I've Seen All I Need to See

I've Seen All I Need to See is the eighth full-length studio album by the American experimental metal band the Body. The album was released on January 29, 2021, through Thrill Jockey.

I've Seen All I Need to See
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 29, 2021 (2021-01-29)
Recorded2019
StudioMachines with Magnets
Genre
Length38:00
LabelThrill Jockey
ProducerSeth Manchester
The Body chronology
Mental Wounds Not Healing
(2018)
I've Seen All I Need to See
(2021)

Background and release

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On October 13, 2020, the Body announced the release of the album, I've Seen All I Need to See. The opening track, "A Lament" was served simultaneously as the album's lead single.[1] It marks the duo's first non-collaborative studio album since I Have Fought Against It, but I Can't Any Longer. (2018).[2] Recorded in 2019,[3] the album was engineered by the duo's frequent collaborator, Seth Manchester, and mastered by Matt Colton. It features contributions from Chrissy Wolpert and vocalist Ben Eberle.[1]

I think that's just a fancy way of saying that we tried to focus more on the distortion and reverb, which is how we sound live [...] we just tried to recreate that to the best of our ability.

— Lee Buford on the album, Apple Music[4]

Composition

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I’ve Seen All I Need to See relies on a more stripped-down production that departs from the orchestral arrangements, operatic vocals, and contemporary pop and chopped-and-screwed hip-hop production of their past releases. The production employs drums, vocals, and violently overdriven guitars, deriving its sound from death industrial and power electronics.[2] Described by the band "as an exploration of the extremes and micro-tonality of distortion" the album lyrically addresses themes of death and despondence.[5] The record opens with a reading of Scottish poet Douglas Dunn's "The Kaleidoscope", that was written by him after the early death of his wife, Lesley Dunn, in 1981.[5][3]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
Exclaim!8/10[7]
musicOMH     [3]
Pitchfork          [5]
Uncut     [6]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 80 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[6]

Pitchfork's Grayson Haver Currin said that the album embraces the "bluntly fatalistic" sound of the duo by being "mercilessly distilled and efficient, reminding us there's no time to waste."[5] Similarly, Sam Shepherd of musicOMH called it "a brutal album", writing that "somehow, there's an odd clarity to be found amongst all the noise, distortion and decay."[3] Paul Simpson of AllMusic lauded the duo's "piercing vocals" and regarded the album as "undeniably some of their most direct and punishing work."[2] Exclaim! writer Max Heilman praised the stripped-down concept and impenetrable execution of the album and summarized it as "the purest summation of the Body's artistry."[7]

Track listing

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I've Seen All I Need to See track listing
No.TitleLength
1."A Lament"5:54
2."Tied Up and Locked in"2:55
3."Eschatological Imperative"4:37
4."A Pain of Knowing"5:40
5."The City is Shelled"5:38
6."They are Coming"4:44
7."The Handle / the Blade"3:38
8."Path of Failure"5:08
Total length:38:00

Personnel

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Credits are adapted from AllMusic.[2]

The Body
  • Lee Buford – drums, vocals
  • Chip King – guitar, vocals
Additional musicians
  • Max Goldman – vocals
  • Ben Eberle – vocals
  • Seth Manchester – drums, programming, keyboard
  • Chrissy Wolpert – piano, vocals
Production
  • Seth Manchester – engineering, production
  • Matt Colton – mastering
  • Alexander Barton – art design, layout

References

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  1. ^ a b Pappis, Konstantinos (13 October 2020). "The Body Announce New Album 'I've Seen All I Need to See', Share New Song". Our Culture Mag. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Simpson, Paul (27 January 2021). "I've Seen All I Need to See | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Shepherd, Sam (30 January 2021). "The Body – I've Seen All I Need To See". musicOMH. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  4. ^ "I've Seen All I Need to See – The Body". Apple Music. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Currin Haver, Grayson (8 February 2021). "The Body – I've Seen All I Need to See". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b c "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  7. ^ a b Heilman, Max (27 January 2021). "The Body Harness the Heart of Darkness on Pulverizing 'I've Seen All I Need to See'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 8 February 2021.