Front Row Seat to Earth
Studio album by
Weyes Blood
ReleasedOctober 21, 2016 (2016-10-21)
Genre
Length44:46
LabelMexican Summer
Producer
Weyes Blood chronology
Cardamom Times
(2015)		 Front Row Seat to Earth
(2016)		 Titanic Rising
(2019)
Singles from Front Row Seat To Earth
  1. "Seven Words"
    Released: August 10, 2016
  2. "Do You Need My Love?"
    Released: September 7, 2016
  3. "Generation Why"
    Released: October 3, 2016

Front Row Seat to Earth is the third studio album by American musician Weyes Blood. It was released on October 21, 2016, by Mexican Summer. Musically, the album explores several genres like baroque pop,[1] psychedelic folk,[2] folk-pop,[3] and psychedelic pop.[4] Front Row Seat to Earth was acclaimed by music critics, with one of them comparing the singer with Karen Carpenter.

Front Row Seat to Earth was supported by three singles: "Seven Words", released on August 10, 2016, "Do You Need My Love?", released on September 7, 2016, and "Generation Why", released on October 3, 2016. Despite not being promoted as a single, "Used to Be" received a music video on November 7, 2016. The album's cover art was photographed beside the Salton Sea.

Composition

Donning "the misty sounds of late '60s folk and '70s AM radio,"[5] Front Row Seat to Earth pushes forward in Blood's "glacial slide towards psychedelic folk", yielding comparisons to Kevin Ayers, Vashti Bunyan, Linda Perhacs, and Bridget St. John.[2] The lyrics are based on various subjects, including romantic difficulties ("Do You Need My Love?"), addiction ("Diary"),[6] and concerns about the modern world ("Generation Why").[7] The latter would be further explored on Natalie Mering's following album, Titanic Rising (2019).[8]

Singles

"Seven Words" was released as the album's lead single on August 10, 2016.[9] It was called "Best New Track" by Pitchfork, with reviewer Sam Sodomsky stating that the song "conjures a kaleidoscopic vision of the 1970s' best kept secrets".[10] An accompanying music video was released the same day, in which Mering is kidnapped by a taxi driver who forcibly feeds her with something that looks like octopus, after which she turns into a mermaid.[11] Mexican Summer issued a 7-inch single for "Seven Words" in October 2016, which featured digital bonus track "Three Tears" as a B-side. Some of these were distributed randomly to Vinyl Me Please subscribers,[12] while others were sold on tour at Weyes Blood gigs.

"Do You Need My Love" was released digitally on September 7, 2016, as the album's second single.[13] Like with the previous single, Pitchfork also called the song "Best New Track".[14] "Generation Why", the album's third single, followed on October 3, 2016.[15]

A promotional video for "Used To Be" was also released on November 7, after the album had been issued.[16]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.7/10[17]
Metacritic82/100[18]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Clash8/10[1]
Exclaim!8/10[19]
The Guardian[20]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[21]
The Observer[22]
Pitchfork8.3/10[5]
Uncut8/10[23]
Under the Radar8.5/10[2]

Front Row Seat To Earth received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 82, based on 12 reviews.[18] Michael Hann for The Guardian, referred to the album as "beautiful, unsettling and wholly compelling". Emily Mackay of The Observer gave a lukewarm review, even though she stated that Mering's "deep, pure, Karen Carpenter croon...could still slavering beasts".[24]

Accolades

Publication List Rank Ref.
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2016 43 [25]
Under the Radar Top 100 Albums of 2016 9 [26]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Natalie Mering. All tracks are produced by Mering and Chris Cohen

No.TitleLength
1."Diary"5:36
2."Used to Be"4:32
3."Be Free"6:22
4."Do You Need My Love?"6:25
5."Generation Why"5:21
6."Can't Go Home"4:40
7."Seven Words"4:37
8."Away Above"5:18
9."Front Row Seat"1:55
Total length:44:46

Note

  • The digital download that came with the vinyl edition also featured an exclusive bonus track, "Three Tears" (4:59), that played at the end of the album after "Front Row Seat". It also featured on the B-side of the 7" edition of "Seven Words", but has otherwise not been made available elsewhere.[27]

Charts

Chart performance for Front Row Seat to Earth
Chart (2016) Peak
position
UK Independent Album Breakers (OCC)[28] 14
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[29] 23

References

  1. 1 2 Walker-Smart, Sam (October 13, 2016). "Weyes Blood – Front Row Seat To Earth". Clash. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Everhart, John (December 14, 2016). "Weyes Blood: Front Row Seat to Earth (Mexican Summer)". Under the Radar. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Simpson, Paul. "Front Row Seat to Earth – Weyes Blood". AllMusic. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  4. ↑ Beswick, Katie (October 17, 2016). "Weyes Blood - Front Row Seat To Earth". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Mapes, Jillian (October 19, 2016). "Weyes Blood: Front Row Seat to Earth". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  6. ↑ Bollinger, Nick (November 1, 2016). "Front Row Seat To Earth by Weyes Blood". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  7. ↑ Hunt, El (April 21, 2017). "Driving from the backseat; Weyes Blood". DIY. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  8. ↑ Moreland, Quinn (April 5, 2019). "Album Review: Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Weyes Blood - "Seven Words"". Bandcamp. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  10. ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (August 13, 2016). "Tracks: "Seven Words" - Weyes Blood". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Weyes Blood - "Seven Words (Official Video)"". Mexican Summer. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Weyes Blood: A - "Seven Words", B - "Three Tears"". 45cat.com. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Do You Need My Love?". mexicansummer.com. September 8, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  14. ↑ Hogan, Marc (September 8, 2016). "Tracks: "Do You Need My Love?" - Weyes Blood". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  15. ↑ Breihan, Tom (October 3, 2016). "Weyes Blood – "Generation Why" Video". Stereogum. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  16. ↑ Snyder, Chad (November 9, 2016). "Witness Weyes Blood's stunning balladry in new "Used To Be" clip". WXPN. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Front Row Seat To Earth by Weyes Blood reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  18. 1 2 "Reviews for Front Row Seat to Earth by Weyes Blood". Metacritic. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  19. ↑ Pageau, Mathias (October 19, 2016). "Weyes Blood: Front Row Seat to Earth". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  20. ↑ Hann, Michael (November 3, 2016). "Weyes Blood: Front Row Seat to Earth review – beautiful, unsettling songs". The Guardian. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  21. ↑ King, Ian (October 18, 2016). "Weyes Blood make us both audience and active participant on Front Row Seat to Earth". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  22. ↑ Mackay, Emily (October 30, 2016). "Weyes Blood: Front Row Seat to Earth review – a voice to still slavering beasts". The Observer. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  23. ↑ Bonner, Michael (November 2016). "Weyes Blood: Front Row Seat to Earth". Uncut (234): 38.
  24. ↑ Mackay, Emily (October 30, 2016). "Weyes Blood: Front Row Seat to Earth review – a voice to still slavering beasts". The Observer. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  25. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2016 | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Under the Radar's Top Albums of 2016 | Under the Radar". Under the Radar. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Weyes Blood - "Front Row Seat To Earth"". Discogs.com. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  28. ↑ "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Weyes Blood Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
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