Straight Jacket

"Straight Jacket" is a song by Canadian rock band Theory of a Deadman from their sixth studio album, Wake Up Call (2017). It is the second single from the record, following "Rx (Medicate)". Produced by Martin Terefe, it was recorded at Terefe's Kensaltown Studios in London and was released on January 16, 2018. Its music video, which was inspired by the American film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, was unveiled three weeks later on the band's official YouTube page.

"Straight Jacket"
An image of a straitjacket against a reddish-orange background. The image is in the form of a scrambled photo in a symmetric mosaic pattern and is surrounded by a thick black border. The word "Theory" is seen in the upper left corner while the words "Straight Jacket" is displayed in the top right corner.
Single by Theory of a Deadman
from the album Wake Up Call
ReleasedJanuary 16, 2018 (2018-01-16)
Recorded2016
StudioKensaltown (London)
GenrePop rock
Length4:00
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Tyler Connolly
  • Dave Brenner
  • Dean Back
  • Joey Dandeneau
Producer(s)Martin Terefe
Theory of a Deadman singles chronology
"Rx (Medicate)"
(2017)		 "Straight Jacket"
(2018)		 "Wicked Game"
(2018)
Music video
"Straight Jacket" on YouTube

The single has been met with mixed reviews with certain lyrics and musical aspects being perceived as negative by its critics. The track is the band's 22nd song to enter the Billboard's Mainstream Rock, peaking at number 12 in May 2018.

Recording and composition

"Straight Jacket" was co-written by all four members of Theory of a Deadman, who enlisted the assistance of Swedish producer, Martin Terefe, to work on Wake Up Call.[1] Recorded at Terefe's Kensaltown Studios in London, the song was released on January 16, 2018, and was promoted with a contest on Theory of a Deadman's official website in which participants would have a chance to win a straitjacket autographed by the band and a merchandise bundle.[2]

Lead singer Tyler Connolly revealed that the single was formed in the days leading up to the album's recording. He stated that the beginning lyrics of the intro, "I wear a 36 long / White is my color", were developed first and that it took some time to complete the writing process due to the amount of lyrics. The track was composed with the assistance of a piano, characterized by the staccato notes in the beginning of the single. The piano is an instrument that Connolly had been teaching himself to play, with Wake Up Call being the first album in which most of the songwriting had been done with this instrument instead of a guitar. Connolly noted that the piano "opened [a] whole new world of creativity" for him, allowing for songs like "Straight Jacket" to formulate.[3]

Commercial performance and critical reception

"Straight Jacket" debuted at number 37 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and peaked at number 12 in May 2018.[4][5] In a review of Wake Up Call, James Christopher Monger of AllMusic called "Straight Jacket" a "lurid opener" to the album that "catered to the band's worst tendencies".[6] Alternative Addiction called the song "listenable" while Allen J. Miller at Cryptic Rock disagreed, calling it "unlistenable".[7][8] Jonni D at Über Röck also criticized the single, viewing the staccato piano notes as "infuriating" and castigating Connolly's "new-found penchant for rapping".[9]

Music video

The music video for "Straight Jacket" was released on February 7, 2018, via Theory of a Deadman's official YouTube account. Directed by Iqbal Ahmed, it was inspired by the 1975 American film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, focusing on the band in an insane asylum and their escape from the institution. Connolly expressed how he was exhausted of the idea of performance-based music videos, opting for video concepts that entailed a story line for both "Straight Jacket" and the band's previous single, "Rx (Medicate)".[10]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Wake Up Call.[1]

Theory of a Deadman

  • Tyler Connolly – writer, vocals, piano
  • Dave Brenner – writer, guitar, backing vocals
  • Dean Back – writer, bass, backing vocals
  • Joey Dandeneau – writer, drums, backing vocals

Production

Location

  • Recorded at Kensaltown Studios in London, England[11]

Charts
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Canada Rock (Billboard)[12] 33
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[5] 12

References
  1. Wake Up Call (Liner notes). Theory of a Deadman. Roadrunner Records, Atlantic Records. 2017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. "Theory Straight Jacket Sweepstakes – Official Rules" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 13, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  3. Pinfield, Matt (February 26, 2018). "Theory of a Deadman – "Straight Jacket" #TrendingTrack". Cumulus Media. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  4. "Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs – Week of January 27, 2018". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 29, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  5. "Theory of a Deadman – Chart History: Mainstream Rock Songs – Straight Jacket". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  6. Monger, James Christopher. "Wake Up Call – Theory of a Deadman". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  7. "Album Review of Wake Up Call by Theory of a Deadman". Alternative Addiction. Archived from the original on March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  8. Miller, Allen (October 26, 2017). "Theory of a Deadman – Wake Up Call (Album Review)". Cryptic Rock. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  9. D, Jonni (November 13, 2017). "Theory Of A Deadman – 'Wake Up Call'". Über Röck. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  10. Pinfield, Matt (February 26, 2018). Podcast: Theory of a Deadman. Cumulus Media. Event occurs at 33:48. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  11. Rutherford, Kevin (October 20, 2017). "How Theory of a Deadman Cracked the Charts With Opioid Addiction-Focused Single". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  12. "Theory of a Deadman – Chart History: Canada Rock – Straight Jacket". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
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