Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders

Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders is the fourth studio album by American rock band Awolnation, and their first release since Here Come the Runts in 2018. It is also their first release under Better Noise Music. It was released on April 24, 2020.

Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders
Studio album by
Awolnation
ReleasedApril 24, 2020 (2020-04-24)
Genre
Length39:18
LabelBetter Noise
ProducerAaron Bruno[3]
Awolnation chronology
Here Come the Runts
(2018)		 Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders
(2020)		 My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers, and Me
(2022)
Singles from Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders
  1. "The Best"
    Released: November 4, 2019
  2. "California Halo Blue"
    Released: November 29, 2019
  3. "Mayday!!! Fiesta Fever"
    Released: February 4, 2020
  4. "Slam (Angel Miners)"
    Released: March 13, 2020
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AOTY73/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Deadpress[1]
Sputnikmusic3.2/5[2]
The Young Folks7.5/10[5]

Background

While on tour with Twenty One Pilots in Fall of 2018, singer Aaron Bruno's home studio and much of his property were destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. This event, as well as a shooting in nearby Thousand Oaks that claimed the life of 12 people, inspired the lyrical content behind this album. [6]

On November 4, 2019, Awolnation released the first single from the album, "The Best", along with a music video for it. On November 29, they released the second single, called "California Halo Blue", a tribute song to the wildfires in southern California, plus a cover of "Drive", originally by the Cars. On February 4, 2020, the album was officially announced, with a release date of April 24, 2020. The third single "Mayday!!! Fiesta Fever", featuring Alex Ebert of the band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, was released on the same day.[7] The fourth single "Slam (Angel Miners)" was released on March 13, 2020.[8]

In quarantine lockdown, the band reworked "The Best" featuring vocalist Alice Merton collaborating distantly. They released a second video for the song on March 27, 2020, showing the band playing together in a studio, with Merton singing in a different studio.[9]

According to frontman Aaron Bruno, the album features songs "inspired by some of the most difficult events I have experienced. I'm excited for us all to enter this new world together & share these stories."[7] After the album's release, the band will begin The Lightning Riders Tour with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and the Beaches.[10]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Aaron Bruno and Awolnation

Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders track listing
No.TitleLength
1."The Best"3:43
2."Slam (Angel Miners)"4:48
3."Mayday!!! Fiesta Fever" (featuring Alex Ebert)3:42
4."Lightning Riders"3:50
5."California Halo Blue"3:53
6."Radical"3:38
7."Battered, Black, & Blue (Hole in My Heart)"3:15
8."Pacific Coast Highway in the Movies" (featuring Rivers Cuomo of Weezer)3:55
9."Half Italian"4:23
10."I'm a Wreck"4:11
Total length:39:18
Bonus Track
No.TitleLength
11."Jet Pack (Capala)"2:45
Total length:42:03

Personnel

Awolnation

Additional musicians

  • Alex Ebert - vocals (track 3)
  • Josh Moreau - bass (tracks 4, 6, 7, 9)
  • Tracy Van Fleet - additional vocals (track 5)
  • Callista Hoffman - additional vocals (track 5)
  • Suzanne Waters - additional vocals (track 5)
  • Elyse Willis - additional vocals (track 5)
  • Rivers Cuomo - vocals (track 8)

Charts
Chart performance for
Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[11] 42
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 64

References
  1. Paige Barrett (April 26, 2020). "Album review: Awolnation – Angel Miners & The Lightning Riders". Deadpress. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  2. Raul Stanciu (April 27, 2020). "Awolnation – Angel Miners and the Lightning Riders". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  3. Neil Z. Yeung. "Awolnation Angel Miners & The Lightning Riders". AllMusic. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  4. "Awolnation - Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders - Reviews". Album of the Year. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  5. Brittany Menjivar (May 2, 2020). "Album Review: Awolnation sound energetic and reinvigorated on "Angel Miners & The Lightning Riders"". The Young Folks. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  6. "Awolnation's Aaron Bruno talks tragedy, hope and releasing music during a pandemic". Los Angeles Daily News. 14 May 2020.
  7. "Awolnation officially announce new album, 'Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders' - SONiC 102.9". sonic1029.com. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  8. "Awolnation is teasing his new album with 'Slam (Angel Miners)'". Upset. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  9. "AWOLNATION recruit Alice Merton for reworking of 'The Best'". 27 March 2020.
  10. "Awolnation". Awolnation. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  11. "Austriancharts.at – Awolnation – Angel Miners and the Lightning Riders" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  12. "Swisscharts.com – Awolnation – Angel Miners and the Lightning Riders". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
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