Winter Mixed Beverage is the third studio album by Scottish indie rock band, The Hare Threatened, released on March 1, 2010 through the independent label FatCat Records. Like its predecessor, critically acclaimed The Midnight Organ Fight (2008), the album was recorded and produced by Peter Katis. Vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Scott Hutchison states that The Winter of Mixed Drinks is "more of a storytelling note" than the band's previous two albums, and notes that the album is "about escape and maybe even I should say , it's semi-fictitious.There's a protagonist who may be male but does not really describe my life because if I did that would not make an interesting album this time because I'm pretty solid and satisfied, thankfully. "
The album was preceded by the single "Swimming Until You Can not See Land" and "Not Like You", released during November 2009 and February 2010, respectively. The album's third single "Living in Color" was released on June 14th. The album title comes from the line in the song "Living in Color", with Hutchison stating, "I think we all have weird times, loneliness, empty periods in life, where you find yourself out of everything, drifting and missing. what is the meaning of [the title] to me, but most importantly, the moments of joy afterward, during the restoration, which determines the dark period. "The fourth and final single" The Loneliness and the Scream "was released in November 2010.
Video The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Background and recording
The Winter of Mixed Drinks was written for seven weeks, in the coastal town of Crail, Fife, after a tough tour to support the band's second album, The Midnight Organ Fight . Drummer Grant Hutchison stated that "the location has a huge impact on the songs.There must be a maritime theme for many tracks and feelings of self-testing to what extent the ocean plays a big role.Glory [Hutchison] has a daily routine running along the coast until an idea popped into his head and he would then spin and develop it on his way home. "The demo version of the songs was later recorded by Scott during his stay at Crail.
The album was primarily recorded at Castle Sound Studios, in Pencaitland, Scotland, with an additional recording taking place at Tarquin Studios, in Connecticut, with producer Peter Katis. The recording was completed in mid-2009, with Hutchison stating that he did not want a "big crack" between notes. "The album also marked the debut of guitarist and keyboard player Andy Monaghan with the band.
Hutchison has stated that the album is "much more detailed and complete" than The Midnight Organ Fight , and that the band recorded their parts separately:
This is not a "live" album at all, this is a real studio effort. Everything has been recorded separately and that's how I like to take notes. There's just something I regret about the last recorded, sonic way, that I do not want to happen again. I did not make the album I wanted for the last time - I had to get rid of that feeling.
Hutchison cites the closing song "Yes, I Will" as an indication of the overall tone of the album, stating that "there is a conscious effort to avoid the song structure we have used so often in the last two recordings - build and build and build - and the method extends to the album overall. "
Maps The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Release and promotion
In October 2009, "Swimming Until You Can not See Land" and his b-side "Stuff Fun" were made available for streaming on the FactCat website. A video for "Swimming Until You Can not See the Land", featuring flashlights flashing, was available on October 16, and the single was made available for digital downloads on November 16 and on a seven-inch vinyl on December 7th. Along with the announcement of the album title on the Scottish music blog, The Pop Cop, the band launched its fifth member, Gordon Skene, former Make Model. Later, NME confirmed that the band will be playing a special intimate show in London to celebrate the coming of Skene. Similar to Andy Monaghan's entry to the band in early 2008, Skene was not involved in recording the album. Upon his arrival, Hutchison noted that "it must have been difficult for him to do something that the other four were involved in the studio, he had not seen the process, he came to play songs he might like but did not have the same level of connection, so I think one of [...] aims is to try and help build it for her. "
The Dreaded Rabbit launched a list of songs and artwork for the The Winter of Mixed Drinks in December 2009, with a British release date March 1, 2010. Preceded by the second single, "Nothing Like You", which was released on 22 February 2010. The band embarked on a British tour to support the album, starting at The Duchess in York on March 4, 2010 and ending at the Norwich Arts Center ten days later. The album's third single "Living in Color" was released on June 14th. Summer festivals include Glastonbury, Oxegen, T in the Park, Latitude, Lollapalooza and V Festival before the band made its 20th North American tour dates starting in Seattle on October 7 and ending on November 3rd in Detroit. A 14 UK and Irish tour dates followed, starting at Bristol on November 20 and ending at Dublin Academy on December 9th.
The fourth and final single "The Loneliness and the Scream" album was released on November 22, 2010 in the UK and December 8, 2010 in North America. The b-side "The Loneliness and the Scream" featured Scott Hutchinson duetting with The Hold Steady's Craig Finn on the cover version of Elton John and Kiki Dee 1976 hit "Do not Go Breaking My Heart". All four singles from the album were collected as a seven-inch vinyl box set, limited to 500 copies, released in November 2010 to coincide with the UK band's winter tour.
Critical reception
Like its predecessor, The Midnight Organ Fight (2008), the album was greeted with widespread praise from critics. Allmusic awarded the album four stars out of five. Heather Phares wrote, "In Winter of Mixed Drinks, they focused and polished the episodes of Organ Fight - and added a healthy dose of optimism, even though they were always concerned with severe problems like life, death, freedom, devotion and spirituality, this time the bandmembers did not seem to lose by their struggle with them.Even when Scott Hutchison sang "Find God only to lose it again" in "The Loneliness and Scream," there is a warmth in music that makes it sound free and not isolated. " Josh Modell from The A.V. Club earned an "A" rating in its review and stated that the album was "the preliminary candidate for the best list of 2010," and described the album as a little brother "Battle of Organs" quieter." Laura Barton, writing for the BBC, also benefited in his review and described the album as, "more subtle, more polite than the band's previous offerings, but it's reassuring to note that the band's cluttered charm is still just below the surface."
Robert Cooke of Drowned in Sound also impressed and scored eight out of ten, though it stated it "did not reach the dizzying intensity of his masterpiece from the forerunner." He hailed frontman Scott Hutchison in particular, describing his performance as still having "the same vibration in sound, the same elegance in the guitar tone, the same parade of the Military Tattoo in rhythm - but a new goal". Free music magazine, The Fly , rewards four ½ albums out of five stars. Iain Moffat claims that Scott Hutchison has one of the "most underrated voices in rock" and praised the "lyrical acumen" of the album. He sums up his review by adding, "what else might you want from the third album of Frightened Rabbit?" They throw themselves without fear of bright light, and return all that is stronger for it. " Dave Simpson of The Guardian praised the song's "sharp" writing, stating, "most of their songs - with the theme of escape, freedom, and rediscovery - have an enormous choir made to shout from closest mountain available ". Awarding four stars, he also added, "Rabbits are a breakthrough band, and fans of everyone from Arcade Fire to the same Maccabees will find many things to love here."
NME magazine calls the album "amazing". Praising the band's development from previous releases, they wrote; "For every heartbreaking song ('Yes, I Will') and self-loathing ('The Loneliness & The Scream'), there is either one of the 'Foot Shooter' or wishes ('Swimming Until You Can not Viewing Land '). This album deviates from their previous alt-folkish sensibilities: the shoegazing of the' Things' and the anthemic choir of 'Living In Color' that sparks a new dawn of nonsense.â € Rock Sound awarded the album eight out of 10. Ben Patashnik said, "Hopefully now people will stop writing FR as people who suffer from indie donkeys; their names show no sign of the heart's pleasures. "He also added," Instead of wallowing in self-indulgent sadness, FR is now the master of intense, large, written emotional portraits. "Gareth O'Malley from This Is Fake DIY believes this album is a "step forward" from The Midnight Organ Fight .Giving a value of nine out of ten, he writes, "Because its predecessor is a unified whole (an honest despair note) as well as Mixed Drink , although this time the theme is regret, rebirth, and change. "The Scottish publication, The Skinny awarded a four-star album out of 5. Darren Carle stated," For those who have traveled with Frightened Rabbits to this point Winter Drink Mix is ​​< album as good as can be expected, because the twist of the newly expanded quartet on the edge of mainstream success. There is no buying and selling and there is no 'just adding strings' indie crossover as well. They are too self-conscious for it to be a problem. " Accolades
Track list
All lyrics are written by Scott Hutchison; music by the Fear of the Hare.
Bonus track
Personnel
The following personnel contribute to The Winter of Mixed Drinks :
Releasing history
Performance chart
References
External links
- Mixed Drink Winter on Discogs (release list)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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