Long Road Home (album)
| Long Road Home | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 August 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2013/2014 in London, England | |||
| Genre | Acoustic, folk, indie rock, folk rock, indie folk | |||
| Length | 41:00 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Nusic Sounds | |||
| Producer | Steve Osborne | |||
| Charlie Simpson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Long Road Home | ||||
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Long Road Home is the second top ten UK studio album by British singer-songwriter Charlie Simpson.
On 2 February 2013, it was reported that Simpson had finished writing the follow-up to his 2011 solo debut Young Pilgrim and he would be heading into the studio with producer Steve Osborne (U2/Placebo) to start recording in early March.
Simpson spent the summer of 2013 playing on the Vans Warped Tour in the US, which was the first time he has played live as a solo artist in America. During October 2013, Charlie went on a tour of the UK supporting rock band, Deaf Havana. He previewed two new tracks from the forthcoming album "Winter Hymns" and "Ten More Days". In 2014, he be undertook a small run of solo shows in the UK in the lead up to the release of his 2nd solo album.
Simpson said when announcing the release: "The making of this album has been an incredible journey for me, it is probably the hardest record I have ever had to make. It took me a while to find what I was looking for and there were points when I nearly had to go back to the drawing board. However, after taking some much needed time out from writing and all things music related, I came back with a completely fresh perspective and wrote in my opinion, some of the best music I have written in my career so far. It’s an album I am hugely proud of and one I had to fight for which makes it all the more special".[1]
Simpson later revealed that the release date for the album had been delayed until 4 August 2014.[2]
Singles
[edit]- "Winter Hymns" was the first promotional single released from the album. It was released on 29 April 2014.[3]
- "Haunted" was the first official single premiered on 14 May 2014 on DIY.[4]
- "Comets" is the second official single premiered on 2 October 2014.
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Rock Sound[5] |   |
| Fortitude Magazine [6] |   |
| The Guardian[7] |  |
| The Independent[8] | |
| Sunday Times[9] | |
Commercial performance
[edit]On 6 August, Long Road Home entered the UK Albums Chart Midweeks at number four according to figures issued by The Official Charts Company.[10] It would finally chart at number ten on the UK Albums Chart,[11] securing Simpson's second top ten solo album, whilst also entering the UK Independent Albums chart at number one,[12] and the Scottish Albums Chart at number thirteen.[13]
Critical response
[edit]Rock Sound describe the album as "a more focussed effort than 11's Young Pilgrim", also stating that "In a year that he could have taken two steps back, with this album, Charlie Simpson has taken a huge step forward".[5] Fortitude Magazine were similarly complimentary, describing it as "An album well worth the massive wait. It’s difficult to knock a credible musician at his best and that’s what you’re up against with ‘Long Road Home’."[6]
Track listing
[edit]All songs written and composed by Charlie Simpson.[14]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Long Road Home" | 3:13 |
| 2. | "Comets" | 3:22 |
| 3. | "Winter Hymns" | 4:03 |
| 4. | "Emily" | 4:35 |
| 5. | "Haunted" | 3:38 |
| 6. | "Would You Love Me Any Less?" | 3:37 |
| 7. | "Ten More Days" | 3:37 |
| 8. | "Blood" | 3:42 |
| 9. | "Still Young" | 3:36 |
| 10. | "Forty Thieves" | 3:44 |
| 11. | "Another Year" | 4:13 |
| Total length: | 41:00 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Wait For Me" | 4:05 |
| 13. | "Crosses" | 3:36 |
| 14. | "Track By Track Guide" (Video) | 13:25 |
| Total length: | 62:06 | |
References
[edit]- ^ "What Charlie says about the album". Charlie Simpson (Charlie Simpson). Retrieved 29 April 2014.
- ^ Simpson, Charlie. ""HAUNTED" AVAILABLE NOW". www.charliesimpsonmusic.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2014.
- ^ "Winter Hymns (Single)". Amazon.co.uk (Amazon.co.uk). Retrieved 29 April 2014.
- ^ Jamieson, Sarah. "Premiere: Charlie Simpson Unveils New Video For 'Haunted'". Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ a b Hidden, Chris. "Charlie Simpson "Long Road Home"". No. 190. Rock Sound Magazine ltd.
- ^ a b Grant, Wynona. "Album Review: Charlie Simpson – Long Road Home". Fortitude Magazine. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (31 July 2014). "Charlie Simpson: Long Road Home review – Busted singer finds his indie-folk voice". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
- ^ "Charlie Simpson Long Road Home". The Independent. 2 August 2014.
- ^ DC (3 August 2014). "Charlie Simpson Long Road Home". Times Newspapers Ltd.
- ^ Copsey, Rob. "Charlie Simpson's Long Road Home set to claim highest new albums entry". www.officialcharts.com. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
- ^ "Long Road Home (Deluxe Version)". iTunes (iTunes). Retrieved 29 April 2014.
- ^ "Long Road Home (Deluxe Edition)". iTunes. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.