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Romance Is Boring

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Romance Is Boring is the third studio album by Welsh indie pop band Los Campesinos!, released on 26 January 2010 via Wichita and Arts & Crafts. Produced by John Goodmanson, the album's maximalist production, unconventional structure and particularly demoralising themes marked a departure from the band's previous twee pop sound.

Romance Is Boring
A person's legs dangling from a mattress, with their left leg bleeding.
Studio album by
Los Campesinos!
Released26 January 2010
RecordedFebruary–June 2009
Studio
Genre
Length48:22
Label
ProducerJohn Goodmanson
Los Campesinos! chronology
We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed
(2008) 		Romance Is Boring
(2010) 		All's Well That Ends
(2010)
Singles from Romance Is Boring
  1. "There Are Listed Buildings"
    Released: 2 November 2009
  2. "Romance Is Boring"
    Released: 15 February 2010

Following the release of their first two studio albums in 2008, Los Campesinos! began an extensive touring circuit across North America as their following grew. They recorded Romance Is Boring in Connecticut and Seattle in early 2009, experimenting with brass instruments for the first time to create a complex soundscape. Frontman Gareth Paisey describes the album as lyrically focusing on "the death and decay of the human body, sex, lost love, mental breakdown, football and, ultimately, that there probably isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel".[1]

Romance Is Boring was preceded by the promotional singles "The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of the Future" in September 2009, and "There Are Listed Buildings" in November. Upon release in January 2010, the record peaked at number 92 on the UK Albums Chart and received widespread critical acclaim, appearing on the annual lists of music publications including DIY and The Line of Best Fit. Four of its tracks would later be reworked on the band's All's Well That Ends EP (2010). Romance Is Boring remains one of the most highly regarded albums in the band's catalogue.

Background

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Los Campesinos! released both their first studio albums, Hold on Now, Youngster... and We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, in 2008, and "started amassing a devout fanbase".[2] In 2009, they performed a 21-show tour across North America alongside punk band Titus Adronicus,[3] and began to play at bigger venues including at the music festivals Lollapalooza and Coachella in the same year.[4]

After recording of Romance Is Boring had finished, founding keyboardist Aleksandra Berditchevskaia announced she would be amicably leaving the band in August 2009 to continue her studies.[5] She was replaced by Kim Paisey, the sister of frontman Gareth, in September.[6]

Composition

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Music and production

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Romance Is Boring was produced by John Goodmanson, who previously worked with the band on We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. The album was recorded in the United States from January to June 2009 in two studios: Carriage House in Stamford, Connecticut, and Two Sticks Audio in Seattle, Washington.[2] It was mixed at Monnow Valley in Rockfield, Wales.[7]

 
Band violinist Harriet Coleman contributed string arrangements, adding to the album's maximalist sound.

Lead guitarist Tom Bromley said the creative process for Romance Is Boring would often begin with him recording a demo and sending it to the six other members– specifically, frontman Gareth Paisey to create vocal ideas, and violinist Harriet Coleman to tinker with string arrangements.[7] It is the first album by Los Campesinos! to feature brass instruments.

Romance Is Boring showcases a significant expansion in the band's sound compared to their previous releases. A maximalist album, it is characterised by "densely-knotted and gnashing layers of instrumentation".[2] It also remains their longest work, with the track listing split into three distinctive acts.[2] Going into production, Gareth Paisey said it was the first time the band had attempted to create a cohesive, full album with running musical and lyrical themes.[8]

The purpose was to have verses develop and be different each time and to give the songs as a whole a number of dimensions that will reveal themselves slowly through repeated listens.

— Tom Bromley[7]

Jordan Sargent of PopMatters said the album "represents how sonic exploration can actually go right".[9] Writing for NME, Lisa Wright said the album is "incredibly structurally cohesive" and "blows anything they’ve previously released out of the water in terms of textural intricacy, technical prowess and general experimentation".[10] Rob Hakimian of The Line of Best Fit continued, that despite the "when the verses are in-your-face and unhospitable, the songs glide into beautifully anthemic choruses, where the melodies shine clear and bright".[2]

When speaking of his influences for the album, Bromley cited Pavement, Guided by Voices, Blur and Modest Mouse.[11] The album features guest appearances from Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, Zac Pennington of Parenthetical Girls, and Jherek Bischoff of the Dead Science.[7]

Lyricism

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The album's lyrics are written from the perspective of frontman Gareth Paisey.

When writing Romance Is Boring, Paisey began by writing in prose before turning his words into songs. He wrote several songs, like the title track, at the last minute while the band was recording.[2] The album's central themes include death, football, beer and sex. While the band's first two records dabbled with these concepts, Paisey reflected: "it’s the sex that really stands out from this collection of songs."[2]

As the narrator of each song, Paisey represents himself as an insecure, sexually frustrated and bitter man.[12] Writing for PopMatters, Evan Sawdey said that tracks occasionally detail "the build-up and deflation of one man’s fragile ego".[12] In interviews, Paisey admitted the joke was always on himself: "For the most part I’ve been the butt of the joke. I can’t think of many examples where it’s been the person that I’ve been singing about that has come out of the situation looking worse than me."[2]

The band cite author BS Johnson as one of their influences: the title of "Too Many Flesh Suppers", and lyrics from "Coda: A Burn Scar in the Shape of the Sooner State" and the title track are taken from a title of a poem, and from lines from his poem See the Old Lady Decently and novel Trawl (then Paisley's favourite novel) respectively.[13][14]

Release and promotion

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A promotional single for the album, "The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of the Future", was released on 9 September 2009.[6] A "slow-building, atmospherically-arranged epic about death", the track marked a sonic departure from their previous work.[2] It was named a Best New Track on Pitchfork, with critic Ryan Dombal calling the song "the work of a band, not a bunch of enthusiastic devotees".[15] The lead single, "There Are Listed Buildings", was issued on 2 November 2009,[16] when it was announced the band's third studio album, Romance Is Boring, would release on 1 February 2010.[17] Its cover art was designed by Cari Ann Wayman.[18] Three months before its official release, in December, the full album was leaked online.[19] Paisey wrote a statement on the band's blog talking of his disappointment and anger at the fact, saying: "It really feels like ripping something out of my chest".[20]

The album's title track was released as a 7" single on 15 February 2010. It was backed with "Too Many Flesh Suppers", an unreleased song Paisey described as "the biggest departure from anything [the band had] done before" and the "darkest thing [they had] ever recorded, sonically and lyrically."[21] The B-side was later released as a free download on the band's blog on 30 November 2010.[22]

From April 2010, the band embarked on a North American tour supporting the album. The following month, they played at several festivals across the United Kingdom,[23] before performing a second circuit across the United States in October.[24] While on tour, Paisey suffered from a mild concussion and sprained wrist after he leaped from the stage at the Summer Sundae.[25]

In July 2010, the band released All's Well That Ends, an extended play featuring reworked, acoustic versions of four songs from Romance Is Boring.[26]

2020 reissue

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In February 2020, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Romance Is Boring, Los Campesinos! digitally released a remastered edition of the album featuring "Too Many Flesh Suppers" as a bonus track.[27] The band also released an 86-page zine detailing the album's writing, recording and release.[28] Further, the band played two shows over Valentine's Day at the Islington Assembly Hall in London, where they performed the entire album in full.[29]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic75/100[30]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [31]
Clash8/10[32]
Consequence of Sound     [33]
DIY     [34]
Drowned in Sound8/10[35]
NME8/10[10]
Pitchfork8.3/10[36]
PopMatters9/10[37]
Spin     [38]
Under the Radar7/10[39]

The album debuted to widespread acclaim. According to Metacritic, the album has an average score of 75 based on the scores from 28 mainstream reviewers.[30]

Many music outlets claimed Romance Is Boring was the band's best album, or one that was a major improvement compared to their previous work. Calling it "an absolutely astounding album", Gareth O'Malley for DIY said it stands as "a rare example of a band that have improved with each release."[34] Tony Heywood of London magazine MusicOMH concluded "Romance Is Boring is a triumph, a glistening, breathless success", writing the band were "at the peak of their considerable powers".[40] Matt Latham for Set The Tape called the album "the crowning piece of their discography" and a "masterpiece of songwriting and rewarding repeated listens".[41]

Writing for Pitchfork, Paul Thompson praised Paisey's relatable and honest lyricism, and called it a matured release from the band. He particularly commended the album's production which displays sonic experimentation without cluttering the mix.[36] Jordan Sargent of PopMatters concluded that "Los Campesinos! have, in short time, found their sound."[37]

Other reviews were less positive, like British music magazine Uncut writing that "the band have beefed up their sound, at the expense of their spindly charm."[30] Tim Sendra of AllMusic gave Romance Is Boring a scathing review, calling it an "over-cooked, under-performing album that ultimately falls short of their first two efforts," calling Paisey's songwriting poor and his voice "annoying more often than charming".[31]

Legacy

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For the ten year anniversary of Romance Is Boring in 2020, several publications including The Line of Best Fit and PopMatters published retrospectives on the album. Writing for Getintothis, Matthew Eland claimed it remained "their most accomplished record" a decade on, and called the track "I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know" the group's best song.[42] On the remaster, Sawdey concluded: "It’s a remarkable achievement ... and it still stings a decade down the line".[43] Hakimian wrote that the record "set a path for what was to come in their music in the following years" – Paisey agreed, claiming that he finds Sick Scenes (2017) to be more similar to their 2010 output compared to their debut, Hold on Now, Youngster... (2008).[2] In 2020, Vulture described the album as the band's "most divisive".[44]

In 2020, Joe Goggins for The Skinny wrote that Romance Is Boring was a "unsung cornerstone of the emo revival" and a crucial contribution to the genre, citing its raw lyricism underrated beneath "oblique football references and the Heatonesque colloquialisms".[45]

Accolades

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Romance Is Boring was featured several times in various music publications' year-end lists. DIY placed the album at number 15 in their annual compilation,[46] and the publication's readers voted it in at number eight in a separate list.[47] Meanwhile, NME called Romance Is Boring one of 2010's most underrated albums.[48] It also featured in the lists of Consequence of Sound, Drowned in Sound and The Line of Best Fit.[49][50][51]

List of appearances on year-end lists
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Consequence of Sound Top 100 Albums of 2010
89
[49]
Top 35 Albums to Buy In 2010 —
[52]
DIY Albums of the Year
15
[46]
Readers' Album of the Year
8
[47]
Drowned in Sound Albums of The Year 2010
32
[50]
The Line of Best Fit Albums of 2010
12
[51]
NME Most Underrated Albums of 2010 —
[48]
Sputnikmusic Top 50 Albums of 2010
34
[53]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Gareth Paisey; tracks 4 and 11 co-written by Aleksandra Berditchevskaia.

Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."In Medias Res"4:42
2."There Are Listed Buildings"2:54
3."Romance Is Boring"2:35
4."We've Got Your Back (Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #2)"4:29
5."(Plan A)"2:02
6."200–102"0:53
7."Straight in at 101"3:55
8."Who Fell Asleep In"4:11
9."I Warned You: Do Not Make an Enemy of Me"2:47
10."Heart Swells/100–1"0:46
11."I Just Sighed. I Just Sighed, Just So You Know"4:38
12."A Heat Rash in the Shape of the Show Me State; or, Letters from Me to Charlotte"3:43
13."The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of the Future"4:24
14."This Is a Flag. There Is No Wind"3:28
15."Coda: A Burn Scar in the Shape of the Sooner State"2:52
Total length:48:14
Remastered edition
No.TitleLength
16."Too Many Flesh Suppers"4:49
Total length:53:15

Personnel

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Credits are reflective of liner notes.

Musicians

Additional personnel

  • John Goodmanson – recording, mixing, producer
  • Eric Corson – engineering
  • Michael Lerner – engineering
  • Jackson Long – engineering
  • Tom Manning – assistant
  • Guy Davie – mastering
  • Anna Wayman – cover images

Charts

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Weekly chart performance for Romance Is Boring
Charts (2010) Peak
position 		Ref.
UK Albums Chart
92
[54]
US Top Heatseekers
3
[55]
US Top Independent
28
[citation needed]

Release history

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List of release dates and formats for Romance Is Boring
Date Country Label Catalogue
26 January 2010 United States, Canada Arts & Crafts A&C050
1 February 2010 United Kingdom Wichita WEBB239
3 February 2010 Japan Hostess N/A

References

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  1. ^ Paisey, Gareth (14 February 2020). "Los Campesinos! take us through 'Romance Is Boring'". DIY. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hakimian, Rob (25 February 2020). "Revisiting Los Campesinos' Romance is Boring ten years on". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  3. ^ Phillips, Amy (11 November 2008). "Los Campesinos! and Titus Andronicus to Tour Together". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  4. ^ Marchese, David (8 April 2010). "Breaking Out: Los Campesinos!". Spin. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Los Campesinos! Girl Nicks Off". The Quietus. 2 June 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  6. ^ a b Dombal, Ryan (23 September 2009). "Los Campesinos! Recruit New Member". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d "Los Campesinos! on Recording Romance Is Boring". EQ Magazine. 26 October 2009. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  8. ^ Lawrenson, James (26 November 2009). "2010 Preview: 'Death and football' Los Campesinos! new record". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  9. ^ Sargent, Jordan (25 January 2010). "Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring". PopMatters. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  10. ^ a b Mackay, Emily (1 February 2010). "Album review: Los Campesinos! – 'Romance Is Boring' (Wichita)". NME. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  11. ^ Hughes, Rich (27 January 2010). "The 12 Records that Influenced Romance Is Boring by Los Campesinos!". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  12. ^ a b Sawdey, Evan (16 March 2020). "Los Campesinos! 'Romance Is Boring' Holds Up a Decade Later". PopMatters. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  13. ^ "Los Campesinos! Talk "Dark" New Album". Pitchfork. 27 May 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  14. ^ "Los Campesinos! take us through Romance is Boring, Track by Track". DIYMag. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  15. ^ Dombal, Ryan (20 September 2009). "Los Campesinos!: 'The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of the Future'". Pitchfork. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  16. ^ Dombal, Ryan (2 October 2009). "Listen: New Los Campesinos! Single". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  17. ^ Fullerton, Jamie (26 October 2009). "Los Campesinos! announce new album title and tracklisting". NME. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  18. ^ Dombal, Ryan (24 November 2009). "Los Campesinos! Reveal Bloody LP Art". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  19. ^ Clarke, Helen (25 February 2010). "Los Campesinos! @ Koko, London". MusicOMH. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  20. ^ Murphy, Celina (19 February 2010). "Carry On Campesinos". Hot Press. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  21. ^ Dombal, Ryan (27 May 2009). "Los Campesinos! Talk 'Dark' New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  22. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (30 November 2010). "'Too Many Flesh Suppers'". Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  23. ^ Dombal, Ryan (20 April 2010). "Los Campesinos! Re-Route North American Tour Due to Volcano". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  24. ^ Dombal, Ryan (24 August 2010). "Los Campesinos! Announce Fall Tour". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  25. ^ Michaels, Sean (17 August 2010). "Los Campesinos! singer injured in stage dive". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  26. ^ Breihan, Tom (13 July 2010). "New Release: Los Campesinos!: All's Well That Ends EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  27. ^ "Romance Is Boring (Remastered), by Los Campesinos!". Bandcamp. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  28. ^ Gwee, Karen (26 September 2019). "Los Campesinos! to mark 'Romance Is Boring' 10th anniversary with reissue and London shows". NME. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  29. ^ "Los Campesinos! Announce Romance Is Boring 10th Anniversary Reissue + Two London Shows". Wichita Recordings. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  30. ^ a b c "Los Campesinos!:Romance Is Boring (2010):Reviews". Metacritic. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  31. ^ a b Sendra, Tim. "Romance Is Boring Review by Tim Sendra". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  32. ^ Hollowday, Anne (22 January 2010). "Los Campesinos! – Romance Is Boring". Clash. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  33. ^ Cosores, Philip (1 February 2010). "Album Review: Los Campesinos! – Romance Is Boring". Consequence. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  34. ^ a b O'Malley, Gareth (26 January 2010). "Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring". DIY. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  35. ^ Jay-Catling, Simon. "Los Campesinos! – Romance is Boring". Drowned In Sound. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  36. ^ a b Thompson, Paul (1 February 2010). "Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  37. ^ a b Sargent, Jordan (25 February 2010). "Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring". PopMatters. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  38. ^ Modell, Josh (23 December 2009). "Reviews: Los Campesinos!, 'Romance Is Boring'". Spin. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  39. ^ Rytlewski, Evan (28 January 2010). "Issue #29 - Year End 2009 - Best of the DecadeLos Campesinos!". Under the Radar. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  40. ^ Heywood, Tony (1 February 2010). "Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring Album Reviews". MusicOMH. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  41. ^ Latham, Matt (12 February 2020). "Los Campesinos! – Romance is Boring". Set The Tape. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  42. ^ Eland, Matthew (6 February 2020). "Romance Is Boring: ten years of Los Campesinos' miserablist classic". Getintothis. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  43. ^ Sawdey, Evan (16 March 2020). "Los Campesinos! 'Romance Is Boring' Holds Up A Decade Later". PopMatters. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  44. ^ Cohen, Ian; Anthony, David; Corcoran, Nina; Garland, Emma; Nelson, Brad (13 February 2020). "The 100 Greatest Emo Songs of All Time". Vulture. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  45. ^ Goggins, Joe (7 February 2020). "Romance Is Boring at 10: Los Campesinos' Lost Emo Legacy". The Skinny. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  46. ^ a b "DIY's 50 Albums of the Year 2010". DIY. 17 December 2010. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  47. ^ a b "Readers' Album Of The Year 2010: The Result". DIY. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  48. ^ a b Snapes, Laura (3 December 2010). "Most Underrated Albums Of 2010 – What's Yours?". NME. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  49. ^ a b Marvilli, Joe (17 December 2010). "CoS Year-End Report: The Top 100 Albums of 2010". Consequence. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  50. ^ a b Adams, Sean (2 December 2010). "Drowned in Sound's albums of the year 2010: 50–11". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  51. ^ a b "Albums of 2010". The Line of Best Fit. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  52. ^ Young, Alex (5 January 2010). "The Top 35 Albums to Buy in 2010". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  53. ^ Spencer, Trey (2 January 2011). "Top 50 Albums of 2010: 50 – 31". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  54. ^ "Romance is Boring – Los Campesinos". Official Charts Company. 13 February 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  55. ^ "Top Heatseekers for the 2/13/2010 issue". Reuters. 6 February 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
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