |||
| Producer | Justin Pizzoferrato | |||
| Speedy Ortiz chronology | ||||
| ||||
Reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 81/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [2] |
| The A.V. Club | A-[3] |
| Consequence of Sound | [4] |
| Pitchfork Media | (8.4/10)[5] |
| PopMatters |   [6] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
Major Arcana has received critical acclaim. The album has a score of 81 out of 100 on the review aggregate site Metacritic, based on 16 reviews.[1]
Pitchfork Media's Lindsay Zoladz gave the album a Best New Album designation, claiming that frontwoman Sadie Dupuis "writ[es] lyrics that are actually worth poring over".[5] David Brusie of The A.V. Club also praised the album, writing "a markedly assured debut, one that makes Speedy Ortiz an act to watch".[3] Consequence of Sound's Katherine Flynn called the album "strong, punchy musical concentrate".[4] Robin Smith of PopMatters described "its angular, moody ‘90s feel conjures the image of an overgrown punk hanging around a playground at night, drinking, smoking, wasting".[6]
Pitchfork Media ranked Major Arcana #48 on its list of the top 50 albums of 2013, writing: "Speedy Ortiz strains the strangled chords and corkscrew interplay of 90s guitar heroes [...] into jaggedly axed anthem".[8] The album was listed 31st on Stereogum's list of top 50 albums of 2013.[9]
The song "No Below" was featured in the 2017 Square Enix/Deck Nine game Life Is Strange: Before the Storm.
Track listing
editAll songs by Speedy Ortiz.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pioneer Spine" | 3:37 |
| 2. | "Tiger Tank" | 2:46 |
| 3. | "Hitch" | 2:35 |
| 4. | "Casper (1995)" | 2:48 |
| 5. | "No Below" | 3:44 |
| 6. | "Gary" | 3:26 |
| 7. | "Fun" | 2:05 |
| 8. | "Cash Cab" | 3:35 |
| 9. | "Plough" | 2:53 |
| 10. | "MKVI" | 7:08 |
| Total length: | 34:30 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Speedy Ortiz" | 2:17 |
Charts
edit| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Heatseekers[10] | 30 |
References
edit- ^ a b Critic Reviews for Major Arcana. Metacritic. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ Lymangrover, Jason. Major Arcana - Speedy Ortiz. Allmusic. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ a b Brusie, David. Speedy Ortiz: Major Arcana. The A.V. Club. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ a b Flynn, Katherine. Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana. Consequence of Sound. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ a b Zoladz, Lindsay. Speedy Ortiz: Major Arcana. Pitchfork Media. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ a b Smith, Robin. Speedy Ortiz: Major Arcana. PopMatters. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ Powell, Mike. Speedy Ortiz, 'Major Arcana'. Rolling Stone. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ The Top 50 Albums of 2013. Pitchfork Media. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ The 50 Best Albums of 2013 - Stereogum. Stereogum. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
- ^ "Major Arcana - Speedy Ortiz Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 January 2014.