Californian Soil
Californian Soil | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 16 April 2021 | |||
Length | 44:16 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
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London Grammar chronology | ||||
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Singles from Californian Soil | ||||
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Californian Soil is the third studio album by English indie pop band London Grammar, released on 16 April 2021 by Metal & Dust and Ministry of Sound.
It was initially intended to be released on 12 February 2021, but was postponed for unknown reasons.[1]
Californian Soil was preceded by four singles—"Baby It's You", the title track, "Lose Your Head" and "How Does It Feel".
Composition[]
Vocalist Hannah Reid said the album deals with themes of feminism and fame. She wrote:
"This record is about gaining possession of my own life. You imagine success will be amazing. Then you see it from the inside and ask, 'Why am I not controlling this thing? Why am I not allowed to be in control of it? And does that connect, in any way to being a woman? If so, how can I do that differently?'".[2]
Release[]
The album was announced on 1 October 2020, alongside the release of the title track. The band said the track was a "turning point" for them, deciding to name the album after the song.
On 5 January 2021, the band posted on their Twitter page that the release date had been postponed to 9 April of that same year, before being subsequently pushed back to 16 April. No reason was given for either delay.[3]
Promotion[]
Singles[]
Californian Soil was preceded by four singles: "Baby It's You", released on 19 August 2020,[4] the title track, released on 1 October 2020,[2] "Lose Your Head", released on 4 January 2021[5] and "How Does It Feel" on 12 March 2021.[6] "Lord It's A Feeling" was released as the fifth single on 21 May 2021.[citation needed]
Critical reception[]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.9/10[7] |
Metacritic | 77/100[8] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
Clash | 8/10[10] |
Californian Soil received mostly positive reviews from critics upon release. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalised score out of 100 to ratings from publications, the album received a weighted mean score of 77 based on 10 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8] Christopher Hamilton-Peach of The Line of Best Fit scored the album 9 out of 10 and said that "London Grammar use Californian Soil to hone their lush sonics and embrace the future".[11]
The Guardian's Alim Kheraj scored the album 3 stars, stating that "the British trio stick to boilerplate emoting and bland imagery, but there are small sonic steps forward".[12] Writing for Pitchfork, Hannah Jocelyn wrote that "the UK electronic-pop trio's third album draws on a renewed sense of extroversion and energy, which can't always overcome its lyrical and production missteps", giving the album 6.2 out of 10.[13] Praising the album's surrealist sound and tone, The Daily Telegraph's Neil McCormick said that the album was "hypnotically compelling".[14] However, Slant Magazine's Charles Lyons-Burt felt that "the band's willingness to harness the latest sonic trends is hit and (mostly) miss."[15]
Track listing[]
All tracks are written by Hannah Reid, Dominic Major, and Daniel Rothman, except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro" | London Grammar | 2:25 | |
2. | "Californian Soil" |
| 3:41 | |
3. | "Missing" | London Grammar | 3:35 | |
4. | "Lose Your Head" |
| FitzGerald | 3:19 |
5. | "Lord It's a Feeling" |
| 4:12 | |
6. | "How Does It Feel" |
|
| 3:31 |
7. | "Baby It's You" |
|
| 4:02 |
8. | "Call Your Friends" |
|
| 3:11 |
9. | "All My Love" | London Grammar | 4:32 | |
10. | "Talking" |
| 3:23 | |
11. | "I Need the Night" |
| 4:20 | |
12. | "America" |
| 4:05 | |
Total length: | 44:16 |
Personnel[]
Credits adapted from Tidal.[16]
London Grammar
- Hannah Reid – vocals (all tracks); keyboards, programming (1, 3–6, 8–12)
- Dot Major – keyboards (1, 3–12); drums, programming (1, 3–6, 8–12)
- Daniel Rothman – guitar (1, 3–12); keyboards, programming (1, 3–6, 8–12)
Additional musicians
- Tony Woollard – cello (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Ian Burdge – cello (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Chris Dorsey – cello (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Chris Laurence – double bass (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Sally Herbert – performance arrangement (1, 2, 8, 10, 11)
- Rachel Robson – viola (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Claire Orsler – viola (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Bruce White – viola (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Julia Singleton – violin (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Alison Dods – violin (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Ian Humphries – violin (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Rick Koster – violin (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Everton Nelson – violin (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Richard George – violin (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Warren Zielinski – violin (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Marianne Haynes – violin (1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 11)
- Kirsty Mangan – keyboards, performance arrangement, strings (2); viola, violin (12)
- My Riot – programming (2)
- Rachael Lander – strings (2)
- Andy Marshall – strings (2), double bass (12)
- Phebe Edwards – background vocals (3)
- Brendan Reilly – background vocals (3)
- Sharlene Hector – background vocals (3)
- Vula Malinga – background vocals (3), vocals (5)
- Mike Hough – background vocals (3)
- Hal Ritson – guitar (5)
- Chris Laws – drums (6, 8)
- Steve Mac – keyboards (6, 8)
- Hoskins – programming (11)
- George FitzGerald – programming (11)
Technical[]
- Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer
- Tom Elmhirst – mixing engineer (1–5, 8–12)
- Serban Ghenea – mixing engineer (6)
- Nathan Boddy – mixing engineer (7)
- Matt Wiggins – engineer (1–6, 8–12)
- Jay Pocknell – engineer (2)
- Chris Laws – engineer (6, 8)
- John Hanes – engineer (6)
- Dann Pursey – engineer (6, 8)
- Matthew Scatchell – engineer (8, 10–12)
- Robbie Nelson – recording engineer (1, 2, 8, 10, 11)
- My Riot – recording engineer (12)
Charts[]
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[17] | 1 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[18] | 6 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[19] | 4 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[20] | 3 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] | 4 |
French Albums (SNEP)[22] | 3 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[23] | 10 |
Irish Albums (OCC)[24] | 2 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[25] | 2 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[26] | 1 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] | 1 |
UK Albums (OCC)[28] | 1 |
US Current Album Sales (Billboard)[29] | 50 |
Release history[]
Region | Date | Formats | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Various | 16 April 2021 |
| |
Australia | Dew Process |
References[]
- ^ Brandle, Lars (6 January 2021). "London Grammar set new release date for 'Californian Soil,' Share 'Lose Your Head': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Krol, Charlotte (1 October 2020). "London Grammar reveal full details of new album 'Californian Soil' and share title track – listen". NME. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- ^ London Grammar [@londongrammar] (5 January 2021). "Californian Soil / April 9th" (Tweet). Retrieved 13 January 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Helman, Peter (19 August 2020). "London Grammar – "Baby It's You"". Stereogum. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ Trendell, Andrew (4 January 2021). "Listen to London Grammar's heavenly and "empowering" new single "Lose Your Head"". NME Australia. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Listen to London Grammar's beautiful new single "How Does It Feel"". NME. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ "Californian Soil – London Grammar". AnyDecentMusic. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Californian Soil by London Grammar Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Yeung, Neil Z. "Californian Soil – London Grammar". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Beech, Dave. "London Grammar – Californian Soil". Clash. Archived from the original on 16 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Hamilton-Peach, Christopher (16 April 2021). "London Grammar - Californian Soil | Album Review". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "London Grammar: Californian Soil review – bold sounds amid the usual spectral fare". The Guardian. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "London Grammar: Californian Soil". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ McCormick, Neil (16 April 2021). "London Grammar on Californian Soil? Same lush pop, but with a fresh political edge". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ Lyons-Burt, Charles. "Review: London Grammar's Californian Soil Is Slick, Trendy, and Ultimately Anonymous". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ^ "Credits / Californian Soil / London Grammar". Tidal. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 26 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – London Grammar – Californian Soil" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – London Grammar – Californian Soil" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – London Grammar – Californian Soil" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – London Grammar – Californian Soil" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – London Grammar – Californian Soil". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – London Grammar – Californian Soil" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Charts.nz – London Grammar – Californian Soil". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – London Grammar – Californian Soil". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "London Grammar Chart History (Current Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Californian Soil (CD) – London Grammar". store.londongrammar.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Californian Soil (LP) – London Grammar". store.londongrammar.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Californian Soil (Hannah Cover / White Cassette) – London Grammar". store.londongrammar.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Californian Soil (Book) – London Grammar". store.londongrammar.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Californian Soil by London Grammar on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Californian Soil – CD at JB Hi-Fi". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Californian Soil (Limited JB Hi-Fi Australian Exclusive Transparent Royal Blue Vinyl) at JB Hi-Fi". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- 2021 albums
- Albums produced by Charlie Andrew
- Albums produced by George FitzGerald (musician)
- London Grammar albums
- Ministry of Sound albums