A Softer Focus is a 2021 studio album by Canadian-American musician Claire Rousay released on April 9, 2021, via American Dreams.[2]

A Softer Focus
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 9, 2021 (2021-04-09)
GenreAmbient[1]
Length33:21
LabelAmerican Dreams
Claire Rousay chronology
Both
(2020)
A Softer Focus
(2021)
An Afternoon Whine
(2021)

Background and composition

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Rousay conceived of A Softer Focus in collaboration with longtime friend and artist Dani Toral, who created the album cover, music videos, and other visual materials. Toral, a ceramicist, also crafted ceramic whistles included with the special edition vinyl record of the album.[2]

With the album's more traditional instrumentation and melodic structures, A Softer Focus marked a creative departure from Rousay's previous works, more experimental compositions which drew heavily from field recordings.[3]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
Beats Per Minute82%[5]
Exclaim!8/10[3]
Pitchfork7.6/10[1]
PopMatters8/10[6]
Under the Radar7.5/10 [7]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, A Softer Focus received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from 7 critic scores.[4] Critics including Tom Piekarski of Exclaim! and Chris Ingalls of PopMatters characterized the album as a successful venture into more "accessible" material for Rousay.[3][6] Robert Barry of The Quietus praised A Softer Focus as "a singular meditation on life and memory that never falls into the traps of nostalgia."[8]

In addition to naming the album among the best jazz and experimental releases of 2021, Pitchfork recognized A Softer Focus as one of that year's 50 best albums overall.[9][10]

Year-end lists

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Select year-end rankings of A Softer Focus
Critic/Publication List Rank Ref.
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2021 30 [10]

Track listing

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All tracks are written and recorded by Claire Rousay.

A Softer Focus track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Preston Ave"1:36
2."Discrete (The Market)"6:34
3."Peak Chroma"8:48
4."Diluted Dreams"8:35
5."Stoned Gesture"4:49
6."A Kind of Promise"2:59
Total length:33:21

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the American Dreams website.[2]

  • Claire Rousay – composition, production
  • Lia Kohl – cello (tracks 2, 3, 6)
  • Ben Baker Billington – vocals (track 4)
  • Macie Stewart – violin (track 4)
  • Alex Cunningham – violin (track 5)
  • Andrew Weathers – mastering

Release history

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Release dates and formats for A Softer Focus
Region Date Label(s) Format(s) Ref.
Various April 9, 2021 American Dreams [2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Arcand, Rob. "claire rousay: a softer focus". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "claire rousay – a softer focus". American Dreams. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Piekarski, Tom. "claire rousay Puts Her Ambient Experimentation in 'a softer focus'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b "A Softer Focus by Claire Rousay Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  5. ^ Hakimian, Rob. "Album Review: Claire Rousay - A Softer Focus". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  6. ^ a b Ingalls, Chris. "Clairee Rousay Leans Into A Gentler, More Ambient Sound on "A Softer Focus"". PopMatters. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  7. ^ King, Ian. "Claire Rousay a softer focus". Under the Radar. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  8. ^ Barry, Robert. "Fuzzy Logic: A Softer Focus By Claire Rousay". The Quietus. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  9. ^ "The Best Jazz and Experimental Music of 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  10. ^ a b "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 June 2024.