Modern Fiction is the debut full-length album by Canadian indie rock duo Ducks Ltd. The album received positive reviews from critics.
| Modern Fiction | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 1, 2021 | |||
| Genre | Jangle pop[1] | |||
| Length | 29:46 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Carpark | |||
| Ducks Ltd. chronology | ||||
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Reception
editAccording to the review aggregator Metacritic, Modern Fiction received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[2]
Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Fred Thomas writing that this album is a "mission statement" that builds on a jangle pop but the band "injects their own perspectives—both lyrical and compositional—into Modern Fiction, giving the songs personal angles and emotional color that place them very much in the now".[3] Exclaim!'s Alex Hudson rated this release a 9 out of 10, stating that the album's songs range from "very good" to "sublime" and that the duo have worked their sound into "a flawless science".[1] Ben Lynch of The Line of Best Fit rated this release a 7 out of 10, calling it "an invigorating and intensely rewarding release" that mixes happy and sad emotions, with "a consistent, latent sense of melancholy".[4] At No Ripcord, Juan Edgardo Rodriguez scored Modern Fiction an 8 out of 10, comparing the music to Georgie Best and exhorting listeners to "let their addictive mechanical drum beats and effervescent melodies shake off those bittersweet thoughts".[5] Mike Goldsmith scored this work 3 out of 5 stars for Record Collector, calling it "more than the sum of its parts" for combining several decades-old points of reference with complex lyrics.[6] Editors at Spill Magazine chose this as a pick and critic Ljubinko Zivkovic rated it 9 out of 10, summing up that "McGreevy and Lewis seem to have both the songwriting, singing, and instrumental touch to make such a sound really work", resulting in "excellent stuff.[7]
Track listing
editAll songs written by Evan Lewis and Tom McGreevy.
- "How Lonely Are You?" – 2:58
- "Old Times" – 2:29
- "18 Cigarettes" – 3:13
- "Under the Rolling Moon" – 3:26
- "Fit to Burst" – 2:44
- "Patience Wearing Thin" – 1:37
- "Always There" – 3:00
- "Sullen Leering Hope" – 3:32
- "'Twere Ever Thus" – 2:55
- "Grand Final Day" – 3:47
Personnel
editDucks Ltd.
- Evan Lewis – instrumentation, vocals, artwork
- Tom McGreevey – instrumentation, vocals
Additional personnel
- The Beths – backing vocals on "How Lonely Are You?", "Under the Rolling Moon", and "Always There"
- James Cecil – mixing at Super Melody World, Kerrie, Vic
- Paul Elrichman – string arrangement
- Aaron Goldstein – pedal steel on "Patience Wearing Thin"
- Esther Henderson – violins on "Fit to Burst", "Always There", "Sullen Leering Hope", "'Twere Ever Thus", and "Grand Final Day"
- Joe Lambert – mastering
- Eliza Niemi – cello on "18 Cigarettes"
- Natasha Prewitt – cello on "Fit to Burst", "Always There", "Sullen Leering Hope", "'Twere Ever Thus", and "Grand Final Day"
- Linnea Siggelkow – backing vocals on "Old Times", "'Twere Ever Thus", and "Grand Final Day"
- Carrie Webster – violin and viola on "Fit to Burst", "Always There", "Sullen Leering Hope", "'Twere Ever Thus", and "Grand Final Day"
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Hudson, Alex (September 4, 2021). "Ducks Ltd. Crack the Jangle Pop Code on 'Modern Fiction'". Exclaim!. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ "Modern Fiction by Ducks Ltd. Reviews and Tracks – Metacritic". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. n.d. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Fred (n.d.). "Ducks Ltd. – Modern Fiction". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ Lynch, Ben (September 29, 2021). "Modern Fiction is a meticulous balancing of the morbid and the joyful by Ducks Ltd". Album Reviews. The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ Rodriguez, Juan Edgardo (November 16, 2021). "Ducks Ltd.: Modern Fiction". No Ripcord. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ Goldsmith, Mike (December 2021). "New Albums". Reviews. Record Collector. No. 525. p. 112. ISSN 0261-250X.
- ^ Zivkovic, Ljubinko (October 1, 2021). "Spill Album Review: Ducks Ltd. – Modern Fiction". Album Reviews. Spill Magazine. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
External links
edit- Modern Fiction at Discogs (list of releases)
- Modern Fiction at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
- Interview with McGreevy
