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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 23, 2018 | |||
| Studio | Sound Emporium (Nashville, Tennessee)[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:18 | |||
| Label | Yep Roc | |||
| Producer | Grant-Lee Phillips | |||
| Grant-Lee Phillips chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.3/10[4] |
| Metacritic | 78/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Classic Rock | [6] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[7] |
| The Skinny | [8] |
Production
editThe 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
editWiddershins 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
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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
editMusicians
- 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
edit- ^ a b c "New Release and Video for Grant-Lee Phillips". Folk Radio UK. January 10, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "Album of the Year Review". Album of the Year. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ a b c Deming, Mark. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ "AnyDecentMusic? Review". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ a b Roberts, Chris (February 1, 2018). "Classic Rock Review". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Wild, Pete (February 20, 2018). "The Skinny Review". The Skinny. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ Niesel, Jeff (March 8, 2018). "Grant-Lee Phillips' New Album Offers a Commentary on the Current Political Climate". Clevescene. Retrieved September 13, 2020.