Draft:Ensoulment (album)

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Ensoulment
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 6, 2024
GenrePop/Rock, Post-Punk, Blues
Length44:10
LabelearMusic
ProducerMatt Johnson, Warne Livesey

Ensoulment is the seventh studio album by the English pop/rock The The. It was released on September 6th, 2024, the first studio album released by the band in more than 24 years, excluding soundtracks or live albums.


Critical Reception

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The album was released to critical Acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received a score of 77, based on 5 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Wesley Doyle of Record Collector appreciated the "usual spiritual, carnal, and moralistic preoccupations" and said "As an artist known for rallying against the injustices of the world, Johnson could have created an album of unremitting gloom given the current state of global affairs. It’s to his credit that Ensoulment is a welcome – and hopeful – return from a man who obviously still has much to offer. Just don’t leave it so long next time". James Mcnair by Mojo[1] recommended the album to "anyone who feels popular music currently lacks political/philosophical engagement" and awarded it a score of 4/5 stars. Dale Maplethorpe by Far Out[2] praised the lyrical content, while critizicing lack of variety on the musical production saying "What stands out about this album is the same thing that lets it down. While the poetic lyricism is profoundly moving, having a 12-track record dedicated to elongated passages can wear relatively thin at times. The instrumentation isn’t the most varied. Generally speaking, though, this album is a real treat to listen to."

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Album Of The Year 7.8/10
Metacritic 77/100
Review scores
Source Rating
Spill Magazine[3]      
Record Collector[4]      
Far Out[5]      
Mojo[6]      
Pitchfork 8.0/10
Uncut[7] 6/10

Track Listing

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All songs written by Matt Johnson except where noted, and produced by Matt Johnson and Warne Livesey[8]

Ensoulment track listing
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Cognitive Dissident" Barrie Cadogan, Matt Johnson. 3:06
2. "Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave Of William Blake" 4:03
3. "Zen & The Art Of Dating" 4:30
4. "Kissing The Ring Of POTUS" Dc Collard, Matt Johnson 3:33
5. "Life After Life" 3:12
6. "I Want To Wake Up With You" 4:00
7. "Down By The Frozen River" Dc Collard, Matt Johnson 3:33
8. "Risin’ Above The Need" 3:46
9. "Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot" 3:53
10. "Where Do We Go When We Die?" 4:02
11. I Hope You Remember (the things I can't forget) Barrie Cadogan, Matt Johnson 3:38
12. "A Rainy Day In May" 3:59
Total length: 44:10

References

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  1. ^ "The The Ensoulment Reviewed: Matt Johnson still rages on first album in 25 years". Mojo. 2024-06-09. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  2. ^ "The The - 'Ensoulment' album review". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  3. ^ Mastel, Joseph (2024-09-06). "SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE THE - ENSOULMENT". The Spill Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  4. ^ "Ensoulment - Record Collector Magazine". Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  5. ^ "The The - 'Ensoulment' album review". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  6. ^ "The The Ensoulment Reviewed: Matt Johnson still rages on first album in 25 years". Mojo. 2024-06-09. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  7. ^ Ensoulment by The The, retrieved 2024-09-07
  8. ^ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 2024-09-07.