Singing Saw (album)

Singing Saw
Studio album by Kevin Morby
Released April 15, 2016
Recorded 2015-2016 at Isokon Studios in Woodstock, New York
Genre
Length 43:25
Label Dead Oceans
Producer Sam Cohen
Kevin Morby chronology
Still Life
(2014)
Singing Saw
(2016)
Singles from Singing Saw
  1. "I Have Been to the Mountain"
    Released: February 9, 2016
  2. "Dorothy"
    Released: March 24, 2016
  3. "Destroyer"
    Released: April 13, 2016

Singing Saw is the third studio album by American indie rock musician Kevin Morby, released on April 15, 2016 on Dead Oceans.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic84/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Consequence of SoundB[4]
DIY[5]
Drowned in Sound8/10[6]
The Guardian[7]
musicOMH[8]
NME4/5[9]
Pitchfork8.3/10[10]
PopMatters[11]
Under the Radar8.5/10[12]
Sputnikmusic4.7/5[13]

Singing Saw received widespread critical acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 84, based on 13 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim ".[2]

Mark Richardson of Pitchfork Media praised the album, stating, "Singing Saw is his strongest album because it shows a process of refinement, and because Morby’s songwriting has become less referential and more grounded. The basic ingredients haven’t changed, but Morby is figuring out how to retain and amplify his strongest points—his weary and wise voice, his understanding of how the musical pieces fit together—and leave everything else behind. On his debut, Morby’s voice cracked in places, suggesting effort that transcended ability, but Singing Saw finds him cool and controlled at every turn, fully aware of his limitations but confident in what he can accomplish within them. His singing is simultaneously intimate and distant, part conversation and part stylized monologue. Single lines don’t really stand out, but Morby’s commitment to such elemental concerns has a cumulative effect, and the album’s lack of specificity becomes a strength."[10]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Year Rank
Mojo The 50 Best Albums of 2016 2016
Rough Trade Albums of the Year 2016
The Skinny Top 50 Albums of 2016 2016
Uncut Top 75 Albums of 2016 2016

Track listing

All tracks written by Kevin Morby. 

No. Title Length
1. "Cut Me Down"   3:32
2. "I Have Been to the Mountain"   3:14
3. "Singing Saw"   7:15
4. "Drunk and on a Star"   4:18
5. "Dorothy"   5:08
6. "Ferris Wheel"   3:05
7. "Destroyer"   4:26
8. "Black Flowers"   5:47
9. "Water"   6:40
Total length:
43:25

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Singing Saw.[18]

Main personnel
Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[19] 104
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[20] 158
French Albums (SNEP)[21] 182

References

  1. Camp, Zoe (2016-01-19). "Kevin Morby (Woods, the Babies) Announces Solo Album Singing Saw and Tour". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  2. 1 2 "Critic Reviews for Singing Saw by Kevin Morby". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  3. Sendra, Tim (April 14, 2016). "Kevin Morby - Singing Saw". AllMusic. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  4. Sackllah, David (April 12, 2016). "Kevin Morby – Singing Saw". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  5. Walters, Tom (April 15, 2016). "Kevin Morby - Singing Saw". DIY. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  6. Trefor, Cai (April 14, 2016). "Kevin Morby - Singing Saw". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  7. Mardles, Paul (April 17, 2016). "Kevin Morby: Singing Saw review – cryptic lyrics, gorgeous melodies". The Guardian. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  8. Paton, Daniel (April 18, 2016). "Kevin Morby – Singing Saw". musicOMH. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  9. Homewood, Ben (April 15, 2016). "Kevin Morby – 'Singing Saw'". NME. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  10. 1 2 Richardson, Mark (April 15, 2016). "Kevin Morby: Singing Saw". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  11. Dieringer, Ryan (April 18, 2016). "Kevin Morby: Singing Saw". PopMatters. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  12. Rogers, Nate (April 14, 2016). "Kevin Morby: Singing Saw". Under the Radar. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  13. "Kevin Morby: Singing Saw". Sputnikmusic. April 25, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  14. "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Mojo. November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  15. "Albums of the Year". Rough Trade. November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  16. "Top 50 Albums of 2016". The Skinny. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  17. "Top 75 Albums of 2016". Uncut. November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  18. Singing Saw (LP liner notes). Kevin Morby. Dead Oceans. 2016. DOC111.
  19. "Ultratop.be – Kevin Morby – Singing Saw" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  20. "Ultratop.be – Kevin Morby – Singing Saw" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  21. "Lescharts.com – Kevin Morby – Singing Saw". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.