Beauty Pill Describes Things as They Are

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Beauty Pill Describes Things as They Are
Studio album by
Beauty Pill
ReleasedApril 21, 2015
Recorded2011
GenreElectronic, rock
ProducerChad Clark
Beauty Pill chronology
The Unsustainable Lifestyle
(2004) 		Beauty Pill Describes Things as They Are
(2015)

Beauty Pill Describes Things as They Are is the second full-length CD by the band Beauty Pill. It was the band's first non-Dischord release. It was recorded at Artisphere, a museum in Arlington, VA, as part of a commissioned art project called Immersive Ideal in which the recording sessions were conducted in view of the public. They completed one song per day, and Chad Clark felt the pressure of the recording process infused the music with an energetic quality. The music is more electronic in nature than the band's previous recordings because Clark's health issues prevented him from lifting a guitar for a time.[1]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork7.5/10[2]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((1-star Honorable Mention))[3]
Vice (Expert Witness)A[4]

The album was met with wide critical acclaim. NPR listed it as one of the 50 Best Albums of 2015,[5] and Rolling Stone listed it as one of the "15 Best Albums You Didn't Hear in 2015".[6] Magnet Magazine declared it album of the year, and said it "Takes a sledgehammer to boundaries and orthodoxies. Recalls both 'Revolver' and 'Stankonia."

Noisey declared it "One of the most unique and engrossing albums of 2015", while Pitchfork characterized it as "a smorgasbord of angles, melodies, loops, pockets, and fractal surfaces that nonetheless refuse to deviate from the mythic power of the pop hook."[7]

Robert Christgau named it the seventh best album of 2015.[8]

Track listing[edit]

  1. "Drapetomania!" – 3:36
  2. "Afrikaner Barista" – 6:42
  3. "Ann the Word" – 6:44
  4. "Steven & Tiwonge" – 4:24
  5. "Aint a Jury in the World Gon' Convict You, Baby" – 4:00
  6. "Exit Without Saving" – 3:42
  7. "The Prize" – 4:23
  8. "Dog with Rabbit in Mouth, Unharmed" – 5:22
  9. "For Pretend" – 4:51
  10. "When Cornered" – 3:30
  11. "Near Miss Stories" – 5:45
  12. "Ann the Word" (Lungfish cover) – 7:10

Personnel[edit]

  • Basla Andolsun – bass, guitar
  • Chad Clark – vocals, guitar, beats, sounds, treatments, songs
  • Jean Cook – vocals, strings, Wurlitzer, piano, synthesizer
  • Drew Doucette – guitar, bass
  • Abram Goodrich – drums, guitar, bass, synthesizer, vibraphone, percussion
  • Devin Ocampo – drums, guitar, synthesizer, bass[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Phil Harrell, "'It Crackles With Life':Beauty Pill Returns", NPR Music, April 26, 2015
  2. ^ Heller, Jason (24 April 2015). "Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  3. ^ Hull, Tom (13 July 2020). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert (11 March 2016). "Guitar Rock Grooves". Vice. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  5. ^ NPR Music (7 December 2015). "NPR Music's 50 Favorite Albums Of 2015". NPR. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  6. ^ Murray, Nick. "15 Great Albums You Didn't Hear in 2015". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  7. ^ Jason Heller, "Beauty Pill: Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are", Pitchfork Media, April 24, 2015
  8. ^ "2015: Dean's List". Robert Christgau. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  9. ^ Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are (CD liner notes). Beauty Pill. Butterscotch Records. 2015. BSR012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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