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Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night

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Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night
Digital and streaming cover
Studio album by
Bleachers
ReleasedJuly 30, 2021
Recorded2019–2021
Genre
Length33:47
LabelRCA
Producer
Bleachers chronology
Terrible Thrills, Vol. 3
(2019) 		Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night
(2021) 		Bleachers
(2024)
Singles from Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night
  1. "45"
    Released: November 16, 2020
  2. "Chinatown"
    Released: November 16, 2020
  3. "Stop Making This Hurt"
    Released: May 18, 2021
  4. "How Dare You Want More"
    Released: June 9, 2021

Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night is the third studio album by American indie pop act Bleachers, released on July 30, 2021, by RCA Records. Jack Antonoff began working on the album in 2019 and finished it during the COVID-19 pandemic. It received generally positive reviews from critics, and peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard 200.

Background

[edit]

Jack Antonoff began recording the album in late 2019, while the band embarked on a three day "mini-tour" called the "I Love Making This Album but I'm Also Losing My Mind in Here & Need to Come Out and Play" Tour.[1] On January 6, 2020, Antonoff announced on Twitter that a new Bleachers album would come within the year, though that did not come to pass.[2]

Promotion

[edit]

Throughout 2020, Bleachers' official Twitter account started teasing the phrase "Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night" and starting on November 14, 2020 a phone tree was set up for fans to call to hear clips from the song.[3] On November 16, 2020, Bleachers released the lead singles "45" and "Chinatown", the latter featuring Bruce Springsteen. The same day it was announced that the album would be released in 2021.[4] On May 18, 2021, the third single "Stop Making This Hurt" was released, alongside the album's pre-order.[5]

On May 26, 2021, Bleachers performed the song "How Dare You Want More" on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.[6] The song was released as the album's fourth single on June 9, 2021. Bleachers promoted the album with a 33-city tour across North America.[7] "Secret Life" featuring Lana Del Rey was released as a promotional single on July 28, 2021.[8] "How Dare You Want More" was sent to alternative radio and adult alternative radio on January 24, 2022.[9][10]

Composition

[edit]

Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night is a synth-pop,[11] indie pop,[11] and slow rock[12] album with elements of pop rock,[13] rock n roll,[12] alternative rock,[14] arena rock,[14] alt-pop,[13] folk,[15] baroque pop,[11] rockabilly,[13] and psychedelic music.[16] The album was conceived after a breakup in 2017 and completed during the COVID-19 pandemic.[17] It sees Antonoff expand Bleachers' musical horizons beyond the sounds of the 1980s, with a sound compared to artists like Springsteen, the Beatles, Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Vampire Weekend, the Chicks, Dirty Beaches, and Destroyer.[16][17]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.8/10[18]
Metacritic71/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[20]
DIY[21]
Evening Standard[22]
Exclaim!6/10[11]
The Line of Best Fit6/10[23]
NME[15]
The Observer[24]
Pitchfork6.2/10[13]
Rolling Stone[17]
Under the Radar7.5/10[14]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 from 14 critic scores.[19]

Jon Blisten of Rolling Stone called the album Bleachers' "most cohesive album yet", and praised Antonoff for expanding the band's sound but criticized some of his lyricism".[17] Ethan Shanfeld of Variety said the album sees Antonoff "shelving his signature grandiosity for a more stripped-down approach".[25] Exclaim! writer Kyle Krohner called the album "at best a heartfelt batch of tracks that are nice to experience in the moment, but rarely anytime after".[11]

Matt Mitchell, writing for Paste gave the album a negative review, calling it "mediocrity promoted as homage, showing itself as hastily thrown-together soundcheck warm-up fusion".[16] Jeremy Larson, writing for Pitchfork, criticized the abundant use of slapback rockabilly-style echo and the solos in one of the songs ("It's rare to find a moment on any record where it seems worth remarking how bad a solo sounds, but there it is"), saying the album is "mostly inspired, sometimes interesting, and occasionally banal".[13]

Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics are written by Jack Antonoff; "Don't Go Dark" co-written by Lana Del Rey

Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night track listing
No.TitleMusicProducer(s)Length
1."91"
2:59
2."Chinatown" (featuring Bruce Springsteen)
  • Antonoff
  • Evan Smith
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
4:04
3."How Dare You Want More"
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
4:00
4."Big Life"Antonoff
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
2:30
5."Secret Life" (featuring Lana Del Rey)
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
3:06
6."Stop Making This Hurt"
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
3:19
7."Don't Go Dark"
  • Antonoff
  • Del Rey
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
4:03
8."45"Antonoff
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
3:23
9."Strange Behavior"AntonoffAntonoff3:05
10."What'd I Do with All This Faith?"
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
  • Antonoff
  • Berger
3:18
Total length:33:47

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

  • Jack Antonoff – vocals (all tracks), electric guitar (1–4, 6–8, 10), keyboards (1–3, 7, 9, 10), acoustic guitar (2–10), bass (2–4, 6, 7), drum machine (2), twelve-string guitar (3, 4), drums (3, 4, 6, 7), organ (3), piano (3, 4, 9, 10), percussion (4, 6, 7), synthesizer (4, 7, 10), cello (8)
  • Zadie Smith – background vocals (1)
  • Patrik Berger – background vocals (1–3, 5, 8, 10), electric guitar (1–5, 7, 8, 10), synthesizer (1, 2, 4), glockenspiel (2, 5), acoustic guitar (3, 5, 8, 10), drums (3, 7), piano (3–5), programming (3, 7), bass (4, 5, 8), twelve-string guitar (5), drum machine (5, 7), tom toms (6), percussion (7)
  • Jacob Braun – cello (1, 2, 7)
  • Warren Ellis – synthesizer, violin (1)
  • Serena McKinney Göransson – violin (1, 2, 7)
  • Mikey Freedom Hart – electric guitar (2, 6), background vocals (3, 10), organ (3), bass (6), synthesizer (9)
  • Evan Smith – synthesizer (2, 3, 6, 7), saxophone (3, 6, 7, 9, 10), background vocals (4), flute (9, 10)
  • Bruce Springsteen – vocals (2)
  • Sean Hutchinson – background vocals (3, 4), drums (3, 4, 6, 7), congas (6), percussion (7)
  • Michael Riddleberger – background vocals (3, 4), drums (3), percussion (4, 6), snare drum (6)
  • Zem Audu – saxophone (3, 6)
  • Lana Del Rey – vocals (5), background vocals (7)
  • Annie Clark – background vocals (6)
  • Blu DeTiger – bass (6)
  • Sounwave – programming (6)
  • Anna Webber – saxophone (6)
  • Bobby Hawk – violin (6)
  • The Chicks – background vocals (7)
  • Aaron Dessner – piano, synthesizer (7)

Technical

  • Chris Gehringer – mastering engineer
  • Jack Antonoff – mixing engineer (1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)
  • Laura Sisk – mixing engineer (1, 4, 5, 7–10), engineer (all tracks)
  • Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing engineer (2, 3, 6)
  • John Rooney – engineer (3), assistant engineer (1, 2, 4, 5, 7–10)
  • Jon Sher – assistant engineer (1–7)
  • Will Quinnell – assistant engineer (2–10)
  • Matt Wolach – assistant engineer (2, 3, 6)
  • Rob Lebret – assistant engineer (2, 6)

Artwork

  • Clare Gillen – creative director
  • Michelle Holme – design
  • Aaron Denton – illustrations
  • Carlotta Kohl – photography

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[26] 69
US Billboard 200[27] 27
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[28] 3
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[29] 3

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Aniftos, Rania (October 14, 2019). "Jack Antonoff Announces Bleachers Mini Tour While Recording Third Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  2. ^ Skinner, Tom (January 7, 2020). "Jack Antonoff is releasing a new Bleachers album this year". NME. Archived from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "Bleachers Are Teasing Something (Again)". DIY. November 16, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  4. ^ Martinez, Angelica (November 16, 2020). "Bleachers Has A New Album Coming Out In 2021, And We Just Got The First Two Tracks". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  5. ^ "Bleachers Drop New Song and Video, 'Stop Making This Hurt'; Album Due in July". Yahoo! Entertainment. May 18, 2021. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  6. ^ Kreps, Daniel (May 27, 2021). "See Bleachers Perform New Song 'How Dare You Want More' on 'Fallon'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  7. ^ Minsker, Evan (May 18, 2021). "Bleachers Announces New Album and 2021 Tour, Shares Video for New Song: Watch". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  8. ^ Minsker, Evan (July 28, 2021). "Bleachers and Lana Del Rey Share New Song "Secret Life": Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  9. ^ "Future Releases on Triple A". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  10. ^ "Future Releases on Alternative Radio". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e Kohler, Kyle (July 27, 2021). "Bleachers Shakily Tries to Be the Boss on 'Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night'". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Sowing. "Review: Bleachers – Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night". Sputnik Music. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d e Larson, Jeremy D. (July 30, 2021). "Bleachers: Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c Saalman, Austin (July 30, 2021). "Bleachers: Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night (RCA) – Review". Under the Radar. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Bleachers – 'Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night' review: riotous and reflective third album". NME. July 30, 2021. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  16. ^ a b c Mitchell, Matt (July 28, 2021). "Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night Is a Mess, Sopping Wet with Borrowed Mediocrity". Paste. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  17. ^ a b c d Blisten, Jon (July 27, 2021). "Jack Antonoff Makes His Most Cohesive Album Yet With Bleachers's 'Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
  18. ^ "Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night by Bleachers". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  20. ^ Phares, Heather. "Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night – Bleachers". Allmusic. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  21. ^ Smyth, David (July 30, 2021). "Bleachers: Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night review – Jack Antonoff is back in the room". DIY. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  22. ^ Jamieson, Sarah (July 30, 2021). "Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night – Bleachers". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  23. ^ Albinson, Amy (August 2, 2021). "Jack Antonoff fails to Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night on Bleachers latest". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  24. ^ Empire, Kitty (July 31, 2021). "Bleachers: Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night review – Jack Antonoff goes back to his roots". The Observer. Archived from the original on July 31, 2021. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  25. ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (July 30, 2021). "On Bleachers' Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, Jack Antonoff Strips Down the Grandiosity: Album Review". Variety. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  26. ^ "Bleachers Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  27. ^ "Bleachers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  28. ^ "Bleachers Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  29. ^ "Bleachers Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
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