West of Eden is the debut studio album by the British band HMLTD. It was released on 7 February 2020 through Lucky Number Music.
| West of Eden | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 February 2020 | |||
| Genre | Art punk | |||
| Length | 49:20 | |||
| Label | Lucky Number Music | |||
| Producer | HMLTD, Rodaidh McDonald, Gianluca Buccellati | |||
| HMLTD chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from West of Eden | ||||
Five singles were released ahead of the album: "Death Drive", "LOADED", "The West Is Dead" co-written and produced by Gianluca Buccellati,[6] "Why?", and "Blank Slate".
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.3/10[7] |
| Metacritic | 73/100[8] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| DIY |   [9] |
| Loud and Quiet | 6/10[10] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[11] |
| The Guardian | [12] |
| Mojo | [7] |
| musicOMH | [13] |
| Q | [8] |
| The Quietus | 5/10[14] |
| Uncut | 7/10[8] |
| Paste Magazine | 8/10[15] |
West of Eden was well received by music critics upon release. On review aggregator website, Metacritic, West of Eden has an average critic score of 73 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews" based on nine critics. On AnyDecentMusic?, West of Eden has an average score of 7.3 out of 10 based on ten contemporary music critic scores. On Album of the Year, West of Eden has an average score of 82 out of 100 based on seven critics.
Nicoletta Wylde, writing for musicOMH, gave the album a perfect five star rating, describing West of Eden as an ode to millennial humour. Wylde states "One message is loud and clear in West Of Eden. ANGER. BILE. FIRE. MURDER. Because what is art without bile? Millennial humour is furious and surreal, driven by anti-depressants and anxiety. What we’ve got now is a world full of millennials that have grown up to make art about these injustices. HMLTD have done just that, focusing their trials and tribulations through a magnifying glass to burn us mere ants. And oh, how I love a bit of self-immolation."
Lizzie Manno, writing for Paste Magazine, gave West of Eden an 8 out of 10, describing the album as "an ambitious depiction of humanity's downfall". Delving into the conceptual elements of the record, Manno finds West of Eden as "[crowning] HMLTD as one of few bands with a serious claim to artistic vision and sonic uniqueness." Tristan Gatward, writing for Loud and Quiet magazine gave West of Eden a 6 out of 10, stating that "their patchwork labyrinthine stories are only mostly enthralling – the whole piece doesn't quite match the promises of full technicolour."
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The West Is Dead" | 3:03 |
| 2. | "LOADED" | 3:17 |
| 3. | "The Ballad of Calamity James" | 1:32 |
| 4. | "To the Door" | 3:19 |
| 5. | "Satan, Luella & I" | 6:29 |
| 6. | "Mikey's Song" | 3:37 |
| 7. | "Why?" | 2:38 |
| 8. | "149" (featuring Tallulah Eden) | 2:58 |
| 9. | "Joanna" | 2:22 |
| 10. | "Where's Joanna?" | 3:51 |
| 11. | "Death Drive" | 3:38 |
| 12. | "Nobody Stays in Love" | 3:28 |
| 13. | "MMXX A.D." | 0:49 |
| 14. | "Blank Slate" | 3:45 |
| 15. | "War Is Looming" | 4:35 |
| Total length: | 49:20 | |
Notes
- "Loaded" is stylised in all caps.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Whatley, Jack (9 November 2018). "HMLTD return with the powerful 'Death Drive'". Farout Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Murray, Robin (18 September 2019). "HMLTD Share New Single 'Loaded'". Clash. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (29 October 2019). "HMLTD announce debut album and share politically charged new single, 'The West Is Dead'". NME. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Kenneally, Cerys (5 December 2019). "HMLTD unveil foreboding new single "Why?"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ "HMLTD share new track 'Blank Slate'". DIY. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Bassett, Jordan (7 November 2019). "HMLTD on how it all went wrong: "Our label gave us parkas and said, 'You should appeal to people in the north of England'"". NME. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ a b "West Of Eden by HMLTD reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ a b c "West of Eden by HMLTD Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Cabré, Alex (7 February 2020). "HMLTD - West of Eden". DIY. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Gatward, Tristan (3 February 2020). "HMLTD - West of Eden". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Hamilton-Peach, Christopher (5 February 2020). "Sharp-witted and aesthetically committed, HMLTD come in from the cold". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Hann, Michael (7 February 2020). "HMLTD: West of Eden review – riotous rock and grand guignol glam". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Wylde, Nicoletta (7 February 2020). "HMLTD – West Of Eden". musicOMH. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Cashin, Cal (10 February 2020). "HMLTD - West of Eden". The Quietus. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- ^ Manno, Lizzie (18 February 2020). "HMLTD's West of Eden Is an Ambitious Depiction of Humanity's Downfall". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 1 March 2020.