Looking in the Shadows
| Looking in the Shadows | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 14 May 1996 | |||
| Studio | Trident 2, London | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 47:41 | |||
| Label | Rough Trade (UK), DGC (US) | |||
| Producer | Ed Buller[1] | |||
| The Raincoats chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |  [5] |
| NME | 1/10[6] |
| Pitchfork | 7.4/10[7] |
| Rolling Stone | [1] |
| Spin | 8/10[8] |
Looking in the Shadows is the fourth studio album by British alternative rock group the Raincoats, released in 1996 by Rough Trade and DGC.[9] It was the band's first album in 12 years (after 1984's Moving).[10]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by Ed Buller. The Raincoats' original members, Gina Birch and Ana da Silva, had to relearn their instruments prior to recording Looking in the Shadows.[8]
Critical reception
[edit]The Hartford Courant wrote: "With a bent toward electronic sounds and a playful, revealing manner in the lyrics, the band succeeds in creating music that reflects not some sort of nostalgia for what the Raincoats used to be but considerable understanding in what they came to be."[11] The Washington Post wrote that "the Raincoats may be grown up now, but on songs like 'Love a Loser' they still juxtapose harsh and sweet as bracingly as ever."[12]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Only Tonight" | Ana da Silva | 3:30 |
| 2. | "Don't Be Mean" | Gina Birch | 3:59 |
| 3. | "Forgotten Words" | da Silva | 3:36 |
| 4. | "Pretty" | Birch | 4:17 |
| 5. | "Truth is Hard" | da Silva | 2:57 |
| 6. | "Babydog" | Birch | 5:05 |
| 7. | "You Ask Why" | da Silva | 3:58 |
| 8. | "57 Ways to End It All" | Birch | 5:31 |
| 9. | "So Damn Early" | da Silva | 4:12 |
| 10. | "You Kill Me" | Birch | 3:58 |
| 11. | "Love a Loser" | Birch | 3:30 |
| 12. | "Looking in the Shadows" | da Silva | 3:14 |
Personnel
[edit]- The Raincoats
- Gina Birch – vocals, bass, guitar, feedback, fuzz guitar, distortion
- Ana da Silva – vocals, bass, rhythm guitar, keyboards, 12-string guitar, slide guitar, sruthi, design
- Anne Wood – bass, guitar, violin
with:
- Ed Buller – piano, Moog synthesizer
- Heather Dunn – bass, drums
- Simon Fisher Turner – vocals on "Love a Loser"
- Pete Shelley – vocals on "Love a Loser"
- Technical
- Gary Stout – programming, computer editing
- Shirley O'Loughlin – photography
- Maria Mochnacz – photography
References
[edit]- ^ a b McDonnell, Evelyn (13 June 1996). "The Raincoats: Looking in the Shadows". Rolling Stone. No. 736. p. 78. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008.
- ^ Mason, Stewart. "Looking in the Shadows - The Raincoats". AllMusic.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "The Raincoats". Robert Christgau: The Dean of American Rock Critics.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). "Raincoats". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6 (4th ed.). MUZE. p. 747.
- ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). "The Raincoats". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. pp. 917–918.
- ^ Perry, John (17 August 2000). "The Raincoats - Looking In The Shadows - 14/9/1996". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000.
- ^ Schreiber, Ryan. "The Raincoats: Looking In The Shadows". Archived from the original on 4 October 1999.
- ^ a b Hermes, Will (27 May 1996). "Spins: The Raincoats, Looking in the Shadows". SPIN. Vol. 12, no. 2. p. 107.
- ^ Deming, Mark. "The Raincoats Biography". AllMusic.
- ^ Ratliff, Ben (12 November 1996). "Women on the Verge of a Renewed Awakening". The New York Times.
- ^ "Album Review: The Raincoats, Looking in the Shadows". Hartford Courant. 30 May 1996.
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (30 August 1996). "Raincoats Still Fit". Washington Post.
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