Pebble Brain

2021 EP by English rock band Lovejoy

Pebble Brain

EP by

Lovejoy

Released| 14 October 2021
Recorded| August 2021[1]
Studio| Small Pond (Brighton)[1]
Genre|

* Indie rock[2]
* pop-punk[2]

Length| 23:02
Label| Anvil Cat
Producer| Sam Coveney
Lovejoy chronology
| Are You Alright?
(2021)  | Pebble Brain
(2021)  | Wake Up & It's Over
(2023)

|
|

Pebble Brain is the second EP by English indie rock band Lovejoy, released independently through the band's label Anvil Cat Records on 14 October 2021. With seven tracks, it is a follow-up to their debut EP Are You Alright?, issued in May 2021. It debuted at number 12 on the UK Albums Chart and held positions in ten international charts.

## Background and release

[edit]

Lovejoy was formed in 2021 and debuted with the EP Are You Alright?, released on 8 May 2021.[3][4] The same month, the band appeared on Billboard's Emerging Artists chart at number 10.[5] All four of the EP's tracks peaked on the UK Independent Singles Chart, with "One Day" at number 5 and positions in four other international charts.[6]

On 14 October 2021, following the release of numerous track demos online, Pebble Brain was released digitally.[7] Frontman Wilbur Soot, real name William Gold, revealed the EP had taken over a year to complete,[8] and that the track "Perfume" originally did not make the final cut.[9] One year after its original release, the EP received its first pressing to vinyl as a compilation with Are You Alright?[10]

## Composition

[edit]

Critics found Pebble Brain's lyricism to concern two main themes – relationships and politics.[11][12] Opening track "Oh Yeah, You Gonna Cry?" is written from the "point of view of someone watching the current relationship of a potential romantic interest come to an end", and is thematically similar to "Concrete", written about a failed relationship.[13] Sonically, reviewers found tracks to maintain "familiar horns, exciting percussion, and similar guitar riffs", however such repetitive instrumentation made tracks "truly lack distinction from each other".[13] Political allusions can be found in tracks "Model Buses" and "You'll Understand When You're Older", regarding then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson stating that "he makes model buses in his free time", and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on service workers respectively.[11] "The Fall", written about the "wealthy upper class", stood out to reviewers for its "higher emphasis on the dark bass to the lyrical message to [Gold's] speech at the end, an awe-inspiring mix between spoken word and rap".[14] In terms of production, the EP was criticised by some outlets for issues with mixing, with one explaining "the lead singer's voice is sometimes hard to hear over the high-energy drums and guitar".[13]

## Reception

[edit]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [15]

The EP received generally positive reviews.[16] Timothy Monger of AllMusic wrote Pebble Brain features "improved production value" compared to their debut, concluding "[Gold's] song subjects are sometimes as frenetic as the band's delivery, but are often quite enjoyable".[15] A reviewer for Teen Ink found flaws in the closing track, writing "the beat was unattractive, and the song as a whole felt rushed and uninteresting", though highly praised "Perfume" as "a much easier track to appreciate the poetical essence Lovejoy crafts".[17]

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Ash Kabosu, Joe Goldsmith, Mark Boardman and William Gold.[8]

Pebble Brain track listingNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Oh Yeah, You Gonna Cry?"| 2:49
2.| "Model Buses"| 2:50
3.| "Concrete"| 3:16
4.| "Perfume"| 3:27
5.| "You'll Understand When You're Older"| 3:52
6.| "The Fall"| 3:04
7.| "It's All Futile! It's All Pointless!"| 3:40
Total length:| 23:02

Notes

* "It's All Futile! It's All Pointless!" is a re-recording of a track on Gold's 2019 EP, Maybe I Was Boring.[18]

## Personnel

[edit]

This section is adapted from Genius.[8]

* William Gold – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter
* Joe Goldsmith – lead guitar, songwriter
* Ash Kabosu – bass, songwriter
* Mark Boardman – drums, songwriter
* Sam Coveney – producer

## Charts

[edit]

Chart performance for Pebble Brain Chart (2021)  | Peak
position

|

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[19] | 56
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[20] | 41
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[21] | 35
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[22] | 21
Irish Albums (OCC)[23] | 14
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[24] | 3
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[25] | 11
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[26] | 32
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[27] | 24
UK Albums (OCC)[28] | 12
US Billboard 200[29] | 128

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United Kingdom (BPI)[30] | Silver  | 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Release history

[edit]

Release formats for Pebble Brain Region  | Date  | Format  | Label  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

Various  | 14 October 2021  |

* Digital download
* streaming

| Anvil Cat  | [9]
14 October 2022[a] | LP |

* Anvil Cat
* AWAL

| [10]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ As a compilation with Lovejoy's debut EP Are You Alright?

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Kabosu, Ash (1 September 2021). we've been busy (Video). Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023 – via YouTube.
2. ^ a b Croteau, Bella. "Lovejoy's newest EP Pebble Brain is unlike anything else". Spartan News Network. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
3. ^ "Lovejoy - Are You Alright? EP Album Reviews, Songs & More". Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023 – via AllMusic.
4. ^ Battoclette, Augusta (24 June 2021). "11 Twitch streamers who are also crafting their own original music". Alternative Press Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
5. ^ "Emerging Artists Chart". Billboard. 22 May 2021. Archived from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
6. ^ "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
7. ^ Wilson, Brianna (12 November 2021). "Are You Scared of the Future?: Pebble Brain EP Review". The Quaker Campus. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
8. ^ a b c Degrazia, Leah (15 October 2021). "Lovejoy's Wilbur Soot Can't Get Over His Ex On New Song "Perfume"". Genius. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
9. ^ a b Dahlberg, Hannah (15 October 2021). "Minecraft streamers TommyInnit, Ranboo, and more react to latest album release by Lovejoy, 'Pebble Brain'". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
10. ^ a b "Store". Lovejoy. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
11. ^ a b Cole, Masyn (18 October 2021). "Lovejoy's newest EP, Pebble Brain, preoccupied my mind". The Central Trend. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
12. ^ "Pebble Brain by Lovejoy Review | Teen Ink". www.teenink.com. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
13. ^ a b c Weil, Helen; Gomez, Alberto (15 November 2021). "Lovejoy on the Brain". The Wake. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
14. ^ Shin, Claire (5 December 2021). "Lovejoy returns with EP 'Pebble Brain'". The Daily Princetonian. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
15. ^ a b Monger, Timothy (14 October 2021). "Pebble Brain Review by Timothy Monger". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
16. ^ Ramirez, Michael. "Review: Lovejoy releases 'Pebble Brain,' causes mixed reactions". Eagle Nation Online. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
17. ^ "Pebble Brain by Lovejoy Review". Teen Ink. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
18. ^ Gold, William (25 December 2019). "Maybe I Was Boring, by Wilbur Soot". Bandcamp. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Lovejoy – Pebble Brain" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
20. ^ "Billboard Canadian Albums: Week of October 30, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
21. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lovejoy – Pebble Brain" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
22. ^ "Lovejoy: Pebble Brain" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
23. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
24. ^ "2021 42-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
25. ^ "Charts.nz – Lovejoy – Pebble Brain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
26. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Lovejoy – Pebble Brain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
27. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Lovejoy – Pebble Brain". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
28. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
29. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of October 30, 2021". Billboard. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
30. ^ "British album certifications – Lovejoy – Pebble Brain". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 January 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Are You Alright? / Pebble Brain at Discogs

* v
* t
* e

Lovejoy

* Wilbur Soot
* Joe Goldsmith
* Ash Kabosu
* Mark Boardman

EPs|

* Are You Alright?
* Pebble Brain
* Wake Up & It's Over

Singles|

* "Call Me What You Like"
* "Normal People Things"

*[No.]: Number
*[Ref.]: References
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template