Cusp (album)
| Cusp | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 9, 2018 | |||
| Studio | Flora Recording & Playback[1] | |||
| Length | 38:08 | |||
| Label | Allpoints | |||
| Producer | Peter M. Murray | |||
| Alela Diane chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 87/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The 405 | 8/10[3] |
| The Guardian |   [4] |
| MusicOMH | [5] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[6] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.8/5[7] |
Cusp is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Alela Diane. It was released on February 9, 2018, by AllPoints Recordings.[8]
Production[edit]
The album was recorded at Flora Recording & Playback, alongside producer Peter M. Murray.[1]
Release[edit]
The first music video to "Émigré" was released on December 1, 2017.[9]
The second single "Ether and Wood" was released on January 12, 2018.[10] Diane explained the single "is a reflection on the different lives that are lived within a lifetime. The doors along the way that often open and close without notice. I live in a very old house, and love thinking about all the people who lived and died within these walls."[11]
Critical reception[edit]
Cusp was met with "universal acclaim" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 87 based on 7 reviews.[2]
Nicholas Glover of The 405 explained how the album revolves around mother and daughterhood that is "brought to life in the music by a straightened, glittering piano backing and gently pulling strings."[3] Writing for The Guardian, Dave Simpson said: "Her thoughtful, dreamy vocals drift across a grand piano, providing both pretty and wistful songs with emotional wallop. The album title comes from [Diane]'s near-death during childbirth, and her subsequent realisation that we are forever "on the cusp" between death and life, heartbreak and euphoria, all of which are in fulsome supply here."[4]
Chart performance[edit]
The release appeared on international charts, debuting at number 109 on the Belgian Ultratop Flanders chart,[12] number 88 on the Belgian Ultratop Wallonia chart,[13] number 106 in France,[14] number 173 in Netherlands,[15] and number 84 in Switzerland.[16]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Albatross" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "The Threshold" | 2:58 |
| 3. | "Moves Us Blind" | 2:57 |
| 4. | "Émigré" | 3:11 |
| 5. | "Never Easy" | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Song for Sandy" | 3:45 |
| 7. | "Buoyant" | 3:15 |
| 8. | "Ether & Wood" | 4:23 |
| 9. | "Yellow Gold" | 3:20 |
| 10. | "So Tired" | 3:43 |
| 11. | "Wild Ceaseless Song" | 3:00 |
Charts[edit]
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[12] | 109 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[13] | 88 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[14] | 106 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[15] | 173 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] | 84 |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Cummings, Bill (December 2, 2017). "Alela Diane returns with new album". God Is in the TV. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ a b Glover, Nicholas (February 28, 2018). "Alela Diane considers the warmth and alien insecurity of motherhood on Cusp". The 405. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ a b Simpson, Dave (February 9, 2018). "Cusp review – the agonies and ecstasies of motherhood". The Guardian. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Steven (February 9, 2018). "MusicOMH Review". MusicOMH. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ Pontecorvo, Adriane (February 5, 2018). "On 'Cusp' Alela Diane Has Discovered Inspiration in Her Own Happiness". PopMatters. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Sputnikmusic Review". Sputnikmusic. February 25, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Alela Diane Celebrates Motherhood on New Album". Folk Radio UK. December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ "Alela Diane - Émigré". Retrieved December 4, 2020 – via YouTube.
- ^ "New Video and Single". Folk Radio UK. January 12, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ "Alela Diane Releases New Single 'Ether & Wood' & Shares Poignant Video". Circuit Sweet. January 14, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ a b "Ultratop.be – Alela Diane – Cusp" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Ultratop.be – Alela Diane – Cusp" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Lescharts.com – Alela Diane – Cusp". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Dutchcharts.nl – Alela Diane – Cusp" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Swisscharts.com – Alela Diane – Cusp". Hung Medien. Retrieved December 3, 2020.