There Is No Year
There Is No Year is the third studio album by American experimental band Algiers. It was released through Matador Records on January 17, 2020.[1] The album was produced by Randall Dunn and Ben Greenberg. During the lead up to the release, the band issued two non-album singles, "Can the Sub_Bass Speak?" and the Adult Swim Singles Club release of "Void". Special editions of the album include these songs as bonus tracks.
| There Is No Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 17, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | April–May 2019 | |||
| Studio | Figure 8, New York Strange Weather, New York Studio E, New York | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:58 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Producer | Randall Dunn and Ben Greenberg | |||
| Algiers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from There Is No Year | ||||
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Background
The concept for the album was based around a poem, by singer Franklin James Fisher, entitled Misophonia.[2]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| DIY | |
| The Line of Best Fit | 7.5/10[6] |
| musicOMH | |
| NME | |
| The Observer | |
| The Guardian | |
| Pitchfork | 6/10[11] |
There Is No Year has received generally positive reviews. AllMusic described the album as extending "the reach of their previous outings while offering a more strategically articulated, disciplined musicality without sacrificing their core sound or blunting their emotional impact."[4] NME described the album's lyrics as urgent and more precise than their predecessor's. They also praised the album's diverse sound for blending post-punk, ’60s soul, gospel, disco and noise.[8]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "There Is No Year" | 3:15 |
| 2. | "Dispossession" | 4:15 |
| 3. | "Hour of the Furnaces" | 4:26 |
| 4. | "Losing Is Ours" | 3:44 |
| 5. | "Unoccupied" | 3:06 |
| 6. | "Chaka" | 3:53 |
| 7. | "Wait for the Sound" | 4:11 |
| 8. | "Repeating Night" | 3:02 |
| 9. | "We Can't Be Found" | 3:25 |
| 10. | "Nothing Bloomed" | 3:41 |
| Total length: | 36:58 | |
Personnel
All personnel credits adapted from There Is No Year album notes.[1]
Algiers
- Franklin James Fisher
- Ryan Mahan
- Lee Tesche
- Matt Tong
Vocals, guitar, bass, drums, programming, piano, synthesizers, percussion, sheet metal, prepared instruments and eight-stringed oddities
Additional musicians
- Skerik – saxophone
- LaToya Kent – backing vocals
- Kyle Kidd – backing vocals
- Lou the Dog – backing vocals
Technical
- Randall Dunn – producer, mixing, additional programming, modular synth, percussion and sound design, Korg MS-20, Modal 001, Ensoniq ESQ-1
- Ben Greenberg – producer, additional programming and MPC 2000
- Garrett DeBlock – mixing assistant
- Jason Ward – mastering
- Farbod Kokabi – art direction and design
Charts
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] | 85 |
References
- "There Is No Year". Matador. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- "Misophonia". Algiers. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- "There Is No Year by Algiers Reviews and Tracks - Metacritic". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Jurek, Thom. "There Is No Year - Algiers". AllMusic. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Sloman, Tom (January 17, 2020). "Algiers - There Is No Year". DIY. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Cartledge, Luke (January 13, 2020). "Algiers - There Is No Year". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Newington, Mark (January 17, 2020). "Algiers - There Is No Year". musicOMH. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Balram, Dhruva (January 14, 2020). "Algiers – 'There Is No Year': a heady concoction of post-punk, '60s soul and political insight". NME. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Morris, Damien (January 19, 2020). "Algiers: There Is No Year review – electrifying and unpredictable". The Observer. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- Morris, Damien (January 19, 2020). "Algiers: There Is No Year review – electrifying and unpredictable". The Guardian. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- Kearse, Stephen (January 17, 2020). "Algiers There Is No Year Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Algiers – There Is No Year" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
