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Songs and Instrumentals

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Songs and Instrumentals
Songs cover art
Studio album by
Adrianne Lenker
ReleasedOctober 23, 2020
RecordedApril 22 – May 23, 2020
StudioCabin in Westhampton, Massachusetts
Genre
Length
  • 39:35 (Songs)
  • 37:24 (Instrumentals)
Label4AD
Producer
  • Adrianne Lenker
  • Phil Weinrobe
Adrianne Lenker chronology
Abysskiss
(2018) 		Songs and Instrumentals
(2020) 		Bright Future
(2024)
Instrumentals cover art
Singles from Songs
  1. "Anything"
    Released: September 2, 2020
  2. "Dragon Eyes"
    Released: October 1, 2020

Songs and Instrumentals (both stylized in all lowercase) are two studio albums by Adrianne Lenker, both released by 4AD on October 23, 2020.[6] They are her fourth and fifth solo albums, respectively.[7]

The two albums were conceived in the aftermath of a breakup and after touring with her band Big Thief was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were recorded on an eight-track recording machine while in isolation in a cabin in Massachusetts. Both albums feature a lo-fi sound of primarily Lenker's vocals and acoustic guitar.[5] The album Songs has 11 tracks with more lyrical and traditional songwriting. Instrumentals is composed of two extended instrumental pieces, featuring acoustic guitar improvisation and recordings of chimes and birdsong.[8][9]

The release was preceded by two singles: "Anything" and "Dragon Eyes". The albums have received favorable reviews from critics.

Background and recording

[edit]

Adrianne Lenker is the lead vocalist and guitarist of the American indie rock band Big Thief. In 2018, she released a solo album titled Abysskiss on Saddle Creek Records.[10] In 2019, Big Thief left Saddle Creek and signed to 4AD, releasing two studio albums: U.F.O.F. in May 2019 and Two Hands in October 2019.[11] The albums were the band's most successful and acclaimed to date: U.F.O.F. received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album[12] and both albums appeared on the Billboard 200 chart, with Two Hands peaking at 113.[13] Their song "Not" from Two Hands was named by many publications as one of the year's best songs.[14][15][16]

White pines in Massachusetts.

Big Thief toured in support of the albums until March 2020, when their European tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lenker flew back to New York and drove to Western Massachusetts to be with her sister Zoë, staying in a one-room cabin next door.[17][18] Lenker planned to take a break from the constant cycle of recording, touring, and promotion she had been in since 2014. She was also dealing with a recent relationship breakup and did not intend to make new music. However, she found herself writing new songs with her guitar while in solitude. She eventually invited audio engineer Phil Weinrobe to assist her in recording new material.[18] Recording took place from April 22 to May 23, 2020, in Westhampton, Massachusetts in the small one-room pine cabin in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains.[19] The albums were mixed at the end of May at Figure 8 Recording in Brooklyn, New York. The albums feature Lenker's vocals and her playing acoustic guitar, as well using a paint brush and the needles of a white pine tree as instruments. It also features recordings of the rain, the wind, the fire from a wood stove, the chimes on her front porch, the birds, and the insects of the forest.[19]

Lenker and Weinrobe spent three weeks trying to record and dealing with electricity and technical setbacks. They initially considered recording the albums on an old cassette tape. At the time, their only functioning tape recorder was Weinrobe's battery-powered Sony Walkman. Lenker eventually received an Otari eight-track recorder from a friend. The two albums were recorded on analog-analog-analog (AAA), free of all digital processes. Nine of the eleven tracks on Songs were written during the cabin sessions.[20][21] Lenker and Weinrobe began and ended each day by playing an improvised acoustic guitar piece. They later combined their favorite pieces from these sessions and incorporated them into "Music for Indigo" and "Mostly Chimes" on Instrumentals.[9][20]

Music and lyrics

[edit]

Both albums present a lo-fi sound, consisting primarily of Lenker's vocals and acoustic guitar.[5]

Songs

[edit]

Songs is a 39-minute album spread across 11 songs which feature more lyrical and traditional songwriting.[8] Lenker avoided writing personal lyrics in her previous work, but felt the need to write from a first-person perspective while dealing with heartbreak. Lenker has called it the "most personal album" she has made. She sings lyrics like "I just want a place with you" on "Dragon Eyes", which she says she would not have normally written.[5]

Instrumentals

[edit]

Instrumentals is a 37-minute album composed of two extended instrumental pieces: "Music for Indigo" and "Mostly Chimes". "Music for Indigo" features a collage of acoustic guitar improvisation. Towards the end of the piece, Lenker can be heard sighing and saying "I'm starting over".[9] "Music for Indigo" was written by Lenker for her former partner to listen to while falling asleep at night.[22] "Mostly Chimes" begins with four minutes of some guitar improvisation, but shifts to earth sounds. The remainder of the piece features recordings of primarily wind, chimes and birdsong.[9]

Release

[edit]

Songs and Instrumentals were announced on September 2, 2020.[23] "Anything" was released as a single the same day.[7] "Dragon Eyes" was released as a single on October 1, 2020.[24] Songs and Instrumentals were released by 4AD on October 23, 2020.[8] A video of Lenker playing "Zombie Girl" in the cabin was released the same day.[25] The albums feature artwork of watercolor paintings by Lenker's grandmother, Diane Lee.[26]

Lenker performed five tracks from the album on NPR's "Tiny Desk (Home) Concert" series, released on November 18, 2020.[27] Lenker performed "Anything" on the January 26, 2021, episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[28] A video for "Forwards Beckon Rebound" was released on February 3, 2021, featuring Lenker dancing in the California desert at Wild Heart Ranch in Joshua Tree.[29]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.3/10 (Songs)[30]
8.2/10 (Instrumentals)[31]
Metacritic84/100[32]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[33]
DIY[1]
Exclaim!9/10 (Songs)[34]
8/10 (Instrumentals)[35]
The Independent (Songs)[36]
Mojo[37]
NME[2]
Pitchfork8.8/10[9]
The Times[38]
Uncut8/10[5]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Songs and Instrumentals received an average score of 84 based on 19 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[32]

Roisin O'Connor of The Independent gave Songs a perfect score, writing, "It's excruciating in its honesty – even for Lenker, who's hardly known for shying away from her feelings. Now she bares her pain with complete abandon. It's quite extraordinary."[36] Peter Watts of Uncut gave the album an 8 out of 10 rating, writing, "Most musicians would use these sounds to ground the music in a sense of naturalism, but with Lenker it enhances the mystery."[5]

In her three-star review for Mojo, Victoria Segal wrote that the albums "seem to have rolled away from the modern world entirely" and that Songs felt more focused with Lenker's "sweet, freshly cut" vocals.[37] The Uproxx editorial staff highlighted these two albums among the releases the week of October 25 for Indie Mixtape, calling them a "fitting pair of albums to soundtrack autumnal living".[39]

Year-end lists

[edit]
Year-end lists with Songs and Instrumentals
Publication List Rank Ref.
Double J The 50 best albums of 2020
33 (Songs)
[40]
Esquire UK The 50 Best Albums of 2020
11
[41]
Exclaim! 50 Best Albums of 2020
45 (Songs)
[42]
Gigwise 51 Best Albums of 2020
41 (Songs)
[43]
The Independent The 40 best albums of 2020
9 (Songs)
[44]
The Line of Best Fit The Best Albums of 2020
27 (Songs)
[45]
Magnet Top 25 Albums of 2020
4
[46]
Noisey The 100 Best Albums of 2020
39 (Songs)
[47]
NPR The 50 Best Albums of 2020
29 (Songs)
[48]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2020
9 (Songs)
[49]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2020
11
[50]
PopMatters The 60 Best Albums of 2020
19
[51]
Slant Magazine The 50 Best Albums of 2020 27 (Songs)
[52]
Under the Radar Top 100 Albums of 2020
32 (Songs)
[53]
Uproxx The Best Albums of 2020
39
[54]
Vulture The Best Albums of 2020
2
[55]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Adrianne Lenker

Songs track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Two Reverse"3:33
2."Ingydar"4:08
3."Anything"3:22
4."Forwards Beckon Rebound"3:09
5."Heavy Focus"2:34
6."Half Return"2:08
7."Come"5:17
8."Zombie Girl"2:44
9."Not a Lot, Just Forever"4:10
10."Dragon Eyes"3:26
11."My Angel"5:04
Total length:39:35
Japanese bonus track[56]
No.TitleLength
12."Red Leaves, Falling"2:50

All tracks are written by Adrianne Lenker

Instrumentals track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Music for Indigo"21:12
2."Mostly Chimes"16:12
Total length:37:24

Notes

Credits

[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes[19] and Bandcamp.[57]

  • Adrianne Lenker – vocals, acoustic guitar, paintbrush, needles of a white pine tree, production
  • Phil Weinrobe – recording, mixing, production
  • Scott Hull – mastering
  • Brendan Ford – lacquer cut
  • Diane Lee – front and back cover paintings
  • Sarah Schiesser – design, layout

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Songs and Instrumentals
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[58] 49
Chart performance for Songs
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[59] 100

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Harris, Nick (October 23, 2020). "Adrianne Lenker - Songs / Instrumentals". DIY. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Kaplan, Ilana (October 21, 2020). "Adrianne Lenker – 'Songs' and 'Instrumentals' review: Big Thief singer's double release is a soothing balm". NME. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  3. ^ Inscoe-Jones, Liam (October 21, 2020). "Adrianne Lenker's new solo outings come together to make a classic in more ways than one". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  4. ^ BlushfulHippocrene (October 24, 2020). "Review: Adrianne Lenker - songs". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Watts, Peter (November 2020). "Big Thief songwriter breaks down the barriers for beautiful solo offering". Uncut. No. 282. p. 26.
  6. ^ Martoccio, Angie (September 2, 2020). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker Announces Two Solo Albums Made in Quarantine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Turman, Katherine (September 2, 2020). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker to Release Two New Albums". Spin. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c "Adrianne Lenker: 'songs' and 'instrumentals' Out Now". 4AD. October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e Sherburne, Philip (October 23, 2020). "Adrianne Lenker: songs / instrumentals Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  10. ^ Thompson, Stephen (August 7, 2018). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker Releases 'Cradle,' From New Solo Album 'Abysskiss'". NPR. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  11. ^ Tedder, Michael (September 25, 2019). "Big Thief's Big Year". Stereogum. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  12. ^ Rose, Anna (February 26, 2020). "Big Thief add new stops to their national tour in May". NME Australia. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  13. ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Adrianne Lenker | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  14. ^ Boilen, Bob (December 11, 2019). "NPR Music's 25 Best Songs Of 2019". NPR. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  15. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2019". Pitchfork. December 9, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  16. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2019: Staff List". Billboard. December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  17. ^ Nordstrom, Leigh (October 23, 2020). "Climbing Inside an Acoustic Guitar With Adrianne Lenker". WWD. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Gottsegen, Will (October 22, 2020). "Going Deep With Adrianne Lenker". GQ. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  19. ^ a b c Songs and Instrumentals (liner notes). Adrianne Lenker. 4AD. 2020. 4AD-0302.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ a b c "Adrianne Lenker: songs' and 'instrumentals". 4AD. October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  21. ^ Simonetti, Luka (October 22, 2020). "Adrianne Lenker – 'songs' and 'instrumentals' Album Review". Happy Mag. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  22. ^ Petrusich, Amanda (October 12, 2020). "Adrianne Lenker's Radical Honesty". The New Yorker. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  23. ^ Minsker, Evan (September 2, 2020). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker Announces 2 Albums, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  24. ^ Martoccio, Angie (October 1, 2020). "Adrianne Lenker Sings of Warm Summer Nights on 'Dragon Eyes'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  25. ^ Martoccio, Angie (October 23, 2020). "Watch Adrianne Lenker Play 'Zombie Girl' in a Cabin". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  26. ^ Roberts, Christopher (September 2, 2020). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker Announces Two Albums, Shares New Song "anything"". Under the Radar. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  27. ^ Monroe, Jazz (November 18, 2020). "Watch Adrianne Lenker's NPR "Tiny Desk (Home) Concert"". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  28. ^ Blistein, Jon (January 27, 2021). "Big Thief's Adrianne Lenker Performs Sublime 'Anything' on 'Colbert'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  29. ^ Martoccio, Angie (February 3, 2021). "Adrianne Lenker Dances in the Desert in 'Forwards Beckon Rebound' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  30. ^ "songs by Adrianne Lenker reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  31. ^ "instrumentals by Adrianne Lenker reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  32. ^ a b "songs and instrumentals by Adrianne Lenker Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  33. ^ Donelson, Marcy. "songs and instrumentals - Adrianne Lenker". AllMusic. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  34. ^ Gee, Chris (October 20, 2020). "Adrianne Lenker Distills Complex Feelings into 'songs'". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  35. ^ Gee, Chris (October 20, 2020). "Having Trouble Meditating? Adrianne Lenker's 'instrumentals' Might Help". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  36. ^ a b O'Connor, Roisin (October 23, 2020). "Album reviews: Che Lingo – The Worst Generation, and Adrianne Lenker – Songs". The Independent. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  37. ^ a b Segal, Victoria (November 2020). "Solo fruits of Big Thief singer's productive lockdown". Mojo. No. 324. p. 84.
  38. ^ Hodgkinson, Will (October 23, 2020). "Adrianne Lenker: Songs and Instrumentals review — a graceful display of stoic solitude". The Times. Archived from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  39. ^ Gelfand, Zac (October 27, 2020). "All the Best New Indie Music from This Week". Uproxx. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  40. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2020". Double J. December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  41. ^ Ovenden, Olivia (December 11, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Esquire UK. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  42. ^ "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2020". Exclaim!. December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  43. ^ "The Gigwise 51 Best Albums of 2020". Gigwise. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  44. ^ "The 40 best albums of 2020, from Bob Dylan's Rough and Rowdy Ways to Taylor Swift's Folklore". The Independent. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  45. ^ Bell, John (December 3, 2020). "The Best Albums of 2020 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  46. ^ "MAGNET's Top 25 Albums Of 2020". Magnet. December 23, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  47. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2020". Noisey. December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  48. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2020 (Nos. 30-21)". NPR. December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2020.
  49. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Paste. November 20, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  50. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Pitchfork. December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  51. ^ "The 60 Best Albums of 2020". PopMatters. December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  52. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020". Slant Magazine. December 9, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  53. ^ "Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2020". Under the Radar. January 15, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  54. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2020". Uproxx. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  55. ^ Jenkins, Craig (December 9, 2020). "The Best Albums of 2020". Vulture. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
  56. ^ "songs and instrumentals". BEATINK.COM (in Japanese). October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  57. ^ "songs by Adrianne Lenker". Bandcamp. October 23, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  58. ^ "Ultratop.be – Adrianne Lenker – Songs And Instrumentals" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  59. ^ "2024 45-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. November 8, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
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