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2021 studio album by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
New Fragility
Studio album by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
ReleasedFebruary 12, 2021 (2021-02-12)
Studio
  • Ramble Creek Studios
  • Silent Partner Studios
GenreIndie rock
Length40:56
Label
ProducerAlec Ounsworth
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah chronology
The Tourist
(2017) 		New Fragility
(2021)
Singles from New Fragility
  1. "Hesitating Nation"
    Released: October 14, 2020
  2. "Thousand Oaks"
    Released: October 14, 2020
  3. "Where They Perform Miracles"
    Released: December 18, 2020
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.9/10
Metacritic72/100
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
DIY
The Irish Times
The Line of Best Fit6/10
MusicOMH
Paste7.7/10
Pitchfork6.4/10

New Fragility is the sixth studio album by American indie rock band Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The album was self-released on February 12, 2021.

Release

On October 14, 2020, lead vocalist Alec Ounsworth announced the release of the sixth studio album, along with two singles "Hesitating Nation" and "Thousand Oaks". In a press release, Ounsworth explained the meaning of "Thousand Oaks": "In 2018, there was a shooting in Thousand Oaks, CA which killed 13 people. This song has to do with the impotence of the American government in the face of such tragedies."

The third single "Where They Perform Miracles" was released on December 18, 2020.

Critical reception

New Fragility 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 72 based on 9 reviews. At AnyDecentMusic?, the release was given a 6.9 out of 10 based on 10 reviews.

Matt Collar of AllMusic gave the release four stars out of five, explaining "Recorded and produced by Ounsworth in Austin, Texas with some additional production by Will Johnson, New Fragility is a poetic, deeply personal album that finds Ounsworth searching for an ever-deeper sense of meaning in what often feels like an increasingly tumultuous and fragile world." Reviewing the album for DIY, Chris Hamilton-Peach was heavily critical, noting: "New Fragility strives for structure, toggling between social awareness and slack harmonies in an interplay that never fully attains the unity it craves. Winding orchestral flights propel Innocent Weight, in part redeeming an effort that covers little in the way of new ground, while timely lyrical takes command attention yet lack the frequency to shake off neighbouring songs sinking under their own unwieldy mass. Ian Cohen of Pitchfork wrote: "Alec Ounsworth's latest album is a world of divorce, substance abuse, callous indifference to murder, and also bittersweet nostalgia for that bygone indie-rock era that gave him a platform in the first place."

Track listing

New Fragility track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hesitating Nation"Alec Ounsworth3:13
2."Thousand Oaks"Alec Ounsworth4:47
3."Dee, Forgiven"Alec Ounsworth4:08
4."New Fragility"Alec Ounsworth3:38
5."Innocent Weight"Alec Ounsworth3:58
6."Mirror Song"Alec Ounsworth4:32
7."CYHSY, 2005"Alec Ounsworth3:35
8."Where They Perform Miracles"Alec Ounsworth3:52
9."Went Looking for Trouble"Alec Ounsworth5:46
10."If I Were More Like Jesus"Alec Ounsworth3:27

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.

Musicians

  • Alec Ounsworth – vocals, bass, guitar, piano
  • Will Johnson – drums, guitar
  • Jonas Oesterle – drums
  • Jaron Olevsky – drums
  • Britton Beisenherz – bass
  • Carolina Diazgronados – cello
  • Veronica Jurkiewicz – viola
  • Carlos Santiago – violin
  • Gabriel Miller – violin

Technical

  • Alec Ounsworth – engineer, producer
  • Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Will Johnson – producer
  • Matthew Poirier – engineer
  • Britton Beisenherz – engineer
  • Brendan Cooney – string arrangement
  • John Agnello − mixing

Production

  • Claire Kimock – design
  • Beth Ounsworth – cover art

References

  1. ^ Collar, Matt. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  2. ^ "AnyDecentMusic? Review". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  3. ^ "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  4. ^ Hamilton-Peach, Chris (28 January 2021). "DIY Magazine Review". DIY. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  5. Murphy, Lauren (January 29, 2021). "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: New Fragility review – Emotions run high". The Irish Times. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  6. Horton, Ross (February 12, 2021). "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's sixth outing is both rewarding and their strongest for some time". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  7. Cotsell, Matt (February 11, 2021). "MusicOMH Review". MusicOMH. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  8. Danton, Eric (February 11, 2021). "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Confront Big Questions on New Fragility". Paste. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  9. ^ Cohen, Ian (February 17, 2021). "Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  10. ^ Roberts, Christopher (October 14, 2020). "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Announce New Album, Share "Hesitating Nation" & "Thousand Oaks"". Under the Radar. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  11. "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Announce New Album". DIY. October 14, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  12. "Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Release New Single". DIY. December 18, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  13. "New Fragility - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Studio albums
Live albums
Singles
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