Songs for Pierre Chuvin is the eighteenth studio album by the Mountain Goats, released on April 10, 2020.[1] It is the first album since 2002's All Hail West Texas to feature only the band's frontman, John Darnielle, as well as the first since then to be recorded entirely on a boombox.[2][3][4][5] The album was first released on cassette and digital, with CD and vinyl releases following in 2021.[6]
| Songs for Pierre Chuvin | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 10, 2020 | |||
| Recorded | March 2020 | |||
| Genre | Lo-fi | |||
| Length | 27:17 | |||
| Label | Merge Records | |||
| Producer | John Darnielle | |||
| The Mountain Goats chronology | ||||
| ||||
Songs for Pierre Chuvin was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to help the band and some of their crew make ends meet in lieu of a postponed tour in the United States.[2] Inspiration for the songs, as well as the album's title, largely came from French historian Pierre Chuvin's book A Chronicle of the Last Pagans.[1][3][4][5] Darnielle recorded the tracks over a 10-day period in March 2020, releasing the songs "Exegetic Chains", "Until Olympius Returns", and "For the Snakes" on the band's YouTube channel prior to the full release.
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10[7] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[8] |
| Tom Hull | B+ ( )[9] |
The online magazine Pitchfork rated Songs for Pierre Chuvin 8.1 out of 10, calling the album "a brief but thoughtful collection marked by old-school production".[7]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by John Darnielle
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Aulon Raid" | 2:13 |
| 2. | "Until Olympius Returns" | 2:12 |
| 3. | "Last Gasp at Calama" | 1:58 |
| 4. | "For the Snakes" | 2:09 |
| 5. | "The Wooded Hills Along the Black Sea" | 2:57 |
| 6. | "January 31, 438" | 2:22 |
| 7. | "Hopeful Assassins of Zeno" | 3:15 |
| 8. | "Their Gods Do Not Have Surgeons" | 3:34 |
| 9. | "Going to Lebanon 2" | 2:26 |
| 10. | "Exegetic Chains" | 4:11 |
| Total length: | 27:17 | |
Charts
edit| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] | 86 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[11] | 13 |
| US Billboard 200[12] | 152 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[13] | 7 |
| US Folk Albums (Billboard)[14] | 4 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[15] | 19 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[16] | 23 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Songs for Pierre Chuvin - Bandcamp". Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ a b Currin, Grayson (10 April 2020). "John Darnielle Goes Back To The Boombox". NPR. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
- ^ a b Graves, Wren (10 April 2020). "The Mountain Goats Reveal New Album Songs for Pierre Chuvin: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (10 April 2020). "The Mountain Goats Release New Album Songs for Pierre Chuvin: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ a b "The Mountain Goats Release New Album Songs for Pierre Chuvin". Spin. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
- ^ Gallagher, Alex (12 April 2020). "The Mountain Goats release surprise lo-fi album 'Songs For Pierre Chuvin'". NME. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ a b Sodomsky, Sam. "The Mountain Goats: Songs for Pierre Chuvin Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ^ Mortin, Max (20 April 2020). "The Mountain Goats Use Lo-Fi Sounds for Transcendent Results on 'Songs for Pierre Chuvin'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ Hull, Tom (April 28, 2020). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 20 April 2020". No. 1572. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 20, 2020.
{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help) - ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- ^ "Billboard 200: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ "Alternative Albums: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Americana/Folk Albums: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Independent Albums: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ^ "Top Rock Albums: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.