Widdershins is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Grant-Lee Phillips. It was released on February 23, 2018 under Yep Roc Records.[1]

Widdershins
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 23, 2018 (2018-02-23)
StudioSound Emporium (Nashville, Tennessee)[1]
Genre
Length41:18
LabelYep Roc
ProducerGrant-Lee Phillips
Grant-Lee Phillips chronology
The Narrows
(2016)
Widdershins
(2018)
Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff
(2020)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.3/10[4]
Metacritic78/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Classic Rock[6]
PopMatters8/10[7]
The Skinny[8]

Production

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The album was recorded over a four-day period at the Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, Tennessee.[1] It was mixed by Tucker Martine and engineered by Mike Stankiewicz.[9]

Critical reception

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Widdershins was met with "generally favorable" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 78, based on 8 reviews.[5] Aggregator Album of the Year gave the release a 78 out of 100 based on a critical consensus of 5 reviews.[2]

Mark Deming of AllMusic said the album "is full of joy and purpose, and Phillips has married them to a great set of hooky tunes with a folk-rock slant. He hasn't entirely abandoned the moody undertow that's always been a part of his music, but the unspoken message behind these songs is that this is not a time to brood, and Phillips has rarely sounded quite this lively and direct."[3] Chris Roberts from Classic Rock said: "Whether it’s sideways social comment blazing with guitars, or poignant self-reflection with undulating melodies, this showcases his soulful, vulnerable voice, which never fails to catch every colour in a song. Locating the sweet spot where spontaneity and polish meet, Widdershins swings in all the right directions."[6]

Track listing

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Widdershins track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Walk in Circles"3:32
2."Unruly Mobs"2:26
3."King of Catastrophes"3:13
4."Something's Gotta' Give"3:02
5."Scared Stiff"2:31
6."Miss Betsy"3:29
7."The Wilderness"3:25
8."Another, Another, Then Boom"2:56
9."Totally You Gunslinger"3:31
10."History Has Their Number"3:55
11."Great Acceleration"3:35
12."Liberation"3:03

Personnel

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Musicians

  • Grant-Lee Phillips – primary artist, guitar, vocals, producer
  • Jerry Roe – drums
  • Lex Price – bass

Production

  • Mike Stankiewicz – engineer
  • John Baldwin – mastering
  • Nathan Golub – design
  • Tucker Martine – mixing

References

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  1. ^ a b c "New Release and Video for Grant-Lee Phillips". Folk Radio UK. January 10, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Album of the Year Review". Album of the Year. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Deming, Mark. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  4. ^ "AnyDecentMusic? Review". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Roberts, Chris (February 1, 2018). "Classic Rock Review". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  7. ^ Rushbury, Ian (February 21, 2018). "Anarchy in the USA? Grant Lee Phillips Points the Finger at the Prez on 'Widdershins'". PopMatters. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  8. ^ Wild, Pete (February 20, 2018). "The Skinny Review". The Skinny. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  9. ^ Niesel, Jeff (March 8, 2018). "Grant-Lee Phillips' New Album Offers a Commentary on the Current Political Climate". Clevescene. Retrieved September 13, 2020.