Guitar Music (Courting album)

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Guitar Music
Studio album by
Courting
Released23 September 2022
Recorded2021
Genre
Length31:58
LabelPIAS
ProducerJames Dring
Courting chronology
Grand National
(2021) 		Guitar Music
(2022) 		New Last Name
(2024)
Singles from Guitar Music
  1. "Tennis"
    Released: 5 April 2022
  2. "Loaded"
    Released: 25 May 2022
  3. "Jumper"
    Released: 16 August 2022

Guitar Music is the debut studio album from British band Courting. It was released on 23 September 2022 by PIAS Recordings. The album combines the genres of art punk, post-punk, and hyperpop, and was produced by James Dring, with songwriting and recording taking place between late 2021 and early 2022. The album featured three promotional singles: "Tennis", "Loaded", and "Jumper". Despite mixed reviews for the singles, the album received generally favourable reviews from critics. The music was composed by band members Sean Murphy-O'Neill and Sean Thomas.

Style and composition[edit]

The album has been described as a fusion genre between art punk, post-punk, and hyperpop.[1]

Release and promotion[edit]

Songwriting took place in 2021, and recording took place in late 2021 into early 2022. The album was produced by James Dring.

Singles[edit]

Guitar Music had three singles that were released ahead of the album in promotion of the release. The lead-off single, "Tennis", was released on 5 April 2022. The single was described by NME as tongue-in-cheek, and playful. The band described "Tennis" as "a paypig's personal redemption narrative, set in "the city", and told in two parts: A twisted tale of two lovers' back and forth, bound by cricket, bodybuilding and money. A story as old as time".[2] Far Out Magazine dismissed the single as "derivative", and gave it a 5.8 out of 10.[3] The second single, "Loaded", was released on 25 May 2022.[4]

"Jumper" is the third and final single before the album was released. The single, released on 16 August 2022. In an interview with DIY, the band described the song as "an outlier on the album". Sean Murphy-O’Neil further said of the album that it "is a gentle story of true unrequited love, meant to playout like a 2006 romcom. It is about growing old and believing everything will fall into place, the mundanity of doing dishes, and leaving oppositional film reviews.[5]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Clash[8]
DIY[9]
Gigwise[10]
God Is in the TV8/10[11]
NME[12]
Pitchfork7.3/10[13]

Guitar Music was met with "generally favorable" 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 78, based on 5 reviews.[6]

Track listing[edit]

All music is composed by Sean Murphy-O'Neill and Sean Thomas

Guitar Music track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Cosplay / Twin Cities"2:58
2."Tennis"3:14
3."Loaded"3:34
4."Famous"3:19
5."Crass (Redux)"2:49
6."Jumper"3:39
7."Uncanny Valley Forever"8:46
8."PDA"3:36
Total length:31:58

Personnel[edit]

Courting

  • Sean Murphy-O'Neill
  • Sean Thomas
  • Joshua Cope
  • Connor McCann

Production, artwork, and mastering

  • Alex Bex – photography
  • Nathan Chinn – assistant engineer
  • Matt Colton – mastering
  • James Dring – mixing, producer
  • Holly Minto – trumpet
  • Claudius Mittendorfer – mixing
  • Charlie Puth – photography
  • Thomas Harrington Rawle – artwork
  • Kieran Shudall – composer
  • Grant Watling – assistant engineer
  • Charles Watson – background vocals
  • Robert Whiteley – engineer

Charts[edit]

Chart performance for Guitar Music
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[14] 43
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[15] 21

References[edit]

  1. ^ Mellen, James (22 September 2022). "Courting – Guitar Music". Clash. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  2. ^ Campbell, Erica (6 April 2022). "Courting drop playful new track 'Tennis' and share tour dates for this fall". NME. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  3. ^ Taylor, Tom (6 April 2022). "Courting release derivative new single 'Tennis'". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Loaded | Courting". Bandcamp. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  5. ^ Brex, Alex (16 August 2022). "Courting drop new track 'Jumper'". DIY. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Guitar Music by Courting Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  7. ^ Deming, Mark. Review of Guitar Music at AllMusic. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  8. ^ Mellen, James (22 September 2022). "Courting – Guitar Music". Clash. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  9. ^ Holden, Finlay (23 September 2022). "Courting - Guitar Music review". DIY. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  10. ^ Herlingshaw, Brett (16 September 2022). "Album Review: Courting - Guitar Music". Gigwise. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  11. ^ Allen, Josh (22 September 2022). "Courting – Guitar Music (PIAS)". God Is in the TV. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  12. ^ Buchanan, Rhys (22 September 2022). "Courting – 'Guitar Music' review: a raucously fun debut that serves all the aces". NME. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  13. ^ Farrell, Margaret (27 October 2022). "Courting: Guitar Music Album Review". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  15. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
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