The Art of the Lie
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| The Art of the Lie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 14, 2024 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Length | 61:45 | |||
| Label | Bella Union | |||
| Producer | Ivor Guest | |||
| John Grant chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Art of the Lie is the sixth studio album by American musician John Grant, released on June 14, 2024, through Bella Union. It received positive reviews from critics.
Year-end lists
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[2] |
| DIY |   [3] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[4] |
| Mojo | [5] |
| Uncut | 8/10[6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Art of the Lie received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 from 10 critic scores.[1] Uncut commented that Grant is "best on matters of the heart: 'Father' is a spectral journey to a lost 1970s of family intimacy and may be the most affecting song yet in a catalogue stuffed with heartbreakers".[6] Mojo felt that "with aid of latter-day Grace Jones producer Ivor Guest, his upbeat tendencies manifest in talk box-voiced electronic funk (think Roger Troutman/Zapp) that is more flattering, particularly when matched to the singer's biting wit on 'All That School' and the MAGA-bashing 'Meek AF'".[5]
Chris Todd of The Line of Best Fit called it "one of Grant's richest & most satisfying sounding albums thus far" on which he "embraces his love of eighties IBM/EBM music and kitchen sink gothery from the likes of Soft Cell, alongside the end-of-the-world electronica of Throbbing Gristle".[4] DIY's Lisa Wright described The Art of the Lie as "a record musically cleaved in two" with "twitchy 'hits' – the '80s, vocoder-doused funk strut of opener 'All That School for Nothing', or the sassy wobbles of lead single 'It's a Bitch' – but they're directly juxtaposed with moments of total devastation".[3] Reviewing the album for Clash, Luke Winstanley concluded that it is "a perfect distillation of everything one yearns for in John Grant's music; his golden baritone voice, icy electronic soundscapes, emotive balladry, sumptuous funk and phenomenal diction".[2]
| Publication/critic | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOJO | The Best Albums Of 2024 | 11 | [8] |
| Rough Trade UK | Albums of the Year 2024 | 58 | [9] |
Track listing
All tracks are written by John Grant.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All That School for Nothing" | 5:20 |
| 2. | "Marbles" | 7:14 |
| 3. | "Father" | 7:02 |
| 4. | "Mother and Son" | 7:26 |
| 5. | "Twisted Scriptures" | 0:20 |
| 6. | "Meek AF" | 6:29 |
| 7. | "It's a Bitch" | 4:32 |
| 8. | "Daddy" | 6:46 |
| 9. | "The Child Catcher" | 7:14 |
| 10. | "Laura Lou" | 3:52 |
| 11. | "Zeitgeist" | 5:30 |
| Total length: | 61:45 | |
