This Is Only a Test
This Is Only a Test | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by the Smoking Popes | ||||
Released | March 15, 2011 | |||
Recorded | 2010 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 36:58 | |||
Label | Asian Man | |||
Producer | Matt Allison, Smoking Popes | |||
Smoking Popes chronology | ||||
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This Is Only a Test is the sixth studio album by the
Concept and writing
This Is Only a Test explores themes of identity, musical aspirations, love, and teen suicide.[5] The idea to write a concept album about teenage life came to Caterer while thinking about successful contemporary bands who cited the Smoking Popes as an influence:
I was thinking about some of the younger bands who claim Smoking Popes as one of their influences and have gone onto become very successful in this generation. I [thought about] how their music is different than ours, and what they're doing differently than what we've done. I realized that one of the things I've never done is write from an explicitly teenage point of view--even when I was a teenager. I was always trying to pretend like I was older. I was trying to emulate the kind of perspective and sophistication of the older generation. It occurred to me that it would be funny if now, while I'm in my late 30s, I would actually start writing songs from a teenage perspective. As soon as that thought occurred to me, I got ideas for, like, the first five songs on the record. They just sort of started coming to me. So I went home and started writing and they just came out. That became the beginning of the next record.[4]
With the idea in place to write from a teenage perspective, "the individual songs came really quickly", said Caterer, "I wrote a song a day for five days. That's half the album in less than a week. I never write that fast! Each song stands alone as a snapshot from this kid's life. The story doesn't unfold like a narrative. It's more like a collage."[5] According to Caterer, the album's main character is not autobiographical, but "definitely a creation. He's not me. Well...he's similar to me, but he's not limited by the realities of my own experience. I created a character that basically has the same view of the world that I had when I was in high school, but he’s his own person and he does some things that I never did."[5]
Recording and promotion
This Is Only a Test was recorded at Atlas Studios in Chicago beginning in April 2010.
Reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Alternative Press[2] | |
Punknews.org[3] |
Rick Anderson of
Bryne Yancey of
Track listing
All tracks are written by Josh Caterer
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Wish We Were" | 2:39 |
2. | "How Dangerous" | 3:24 |
3. | "This Is Only a Test" | 3:39 |
4. | "College" | 4:19 |
5. | "Punk Band" | 2:45 |
6. | "Freakin Out" | 3:40 |
7. | "Diary of a Teen Tragedy" | 4:03 |
8. | "Excuse Me, Coach" | 4:42 |
9. | "I've Got Mono" | 3:26 |
10. | "Letter to Emily" | 4:21 |
Total length: | 36:58 |
Personnel
Band
- Josh Caterer – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards
- Eli Caterer – guitar, backing vocals
- Matt Caterer – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Neil Hennessy – drums, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Jacob Sooter – piano on "College"
- Matt Allison – drum programming on "Excuse Me, Coach"
- Stefanie Caterer – female vocal on "Letter to Emily"
- Jenny Choi – cello on "Letter to Emily"
Production
- Matt Allison – mix engineer
- Justin Yates – assistant engineer
- Colin Jordan – mastering
References
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ Alternative Press. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ a b c d Tori (2011-03-15). "Review: Smoking Popes - This Is Only a Test". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ Alternative Press. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
- ^ a b c "Bio". smokingpopes.net. Smoking Popes. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
- ^ "Smoking Popes currently in the studio". Punknews.org. 2010-04-23. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ Yancey, Bryne (2010-11-24). "Smoking Popes announce title, release date for new album". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- Alternative Press. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ Yancey, Bryne (2011-02-25). "Streams: Smoking Popes: 'This Is Only a Test'". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ Yancey, Bryne (2011-01-25). "Tours: Smoking Popes (US)". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ Yancey, Bryne (2011-03-01). "Videos: Smoking Popes: 'Punk Band'". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2011-03-21.
- ^ Gilbertson, Jon M. (2011-03-17). "Smoking Popes: This Is Only a Test". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
- ^ This Is Only a Test (CD liner). Smoking Popes. Monte Sereno, California: Asian Man Records. 2011.
{{cite AV media notes}}
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