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Checkmate Savage

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Checkmate Savage
Studio album by
Released26 January 2009
RecordedChem 19, Blantyre
GenreIndie,[1] folk,[1] pop,[1] blues,[1] post-rock[1] folktronica,[2] krautrock[2]
Length55:01
LabelChemikal Underground
ProducerPaul Savage
The Phantom Band chronology
Checkmate Savage
(2009)
The Wants
(2010)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
Drowned in Sound(7/10)[4]
The Guardian[5]
The List[1]
Mojo[6]
NME(8/10)[7]
Pitchfork(7.3/10)[8]
Q[9]
Scotland on Sunday[10]
The Times[11]

Checkmate Savage is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Phantom Band, released on 26 January 2009 through Chemikal Underground Records to critical acclaim.[12]

The album was produced by Paul Savage, formerly of The Delgados.

On 25 January 2019 Chemikal Underground released a deluxe double vinyl gatefold edition of the album to celebrate its 10th anniversary.[13]

Title

[edit]

According to the band, the album's title refers to: "over-population, dwindling natural resources and the yawning void within every one of us caused by society's unnatural social contracts, and mass sexual repression, means one thing: it's checkmate for the human animal."[14]

Accolades

[edit]

In December 2009, Checkmate Savage entered The Skinny's "Scottish Albums of the Decade" list at #28.[15]

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
The Skinny Scotland Scottish Albums of the Decade 2009 28[15]

The album placed at number 17 in MOJO magazine's top 50 albums of 2009.[citation needed]

In January 2010 the album was given the inaugural "Soundcheck Award" for album of 2009 by Radioeins and Der Tagesspiegel in Berlin.[16]

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "The Howling" - 6:35
  2. "Burial Sounds" - 4:47
  3. "Folk Song Oblivion - 4:14
  4. "Crocodile" - 7:42
  5. "Halfhound" - 4:11
  6. "Left Hand Wave" - 5:40
  7. "Island" - 8:51
  8. "Throwing Bones" - 5:01
  9. "The Whole is on My Side" - 7:53

Personnel

[edit]
  • Duncan Marquiss – guitar, vocals, percussion, fx, artwork
  • Gerry Hart – bass, vocals, percussion, fx, artwork
  • Andy Wake – synthesizers, vocals, samples, percussion, fx, artwork
  • Rick Anthony – guitar, vocals, percussion, fx, artwork
  • Damien Tonner – drums, percussion, fx, artwork
  • James SK Wān – bamboo flute
  • Greg Sinclair – guitar, pedals/fx, percussion, artwork
  • Paul Savage – producer
  • Jamie Savage – engineer
  • Kenny MacLeod – mastering
  • Christopher O'Donnell – flexatone ("Throwing Bones")
  • Aztext – design

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f The List review
  2. ^ a b Chris McCall, Chris (21 April 2016). "Emma Pollock on Record Labels and Solo Careers". The Skinny. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  3. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Review: Checkmate Savage". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  4. ^ "Drowned in Sound review". Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
  5. ^ "The Phantom Band: Checkmate Savage". The Guardian. 23 January 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017.
  6. ^ [Feb. Mojo review]
  7. ^ [24 NME review]
  8. ^ Pitchfork Media review
  9. ^ [Feb. Q review]
  10. ^ Scotland on Sunday review
  11. ^ The Times review[dead link]
  12. ^ "Chemikal Underground Records - Glasgow, Scotland". Chemikal.co.uk. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  13. ^ Chemikal Underground. "Checkmate Savage". Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  14. ^ [1] Archived January 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ a b The Skinny, Dec 2009, pg 10
  16. ^ "Musikpreis: The Phantom Band gewinnt Soundcheck Award - Pop - Kultur - Tagesspiegel" (in German). Tagesspiegel.de. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2012.