Holy Ghost (Modern Baseball album)
Holy Ghost | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Modern Baseball | ||||
Released | May 13, 2016 | |||
Studio | The Headroom, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |||
Genre | Emo,[1] indie rock[2] | |||
Length | 27:24 | |||
Label | Run for Cover | |||
Producer | Joe Reinhart | |||
Modern Baseball chronology | ||||
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Holy Ghost is the third studio album by the American rock band Modern Baseball, released on May 13, 2016 on Run for Cover Records.[3] The album follows their third EP, The Perfect Cast, which was released on October 23, 2015, via Lame-O Records, as well as their sophomore studio album, You're Gonna Miss It All, released in 2014, and their compilation album, Techniques, also released in 2015.
Background and writing
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
The A.V. Club | A-[3] |
Consequence of Sound | B-[4] |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[5] |
Pitchfork | 7.7/10[6] |
Holy Ghost is the first Modern Baseball album that was not recorded by the band themselves—instead, the members obtained the help of Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Joyce Manor). The album was recorded at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia.[8] The album is split in half between both guitarist/frontmen, Jake Ewald and Brendan Lukens (Ewald wrote the first six songs and Lukens wrote the last five).[9][10] Ewald's songs mainly revolved around the passing of his grandfather while Lukens focuses on his struggles with mental illness and depression.[11]
Release
On February 24, 2016, the album was officially confirmed. On March 3, two songs were published online for free via NPR. The first, "Everyday", was written by Jake Ewald and the second, "Apple Cider, I Don't Mind", was written by Brendan Lukens.[12] On April 4, the band released a documentary directed by actor and director Kyle Thrash entitled "Tripping in the Dark".[11] The documentary focused mainly on the formation of the band and the making of the album, including Ewald's struggle with his grandfather's death and Lukens' near suicide attempt and subsequent recovery. The video for "Wedding Singer" was released on May 5.[13]
Modern Baseball announced plans to tour on March 3, 2016, setting the first dates for shortly after the release of the new album. The tour kicked off on May 25, 2016, with Joyce Manor and Thin Lips opening. On August 3, Modern Baseball announced that they would be supporting Brand New and The Front Bottoms on tour starting in October 2016. At the conclusion of the Brand New tour, Modern Baseball will be playing a string of shows internationally.
Reception
The album was met with generally favorable reviews, most of them noting that Modern Baseball showed growth and maturity with the content of Holy Ghost. On June 4, 2016, Holy Ghost reached No. 53 on the US Billboard 200
Accolades
Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2016 | 2016 | 50[7] |
Track listing
All music composed by Modern Baseball.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Holy Ghost" | 1:01 |
2. | "Wedding Singer" | 2:48 |
3. | "Note to Self" | 3:49 |
4. | "Mass" | 1:45 |
5. | "Every Day" | 3:04 |
6. | "Hiding" | 3:45 |
7. | "Coding These to Lukens" | 1:29 |
8. | "Breathing in Stereo" | 1:43 |
9. | "Apple Cider, I Don't Mind" | 1:57 |
10. | "What If..." | 2:07 |
11. | "Just Another Face" | 3:57 |
Charts
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[8] | 26 |
UK Albums Chart[9] | 161 |
US Billboard 200[10] | 53 |
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[11] | 3 |
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[12] | 1 |
References
- ↑ pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21677-holy-ghost/
- ↑ "It's another huge week for album streams". Chart Attack. Channel Zero. May 13, 2016. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
- ↑ Colburn, Randall (2016-05-13). "Modern Baseball grasps at the intangible on powerful, introspective Holy Ghost". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- ↑ "Modern Baseball - Holy Ghost; Album Reviews". Consequence of Sound. 2016-05-13. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ↑ "Holy Ghost by Modern Baseball; Album Review". The Line Of Best Fit. 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ↑ "Modern Baseball: Holy Ghost | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. 2016-05-16. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Stereogum. December 1, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Modern Baseball – Holy Ghost". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ↑ "CHART: CLUK Update 21.05.2016 (wk20)". zobbel.de. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Modern Baseball - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- ↑ "Modern Baseball - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- ↑ "Vinyl Albums : June 4, 2016". billboard.com. Retrieved May 27, 2016.