- "Couples"
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"Couples" 
Studio album by The Long Blondes Genre Indie rock Label Rough Trade Producer Erol Alkan The Long Blondes chronology Someone to Drive You Home
(2006)"Couples"
(2008)"Singles"
(2008)"Couples" is the second album by Sheffield band The Long Blondes. It was released on April 7, 2008 via Rough Trade Records, with the first single, "Century", released on March 24, 2008.[1]
Contents
Recording
The album was recorded in October 2007 with Erol Alkan reprising production duties, having already produced many of their b-sides including "Fulwood Babylon", "All Bar One Girls" and "Five Ways to End It".
Reception
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic 
[2]Drowned In Sound (8/10)[3] The Guardian [4]The Independent (Positive)[5] Metro [6]Mojo [7]Music Week (Positive)[8] NME (6/10)[9] Pitchfork Media (5.8/10)[10] Uncut [11]The album was generally well received by critics.[12] The Independent called it "one of the albums of the year from one of the bands of the decade".[13] The Fly described it as "a dark, sultry and sublime album" and gave it a four out of five stars.[14] Uncut gave the album four stars and called it a "sleek, sexy affair....Flirtations with a darker sound and Donna Summer-style disco emerge",[15] Mojo labelled the album "ambitious and close to unique".[15] Drowned In Sound said that the band had created "an ambitious, forward-thinking pop record that tops their debut by quite some distance",[16] and Allmusic called the LP an "exciting, challenging, daring listen that's full of brains".[17]
Despite good reactions from many top music critics in the UK, Pitchfork Media had an average take on the album, writing that "In an attempt to be taken seriously, they've sacrificed too much of their effervescent appeal." The album was rewarded a 5.8/10, compared to the 8.2 score their debut album received.[18]
Click Music's Andrew Grillo named Couples his 9th best album of 2008.[19]
Track listing
All tracks written by The Long Blondes.
- "Century" – 5:36
- "Guilt" – 4:35
- "The Couples" – 3:37
- "I Liked the Boys" – 1:59
- "Here Comes the Serious Bit" – 2:49
- "Round the Hairpin" – 5:43
- "Too Clever by Half" – 4:26
- "Erin O'Connor" – 3:09
- "Nostalgia" – 3:12
- "I'm Going to Hell" – 5:58[20]
- Bonus tracks
- "Picture of You" (UK iTunes bonus track)
- "Going Grey" (UK iTunes bonus track)
Personnel
The Long Blondes
- Emma Chaplin – guitars, keyboards, vocals
- Dorian Cox – guitars, keyboards, vocals, lyrics (except on tracks 1 and 4)
- Reenie Hollis – bass guitar, vocals
- Kate Jackson – lead vocals, lyrics (on tracks 1 and 4), artwork
- Screech Louder – drums
Technical personnel
- Erol Alkan – producer, mixer
- Jimmy Robertson – engineer
- Mark 'Elton' Alloway – assistant engineer
- John Sephton – assistant engineer
- Paul Harris – assistant engineer
- Guy Davie – mastering, at the Exchange
- Kate Jackson – artwork
- Steve Harries – photography
References
- ^ "Long Blondes Wrap Up New Album". Aversion.com. 2007-12-21. http://www.aversion.com/news/news_article.cfm?news_id=9882. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Drowned In Sound review
- ^ The Guardian review
- ^ The Independent review
- ^ Metro review
- ^ Mojo review
- ^ Music Week review
- ^ NME review
- ^ Pitchfork Media review
- ^ Uncut review
- ^ The Long Blondes: Couples (2008): Reviews
- ^ Price, Simon (2008-04-06). "Album: The Long Blondes, "Couples" (Rough Trade)". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-the-long-blondes-couples-rough-trade-805065.html. Retrieved 2010-04-18.
- ^ http://www.the-fly.co.uk/words/reviews/album-reviews/1242/the-long-blondes
- ^ a b http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/longblondes/couples
- ^ http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/3121173
- ^ allmusic ((( Couples > Review )))
- ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/49809-couples
- ^ Writer's Choice: Albums Of The Year Part 5
- ^ "Long Blondes Reveal North American Tour, Tracklist". Pitchforkmedia.com. 2008-02-08. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/48583-long-blondes-reveal-north-american-tour-tracklist. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
Categories:- 2008 albums
- The Long Blondes albums
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