Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? is the debut album by American poet and singer-songwriter Kara Jackson, who formerly served as the U.S. National Youth Poet Laureate from 2019 to 2020. It was released on April 14, 2023, through September Recordings.
| Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 14, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Folk[1] | |||
| Length | 52:01 | |||
| Label | September | |||
| Producer |
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| Kara Jackson chronology | ||||
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Background and recording
editWorking in her childhood bedroom, Kara Jackson began demoing Why's songs during the early COVID-19 lockdowns. Kaina, NNAMDÏ, and Sen Morimoto would later join as co-producers to help re-record them for the album.[1]
Why's first single "no fun/party" was released on October 20, 2022. It was Jackson's first new music since the release of her EP A Song for Every Chamber of the Heart in 2019.[2]
Reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 90/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Exclaim! | 9/10[5] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[6] |
| Loud and Quiet | 8/10[7] |
| Paste | 8.0/10[8] |
| Pitchfork | 8.2/10[9] |
Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? received a score of 90 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 4 critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[3]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Marcy Donelson compared it favourably to Jackson's previous releases by noting that her, "spare acoustic-guitar outing, even though the EP garnered positive attention for its blunt observations and turns of phrase as well as Jackson's husky, authoritative voice, it may have done little to prepare the music world for the stark theatricality and poignancy of her first album" which Donelson later described as, "Parts Daniel Johnston and avant-cabaret show."[4] Noah Ciubotaru praised the album's lyricisim in a review for Exclaim! by writing that, "Jackson doesn't furnish that verb with an object. The act of choosing is what's of significance — what counters the downward spiral of heartbreak — and this contemplation of preference, agency, and desire courses through Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?"[5] Concluding the review for Loud and Quiet, Susan Darlington called the album, "A collection of songs about love and relationships, the album is also about self-discovery. She’s not far wrong when she has the revelation that, “I am pretty top-notch."[7]
Devon Chodzin reviewed the album for Paste, describing it as, "not 'raw,' at least not in the sense that the writing is unrefined or off-the-cuff. Instead, that distinction comes through how the listener is made to feel listening to Jackson’s cosmic country jams."[8] In Pitchfork, Mary Retta wrote, "The music is neither sweet nor loving; many of the songs are harsh and disorienting, probing and uncomfortable. Where others might posit that it’s better to have loved and lost, Jackson argues that love is loss. Her storytelling is masterful, filled with earnest lyricism and a knack for arresting imagery."[9]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Kara Jackson, Kaina Castillo, Sen Morimoto and Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, except "Pawnshop" by Jackson, Castillo and Morimoto
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Recognized" | 1:02 |
| 2. | "No Fun/Party" | 5:56 |
| 3. | "Dickhead Blues" | 5:25 |
| 4. | "Therapy" | 1:17 |
| 5. | "Pawnshop" | 2:38 |
| 6. | "Brain" | 3:39 |
| 7. | "Free" | 7:02 |
| 8. | "Lily" | 2:57 |
| 9. | "Rat" | 7:53 |
| 10. | "Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?" | 6:15 |
| 11. | "Curtains" | 5:55 |
| 12. | "Recognize Reprise" | 0:49 |
| 13. | "Liquor" | 1:13 |
| Total length: | 52:01 | |
Personnel
editMusicians
- Kara Jackson – vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (2, 4–12), piano (1, 12), banjo (2), guitar (2–11, 13)
- Kaina Castillo – backing vocals (4, 8–12); synths (7), programming (7, 12)
- Sen Morimoto – backing vocals (4, 7–12); additional piano (1, 12), piano (2, 3, 5–11), bass (2, 4), electric guitar (2, 4, 6, 9), Wurlitzer (3), strings (3, 8, 10), percussion (4, 7, 9), organ (5, 6, 9, 11, 13), soprano saxophone (7), synths (7), programming (7, 9, 12), saxophone (8), horns (10)
- Nnamdi Ogbonnaya – backing vocals (2, 4, 8–12); xylophone (3), bass (3, 4, 8–11), strings (3, 8), drums (3, 10), bells (3, 11), 12 string guitar (4), percussion (4–6), synths/programming (8)
- Macie Stewart – violin (2, 7, 9)
- Nick Levine – slide guitar (5, 6)
- Forrest Jackson – vocal interlude (3), trombone (8)
- Elsz – harp (7)
Technical
- Jason Agel – mixing
- Heba Kadry – mastering
References
edit- ^ a b Julious, Britt (March 29, 2023). "Kara Jackson's Mournful, Joyful, Unapologetic Guitar-Ass Music". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Farrell, Margaret (October 20, 2022). "Kara Jackson Showcases Her Devastatingly Potent Songwriting on "no fun/party"". FLOOD Magazine. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b "Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? by Kara Jackson Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ a b Donelson, Marcy (April 12, 2023). "Kara Jackson – 'Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?' Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Ciubotaru, Noah (April 12, 2023). "Kara Jackson Asks the Big Questions on 'Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?' | Exclaim!". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Scadgell, Amy (April 14, 2023). "Kara Jackson asks an impossible question so very beautifully with Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? | The Line of Best Fit". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Darlington, Susan (April 10, 2023). "Kara Jackson – Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? | Loud and Quiet". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Chodzin, Devon (April 13, 2023). "Kara Jackson Asks Big Questions Through Bold Production on Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love Prove Captivating". Paste. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^ a b Retta, Mary (April 17, 2023). "Kara Jackson: Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? Album Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
External links
edit- Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love? at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
