Painted Shut
Painted Shut is the third studio album by American indie rock band Hop Along. It was co-produced, recorded and mixed by John Agnello in at Headroom Studios, in Philadelphia and Fluxivity Studios in Brooklyn, and released on May 4, 2015.[3]
Painted Shut | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 4, 2015 | |||
Recorded | 2015 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 39:54 | |||
Label | Saddle Creek | |||
Producer |
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Hop Along chronology | ||||
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Background and recording
Vocalist Frances Quinlan stated that much of the album was tracked live.[4]
Composition
Musical style
Pitchfork likened the album's style to the "romantic, middle-American indie" of artists such as Bright Eyes and Rilo Kiley, while crediting punk rock for the band's "energy".[5]
Lyrical content
The album's lyrical subject matter addresses topics such as poverty, abuse and mental illness.[6]
The album's seventh track "Powerful Man" is based on an experience Quinlan had as a teenager, where they claim to have witnessed a young child being physically abused by their father.[7] Quinlan admitted that the track was the first time they had felt uneasy about sharing lyrics, due to their personal nature.
There’s part of me that thinks, is anyone going to care if I yell at this man? [...] There is something about parents hitting their kids, it’s just such a weird thing that we allow [...] The craziest thing was he saw us, looked us in the face, and had no reaction. It just didn’t register that we were any threat. And then he said “She’s not gonna help you.” He felt nothing that we were there. It in no way affected his behavior.
— Frances Quinlan
Critical reception
Allmusic awarded the album four-and-a-half stars, directing praise towards Frances Quinlan's vocal performance.
In 2017, Spin ranked Painted Shut #6 on their list of the emo revival's best albums. The site's Leor Galil saw it as the record where Hop Along "focused their frisson and aimed it towards pop", resulting in "hits only they could create."[2]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10[8] |
Metacritic | 87/100[9] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [10] |
The A.V. Club | A−[11] |
Consequence of Sound | B+[12] |
Exclaim! | 9/10[13] |
NME | 8/10[14] |
Pitchfork | 7.9/10[15] |
Rolling Stone | [16] |
Spin | 8/10[17] |
Uncut | 8/10[18] |
Vice (Expert Witness) | A−[19] |
Accolades
Publication | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|
Vice | The 50 Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 | 8[20] |
The A.V. Club | The 15 Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 | 15[21] |
Consequence | Top 50 Albums of 2015 | 2015 | 44[22] |
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2015 | 2015 | 7[23] |
Spin | 30 Best Emo Revival Albums, Ranked | 2017 | 6[2] |
Pitchfork | The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s | 2019 | 164[24] |
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "The Knock" | 3:33 |
2. | "Buddy in the Parade" | 3:47 |
3. | "Horseshoe Crabs" | 4:01 |
4. | "Waitress" | 3:33 |
5. | "Happy to See Me" | 4:35 |
6. | "Texas Funeral" | 4:28 |
7. | "Powerful Man" | 3:25 |
8. | "I Saw My Twin" | 3:23 |
9. | "Well-Dressed" | 4:02 |
10. | "Sister Cities" | 5:07 |
Charts
Chart (2015) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[25] | 10 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[26] | 26 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[27] | 41 |
References
- "Hop Along 'Painted Shut' Album Review". Rolling Stone. 5 May 2015.
- Spin staff (June 14, 2017). "30 Best Emo Revival Albums, Ranked". Spin. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- "Painted Shut". Saddle-creek.com.
- "Interview: Hop Along discuss Painted Shut and world dominance - DrunkenWerewolf". Archived from the original on 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
- "Hop Along: Painted Shut". Pitchfork.
- "An Interview with Hop Along: With Eyes Painted Shut". Theaquarian.com. 2 October 2023.
- "An Interview with Hop Along's Frances Quinlan". Bitchmedia.org.
- "Painted Shut by Hop Along reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
- "Reviews for Painted Shut by Hop Along". Metacritic. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- Donelson, Marcy. "Painted Shut – Hop Along". AllMusic. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- Anthony, David (April 21, 2015). "The genre-defying Hop Along isn't a "secret" anymore". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- Cosores, Philip (May 6, 2015). "Hop Along – Painted Shut". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
- Williams, Matt (May 1, 2015). "Hop Along: Painted Shut". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
- "5 Great Albums That May Have Passed You By This Week". NME. April 27, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
- Powell, Mike (May 4, 2015). "Hop Along: Painted Shut". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- Sheffield, Rob (April 5, 2015). "Painted Shut". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- Weiss, Dan (July 8, 2015). "SPIN Overlooked Albums Report: Hop Along Gives Us Palpitations, Mount Eerie Elevates the Mundane". Spin. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
- Snapes, Laura (July 2015). "Hop Along: Painted Shut". Uncut (218): 77.
- Christgau, Robert (August 21, 2015). "Hopping Along Into a Girlpool". Vice. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
- "The 50 Best Albums of 2015 | NOISEY". NOISEY. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-19.
- "The 15 Best Albums Of 2015". The A.V. Club. The Onion. December 7, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
- "Top 50 Albums of 2015". Consequence of Sound. December 1, 2015. Retrieved 2016-04-04.
- "The 50 Best Albums Of 2015". stereogum.com. 2015-12-01. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
- "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". pitchfork.com. October 8, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- "Hop Along Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
- "Hop Along Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
- "Hop Along Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2015.