Only Sparrows is the third studio album by Australian musician, Josh Pyke. It was released on the 19 of August 2011 by Ivy League Records and peaked at number 4 on the ARIA Charts.

Only Sparrows
Studio album by
Released19 August 2011[1]
GenreAlternative, folk, contemporary
Length53:30
LabelIvy League Records
ProducerWayne Connolly
Josh Pyke chronology
Chimney's Afire
(2008)
Only Sparrows
(2011)
The Beginning and the End of Everything
(2013)
Singles from Only Sparrows
  1. "No One Wants a Lover"
    Released: June 2011[2]
  2. "The World Is a Picture"
    Released: 12 September 2011

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2012, the album was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album.[3]

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [4]

Jon O'Brien from AllMusic said "Inspired by a soul-searching trip to New York, Sydney singer/songwriter Josh Pyke abandons his usual one-man band style of recording and for the first time, relinquishes some control to additional musicians... it's an approach which has resulted in a more expansive sound". O'Brien said "Opener 'Clovis Son' is a gorgeous fusion of gently strummed acoustics, twinkling glockenspiels, and dreamy West Coast harmonies which shows that his ability to tug at the heartstrings hasn't deserted him during his three-year solo absence, a quality also perfectly showcased on 'Punch in the Heart', a somber, stripped-back ballad featuring the ethereal vocals of Little Birdy's Katy Steele, while the melancholic 'Particles' begins with a brooding alt-rock hook before merging with an array of clattering rhythms and skittering synths on a surprisingly convincing attempt at folktronica."[4]

Track listing edit

No.TitleLength
1."Clovis' Son"5:12
2."Coffee Cups"3:05
3."No One Wants a Lover"3:23
4."The World Is a Picture"3:34
5."Diet of Worms"3:50
6."Punch in the Heart"2:38
7."Break, Shatter, Make, Matter"3:50
8."Good Head Start"4:16
9."Factory Fires"4:04
10."Particles"4:13
11."Follow Me Down"3:32
12."Love Lies"5:22
13."Tapping on a Secret"3:14
14."All Those Other Lives"3:15

Charts edit

Chart (2011) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5] 4

Release history edit

Region Date Format Label Catalogue
Australia 19 August 2011 Ivy League Records IVY115

References edit

  1. ^ "Josh Pyke - Only Sparrows on iTunes". Apple. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  2. ^ "No One Wants a Lover - single". Apple Music. June 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  3. ^ "ARIA Awards Search Results – Josh Pyke". ARIA Awards. ARIA Awards. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b O'Brien, Jon. "Only Sparrows - Josh Pyke". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Josh Pyke – Only Sparrows". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 June 2020.