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Spell Blanket

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2024 demo album by Broadcast
Spell Blanket
A side profile photograph of Broadcast lead singer Trish Keenan with the words "Spell Blanket" flipped on their side.
Demo album by Broadcast
Released3 May 2024 (2024-05-03)
Length64:39
LabelWarp
Broadcast chronology
Mother Is the Milky Way
(2022) 		Spell Blanket
(2024) 		Distant Call
(2024)
Singles from Spell Blanket
  1. "Follow the Light"
    Released: 2024-03-21
  2. "The Games You Play"
    Released: 2024-04-16

Spell Blanket is the first demo album by British indie electronic group Broadcast. It was released on 3 May 2024, through Warp Records. This album marks the fourth posthumous release by Broadcast after lead singer Trish Keenan's death in 2011, and the final release of unheard material from the group.

Background

In September 2023, group member James Cargill, who has taken on the role of managing Broadcast's remaining material, announced on Facebook that he would be issuing a collection of previously unreleased demos in early 2024. In March 2024, Warp Records announced the release of two demo albums: Spell Blanket in May 2024, and Distant Call in September 2024. These two releases are to be the final material released by Broadcast. Spell Blanket consists of unreleased demos by Keenan recorded to 4-track tapes and MiniDiscs that were intended for the follow-up to Broadcast's 2005 album Tender Buttons.

Singles

The same day of the announcement, a track off each album was released, with Spell Blanket's being a previously unheard song, "Follow the Light". Four other songs could be previously heard on Cargill's SoundCloud account: "The Song Before The Song Comes Out", "Petal Alphabet", "Where Are You?", and "Tunnel View".

In April 2024, a new single was released for the album, "The Games You Play". This demo is an vocal version of their instrumental song "DDL", which was featured on their 2006 compilation album The Future Crayon.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Mojo
Pitchfork8.5/10
Record Collector
Uncut9/10

Upon its release, Spell Blanket was met with critical acclaim. Piers Martin of Uncut gave the release a 9/10 rating, writing of how "It fills in gaps we didn't know were there, offers tantalizing clues to their unfinished fifth album, and somehow ends up enhancing their mystique, despite laying all the cards on the table." He praised Keenan's poetic lyrics and the variety of styles and textures that she and Cargill experiment with. Heather Phares of AllMusic also commended the lyrical work, noting "There's a fullness to Keenan's lyrics that brings out the empathy of her writing as well as its mystery and beauty", and calling it a "true privilege" to discover the "raw brilliance" of the music.

Charts

Chart (2024) Peak position
UK Album Downloads (OCC) 27
UK Independent Albums (OCC) 12
UK Scottish Albums (OCC) 38
UK Vinyl Albums (OCC) 31

Track listing

All tracks are written by Trish Keenan and James Cargill

Spell Blanket track listing
No.TitleLength
1."The Song Before the Song Comes Out"0:41
2."March of the Fleas"2:08
3."Greater Than Joy"1:29
4."Mother Plays Games"1:55
5."My Marble Eye"0:32
6."Roses Red"2:53
7."Hip Bone to Hip Bone"1:17
8."Running Back to Me"2:04
9."I Blink You Blink"0:55
10."Infant Girl"1:08
11."I Run in Dreams"1:58
12."Luminous Image"0:54
13."A Little Light"1:22
14."Hairpin Memories"2:10
15."My Body"1:08
16."Follow the Light"2:39
17."Tunnel View"2:45
18."Where Are You?"1:56
19."Singing Game"0:39
20."I Want to Be Fine"3:51
21."The Games You Play"2:34
22."Grey Grey Skies"0:24
23."Puzzle"2:18
24."The Clock Is on Fire"2:52
25."Petal Alphabet"3:38
26."Tell Table"0:42
27."Fatherly Veil"3:23
28."Dream Power"0:58
29."Heartbeat"2:36
30."Call Sign"0:30
31."Crone Motion"0:55
32."Sleeping Bed"1:09
33."Join in Together"1:27
34."Colour in the Numbers"3:42
35."I Am the Bridge"0:48
36."Spirit House"2:19
Total length:64:39

References

  1. "Spell Blanket - Collected Demos 2006-2009 by Broadcast - Releases". WARP. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  2. Tafoya, Harry. "Broadcast: Maida Vale Sessions / Microtonics / Mother Is the Milky Way". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  3. "Broadcast announce their final two albums, Spell Blanket and Distant Call". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  4. "Broadcast - Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  5. Monroe, Jazz (21 March 2024). "Broadcast Demos Collected on Two New Albums: Listen to "Follow the Light"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  6. "Broadcast Announce Two New Demo Collections". Stereogum. 21 March 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  7. Terich, Jeff (21 March 2024). "Hear a previously unreleased demo from Broadcast, "Follow the Light"". Treble. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  8. "James Broadcast". SoundCloud. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  9. Bonner, Michael (16 April 2024). "Broadcast release an unheard vocal take of "The Games You Play"". UNCUT. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  10. Phares, Heather. "Spell Blanket: Collected Demos 2006–2009". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  11. "Broadcast: Spell Blanket". Mojo (367): 100. June 2024.
  12. Lewis, Dash (8 May 2024). "Broadcast: Spell Blanket". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  13. Roberts, Chris (18 April 2024). "Spell Blanket – Collected Demos 2006-2009". Record Collector. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  14. "Broadcast: Spell Blanket". Uncut (327): 42. May 2024.
  15. Martin, Piers (May 2024). "Broadcast - Spell Blanket: Collected Demos 2006-2009". Uncut (327): 44.
  16. Phares, Heather (3 May 2024). "Spell Blanket: Collected Demos 2006-2009". AllMusic.
  17. "Official Album Downloads Chart on 10/5/2024". Official Charts. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  18. "Official Independent Albums Chart on 10/5/2024". Official Charts. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  19. "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 10/5/2024". Official Charts. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
  20. "Official Vinyl Albums Chart on 10/5/2024". Official Charts. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
Broadcast
  • James Cargill
Studio albums
Soundtrack albums
Compilation albums
Demo albums
EPs
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