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Static (Cults album)

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Static
Studio album by
Cults
ReleasedOctober 15, 2013
Recorded2012–2013, SMT Studios, Treefort Studios, Maze Studios (Atlanta)
GenreIndie rock, pop
Length34:56
LabelColumbia Records
ProducerCults, Shane Stoneback, Ben H. Allen III
Cults chronology
Cults
(2011) 		Static
(2013) 		Offering
(2017)
Singles from Static
  1. "I Can Hardly Make You Mine"
    Released: August 13, 2013
  2. "High Road"
    Released: September 3, 2013

Static is the second studio album by American indie pop band Cults, released by Columbia Records on October 15, 2013.[1]

Album title and themes

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Of the album's title, band member Brian Oblivion said, "There's a feeling our generation has. The feeling there's always something better around the corner, that everyone is born to be a star. The feeling that life is waiting for you, and yet it’s not happening. All of that is static."[2] Oblivion has also said, "I've fallen in love with the idea of static over the last year...When we were making this record, we put a couple of broken TVs on the mixing board and we'd turn the lights off, stare at them, and listen to the songs to see if the glow felt right."[3]

Much of the discussion of the album was centered on the personal break-up of band members Madeline and Brian. Robert Ham of Paste wrote, "Fortunately or unfortunately for Cults, the release of [Static] is going to be clouded with the news that the couple behind the music—singer/lyricist Madeline Follin and guitarist Brian Oblivion—split up last year."[4] He also wrote, "What will hopefully rise to the surface for those folks picking through these songs is how strong the music is here."[4] Heather Fares of AllMusic wrote, "...breakups often provide plenty of songwriting fodder. Writing and performing songs with an ex, as Cults did on their second album, Static, is probably a special circle of hell, but when the results are this good, it's worth it."[1] She continued to say, "The album's imagery hints at Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion's breakup...and yet their music is stronger than ever, balancing the elements they set forth on their debut with fewer gimmicks and more complexity."[1]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.9/10[5]
Metacritic73/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Under the Radar[7]
Consequence of Sound[8]
Spin7/10[9]
Pitchfork6.8/10[10]
Sputnikmusic3/5[11]
Paste7.8/10[4]
Slant Magazine[12]
This Is Fake DIY[13]
Boston Globe80/100[14]

Static received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 73 out of 100, which indicates "generally favorable reviews," based on 26 reviews.[6] On AnyDecentMusic?, the album received an average score of 6.9 out of 10.[5]

Track listing

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Music and lyrics by Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion

  1. "I Know" – 1:42
  2. "I Can Hardly Make You Mine" – 3:30
  3. "Always Forever" – 3:43
  4. "High Road" – 4:28
  5. "Were Before" – 3:01
  6. "So Far" – 3:29
  7. "Keep Your Head Up" – 3:38
  8. "TV Dream" – 1:02
  9. "We've Got It" – 3:25
  10. "Shine a Light" – 3:14
  11. "No Hope" – 3:44

Personnel

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Heather Phares. "Static – Cults | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  2. ^ "Cults Share Cover Art, Tracklist for New Album Static | News". Pitchfork. August 29, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  3. ^ "Update: Cults | Features". Pitchfork. September 25, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c Robert Ham (October 15, 2013). "Cults: Static :: Music :: Reviews". Paste. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Cults - Static". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Static Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  7. ^ J. Pace. "Cults: Static (Columbia) – album review". Under the Radar. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  8. ^ "Album Review: Cults – Static". Consequence of Sound. October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  9. ^ Kamps, Garrett. "Cults, 'Static' Review". Spin. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  10. ^ "Cults: Static | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  11. ^ "Review: Cults – Static". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  12. ^ "Cults: Static | Music Review". Slant Magazine. October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  13. ^ Wright, Danny. "Cults – Static". This Is Fake DIY. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  14. ^ Luke O'Neil (October 14, 2013). "ALBUM REVIEW: Cults, 'Static' – Music". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
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