Beak (album)
BEAK> | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 18 October 2009 | |||
Recorded | 5–17 January 2009 | |||
Studio | State Of Art Studios (Bristol, England) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 1:01:04 | |||
Label | Invada | |||
Producer | Beak> | |||
Beak> chronology | ||||
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Beak (stylized BEAK> and also named Recordings 05/01/09 > 17/01/09)[1] is the self-titled debut studio album by British band Beak>, released by the label Invada in October 2009. It was improvised and recorded in a twelve-day period without any overdubbing or repair. It earned generally positive reviews from critics upon release, holding an aggregate of 72 out of 100 on Metacritic.
Production
Beak was written and recorded between 5–17 January 2009, improvised live without any
The recording on each day would start at twelve PM, and last until six. Some songs were played ten times, while some others had two or three versions made, but usually the first take was chosen to be featured on the final product. The only tracks that were done in one take were "Backwell" and "Battery Point". Barrow said about the lyric writing, "I never wrote anything down. And what you hear is what happened in the [recording] room. Non-traditional vocals, really. I’m not a very lyrical person, and I’m definitely not a singer. I felt a little weird about it."[3] The album was engineered by Stuart Matthews, and finally mastered by Shawn Joseph at Optimum Mastering.[2]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Popmatters | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Resident Advisor | 4/5[13] |
The Skinny | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Under the Radar | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Critical reactions of Beak were generally positive, holding an aggregate score of 72 out of 100 on
In more mixed reviews,
Track listing
All tracks are written by Beak>
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Backwell" | 6:15 |
2. | "Pill" | 5:34 |
3. | "Ham Green" | 6:27 |
4. | "I Know" | 5:02 |
5. | "Battery Point" | 7:10 |
6. | "Iron Acton" | 5:00 |
7. | "Ears Have Ears" | 4:23 |
8. | "Blagdon Lake" | 4:44 |
9. | "Barrow Gurney" | 2:01 |
10. | "The Cornubia" | 4:00 |
11. | "Dundry Hill" | 7:38 |
12. | "Flax Bourton" | 2:50 |
Total length: | 1:01:04 |
Personnel
Credits are adapted from liner notes.[2] Locations
- Recorded and engineered at State Of Art Studios in Bristol, England
- Mastered at Optimum Mastering in Bristol, England
Personnel
- Songwriting, performance, production – Beak
- Engineering – Stuart Matthews
- Mastering – Shawn Joseph
- Artwork – Johnny O
- Artwork logo – John Minton
References
- ^ a b Kennedy, Adam. "BEAK> Recordings 05/01/09 > 17/01/09 Review". BBC Music. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b c BEAK> (CD liner notes). Beak>. United Kingdom: Invada. 2009. INV100CD.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b "THE SELF-TITLED INTERVIEW: Geoff Barrow of Portishead & BEAK>". Self-Titled. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ "BEAK>: IT'S SO INCREDIBLY BORING". L.A. Record. YBX Media Inc. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
- ^ CBS Interactive. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b Perry, Andrew (23 October 2009). "Beak>: Beak>, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b Ferguson, Robert (16 October 2009). "Album Review: Beak> – Beak>". Drowned in Sound. Silentway. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b Hogwood, Ben (19 October 2009). "BEAK> – BEAK>". musicOMH. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ Inspire. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ Popmatters. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b Matos, Michaelangelo (27 November 2009). "BEAK> – BEAK>". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b Crichton, Ian (18 November 2009). "BEAK> – BEAK>". The Skinny. Radge Media. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ a b Hyman, Nick (14 January 2010). "Beak>: Beak> (Ipecac)". Under the Radar. Retrieved 30 December 2014.