Checkmate Savage

Checkmate Savage
Studio album by The Phantom Band
Released 26 January 2009
Recorded Chem 19, Blantyre
Genre Indie rock
Length 55:01
Label Chemikal Underground
Producer Paul Savage
The Phantom Band chronology

Checkmate Savage
(2009)
The Wants
(2010)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Drowned in Sound (7/10)[2]
The Guardian [3]
The List [4]
Mojo [5]
NME (8/10)[6]
Pitchfork Media (7.3/10)[7]
Q [8]
Scotland on Sunday [9]
The Times [10]

Checkmate Savage is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Phantom Band, released January 26, 2009 through Chemikal Underground Records to critical acclaim.[11]

The album was produced by Paul Savage, formerly of The Delgados.

Title

According to the band, the album's title refers to: "over-population, dwindling natural resources and the yawning void within every one of us caused by society's unnatural social contracts, and mass sexual repression, means one thing: it's checkmate for the human animal."[12]

Accolades

In December 2009, Checkmate Savage entered The Skinny's "Scottish Albums of the Decade" list at #28.[13]

Publication Country Accolade Year Rank
The Skinny Scotland Scottish Albums of the Decade 2009 28[13]

The album placed at number 17 in MOJO magazine's top 50 albums of 2009.[14]

In January 2010 the album was given the inaugural "Soundcheck Award" for album of 2009 by Radioeins and Der Tagesspiegel in Berlin.[15]

Track listing

  1. "The Howling" - 6:35
  2. "Burial Sounds" - 4:47
  3. "Folk Song Oblivion - 4:14
  4. "Crocodile" - 7:42
  5. "Halfhound" - 4:11
  6. "Left Hand Wave" - 5:40
  7. "Island" - 8:51
  8. "Throwing Bones" - 5:01
  9. "The Whole is on My Side" - 7:53

Personnel

References

  1. Raggett, Ned. "Review: Checkmate Savage". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  2. Drowned in Sound review
  3. The Guardian review
  4. The List review
  5. [Feb. Mojo review]
  6. [24 NME review]
  7. Pitchfork Media review
  8. [Feb. Q review]
  9. Scotland on Sunday review
  10. The Times review
  11. "Chemikal Underground Records - Glasgow, Scotland". Chemikal.co.uk. 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  12. 13.0 13.1 The Skinny, Dec 2009, pg 10
  13. "MOJO's Top 50 Albums of 2009". Albumoftheyear.org. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  14. "Musikpreis: The Phantom Band gewinnt Soundcheck Award - Pop - Kultur - Tagesspiegel" (in German). Tagesspiegel.de. 2010-01-29. Retrieved 2012-02-09.