| Phone Orphans | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 3, 2023 | |||
| Length | 35:00 | |||
| Label | Raven Marching Band | |||
| Producer | Laura Veirs | |||
| Laura Veirs chronology | ||||
| ||||
Phone Orphans is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Laura Veirs, released on November 3, 2023, through Raven Marching Band. Veirs recorded the album as demos on her phone. It received acclaim from critics.
Background
Veirs recorded the album using a voice memo app on her phone,[1] making the album a collection of "first-take demos".[2]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Mojo |   [3] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[4] |
| Slant Magazine | [2] |
| Uncut | 8/10[5] |
Phone Orphans received a score of 79 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[1] Uncut felt that "standouts such as 'Rocks of Time' and 'Next One, Maybe' have all the depth, richness and candour that Veirs' admirers have come to expect",[5] while Mojo remarked that the tracks are "spare but complete, as rich as old letters or photographs".[3] PopMatters' Steve Horowitz stated that the album "works because of its roughness" as "Veirs offers her direct sensibility as a way to address her ignorance. She doesn't know the meaning of life any more than the rest of us. She has given the question serious thought and created art from the possibilities by singing, playing, and recording over the telephone late at night".[4] Eric Mason of Slant Magazine opined that Phone Orphans' "acoustic arrangements, which consist mostly of guitar and conversational vocals, are delicate and bright, but its sparse instrumentation makes Veirs's preoccupation with death all the more unavoidable".[2]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Laura Veirs, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Creatures of a Day" | 2:16 |
| 2. | "If You Could Hold Someone" | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Rocks of Time" | 2:23 |
| 4. | "Tree Climber" | 2:36 |
| 5. | "Up Is a Nice Place to Be" (Rosalie Sorrels) | 2:14 |
| 6. | "The Archers" (Veirs, Federico García Lorca) | 3:26 |
| 7. | "Tiger Ocean" | 1:16 |
| 8. | "Smoke Song" | 3:31 |
| 9. | "Valentine" | 2:59 |
| 10. | "Magnolia Sphere" | 2:22 |
| 11. | "Swan Dive" | 2:26 |
| 12. | "Next One, Maybe" | 1:49 |
| 13. | "Piano Improv" | 1:47 |
| 14. | "Beautiful Dreams" | 2:39 |
| Total length: | 35:00 | |
References
- 1 2 3 "Phone Orphans by Laura Veirs Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- 1 2 3 Mason, Eric (October 31, 2023). "Laura Veirs Phone Orphans Review: Meditations on Mortality Tinged with Hope". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- 1 2 "Laura Veirs – Phone Orphans". Mojo. December 2023. p. 86.
- 1 2 Horowitz, Steve (November 1, 2023). "Laura Veirs Releases Her Unpolished Phone Orphans". PopMatters. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- 1 2 "Laura Veirs – Phone Orphans". Uncut. December 2023. p. 36.