The Dirt and the Stars

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Dirt and the Stars
Mary Chapin Carpenter - The Dirt and the Stars.png
Studio album by
Mary Chapin Carpenter
ReleasedAugust 7, 2020
StudioReal World Studios
Length58:29
LabelLambent Light Records
ProducerEthan Johns
Mary Chapin Carpenter chronology
Sometimes Just the Sky
(2018) 		The Dirt and the Stars
(2020)

The Dirt and the Stars is the sixteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter. It was released on August 7, 2020 by Lambent Light Records.[1]

Background and recording[]

In a press release, Carpenter described the songs on the album as "very personal" and "difficult in some ways, and definitely come from places of pain and self-illumination, but also places of joy, discovery and the rewards of self- knowledge." She wrote the album at her Virginia farmhouse and recorded it at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios near Bath, England.[2]

Critical reception[]

Bob Paxman of Sounds of Nashville gave The Dirt and the Stars a positive review, praising Carpenter for her ability to "[get] her message across with lyrical passages that could easily pass for straight poetry" and the album's cohesiveness that allows the songs to "build with nice opening sequences".[3] Thom Jurek of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, highlighting the use of Carpenter's "empathic" band to "erase all boundaries between singer and song", and describing it as one of her standout albums from her entire repertoire.[4] Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork was similarly positive, giving the album a 7.7 out of 10. He wrote: "Three decades into her career, one of country music’s most reliable and empathetic songwriters offers a profoundly intimate record, full of hushed revelations."[5]

Track listing[]

All tracks are written by Mary Chapin Carpenter.

No.TitleLength
1."Farther Along and Further In"4:57
2."It's Ok to be Sad"5:05
3."All Broken Hearts Break Differently"4:42
4."Old D-35"5:55
5."American Stooge"6:05
6."Where the Beauty Is"3:51
7."Nocturne"6:16
8."Secret Keepers"3:23
9."Asking for a Friend"5:13
10."Everybody's Got Something"5:19
11."Between the Dirt and the Stars"7:43
Total length:58:29

Vinyl-only bonus tracks[6]

No.TitleLength
12."Traveler's Prayer"5:09
13."Our Man Walter Cronkite"3:45

Personnel[]

Technical personnel[]

  • Ethan Johns – producer
  • Jamie Melford and Mary Chapin Carpenter, co-producers (bonus track "Our Man Walter Cronkite" only)
  • Dom Monks – engineer, mixing
  • Matt Colton – mastering
  • Aaron Farrington and Chris Tetzeli – photography
  • Mark Berger – package layout

References[]

  1. ^ "The Dirt and the Stars by Mary Chapin Carpenter". Apple Music. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  2. ^ Sawyer, Bobbie Jean (June 12, 2020). "Mary Chapin Carpenter Announces New Album 'The Dirt And The Stars'". Wide Open Country. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  3. ^ Paxman, Bob (August 10, 2020). "Album Review: Mary Chapin Carpenter's 'The Dirt and the Stars'". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  4. ^ Jurek, Thom. "The Dirt and the Stars - Mary Chapin Carpenter | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Netaktion, LLC. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  5. ^ Sodomsky, Sam. "Mary Chapin Carpenter: The Dirt and the Stars Album Review". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  6. ^ https://www.discogs.com/Mary-Chapin-Carpenter-The-Dirt-And-The-Stars/release/15767605
Retrieved from ""