Stay Gold (Butch Walker album)

Stay Gold is the eighth full-length studio album from American musician Butch Walker, released on August 26, 2016, through DangerBird records in the United States[6] and Lojinx in Europe.[7] The album was announced in June of that year with the lead single “East Coast Girl”.[8]

Stay Gold
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 26, 2016
GenreRock & roll, country rock, Americana
Length43:09
LabelDangerbird,[1] Lojinx[2]
Butch Walker chronology
Afraid of Ghosts
(2015)
Stay Gold
(2016)
American Love Story
(2020)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. ClubB+[3]
AllMusic[4]

Following his previous release, Afraid of Ghosts, an emotional album recorded after the loss of his father, Stay Gold presents a much more upbeat and optimistic outlook, with Walker saying "I spilled it all out on [Afraid of Ghosts] and it was a heavy subject. Where do you go from there? [...] It triggered a lot of bittersweet nostalgia. So I started writing about all that, and it sounded like the template should be more of a celebration, as far as the music goes."[9]

Background and production

edit
 
Walker on tour at Minneapolis' Varsity Theater on September 11, 2016

Walker cites the 1983 film The Outsiders as a major thematic influence for the record, echoing his own small town childhood, with the title referencing the line spoken by Johnny Cade to Ponyboy Curtis, "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold."[9]

Track listing

edit
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Stay Gold"Butch Walker3:57
2."East Coast Girl"Walker4:18
3."Wilder in the Heart"Walker3:49
4."Ludlow Expectations"Walker4:47
5."Descending" (featuring Ashley Monroe)Walker, Monroe4:16
6."Irish Exit"Walker3:58
7."Mexican Coke"Walker4:10
8."Can We Just Not Talk About Last Night?"Walker4:28
9."Spark: Lost"Walker4:30
10."Record Store"Walker4:56

Personnel

edit

Credits adapted from AllMusic.[10]

Charts

edit
Chart (2015) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[11] 143
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[12] 4
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[13] 10
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[14] 10
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[15] 11
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[16] 12

References

edit
  1. ^ "Butch Walker and the Black Widows". Danger Bird Records. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  2. ^ "Butch Walker - Stay Gold". Lojinx.
  3. ^ Zaleski, Annie (August 26, 2016). "Butch Walker's classic-rock-leaning Stay Gold is nostalgic about roads not taken". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  4. ^ "Stay Gold - Butch Walker | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  5. ^ Stay Gold by Butch Walker, retrieved September 28, 2016
  6. ^ Dangerbird. "Stay Gold". Dangerbird Records. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  7. ^ "Butch Walker Stay Gold". Lojinx. July 1, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  8. ^ Dangerbird. "Butch Walker To Release New Album Stay Gold on August 26". Dangerbird Records. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  9. ^ a b Hudak, Joseph (August 26, 2016). "Butch Walker: Why I'll Never Make a 'Radiohead Album'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  10. ^ "Stay Gold - Butch Walker - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  11. ^ "Butch Walker Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  12. ^ "Butch Walker Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard.
  13. ^ "Butch Walker Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  14. ^ "Butch Walker Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  15. ^ "Butch Walker Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard.
  16. ^ "Butch Walker Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard.