A French Kiss in the Chaos is the second album by Reverend and the Makers, which was released on 27 July 2009. The album's first single was "Silence is Talking" released on 20 July 2009, and the second album single "No Soap (in a Dirty War)" was released on 14 September 2009. Some of the other songs on the album such as "The End" and "Hidden Persuaders" were debuted live on Oasis' Dig Out Your Soul Tour when the band was supporting them along with Kasabian and The Enemy, most notably at the Wembley Stadium 3 night run.
| A French Kiss in the Chaos | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 July 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–2009 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 39:35 | |||
| Label | Wall of Sound | |||
| Reverend and the Makers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from A French Kiss in the Chaos | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| NME | (6/10) |
| Drowned in Sound | (4/10) link |
| Planet Sound | (7/10)[1] |
| AllMusic |    link |
Reception
editThe album has received mixed reviews from critics, notably Metacritic which currently holds the album at 58/100 based on 7 critical reviews.[2] The BBC also gave the album a mixed review, claiming that the album is an "accomplished indie album" if only its maker didn't need to resort to "hackneyed generalisations about the media having 'license to print lies as facts' and ridiculous alliteration like 'Professor Pickles prescribing me Prozac pills'".[3]
The Guardian backed this review up by stating other than "the galloping "Hidden Persuaders" and the funk groove of "No Wood Just Trees", this fails to excite."[4]
However, Contact Music stated the album was "decent" and stated the first single "Silence is Talking" rivals that of the band's breakthrough single Heavyweight Champion of the World and the album's finale, "Hard Time for Dreamers" was "breathtaking" and its greatness was "undeniable".[5]
Also, The Telegraph was extremely complimentary about the album, suggesting the album is a "cross between the arch cleverness of Blur and crowd pleasing instincts of Oasis". The newspaper awarded the album 3/5 stars.[6]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Jon McClure
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Silence is Talking" | 5:41 |
| 2. | "Hidden Persuaders" | 4:02 |
| 3. | "No Wood Just Trees" | 3:33 |
| 4. | "Professor Pickles" | 2:58 |
| 5. | "Long Long Time" | 2:35 |
| 6. | "No Soap (in a Dirty War)" | 4:08 |
| 7. | "Manifesto / People Shapers" | 5:36 |
| 8. | "Mermaids" | 3:11 |
| 9. | "The End" | 3:54 |
| 10. | "Hard Time for Dreamers" | 4:22 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Bird of Prey" | 3:33 |
| 12. | "More Than Yourself" | 3:30 |
Charts
edit| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[7] | 40 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 19 |
References
edit- ^ Earls, John. "Review: Reverend and the Makers/A French Kiss in the Chaos". Teletext. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ^ "A French Kiss in the Chaos Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". .metacritic.com. 27 July 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ "Music – Review of Reverend and The Makers – A French Kiss in the Chaos". BBC. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ Toms, Katie (26 July 2009). "Reverend and The Makers, A French Kiss in the Chaos". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
- ^ "Reverend and the Makers | A French Kiss in the Chaos Album Review". Contactmusic.com. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
- ^ McCormick, Neil (28 July 2009). "Reverend & The Makers: a French Kiss in the Chaos, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2023.