Renewal (Billy Strings album)

Renewal is the fifth studio album by American bluegrass musician Billy Strings, following Home. Released on September 24, 2021, the album peaked at number one on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart, making Renewal the second consecutive studio album by Billy Strings to do so.[1]

Renewal
Studio album by
Billy Strings
ReleasedSeptember 24, 2021 (2021-09-24)
StudioSound Emporium, Nashville, TN
FiveStarStudios, Los Angeles, CA
Minutia, Nashville, TN
Concord Mastering, Nashville, TN
GenreBluegrass
LabelRounder Records
ProducerJonathan Wilson & Billy Strings
Billy Strings chronology
Home
(2019)		 Renewal
(2021)

The song "Red Daisy", one of the tracks on the album, was performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 25 October 2021.[2]

Overview and meaning

The last track on the album, "Leaders", tackles the subject of human rights.[3] Other tracks on the album, such as "In the Morning Light" and "Love and Regret", focus on the subject of love and relationships.

The lengthiest track on the album, "Hide and Seek", features a chorus with the last text messages one of Billy Strings’ friends sent to him before committing suicide.[4]

Reception

Matt Ruppert of No Depression stated "Though the musicality is the most automatically familiar part of Renewal, the songs themselves, built around Strings’ yearning vocals, stand up to and even match the exploratory music."[5]

It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Know It All"William Apostol, Jon Weisberger, Aaron Allen3:26
2."Secrets"Apostol, Weisberger, Allen4:44
3."Love and Regret"Apostol, Allen4:16
4."Heartbeat of America"Apostol, Allen6:22
5."In the Morning Light"Apostol, Paul Hoffman4:43
6."This Old World"Apostol, Weisberger, Allen, Jarrod Walker, John Mailander3:55
7."Show Me the Door"Walker, Christian Ward5:00
8."Hellbender"Apostol, Weisberger, Allen3:25
9."Red Daisy"Walker, Ward2:41
10."The Fire on My Tongue"Apostol, Weisberger, Allen2:45
11."Nothing’s Working"Apostol, Lindsay Lou3:16
12."Hide and Seek"Apostol, Billy Failing, Royal Masat, Walker9:26
13."Ice Bridges"Apostol4:01
14."Fire Line"Apostol, Failing, Masat, Walker4:35
15."Running the Route"Walker, Ward3:35
16."Leaders"Apostol, Steve Poltz4:18

Personnel
The Band
  • Billy Strings – guitar, vocals, mandolin, piano, synth, guitjo (guitar banjo), bass drum, bells, chimes
  • Billy Failing – banjo, vocals, piano
  • Jarrod Walker – mandolin, vocals, guitar
  • Royal Masat – bass, vocals
Additional musicians
  • John Mailander – violin
  • Spencer Cullum Jr. – pedal steel
  • Grant Milliken – synth
  • Jonathan Wilson – celesta, percussion, harpsichord, group vocals
  • Ally Dale, Nate Flores, Steve York, Bill Orner – group vocals
Technical
  • Jonathan Wilson – producer
  • Gary Paczosa – engineer (Sound Emporium), mixing
  • Skyler Chuckry – assistant engineer (Sound Emporium)
  • Grant Milliken – engineer (FiveStarStudios)
  • Paul Blakemore – mastering
  • Tyler Franz – cover photo
  • Bill Orner – design concept and layout
  • Jesse Faatz – photography

References
  1. "Billy Strings Chart History: Bluegrass Albums". Billboard. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  2. "VIDEO: Billy Strings Performs "Red Daisy" on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  3. "Grammy Winning Bluegrass Artist Billy Strings Has A New Album". NPR. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  4. "How Billy Strings Picked His Way to the Other Side". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  5. "Billy Strings Finds 'Renewal' Amid Months of Quarantine". No Depression. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
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