Bleachers | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 8, 2024 | |||
Recorded | 2022–2023 | |||
Studio |
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Length | 48:02 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
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Bleachers chronology | ||||
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Singles from Bleachers Band Album | ||||
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Bleachers is the fourth studio album by American rock band Bleachers. It was released on March 8, 2024. [1] It is the band's first album under Dirty Hit and their own label, Bleachers Band Recordings, having departed from former label RCA Records in August 2023. [2] The album was preceded by the release of four singles: "Modern Girl", "Alma Mater", "Tiny Moves", and "Me Before You". [3]
Bleachers released their third studio album, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, in July 2021. On January 1, 2022, Jack Antonoff announced on Twitter that a fourth Bleachers album would be released in 2022, though no album was released that year. [4] In August 2023, Bleachers signed a new record deal with Dirty Hit, with their first release under the label Live at Radio City being released that same month.
"Modern Girl" was released as the lead single to Bleachers on September 20, 2023. It was followed by the second single, "Alma Mater", on November 15, 2023, featuring uncredited guest vocals and writing credits by American singer Lana Del Rey. The album was officially announced on the same day. [5] The third single, "Tiny Moves" was released on January 17, 2024, with an accompanying music video starring Antonoff and his spouse, Margaret Qualley. [6] The fourth single, "Me Before You" was released on February 22, 2024, which is according to Antonoff, a soft, " Streets of Philadelphia"-style song about the personal growth needed to begin a meaningful relationship, contrasting Antonoff's historical emotional drama with his contentment at Qualley asking him when he will be home for dinner. [7]
Antonoff wrote Bleachers with themes of love, loss, grief, contentment, marriage, and maturity, mostly based on his personal thoughts and experiences, [8] having influenced by the death of his sister, bad relationship experiences, childhood trauma, and his relationship with his wife. [9]
Antonoff stated that he wanted to "explore how to make room in his life for more than his defining losses" and to "paint a more peaceful and mature picture of love". He stated, "The most inspiring thing is when you meet someone and you truly just want for them to be so happy. It’s not simple. It’s huge, it’s controversial and it’s wild, but it’s simple in how easy it is." [7]
Antonoff talked about the process of making the album and said:
"In my past three albums, I felt very obsessed with the past and the future. I was deeply imagining things from before and things that could happen. But somewhere along the way, I just started only thinking about right now. This album feels like you’re sitting in a room with me right now. It's definitely a new time for Bleachers because it feels like, things are really present, and that things are exciting and opening up for us.
There's always a fear in me that makes me want to make an album. I find myself scared of what was going to happen in my life, of who I would be, and where I would go. On this album, I felt terrified to enter a new phase of my life and also scared that it would mean that I wouldn't be able to take the people who I’ve lost with me. Which isn't true, because you can take them with you and still grow. This record is all about overcoming that fear." [10]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.6/10 [11] |
Metacritic | 66/100 [12] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [13] |
The Boar | [14] |
Clash | 9/10 [15] |
DIY | [16] |
Dork | [17] |
The Independent | [8] |
MusicOMH | [18] |
NME | [19] |
Pitchfork | 6.4/10 [20] |
PopMatters | 7/10 [9] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 66 based on 15 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [12] The review aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? compiled 18 reviews and gave Bleachers an average of 6.6 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [11]
Lucy Gibbons of The Boar praised the concept and the sound of the album, calling it "a colourful album with a song for every occasion". [14] Lauren Hague of Clash called the album an entrance for "their most monumental era yet", praising the band's shift from "solo voice" to the current form of "ensemble unity". [15]
Sam Rosenberg of Paste called the album "handsomely crafted" and offers "a consistently pleasant" listen, yet "ultimately hollow" and never offers "a transcendent" listen. [21] In a review for PopMatters, Rachel R. Carroll claimed this album saw the band settle into "a cohesive sense of artistry" but still without reaching "a clear resolution", calling Bleachers the band's "most cohesive project to date". [9] Neive McCarthy of Dork called the album a "gorgeously tender return to form for the band". [17]
Many publications saw Bleachers influenced by Bruce Springsteen's work, whom Antonoff has proclaimed as his idol many times, having worked together on Chinatown, one of the dual lead singles of Bleacher's previous album, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night. [22] [23] [9]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "I Am Right on Time" |
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| 3:32 |
2. | "Modern Girl" |
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| 3:43 |
3. | "Jesus Is Dead" |
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| 3:10 |
4. | "Me Before You" |
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| 3:24 |
5. | "Alma Mater" |
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| 3:30 |
6. | "Tiny Moves" |
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| 3:48 |
7. | "Isimo" |
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| 3:23 |
8. | "Woke Up Today" |
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| 2:31 |
9. | "Self Respect" |
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| 4:14 |
10. | "Hey Joe" |
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| 1:55 |
11. | "Call Me After Midnight" |
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| 3:15 |
12. | "We Are Going to Know Each Other Forever" |
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| 3:02 |
13. | "Ordinary Heaven" |
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| 5:12 |
14. | "The Waiter" |
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| 3:23 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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15. | "I Am in Your Hands" |
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| 3:47 |
16. | "The Backwards Heart" |
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| 4:06 |
17. | "Question Mark" |
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| 1:48 |
18. | "The Big Bad Turnpike Ghost" |
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| 2:33 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "I Am in Your Hands" |
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| 3:47 |
16. | "Margo" |
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| 3:08 |
17. | "Alma Mater" (from the day it was written) |
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| 2:34 |
18. | "Drug Free America" |
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| 4:33 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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15. | "Self Respect (Demo)" |
| Antonoff | 2:24 |
Bleachers
Additional musicians
Technical
Visuals
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums ( Ultratop Flanders) [28] | 155 |
Scottish Albums ( OCC) [29] | 3 |
UK Albums ( OCC) [30] | 5 |
UK Independent Albums ( OCC) [31] | 1 |
US Billboard 200 [32] | 62 |
US Top Alternative Albums ( Billboard) [33] | 5 |
US Top Rock Albums ( Billboard) [34] | 11 |