''Skiptracing'' is the second studio album by American
psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is a genre of pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the mid-to-late 1960s, elements included " trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, ...
band
Mild High Club. The album has received positive reviews from critics.
Reception
Editors at
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
rated this album 3.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Paul Simpson writing that this album contains the "a welcoming brand of mellow, sun-soaked psychedelic pop" from 2015's ''
Timeline
A timeline is a list of events displayed in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events.
Timelines can use any suitable scale representing t ...
'', this work is "significantly more ambitious" for "a much fuller sound and a wider scope
hat
A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
takes more risks".
At ''
Clash Music
''Clash'' is a Music magazine, music and fashion magazine and website based in the United Kingdom. It is published four times a year by Music Republic Ltd, whose predecessor Clash Music Ltd went into liquidation.
The magazine won awards includin ...
'', Noveen Bajpai rated this release a 7 out of 10, writing that the results are "mixed", but "Mild High Club have broken ground and laid new foundations with their most nuanced and exploratory material to date".
A B− came from Jeremy Zerbe of ''
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television.
History
''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...
'', who called this work "almost overwhelming in its downtempo feel-goodery", critiquing that the music "falls prey to its own strengths, offering more of the same low-key, summertime vibes but never ultimately building up to anything".
At ''
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 ...
'', Cosette Schulz rated ''Skiptracing'' an 8 out of 10, calling the work "a pleasant escape" with "a cinematic feel, tinged with 1970s hues, jazzier moments and brief psychedelic spells".
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
's Benjamin Schein rated ''Skiptracing'' a 6.8 out of 10, writing that the first three tracks are strongest, forming a "suite of tunes plays like a mini trashcan pop symphony", but going on to state that "the album loses steam in its second half, with an aimless instrumental and two 30 second interludes bookending the two most forgettable tunes".
Christopher Laird of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' gave ''Skiptracing'' a 5 out of 10, writing that "''Skiptracing'' is the journey we get to take with Brettin and it’s a fine one overall . The tones are warm, the sequencing is great, and the songs are mostly solid."
In ''
Record Collector
''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine focussing on rare and collectable records, and the bands who recorded them. It was founded in September 1979 and distributes worldwide. It is promoted as "the world’s leading authority o ...
'', this album received 4 out of 5 stars for "win
ing
Ing, ING or ing may refer to:
Art and media
* '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film
* i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group
* The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes''
* "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...
the listener over within seconds" with music that is "truly lush, jazz-flecked and beautifully written" and comparable to
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...
.
Track listing
All songs written by Alexander Brettin.
#"Skiptracing" – 3:40
#"Homage" – 2:57
#"Cary Me Back" – 3:53
#"Tesselation" – 2:33
#"Head Out" – 2:28
#"Kokopelli" – 2:55
#"¿Whodunit?" – 2:09
#"Chasing My Tail" – 4:07
#"Ceiling Zero" – 0:37
#"Chapel Perilous" – 4:33
#"Skiptracing (reprise)" – 0:33
Personnel
Mild High Club
*Alexander John Brettin – performance,
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stat ...
Additional personnel
*Ross Chait – drums on "Chasing My Tail"
*Renee Clark – vocals on "Skiptracing"
*Joe Genden – synthesizer on "¿Whodunit?"
*Zack Goulet – artwork
*Tom Hurlbut – saxophone on "Head Out"
*Spencer Jenich – synthesizer on "Chapel Perilous"
*Jason Kick – synthesizer on "¿Whodunit?",
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 ...
*Mike Kriebel – musical assistance
*Adam Lawrence – layout
*Dent May – choir on "Chapel Perilous"
*Matthew Mondanile – musical assistance
*Max Nitch – synthesizer on "¿Whodunit?", layout
*Mat Roberts – drums on "Homage", "Cary Me Back", "Tesselation", "Head Out", "¿Whodunit?", "Chasing My Tail", "Ceiling Zero", and "Chapel Perilous";
bongos
Bongos (Spanish language, Spanish: ''bongó'') are an Afro-Cubans, Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. The pair consists of the larger ''hembra'' () and the smaller ''macho'' ...
on "Skiptracing"; synthesizer on "¿Whodunit?"
*Simi Sohota – hand claps on "Ceiling Zero"
*Timothy Stollenwerk –
mastering at Record Technology Incorporated – 263101
*Jarvis Taveniere – vocals on "Skiptracing" and "Homage",
mixing,
editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written language, written, Image editing, visual, Audio engineer, audible, or Film editing, cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing p ...
*Jake Viator – mixing on "Chasing My Tail"
*Noam Wallenberg – drum
programming on "Cary Me Back" and "Tesselation", mixing on "Ceiling Zero"
*Brian Wakefield – vocals on "Chasing My Tail"
See also
*
List of 2016 albums
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
2016 albums
Mild High Club albums
Stones Throw Records albums