Græ
For other uses, see
Grae .
2020 studio album by Moses Sumney
Græ is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Moses Sumney . The double album was released in two parts by Jagjaguwar . The first part was released digitally on February 21, 2020, followed by the full album, including its second part, on May 15, 2020.
Græ features contributions from a wide range of musicians, writers and producers, including Daniel Lopatin , Thundercat , Jill Scott , James Blake , Taiye Selasi , John Congleton , Rob Moose , Ezra Miller , Michael Chabon , Matthew Otto , Ian Chang , and FKJ .
The album was preceded by five singles: "Virile ", "Polly ", "Me in 20 Years ", "Cut Me", and "Bless Me".
Background and recording
Some of the songs on Græ , including "Virile ", were recorded by Sumney with drummer Ian Chang of Son Lux and producer/engineer Ben Baptie at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville, North Carolina .[ 7] Sumney first lived in Asheville before and during the making of Aromanticism ,[ 8] [ 9] and Græ is Sumney's first album since officially relocating to Asheville from Los Angeles.[ 10] The album was mixed by Ben Baptie at Strongroom and mastered by Joe LaPorta at Sterling Sound.[ 11]
Release
"Virile " was released as the album's first single on November 14, 2019.[ 12] The album was announced the same day.[ 13]
"Polly " was released as the second single on December 13, 2019,[ 14] followed by "Me in 20 Years " on January 6, 2020,[ 15] [ 16] and "Cut Me" on February 7.[ 17] [ 18] Sumney made his US television debut with a performance of the latter track on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on February 11.[ 19] [ 20] [ 21] The album's first part was released digitally on February 21.
"Bless Me" was released as the album's fifth and final single on May 11, 2020,[ 22] [ 23] with the full album released four days later.
Critical reception
Græ received rave reviews from contemporary music critics . At Metacritic , which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 from reviews from mainstream critics, the album received a score of 90, based on 17 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[ 25] According to Metacritic, it was the 5th best-reviewed album of 2020.[ 33] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[ 24]
A. D. Amorosi of Variety praised the album, calling it a "magnificent, multi-genre mess in a dress of many colors" and "one of the year's boldest and best."[ 34] Jenessa Williams of DIY gave the album a perfect score, calling it "complex, unconventional and ultimately, essential."[ 4] Marcus J. Moore of Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A, writing, "græ finds him trying to be, well, everything, and through a convergence of folk, jazz, classical, and art-rock, along with his probing lyricism, Sumney has managed to produce a sonic marvel."[ 2]
Max Freedman of The A.V. Club praised Part 1 for showcasing Sumney "step outside previous comfort zones" with "Conveyor", "Neither/Nor", and "Virile". However, Freedman criticized Part 2 as lacking the stylistic and thematic variety of Part 1 and for occupying "shockingly familiar musical territory" to that of the songs on Aromanticism .[ 26]
Year-end lists
Track listing
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Græ .[ 11]
Part 1 Title Writer(s) Producer(s) 1. "Insula" 0:46 2. "Cut Me"
Sumney
Adult Jazz
Lopatin
4:10 3. "In Bloom" Sumney 3:02 4. "Virile "
Sumney
Andrew Chugg[a]
Ben Baptie[a]
Lopatin[a]
4:16 5. "Conveyor"
Sumney
Andrew Chugg[a]
Ben Baptie[a]
Lopatin[a]
3:23 6. "Boxes" 1:22 7. "Gagarin" 5:54 8. "Jill/Jack" (featuring Jill Scott ) 1:33 9. "Colouour" 3:07 10. "Also Also Also And And And" 1:31 11. "Neither/Nor" Sumney 5:26 12. "Polly " Sumney 3:38 Total length: 38:08
Part 2 Title Writer(s) Producer(s) 13. "Two Dogs" 3:56 14. "Bystanders" 4:14 15. "Me in 20 Years " 3:40 16. "Keeps Me Alive" Sumney Sumney 2:56 17. "Lucky Me" 4:57 18. "And So I Come to Isolation" 0:49 19. "Bless Me" Sumney 4:59 20. "Before You Go" Sumney 2:05 Total length: 27:36
Notes
^[a] signifies an additional producer.
"Insula", "Boxes", "Jill/Jack", "Also Also Also And And And", "And So I Come to Isolation" and "Before You Go" are stylized in all lowercase .
"Gagarin" contains elements from "Gagarin's Point Of View", written by Esbjörn Svensson, Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström.
"Jill/Jack" contains interpolations from "Cross My Mind ", written by Jill Scott.
Personnel
Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Græ .[ 11]
Musicians
Moses Sumney – vocals (all singing and arrangement) , piano (2, 3, 11) , guitar (3, 11, 19) , keyboards (8) , bass (11) , percussion (11) , synthesizers (12) , saxophone and flute arrangements (13) , additional percussion (19) , piano FX (20)
Thundercat – bass (1, 3, 4, 18)
Daniel Lopatin – synthesizers (1, 2, 9, 13–15, 18) , bass (2) , drum programming (2) , keyboards (9)
Rob Moose – strings (1, 3, 4, 17, 18) , string arrangement (3, 4, 17)
Keith Tutt II – strings (1, 18) , cello (3, 4)
Adult Jazz – bass (2) , synthesizers (2) , horns (2) , piano (2)
Brandon Coleman – bass (2) , synthesizers (2, 19) , piano (7) , additional synthesizers (7)
Ian Chang – drums (2, 4, 5, 11, 19) , drum programming (2) , percussion (11, 19)
Jonathan Slater – horns (2)
Jamire Williams – drums (3, 7, 8, 19)
Matthew Otto – synthesizers (3, 14, 15)
Noah Kardos-Fein – guitar (4, 5)
Ben Baptie – drum programming (4, 5, 11, 19) , additional synthesizers (7) , piano FX (20)
Brandee Younger – harp (4, 13, 18)
Nubya Garcia – flute (4, 13)
Mike Haldeman – guitar (5, 6, 19) , guitar FX (7, 8)
John Keek – saxophone (5, 6)
Shahzad Ismaily – bass synthesizer (7) , additional synthesizers (7) , bass (8, 19, 20)
FKJ – saxophone (9) , keyboards (9) , synthesizers (9) , all instrumentation (10)
Shabaka Hutchings – saxophone (9, 13)
Tunde Jegede – kora (11)
Tom Gallo – guitar (12)
James Blake – drum programming (17) , keyboards (17)
John Congleton – guitar (19) , additional percussion (19)
Jamie Stewart – organ (19) , drum programming (19)
Engineers
Moses Sumney – engineering (1, 3–20)
Daniel Lopatin – engineering (1, 13, 14, 17)
Steph Marziano – engineering (2)
Jake Viator – engineering (2, 5, 7, 8, 15, 19, 20)
Ricardo Wheelock – engineering (2, 3, 7, 12, 15)
Matthew Otto – engineering (3, 14, 15)
Mac DeMarco – engineering (3)
Andrew Chugg – engineering (4–6)
Alexis Berthelot – engineering (4–6)
Ben Baptie – engineering (4, 5, 11, 12, 19, 20) , mixing
Rashaan Carter – engineering (harp on 4, 13, 18)
Simon Ribchester – engineering (5; piano on 11)
FKJ – engineering (9, 10)
Matt Cohn – engineering (9, 13, 17)
Sean Cook – engineering (11, 19)
Tom Gallo – engineering (12)
James Blake – engineering (17)
Tom Archer – mix assistance
Joe LaPorta – mastering
Artwork
Moses Sumney – art direction
Julian Gross – art direction, design
Eric Gyamfi – photography
Charts
References
^ a b c Aubrey, Elizabeth (May 14, 2020). "Moses Sumney – 'grae' review: complex two-part double album defies boundaries and genre" . NME . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ a b c d e Moore, Marcus J. (May 14, 2020). "Moses Sumney's græ is a sonic marvel" . Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ a b Empire, Kitty (May 10, 2020). "Moses Sumney: Græ Part Two review – introspective magic" . The Observer . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ a b c Williams, Jenessa (May 14, 2020). "Moses Sumney – græ" . DIY . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ a b Crone, David. "græ – Moses Sumney" . AllMusic . Retrieved May 20, 2020 .
^ a b "Moses Sumney Explores Identity and Isolation on the Dazzling græ | Paste Magazine" . pastemagazine.com . 18 May 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-26 .
^ "Moses Sumney Releases New Single and Video from Upcoming Album "græ" " . Echo Mountain Recording . November 14, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2020 .
^ Wallace, Carvell (April 30, 2020). "Moses Sumney Is a Natural Wonder" . Here Magazine . Retrieved May 16, 2020 .
^ Easter, Makeda (April 12, 2018). "Moses Sumney is taking his 'space hammock' music to the Coachella stage" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 16, 2020 .
^ Edwin, Oliver (April 7, 2020). "Moses Sumney on fame, masculinity and new album græ" . Russh . Retrieved May 16, 2020 .
^ a b c Græ (PDF) (booklet). Moses Sumney . Jagjaguwar . 2020. JAG348. Retrieved May 19, 2020 .{{cite AV media notes }}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link )
^ Kaye, Ben (November 14, 2019). "Moses Sumney announces double album græ, shares "Virile": Stream" . Consequence of Sound . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Monroe, Jazz (November 14, 2019). "Moses Sumney Announces New Double Album græ , Shares New Song "Virile" " . Pitchfork . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Breihan, Tom (December 13, 2019). "Moses Sumney – "Polly" " . Stereogum . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Renshaw, David (January 6, 2020). "Moses Sumney shares new song "Me in 20 Years" " . The Fader . Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
^ Sodomsky, Sam (January 6, 2020). "Listen to Moses Sumney's New Song "Me in 20 Years" " . Pitchfork . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Bloom, Madison (February 7, 2020). "Moses Sumney Shares New Song "Cut Me": Listen" . Pitchfork . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Corcoran, Nina (February 7, 2020). "Moses Sumney drops new song "Cut Me": Stream" . Consequence of Sound . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Minsker, Evan (February 12, 2020). "Watch Moses Sumney Perform "Cut Me" on Colbert " . Pitchfork . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Droke, Carolyn (February 12, 2020). "Moses Sumney Showcases His Incredibly Dynamic Vocal Range With A Performance Of 'Cut Me' On 'Colbert' " . Uproxx . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Jones, Austin (February 12, 2020). "Watch Moses Sumney Perform "Cut Me" on Colbert " . Paste . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Minsker, Evan (May 11, 2020). "Moses Sumney Shares New Song "Bless Me": Listen" . Pitchfork . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Neale, Matthew (May 12, 2020). "Moses Sumney shares dreamy new track 'Bless Me' " . NME . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ a b "græ by Moses Sumney reviews" . AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved May 22, 2020 .
^ a b "græ by Moses Sumney Reviews and Tracks" . Metacritic . Retrieved May 20, 2020 .
^ a b Freedman, Max (May 13, 2020). "Moses Sumney's ambitious Grae destroys binaries from within" . The A.V. Club . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ O'Connor, Roisin; Bray, Elisa (May 14, 2020). "Album reviews: Perfume Genius, Sparks and Moses Sumney" . The Independent . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Empire, Kitty (March 1, 2020). "Moses Sumney: Grae review – double album's stunning first instalment" . The Observer . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Greene, Jayson (May 15, 2020). "Moses Sumney: græ Album Review" . Pitchfork . Retrieved May 15, 2020 .
^ Howe, Rupert (May 2020). "The Promised Land". Q . No. 410. p. 102.
^ Barton, Laura (July 2020). "Moses Sumney: Grae (Part 2)". Q . No. 412. p. 113.
^ Anderson, Jason (June 2020). "Moses Sumney: Græ". Uncut . No. 277. p. 38.
^ "The 40 Best Albums of 2020: græ by Moses Sumney" . Metacritic . December 24, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2020 .
^ Amorosi, A. D. (May 14, 2020). "Moses Sumney's 'Græ': Album Review" . Variety . Retrieved May 16, 2020 .
^ "The 20 best albums of 2020" . The A.V. Club . December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020 .
^ "Clash Albums Of The Year 2020" . Clash . December 14, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020 .
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^ Ovenden, Olivia (December 11, 2020). "The 50 Best Albums of 2020" . Esquire (UK) . Retrieved December 11, 2020 .
^ "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2020" . Exclaim! . December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020 .
^ "The 50 best albums of 2020" . The Fader . December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020 .
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^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2020" . Stereogum . December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020 .
^ "The Top 75 Albums Of The Year". Uncut . No. 284. January 2021. p. 78.
^ "Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2020" . Under the Radar . January 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021 .
^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Moses Sumney – Græ" . Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
^ "Moses Sumney Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved December 26, 2020.
^ "Moses Sumney Chart History (Top Album Sales)" . Billboard . Retrieved December 26, 2020.
External links