| Widdershins | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Grant-Lee Phillips | ||||
| Released | February 23, 2018 (2018-02-23) | |||
| Studio | Sound Emporium (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:18 | |||
| Label | Yep Roc | |||
| Producer | Grant-Lee Phillips | |||
| Grant-Lee Phillips chronology | ||||
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| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.3/10 |
| Metacritic | 78/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Classic Rock | |
| PopMatters | 8/10 |
| The Skinny | |
Widdershins is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Grant-Lee Phillips. It was released on February 23, 2018 under Yep Roc Records.
Production
The album was recorded over a four-day period at the Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. It was mixed by Tucker Martine and engineered by Mike Stankiewicz.
Critical reception
Widdershins 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 78, based on 8 reviews. Aggregator Album of the Year gave the release a 78 out of 100 based on a critical consensus of 5 reviews.
Mark Deming of AllMusic said the album "is full of joy and purpose, and Phillips has married them to a great set of hooky tunes with a folk-rock slant. He hasn't entirely abandoned the moody undertow that's always been a part of his music, but the unspoken message behind these songs is that this is not a time to brood, and Phillips has rarely sounded quite this lively and direct." Chris Roberts from Classic Rock said: "Whether it’s sideways social comment blazing with guitars, or poignant self-reflection with undulating melodies, this showcases his soulful, vulnerable voice, which never fails to catch every colour in a song. Locating the sweet spot where spontaneity and polish meet, Widdershins swings in all the right directions."
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Walk in Circles" | 3:32 |
| 2. | "Unruly Mobs" | 2:26 |
| 3. | "King of Catastrophes" | 3:13 |
| 4. | "Something's Gotta' Give" | 3:02 |
| 5. | "Scared Stiff" | 2:31 |
| 6. | "Miss Betsy" | 3:29 |
| 7. | "The Wilderness" | 3:25 |
| 8. | "Another, Another, Then Boom" | 2:56 |
| 9. | "Totally You Gunslinger" | 3:31 |
| 10. | "History Has Their Number" | 3:55 |
| 11. | "Great Acceleration" | 3:35 |
| 12. | "Liberation" | 3:03 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Grant-Lee Phillips – primary artist, guitar, vocals, producer
- Jerry Roe – drums
- Lex Price – bass
Production
- Mike Stankiewicz – engineer
- John Baldwin – mastering
- Nathan Golub – design
- Tucker Martine – mixing
References
- ^ "New Release and Video for Grant-Lee Phillips". Folk Radio UK. January 10, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ "Album of the Year Review". Album of the Year. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ Deming, Mark. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- "AnyDecentMusic? Review". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- ^ Roberts, Chris (February 1, 2018). "Classic Rock Review". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- Rushbury, Ian (February 21, 2018). "Anarchy in the USA? Grant Lee Phillips Points the Finger at the Prez on 'Widdershins'". PopMatters. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- Wild, Pete (February 20, 2018). "The Skinny Review". The Skinny. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
- Niesel, Jeff (March 8, 2018). "Grant-Lee Phillips' New Album Offers a Commentary on the Current Political Climate". Clevescene. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
| Grant-Lee Phillips | |
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| Albums |
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| Related articles | |