Mothertongue (album)
2008 studio album by Nico Muhly
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Mothertongue is a studio album by American composer and musician Nico Muhly.[2] It was released on May 26, 2008, through Bedroom Community.[3] It received generally favorable reviews from critics.[4]
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| Mothertongue | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 26, 2008 | |||
| Studio |
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| Length | 49:01 | |||
| Label | Bedroom Community | |||
| Producer | Valgeir Sigurðsson | |||
| Nico Muhly chronology | ||||
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Background
Mothertongue is Nico Muhly's second solo studio album, following Speaks Volumes (2006).[2] It contains three suites: "Mothertongue", "Wonders", and "The Only Tune".[5] It features contributions from vocalists Abigail Fischer (on "Mothertongue"), Helgi Hrafn Jónsson (on "Wonders"), and Sam Amidon (on "The Only Tune").[6]
The album was originally released on May 26, 2008, through Valgeir Sigurðsson's Icelandic record label Bedroom Community.[3][7] In the United States, it was released on July 22, 2008, through Brassland Records.[8][9]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [10] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[11] |
| Cokemachineglow | 82%[12] |
| Now | 4/5[13] |
| The Phoenix | [14] |
| Pitchfork | 5.1/10[6] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[5] |
| Spin | 6/10[15] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Mothertongue received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 from 10 critic scores.[4]
Dan Raper of PopMatters stated, "The three suites on the album do have a fidgety motion, but there are also moments of spare beauty."[5] He added, "But these works aren't large-scale in the way that Philip Glass' work is, and each idea is dealt with in a mode that shares more with indie pop than classical music."[5] Alexandra Savvides of Cyclic Defrost stated, "Mothertongue is an incredibly ambitious work, and its beauty is able to shine through from Muhly's meticulous layering of complex voices, instrumentation and context."[16] Michael Patrick Brady of The Phoenix commented that "Muhly is a perfect ambassador for a new generation of classical composers — his love of music knows no bounds or limitations."[14] Conrad Amenta of Cokemachineglow stated, "Mothertongue oscillates between the comfort/terror of singularities and excitement/terror of potentialities, but the possibilities this duality affords for Muhly's future work are frankly exhilarating."[12]
Accolades
Track listing
All tracks are written by Nico Muhly.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mothertongue: I. Archive" | 5:49 |
| 2. | "Mothertongue: II. Shower" | 4:18 |
| 3. | "Mothertongue: III. Hress" | 3:53 |
| 4. | "Mothertongue: IV. Monster" | 4:43 |
| 5. | "Wonders: I. New Things & New Tidings" | 5:56 |
| 6. | "Wonders: II. The Devil Appear'd in the Shape of a Man" | 5:33 |
| 7. | "Wonders: III. A Complaint Against Thomas Weelkes" | 3:18 |
| 8. | "The Only Tune: I. Two Sisters" | 4:30 |
| 9. | "The Only Tune: II. The Old Mill Pond" | 6:24 |
| 10. | "The Only Tune: III. The Only Tune" | 4:47 |
| Total length: | 49:01 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.[1]
- Nico Muhly – programming, keyboards, celesta (5–7), percussion (8–10)
- Valgeir Sigurðsson – electric bass (1–4), programming, production, recording, mixing
- Abigail Fischer – mezzo-soprano vocals (1–4)
- Matthías Nardeau – oboe (1–4)
- Una Sveinbjarnardóttir – violin (1–4)
- Zbigniew Dubik – violin (1–4)
- Andres Kleina – violin (1–4)
- Þórarinn Már Baldursson – viola (1–4)
- Monica Abendroth – harp (1–4, 8–10)
- Helgi Hrafn Jónsson – vocals (5–7), trombone (5–7)
- Árni Heimir Ingólfsson – harpsicord (5–7)
- Sam Amidon – vocals (8–10), banjo (8–10), guitar (8–10)
- Nadia Sirota – viola (8–10)
- Ben Frost – bass programming (8–10)
- Adam Thompson – additional recording
- Chris Thompson – additional recording
- Buchanan-Smith LLC – artwork
- Michael Schmelling – cover photography
- Jason Frank Rothenberg – "Iceland, 2003" photography