To Be Kind
To Be Kind | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Swans | ||||
Released | May 12, 2014 | |||
Recorded | 2013 | |||
Studio | Sonic Ranch (Tornillo, Texas) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 121:12 | |||
Language | English | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Michael Gira | |||
Swans chronology | ||||
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To Be Kind is the thirteenth studio album by American experimental band Swans, released on May 12, 2014. It was released as a triple LP, a double CD, and a two-CD deluxe edition that includes a live DVD of performances from Hellfest Open Air Festival, Pitchfork Music Festival and Primavera Sound Festival, as well as a digital download.[3][4][5] Critical reception of the album was very positive, continuing a string of well-received albums from the band. The album peaked at number 37 on US Billboard 200, and later debuted at number 38 on the UK Albums Chart. Both are the highest chartings that Swans had ever achieved on a studio album, and it is the first time that the band cracked the top 40 in both countries.[6][7]
Background
The album was produced by Michael Gira and recorded by John Congleton at Sonic Ranch and at Congleton's studio in Dallas. Swans began rehearsing at Sonic Ranch in October 2013 and began recording soon after; they finished mixing with Congleton in December in Dallas. Most of the music was developed while touring in 2012 and 2013. The album features special guests St. Vincent, Cold Specks, Little Annie and Bill Rieflin.[8][9] On March 21, the song "A Little God in My Hands" and the album artwork were revealed. Bob Biggs did six images of babies' heads as artwork in c. 1976 that were used for the album.[10]
Critical reception
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 88/100[11] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [12] |
The A.V. Club | A−[2] |
The Guardian | [13] |
Los Angeles Times | [14] |
Mojo | [15] |
NME | 9/10[16] |
Pitchfork Media | 9.2/10[17] |
Q | [18] |
Rolling Stone | [19] |
Spin | 9/10[20] |
Upon its release, To Be Kind was widely praised by music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 88, based on 35 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[11] Mark Deming of AllMusic gave the album a positive review, stating: "Michael Gira is a man unafraid to follow his muse wherever it may take him, and To Be Kind is another example of his singular vision writ large without compromise."[12] Anna Wilson of Clash praised the album, describing it as "Karlheinz Stockhausen’s jarring classicism, Captain Beefheart's twisted blues, and the industrialism of Einstürzende Neubauten coalescing into a swirling musical miasma." She also stated that the album is "near perfection."[21] Benjamin Bland of Drowned in Sound gave the album a 10/10 score and stated: "A two-hour odyssey of similar proportions to The Seer, this is an album that emphasises rather than establishes Swans' reconfirmed position at the top of the experimental rock tree, but that doesn’t make it any less of a thrill." He also further commented: "Now that this mission has been completed there is space for To Be Kind, and future Swans records to affirm, rather than prove, that Swans are, and perhaps always have been, the greatest rock group on the face of the planet."[1] Writing for Rolling Stone, Kory Grow also compared this album to The Seer as well as the 1996 effort Soundtracks for the Blind, noting how Swans' sound has evolved so that they "don't just crush—they hypnotize".[19]
Ross Horton of musicOMH gave the album a 5-star score, commenting: "Gira shows that the Swans resurgence isn’t a fluke."[22] Stuart Berman of Pitchfork Media praised Gira's efforts on the album, stating: "He's responded in the best way possible: by producing a record that, in structure and scale, is every bit The Seer's equal, yet possessed by a peculiar energy and spirit that proves all the more alluring in its dark majesty."[17] Rory Gibb of The Quietus wrote: "By this point they've further coalesced into an inseparable entity: on To Be Kind we experience Swans as totality, all seething ebb and flow, crafting music that seems to breathe of its own volition." He also stated that the album's songs "feel more fluid and open-ended than before, expressive and rich in possibility."[23] Colm McAuliffe of The Skinny also gave the album a positive review, stating: "Despite the two-hour plus running time, Swans appear to be – gasp! – enjoying themselves; they’re still staring into the abyss but the abyss is no longer staring back." He also noted that the album "displays much more diversity than its immediate predecessors."[24] Louis Pattison of Uncut wrote: "Yet as the name suggests, To Be Kind does feature a quality hitherto rare in Swans: that of tenderness." He also further stated: "Michael Gira is not only still moving forward, but making some of the albums of his career."[25]
Nevertheless, Jon Dennis of The Guardian was mixed in his assessment of the album, describing the album as "uncompromising to the point of overindulgence", and the lengthy track "Bring the Sun/Toussaint L'Ouverture" as "like The Doors playing "The End" for ever, only without the easygoing bonhomie."[13]
Track listing
All lyrics written by Michael Gira.
Disc one | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Music | Length |
1. | "Screen Shot" | Michael Gira | 8:04 |
2. | "Just a Little Boy (for Chester Burnett)" |
| 12:39 |
3. | "A Little God in My Hands" | Gira | 7:08 |
4. | "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture" |
| 34:05 |
5. | "Some Things We Do" | Gira | 5:09 |
Total length: | 67:05 |
Disc two | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Music | Length |
6. | "She Loves Us" |
| 17:00 |
7. | "Kirsten Supine" | Gira | 10:32 |
8. | "Oxygen" | Gira | 7:59 |
9. | "Nathalie Neal" | Gira | 10:14 |
10. | "To Be Kind" |
| 8:22 |
Total length: | 54:07 |
- The European vinyl version was pressed incorrectly, leading "Oxygen" to be placed on side 5 before "Kirsten Supine" on the record, despite the packaging listing them in the correct order.
2CD+DVD Edition bonus videos (Live at Primavera 2013)[26][27] | |||
---|---|---|---|
No. | Title | Music | Length |
1. | "To Be Kind" |
| 20:41 |
2. | "Just a Little Boy (for Chester Burnett)" |
| 10:46 |
3. | "Coward" |
| 8:36 |
4. | "She Loves Us" |
| 18:17 |
5. | "Oxygen" | Gira | 7:17 |
6. | "The Seer / Toussaint L'Ouverture" |
| 45:35 |
Total length: | 111:10 |
Personnel
Adapted from the official Young God Records website:[9]
- Michael Gira – vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, production
- Christoph Hahn – lap steel guitars, electric guitar, vocals
- Thor Harris – drums, percussion, vibes and bells, wind instruments, handmade viola, vocals
- Christopher Pravdica – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Phil Puleo – drums, percussion, dulcimer, piano, keyboards, vocals
- Norman Westberg – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Jennifer Church – background vocals on "She Loves Us" and "A Little God in My Hands"
- John Congleton – piano
- Rex Emerson – mandolin
- Daniel Hart – violin
- Julia Kent – strings and string arrangement on "Some Things We Do"
- Sean Kirkpatrick – piano, harpsichord, synthesizer
- Little Annie – vocals on "Some Things We Do"
- Bill Rieflin – additional drums and percussion, synthesizer, piano, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboards
- Al Spx – background vocals on "Bring the Sun"
- St. Vincent – background vocals on "Nathalie Neal", "Bring the Sun", "Screen Shot", and "Kirsten Supine"
- David Pierce – trombone
- Evan Weiss – trumpet
- John Congleton – recording, mixing
- Doug Henderson – mastering
- Bob Biggs – artwork
Charts
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[28] | 51 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] | 39 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[30] | 106 |
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[31] | 75 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32] | 56 |
UK Albums (OCC)[7] | 38 |
US Billboard 200[6] | 37 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[33] | 5 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[34] | 7 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[35] | 10 |
Release history
Region | Date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Worldwide (except North America)[8] | May 12, 2014 | 2CD, 2CD+DVD, 3LP, digital download | Mute Records |
North America[3] | May 13, 2014 | Young God Records | |
References
- 1 2 Bland, Benjamin (May 6, 2014). "Album Review: Swans – To Be Kind". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
- 1 2 Heller, Jason (May 13, 2014). "No Animals—Maybe Just Humans—Were Harmed in the Making of Swans' To Be Kind". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
- 1 2 Minsker, Evan (January 27, 2014). "Swans Announce New Album To Be Kind Featuring St. Vincent, Michael Gira Announces Solo Tour". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ↑ Breihan, Tom (January 27, 2014). "Swans Announce Double Album To Be Kind". Stereogum. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- ↑ Young, Alex (January 27, 2014). "Swans announce new album, To Be Kind, featuring St. Vincent". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
- 1 2 "Swans – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Swans. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- 1 2 "Swans | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- 1 2 "Swans Sign to Mute, announce new album 'To Be Kind' – out 12 May. Announce Michael Gira solo acoustic EU tour.". Mute Records. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
- 1 2 "To Be Kind – Young God Records". Young God Records. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
- ↑ Pelly, Jenn (March 21, 2014). "Swans Share New Song "A Little God in My Hands", Six-Part Art for New Album To Be Kind". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
- 1 2 "Reviews for To Be Kind by Swans". Metacritic. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- 1 2 Deming, Mark. "To Be Kind – Swans". AllMusic. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
- 1 2 Dennis, Jon (May 8, 2014). "Swans: To Be Kind review – perfectly listenable swamp blues". The Guardian. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ↑ Roberts, Randall (May 12, 2014). "Review: Swans deliver fearless, fierce and intense 'To Be Kind'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
- ↑ "Swans: To Be Kind". Mojo (247): 90. June 2014.
- ↑ Pearlman, Mischa (May 12, 2014). "Swans – 'To Be Kind'". NME. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- 1 2 Berman, Stuart (May 12, 2014). "Swans: To Be Kind". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Swans: To Be Kind". Q (335): 121. June 2014.
- 1 2 Grow, Kory (May 13, 2014). "To Be Kind". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
- ↑ Sherburne, Philip (May 12, 2014). "Swans' 'To Be Kind' Is a Monolithic Orgy of Blood, Guts, and…Love". Spin. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ↑ Wilson, Anna (May 1, 2014). "Swans – To Be Kind". Clash. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
- ↑ Horton, Ross (May 12, 2014). "Swans – To Be Kind". musicOMH. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
- ↑ Gibb, Rory (May 9, 2014). "Swans – To Be Kind". The Quietus. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
- ↑ McAuliffe, Colm (April 30, 2014). "Swans – To Be Kind". The Skinny. Retrieved April 30, 2014.
- ↑ Pattison, Louis (June 2014). "Swans: To Be Kind". Uncut (205): 81.
- ↑ "Swans – To Be Kind / Mute". Piccadilly Records. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
- ↑ To Be Kind (booklet). Swans. New York City: Young God Records. 2014.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Swans – To Be Kind" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Swans – To Be Kind" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Swans – To Be Kind" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Swans – To Be Kind" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
- ↑ "Swans – Chart history" Billboard Independent Albums for Swans. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Swans – Chart history" Billboard Top Alternative Albums for Swans. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Swans – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Swans. Retrieved May 23, 2014.