Shapeshifting
Studio album by
Young Galaxy
ReleasedFebruary 8, 2011
Recorded2010
GenreSynthpop, sophisti-pop, nu gaze[1]
Length42 mins.
LabelPaper Bag Records
ProducerDan Lissvik
Young Galaxy chronology
Invisible Republic
(2009)		 Shapeshifting
(2011)		 Ultramarine
(2013)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100 link
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Consequence of SoundB[3]
Pitchfork7.6/10[4]
Resident Advisor4.0/5[5]
Slant Magazine[6]

Shapeshifting is the third studio album by Young Galaxy, released on Paper Bag Records in February 2011. It was produced by Dan Lissvik of the Swedish duo Studio. Reviewed in Pitchfork, Andrew Gaerig called it the band's "finest record".[7]

The album was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.[8]

Production

The album was recorded by the three-piece in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, then sent to Gothenburg, Sweden, where Lissvik reworked the material.[9] The band and producer collaborated using Skype to communicate over the nine-month duration.[10] The group's method to composing the songs was described by songwriter/singer/guitarist Stephen Ramsay as "[i]nstead of picking up a guitar and finding the most brilliant melody we could, we tried to erase the shape of the songs."[11] The band moved away from traditional verse-chorus structures towards a more "impressionistic" approach.[11] Songs were written by Ramsay and McCandless, with Stephen Kamp playing bass.

Style

The album is described as a departure from their previous recording, Invisible Republic. Lissvik's more electronic-oriented roots resulted in "dance-inflected pop", as opposed to their more dream pop style on earlier records.[7] Although Ramsay and McCandless share vocal duties on the recording, Shapeshifting sees singer/keyboardist Catherine McCandless moving into more of a "lead-singer role".[12]

Video

Animated videos for "We Have Everything" and "Peripheral Visionaries" were produced by Los Angeles-based animator Sinbad Richardson.[13] Both videos made part of the official selection of the Fest Anča animated film festival in Žilina, Slovakia.

Track listing

  1. "Nth"
  2. "The Angels Are Surely Weeping"
  3. "Blown Minded"
  4. "We Have Everything"
  5. "For Dear Life"
  6. "Peripheral Visionaries"
  7. "High and Goodbye"
  8. "Phantoms"
  9. "Cover Your Tracks"
  10. "B.S.E."
  11. "Shapeshifting"

Formats

Released on compact disc and in MP3 format, the LP was also released in limited-run, 180-gram white and blue-marble vinyl editions.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Cohen, Ian (2013-04-25). "Young Galaxy Review". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2013-04-27.
  2. ↑ Collar, Matt. "Young Galaxy: Shapeshifting". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  3. ↑ Young, Alex (5 April 2011). "Young Galaxy: Shapeshifting". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  4. ↑ Gaerig, Andrew (9 February 2011). "Young Galaxy: Shapeshifting". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  5. ↑ Miller, Derek (4 March 2011). "Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  6. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (15 February 2011). "Young Galaxy: Shapeshifting". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  7. 1 2 Gaerig, Andrew (February 9, 2011). "Young Galaxy Shapeshifting". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  8. ↑ "2011 Polaris Music Prize Long List announced" Archived 2015-10-02 at the Wayback Machine. aux.tv, June 16, 2011.
  9. ↑ Hudson, Alex (November 11, 2010). "Young Galaxy Announce New Shapeshifting LP, Enlist Studio's Dan Lissvik to Produce". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  10. ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (February 15, 2011). "Young Galaxy: Shapeshifting". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 22 February 2011.
  11. 1 2 Perusse, Bernard (February 11, 2011). "New Music Feb. 8, 2011: Young Galaxy, Cut Copy, The Streets, ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  12. ↑ Gormely, Ian (February 8, 2011). "Young Galaxy — Shapeshifting". CHARTAttack. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  13. ↑ "Video Premiere: Young Galaxy – "We Have Everything"". Gorilla vs. Bear. February 2, 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  14. ↑ "Shapeshifting". Paper Bag Records. February 8, 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
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