Crush | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 18 October 2019 | |||
Genre | Electronic[1] | |||
Length | 44:01 | |||
Label | Ninja Tune | |||
Producer | Sam Shepherd | |||
Floating Points chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Crush | ||||
Crush is the second studio album by British electronic musician Sam Shepherd, released under his alias Floating Points on 18 October 2019 by Ninja Tune.[4][5]
Shepherd began work on the album following a 2017 tour with the xx.[6] Taking inspiration from German krautrock band Harmonia's 2007 album Live 1974, Shepherd played 30 minute improvisational sets using only a Buchla synthesizer and a Korg drum machine.[6] Upon his return to the studio, Shepherd used the same equipment as the basis for recording[6] and completed the album in five weeks.[7] Unlike the debut Floating Points album Elaenia (2015), Crush does not feature any live guitars or drums.[8]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.8/10[9] |
Metacritic | 81/100[5] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
DIY | [11] |
Exclaim! | 7/10[12] |
Financial Times | [13] |
The Independent | [14] |
Mojo | [15] |
The Observer | [16] |
Pitchfork | 8.3/10[1] |
Q | [17] |
Uncut | 8/10[18] |
Crush received positive reception upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from music publications, the album received an average score of 81 based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[5] Shawn Reynaldo of Pitchfork awarded the album "Best New Music", saying that the project is "an album of mischievous, melodic, stripped-down electronic music". Dylan Barnabe at Exclaim! noted that although "the sonic explorations undermine the album's overall cohesiveness, Crush remains a shining example of Shepherd's growth as an artist".[12] In a mixed review, John Mulvey of Mojo thought that the project was "a decent album, but perhaps not the one some of us were hoping for.".[15]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
The A.V. Club | Top 20 Albums of 2019 | 17 | [19] |
DJ Mag | Top 50 Albums of 2019 | 25 | [20] |
The Independent | Top 50 Albums of 2019 | 25 | [21] |
Loud and Quiet | Top 40 Albums of 2019 | 9 | [22] |
Mixmag | Top 50 Albums of 2019 | 2 | [23] |
Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2019 | 50 | [24] |
The Vinyl Factory | Top 50 Albums of 2019 | 22 | [25] |
All tracks written and produced by Sam Shepherd. Credits adapted from Apple Music and Tidal.[4][26]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Falaise" | 3:54 |
2. | "Last Bloom" | 5:53 |
3. | "Anasickmodular" | 3:12 |
4. | "Requiem for CS70 and Strings" | 2:23 |
5. | "Karakul" | 1:54 |
6. | "LesAlpx" | 4:41 |
7. | "Bias" | 5:08 |
8. | "Environments" | 4:45 |
9. | "Birth" | 3:00 |
10. | "Sea-Watch" | 4:04 |
11. | "Apoptose, Pt. I" | 2:35 |
12. | "Apoptose, Pt. II" | 2:27 |
Total length: | 44:01 |
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[27] | 33 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[28] | 163 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[29] | 20 |
UK Albums (OCC)[30] | 37 |