City of Love (album)
2020 studio album by Deacon Blue
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City of Love is the ninth studio album by Scottish pop rock band Deacon Blue, released through Earmusic on 6 March 2020. It is their first album since 2016's Believers. It was promoted by the lead single, the title track "City of Love".[2]
| City of Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 6 March 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 2019 | |||
| Studio | Gorbals, Glasgow | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 44:03 | |||
| Label | Earmusic | |||
| Producer |
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| Deacon Blue chronology | ||||
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Background
Singer Ricky Ross said he thought it would be interesting to record the album in the Gorbals area "right in the heart of Glasgow" after learning that "there are bones reputedly belonging to St Valentine in St Francis' church" there.[3]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Scotsman |   [4] |
Reviewing the album for PopMatters, Adam Mason wrote that it features "11 open-hearted and largely sentimental songs with big choruses and traditional rock instruments", describing the band as having written "crowd-pleasers [...] with a firm eye on recapturing their glory days. They aim for singalong tunes that will stand proud with old favorites at their outdoor shows this summer".[2] Brett Callwood of LA Weekly found City of Love to be free of filler, writing that "everything that made their past work so special shines here too [...] It all sounds so effortless, nothing is forced, and yet it's clear that they worked hard about this slab of work".[1] Writing for Belfast Telegraph, Steve Grantham called the album a "solid, well-produced set, with big choruses where they are needed and more subtle contemplation when not. It will, no doubt, please the band's fans and may, given enough exposure, gain them some more."[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "City of Love" | Ricky Ross | 4:12 |
| 2. | "Hit Me Where It Hurts" |
| 3:13 |
| 3. | "Weight of the World" | Ross | 3:39 |
| 4. | "Take Me" |
| 3:54 |
| 5. | "In Our Room" |
| 4:09 |
| 6. | "Intervals" | Ross | 3:36 |
| 7. | "Keeping My Faith Alive" |
| 3:10 |
| 8. | "A Walk in the Woods" | Ross | 3:57 |
| 9. | "Come on In" |
| 3:26 |
| 10. | "Wonderful" |
| 3:36 |
| 11. | "On Love" | Ross | 7:11 |
| Total length: | 44:03 | ||
Personnel
Deacon Blue
- Lewis Gordon – vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar
- Lorraine McIntosh – vocals, tambourine
- Gregor Philp – vocals, accordion, guitar, keyboards, production
- James Prime – vocals, keyboards
- Ricky Ross – vocals, piano, production
- Dougie Vipond – vocals, drums, percussion
Additional contributors
- Andrew Mitchell – bass guitar
- Conor Smith – pedal steel
- The Pumpkinseeds – strings
- Pete Harvey – cello, string arrangements
- Seonaid Aitken – viola
- Kate Miguda – violin
- Simon Graham – violin
- Andy Baldwin – mastering
- Ash Howes – mixing, programming
- Kevin Burleigh – engineering
- Mark Seager – band photo
Charts
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[6] | 1 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[7] | 50 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 4 |