Strange Angels is the second studio album by American musician Kristin Hersh. It was released on February 2, 1998 in Europe by 4AD, and elsewhere by Rykodisc.[1][2] The album was produced by Hersh and co-produced by Joe Henry (except for "Like You", which was co-produced by Steve Rizzo).
| Strange Angels | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 2, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | July–November 1997 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, folk | |||
| Length | 45:43 | |||
| Label | 4AD | |||
| Producer | Kristin Hersh, Joe Henry, Steve Rizzo | |||
| Kristin Hersh chronology | ||||
| ||||
Strange Angels peaked at number 64 on the UK Albums Chart and number 40 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. The album carried the dedication: "for Billy, Dylan, Ryder, Wyatt and TM (1984–1997)".
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [4] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A−[5] |
| The Guardian | [6] |
| NME | 4/10[7] |
| Pitchfork | 6.1/10[8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Select | 3/5[10] |
| Spin | 6/10[11] |
| Vox | [12] |
In Entertainment Weekly, Will Hermes praised Strange Angels as among Hersh's "strongest music ever" and credited her for "transforming common trials of home and heart into moments of surreal transcendence."[5] Chicago Tribune critic Rick Reger called it "a beautiful, contemplative LP that's anything but placid", finding that "the contrast between her striking imagery and the record's pristine ambience only heightens the intensity of her songs."[4] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine was less enthusiastic, deeming Strange Angels "a strong collection of songs" needing "a more varied production to make the record more compelling."[3] Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian concluded that "the lyrics are jumbled and opaque, and this, along with Hersh's tuneless plinking and quavering voice, makes Strange Angels either heaven or hell."[6]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Kristin Hersh, unless noted
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Home" | 3:13 |
| 2. | "Like You" | 3:23 |
| 3. | "Aching for You" | 3:49 |
| 4. | "Cold Water Coming" | 2:42 |
| 5. | "Some Catch Flies" | 3:27 |
| 6. | "Stained" | 3:20 |
| 7. | "Shake" | 2:33 |
| 8. | "Hope" | 3:28 |
| 9. | "Pale" | 1:49 |
| 10. | "Baseball Field" | 3:16 |
| 11. | "Heaven" | 2:27 |
| 12. | "Gazebo Tree" | 3:38 |
| 13. | "Gut Pageant" | 3:26 |
| 14. | "Rock Candy Brains" | 3:50 |
| 15. | "Cartoons" | 1:20 |
Personnel
edit- Ivo Watts-Russell – executive producer
- Shinro Ohtake – artwork
- Vaughan Oliver – design
- John Patrick Salisbury – photography
Charts
edit| Chart (1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[13] | 64 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[14] | 7 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[15] | 40 |
References
edit- ^ "News". 4AD. Archived from the original on April 22, 1998. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ Bambarger, Bradley (January 31, 1998). "Rykodisc, 4AD Summon Hersh's 'Angels'". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 5. pp. 11, 36. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Strange Angels – Kristin Hersh". AllMusic. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
- ^ a b Reger, Rick (February 13, 1998). "Kristin Hersh: Strange Angels (Rykodisc)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Hermes, Will (February 6, 1998). "Strange Angels". Entertainment Weekly. No. 417. p. 62. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2009.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Caroline (January 30, 1998). "Kristin Hersh: Strange Angels (4AD)". The Guardian.
- ^ Moody, Paul (February 1, 1998). "Kristin Hersh – Strange Angels". NME. Archived from the original on October 14, 2000. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ Moll, Susan. "Kristin Hersh: Strange Angels". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 13, 2000. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ Kot, Greg (March 19, 1998). Wild, David (ed.). "Kristin Hersh: Strange Angels". Rolling Stone. No. 782. p. 68. Archived from the original on April 1, 2008. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
- ^ Manning, Sarra (March 1998). "Kristin Hersh: Strange Angels". Select. No. 93. p. 83.
- ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (April 1998). "Kristin Hersh: Strange Angels". Spin. Vol. 14, no. 4. pp. 127–128. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ Segal, Victoria (March 1998). "Heaven Sent". Vox. No. 89. p. 88.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
- ^ "Kristin Hersh Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2024.
External links
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