''Expectations'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter
Katie Pruitt, released by
Rounder Records
Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts, by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by A ...
on February 21, 2020. The album has received positive reviews from critics.
The album is made up of compositions about Pruitt's life.
On November 24, 2020, ''Expectations'' was nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
Reception
Album of the Year characterized the critical consensus as a 75 out of 100.
For ''
Paste'', Eric R. Danton gave ''Expectations'' a seven out of 10, praising the emotional depth of the lyrics but criticizing formulaic songwriting and some lyrics that fall flat.
Sam Sodomsky of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
The term is also applie ...
'' gave it the same rating, writing that it has strong
arrangements
In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing Composition (music), composition. Differences from the original composition may include Harmony (music), reharmonization, Musical phrasing, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or M ...
and stately
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
s.
In ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'', Scott Roos gave it an eight out of 10 for truth-telling lyrics and a "first-rate" band.
''
American Songwriter
''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
History
The ''American Songwri ...
''s Hal Horowitz scored ''Expectations'' at four out of five for wise production that accentuates her lyrics, along with a balance of musical genres.
Introducing Pruitt for a feature, Kelly McCartney of ''
No Depression'', called the release "stunning" and continued, "As an artist’s opening statement, the album is bold and beautiful, impactful and entertaining. It’s an exercise in courage so exquisitely raw that Brown would surely be proud of it."
Joseph Hudak of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' praised Pruitt's "nimble guitar playing" and "elastic voice".
's Jewly Hight characterized the album with, "Pruitt's done that with such clarity of expression and disarming intimacy—''Expectations'' is aesthetically warmhearted even in its tensest moments of confrontation—that she's given her own family a greater understanding of her experience".
Track listing
All songs written by
Katie Pruitt, except where noted
#"Wishful Thinking" – 5:10
#"My Mind's a Ship (That's Going Down)" (Jess Nolan and Pruitt) – 4:00
#"Expectations" (Ross McReynolds and Pruitt) – 3:55
#"Out of the Blue" – 5:13
#"Normal" – 5:12
#"Grace Has a Gun" – 4:21
#"Searching for the Truth" – 4:32
#"Georgia" – 4:11
#"Loving Her" – 5:04
#"It's Always Been You" – 5:13
Personnel
*Katie Pruitt – lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitars,
liner notes
Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards.
Origin
Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
,
production
*Hank Born – electric guitar
*Maggie Chaffee – cello
*David Crutcher –
Fender Rhodes, organ, piano
*Eric Darken – bells,
vibraphone
The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...
*Alicia Enstrom – violin
*Luke Enyeart – electric guitar
*Laura Epling – violin
*Alysse Gafkjen – photography
*Austin Hoke – cello
*Jedd Hughes – electric guitar
*Calvin Knowles – bass guitar
*Betsy Lamb –
viola
The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...
*Ross McReynolds – drums, percussion
*Ian Miller –
African bells, Fender Rhodes, keyboards,
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a Capstan (tape recorder), capstan, which pulls i ...
, organ, piano
*Jess Nolan – backing vocals
*Jake Ohlbaum – backing vocals
*Gary Paczosa –
engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
*Michael Robinson – engineer, production
*Carrie Smith – design
*Jake Tudor – viola
*Kristin Webber – violin
*Sami Wideberg – artwork
*Johnny Williamson – electric guitar
See also
*
List of 2020 albums
The following is a list of albums, Extended play, EPs, and mixtapes released in 2020. These albums are (1) original, i.e. excluding reissues, remasters, and Compilation album, compilations of previously released recordings, and (2) WP:MUS, not ...
References
External links
*
*
*
Rounder Records press releaseA set by Pruitt
on NPR's '' World Cafe''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Expectations
2020 debut albums
Katie Pruitt albums
Rounder Records albums
LGBTQ-related albums