Last Evenings on Earth (album)
| Last Evenings on Earth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 29 April 2016 | |||
| Length | 36:20 | |||
| Label | The Leaf Label | |||
| Producer | Leafcutter John | |||
| Melt Yourself Down chronology | ||||
| ||||
Last Evenings on Earth is the second studio album by the London-based band Melt Yourself Down. It follows 2013's eponymous debut and Live at the New Empowering Church, released for Record Store Day in 2014.
Background[edit]
The album is named after the collection of short stories by Chilean novelist Roberto Bolaño. The Leaf Label described the album as "a dizzying, continent-hopping voyage, darker and heavier than its predecessor". In an interview, bandleader Peter Wareham explained, "The need to dance is still there but now I’m feeling inspired by the idea of the city as a prism through which all kinds of global influences pass...Translation, immigration, overcoming obstacles - and most of all, human unity."[1] In another interview he explained that "the writing for the album started whilst touring the first album in 2013 and the music naturally evolved as things in our lives have played out since then. By the end the process had become about trying to capture the band’s energy whilst writing and recording"[2]
Clash praised the album as a "blast of musical exploration" and noted that frontman Kusal Gaya is "moving away from his native Mauritian/French Creole to sing in English".[3]
Tracks "Dot to Dot", 'The God of You" and "Jump the Fire" were each released as singles along with music videos.
Critical reception[edit]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 73/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Arts Desk |   [5] |
| Cultured Vultures | 8.5/10[6] |
| Financial Times | [7] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| Loud and Quiet | 6/10[9] |
| MusicOMH |  [10] |
On the Metacritic website, which aggregates reviews from critics and assigns a normalised rating out of 100, Last Evenings on Earth received a score of 73.[4] The Arts Desk described the album as "relentless" with "forward momentum and a trance-like fervour".[5] Last Evenings on Earth was called "as damn close to a masterpiece as you can get" by Cultured Vultures, who also wrote that the album showed "a band at the height of both command and vision, merging sonics and aesthetics into something uniquely and officially theirs".[6] Loud and Quiet called the album "a perfect mix of David Byrne-esque vocal upon manic tablas, mizmars, electronic beats and guitars" but also wrote that the music is "disappointingly too similar to the great breakthrough of the band’s previous production".[9] MusicOMH wrote that Last Evenings on Earth "is an album that's all about rhythm and energy" informed by "skill, knowledge and passion" and awarded the album 4.5/5.[10] In a four star review, The Guardian wrote that despite the "central themes [of] disease, death and war" the album "refuses to be conquered by misery or contemplation". It continues, "a frenzy of north African instrumentation, punk and deranged jazz leads a collision of sounds that channels the spirit of revolution, and the heat and claustrophobia of a politically fractious city".[8] The Financial Times also awarded the album 4 stars, praising the "rumbling bass, obsessive chants and chopped-up saxophone melodies".[7]
In August 2016, Last Evenings on Earth was nominated for Best "Difficult" Second Album in the AIM awards.[11]
Accolades[edit]
| Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Quietus | Albums of the Year 2016 | 2016 | 99[12]
|
| Uncut | Top 75 Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 74[13]
|
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dot to Dot" | 4:27 |
| 2. | "The God of You" | 3:45 |
| 3. | "Listen Out" | 3:53 |
| 4. | "Communication" | 1:27 |
| 5. | "Jump the Fire" | 4:14 |
| 6. | "Bharat Mata" | 5:04 |
| 7. | "Big Children (Gran Zanfan)" | 4:46 |
| 8. | "Body Parts" | 5:03 |
| 9. | "Yazzan Dayra" | 3:41 |
| Total length: | 36:20 | |
Personnel[edit]
- Peter Wareham – tenor saxophone
- Shabaka Hutchings – tenor saxophone
- Kushal Gaya – vocals
- Ruth Goller – bass guitar
- Tom Skinner – drums
- Satin Singh – percussion
References[edit]
- ^ "Melt Yourself Down - new album + single". The Leaf Label. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ "MELT YOURSELF DOWN INTERVIEW". Voodoo Jukebox. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
- ^ "Melt Yourself Down Return". Clash. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Last Evenings on Earth". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ^ a b "CD: Melt Yourself Down - Last Evenings on Earth". The Arts Desk. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ a b "ALBUM REVIEW: Melt Yourself Down – 'Last Evenings on Earth'". Cultured Vultures. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Melt Yourself Down: Last Evenings on Earth — review". Financial Times. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Melt Yourself Down: Last Evenings On Earth review – frenzied jazz-punk fusions". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Last Evenings on Earth". Loud and Quiet. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Last Evenings on Earth". MusicOMH. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ^ "AIM Independent Music Awards". AIM. 2 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- ^ "The Quietus Albums of the Year 2016". The Quietus. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ "The Quietus Albums of the Year 2016". Uncut. 22 November 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2017.