Ladyhawke (album)

This article is about the self-titled album by musician Ladyhawke. For the soundtrack to the 1985 fantasy film, see Ladyhawke#Soundtrack. For the self-titled album by the band Ladyhawk, see Ladyhawk (album).
Ladyhawke
Studio album by Ladyhawke
Released 19 September 2008
Recorded 2007–08
Genre New wave, synthpop, indie rock
Length 43:29
Label Modular
Producer Michael Di Francesco, Jim Eliot, Pascal Gabriel, Paul Harris, Kid Gloves, Greg Kurstin
Ladyhawke chronology

Ladyhawke
(2008)		 Anxiety
(2012)
Alternative cover
US special edition cover
Singles from Ladyhawke
  1. "Back of the Van"
    Released: 1 April 2008
  2. "Paris Is Burning"
    Released: 6 July 2008
  3. "Dusk Till Dawn"
    Released: 8 September 2008
  4. "My Delirium"
    Released: 8 December 2008
  5. "Magic"
    Released: 28 September 2009

Ladyhawke is the debut studio album by New Zealand recording artist Ladyhawke, released on 19 September 2008 by Modular Recordings. Produced by Pascal Gabriel, Greg Kurstin, Kid Gloves, Kish Mauve's Jim Eliot, Paul Harris and Van She's Michael Di Francesco, the album incorporates 1980s-influenced new wave and synthpop, as well as indie rock. It spawned five singles, including "Back of the Van", "Paris Is Burning", "Dusk Till Dawn", "My Delirium" and "Magic".

The album reached number one in Ladyhawke's home country and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. It also charted at number sixteen in Australia and the United Kingdom, attaining gold status in both countries. It was met with positive acclaim from contemporary music critics, who commended Ladyhawke for her ability to reproduce the music of the '80s. Additionally, Ladyhawke won six awards at the 2009 New Zealand Music Awards—the most awards won since 2004—and two at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009.

Album cover

The cover artwork is a watercolor painting by Sydney-based illustrator and painter Sarah Larnach of a loosely dressed Ladyhawke intently playing a NES on an unseen television.[1] Also visible are three cats, a Super NES controller, a Mega Drive console, a microKORG synthesiser, and a NES Zapper holstered in her underwear.

Singles

Lead single "Back of the Van" was originally released as a digital download in 2008. It was re-released in the UK on 19 May 2009, reaching number ninety-three on the UK Singles Chart.[2] "Paris Is Burning" was released on 30 June 2008 as the second single from the album. It is the second best-performing single of Ladyhawke's career so far, peaking at number forty in New Zealand,[3] number fifty-two in Australia[4] and number sixty-one in the UK.[2] Following a re-release on 2 March 2009, "Paris Is Burning" reached a new peak position of number forty-seven on the UK Singles Chart.[2] "Dusk Till Dawn" was released as the third single on 15 September 2008, peaking just outside the top seventy-five of the UK Singles Chart at number seventy-eight.[2]

Released on 8 December 2008, fourth single "My Delirium" earned Ladyhawke her most successful hit to date, charting at number eight in Australia,[5] number nine in New Zealand,[5] number nineteen in the UK[2] and number thirty-six in Denmark.[5] "Magic" was sent to Australian radio stations on 10 June 2009 and began receiving airplay on the Nova network. It was released as the album's fifth and final single in the UK on 28 September 2009, but failed to chart there. Nevertheless, it became Ladyhawke's second highest-peaking single in New Zealand, reaching number thirty-one.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 70/100[7]
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [8]
The Guardian [9]
The Independent favourable[10]
NME 8/10[11]
The Observer [12]
Pitchfork Media 6.6/10[13]
PopMatters 5/10[14]
Rolling Stone [15]
Spin 8/10[16]
The Sunday Times [17]

Ladyhawke received positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 70, based on 17 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[7] In a review for Time Off, Ben Preece referred to the album as "a glorious ride through 80s-flavoured pop, electro-fused beats and brilliantly infectious melodies".[18] Simon Price of The Independent noted that the album is "simultaneously very then and very now: it couldn't have been made any later than 1985, or any earlier than 2001."[10] The Sunday Times reviewer Dan Cairns wrote that "the record is awash with the sonic squiggles, thumping beats and lethal chord sequences of classic 1980s chart pop and electro." Cairns continued, "Each of the 13 tracks has a chorus to kill for, and Brown's voice—Kim Wilde meets PJ Harvey—features an end-of-phrase exhalation that is sex on a microphone stand."[17] Jon O'Brien of Allmusic felt that "despite its blatant retro vibe, [the album] still manages to sound fresh thanks to its clever production and Brown's fiery and vibrant vocals."[8] Nadine O'Regan of Spin magazine praised the album as "a confection of synth-infused, mammoth-chorused tunes that sound surprisingly and thrillingly fresh", adding that "[t]he trick lies in Brown's blissfully irony-free attitude: Through the digital wizardry and pumping beats, you can hear an unabashedly heartfelt and occasionally vulnerable artist."[16] The Guardian‍ '​s Jude Rogers raved that the song "Magic" "may be the best opening track on any album this year", while describing tracks like "Dusk Till Dawn", "My Delirium" and "Another Runaway" as "monumental".[9]

Elvissia Williams of BBC Music compared the album to the 1985 teen comedy film The Breakfast Club, stating, "Just like the John Hughes movie classic, her debut album blends love, anxiety and youthful bashfulness. Any scenester with a Casiotone can Xerox the 'sound' of the 80s; Ladyhawke's genius lays in her ability to distill the *spirit* of Brat Pack-era America—its innocence, its wide-eyed euphoria, its unshakeable faith in happy endings."[19] Mark Beaumont of the NME opined that Ladyhawke's "louche synthetic pop is brazenly Bananarama, ridiculously Rio, and wonderfully [Pete] Waterman, but the lack of posing—her sheer scruffiness—makes it the first credible '80s pop record since ABC's The Lexicon Of Love."[11] The Observer‍ '​s Peter Robinson viewed the album as "an accessible but immensely rewarding listen, and while some of this singer's influences may be middle of the road, her album isn't even on the road. It's storming across the desert on a nice red motorbike."[12] Pitchfork Media's commented that "Ladyhawke is brimming with ideas whose worst moments quantify this past and whose best build upon it."[13] Despite calling Ladyhawke a "skillful craftswoman", Rolling Stone‍ '​s Jody Rosen concluded that "as with so much Eighties revivalism, there is a chilly emptiness to the exercise; most of the songs feel like fashion statements."[15] Similarly, Emily Tartanella of PopMatters argued that the album is "willfully, occasionally wonderfully, over-the-top. But it's all style, and no substance, and so without the style, well, there's really nothing there."[14]

Accolades

The album earned Ladyhawke six New Zealand Music Awards in 2009 for Album of the Year, Single of the Year for "My Delirium", Best Female Solo Artist, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Best Dance/Electronica Album and International Achievement Award (shared with Brooke Fraser), in addition to a nomination for Peoples' Choice Award. This was the most awards won at a ceremony since 2004, when rapper Scribe also won six.[20] At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009, she won Breakthrough Artist – Album and Breakthrough Artist – Single, and was nominated for Single of the Year for "My Delirium", Best Female Artist, Best Pop Release and Best Cover Art.[21]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number fifteen in Ladyhawke's native New Zealand, reaching number one for one week the following year, on 19 October 2009.[22] It spent forty non-consecutive weeks on the chart and earned a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) on 20 December 2009, denoting sales of over 15,000 copies.[23] In Australia, Ladyhawke debuted and peaked at number sixteen on the ARIA Albums Chart, slipping to number twenty-eight the following week.[24] The album spent twenty-five non-consecutive weeks in the top fifty and was eventually certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), selling over 35,000 copies.[25]

Ladyhawke entered the UK Albums Chart at number forty-seven with first-week sales of 3,500 copies, falling off the top one hundred the following week. The album subsequently made a re-entry on 4 January 2009 at number ninety-five for two separate chart runs,[26] following the release of "My Delirium" and the re-issue of "Paris Is Burning", re-climbing to a new peak position of number sixteen for the chart commencing 3 May 2009.[27] The album remained in the top 100 for thirty-three non-consecutive weeks,[26] and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 17 April 2009 for shipments in excess of 100,000 copies.[28]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Phillipa Brown; co-writers indicated. 

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Magic"  Pascal GabrielGabriel 3:27
2. "Manipulating Woman"  Roy Kerr, Anu PillaiKid Gloves 3:35
3. "My Delirium"  Gabriel, Alex Gray, Hannah RobinsonGabriel 4:16
4. "Better Than Sunday"  Jim Eliot, Paul HarrisEliot, Harris 3:28
5. "Another Runaway"  Gabriel, GrayGabriel 3:16
6. "Love Don't Live Here"  EliotEliot 4:03
7. "Back of the Van"  Michael Di FrancescoDi Francesco 3:40
8. "Paris Is Burning"  Kerr, PillaiKid Gloves 3:49
9. "Professional Suicide"  Greg KurstinKurstin 3:43
10. "Dusk Till Dawn"  Gabriel, Gray, RobinsonGabriel 2:37
11. "Crazy World"  EliotEliot 3:35
12. "Morning Dreams"  GabrielGabriel 4:00

Personnel

Credits for Ladyhawke adapted from liner notes.[34]

  • Phillipa Brown – vocals, backing vocals (all tracks); electric guitar (2, 8); bass guitar (3, 4, 11, 12); guitar (3–5, 7, 9–12); drums, synthesiser (7); keyboards (9); art direction, executive producer
  • Zak Biddu – A&R, management
  • Michael Di Francesco – bass guitar, engineer, producer, synthesiser (7)
  • Jim Eliot – engineer, keyboards, producer (4, 6, 11); drums (4)
  • Tom Elmhirst – mixing (2–7, 9, 11, 12)
  • Antonio Feola – engineer (2)
  • Pascal Gabriel – drums, engineer, keyboards, percussion, producer (1, 3, 5, 10, 12); guitar (1, 3, 5, 10); bass synthesiser (1, 10, 12); mixing (10); piano (12)
  • Jason Gossman – mixing assistant (1, 8)
  • Alex Gray – keyboards (3, 5, 10); guitar (3); percussion (5); Rhodes piano (10)
  • Paul Harris – drums, engineer, keyboards, producer (4)
  • Tony Hoffer – mixing (1, 8)
  • Peter Huntington – drums (2)
  • Roy Kerr – programming (2, 8); drums (8)
  • Kid Gloves – producers, engineers (2, 8)
  • Greg Kurstin – engineer, keyboards, producer, programming (9)
  • Sarah Larnach – art direction, artwork
  • Gavin Maude – legal representation
  • Dan Parry – mixing assistant (2, 4–7, 9, 11, 12)
  • Anu Pillai – bass guitar, keyboards, programming (2, 8); drums (8)
  • Hannah Robinson – backing vocals (3, 10)
  • Leo Taylor – drums (6, 11)

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2008–09) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[24] 16
European Top 100 Albums[35] 62
New Zealand Albums Chart[22] 1
UK Albums Chart[27] 16
US Top Heatseekers[36] 41

Year-end charts

Chart (2009) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[37] 84
New Zealand Albums Chart[38] 34

Certifications

Region Certification
Australia Gold[25]
New Zealand Platinum[23]
United Kingdom Gold[28]

Release history

Region Date Label Edition
Australia[39] 19 September 2008 Modular Recordings Standard edition
New Zealand[40] 22 September 2008
United Kingdom[29] Island Records
Germany[41] 23 September 2008 Universal Music
United States[42] 18 November 2008 Modular Recordings
Japan[30] 17 December 2008 Universal Music
Australia[32] 10 April 2009 Modular Recordings Collector's edition
New Zealand[31] 13 April 2009
United States[33] 31 August 2009 Decca Records, Modular Recordings Special edition

See also

References

  1. ↑ van Graver, Dirk (21 September 2009). "Sarah Larnach". Record | Preserve | Share. Retrieved 3 October 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "The Official Charts Company - Ladyhawke (album)". The Official Charts Company. 5 May 2013.
  3. ↑ "Ladyhawke – Paris Is Burning". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  4. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Singles – Week Commencing 1st September 2008" (PDF). ARIA Charts. Pandora Archive. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Ladyhawke – My Delirium". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  6. ↑ "Ladyhawke – Magic". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 O'Brien, Jon. "Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Rogers, Jude (19 September 2008). "Pop review: LadyHawke, LadyHawke". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Price, Simon (21 September 2008). "Album: Ladyhawke, Ladyhawke (Modular)". The Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Beaumont, Mark (17 September 2008). "Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke – Albums Reviews". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Robinson, Peter (14 September 2008). "Pop review: Ladyhawke, Ladyhawke". The Observer. guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Orme, Mike (4 December 2008). "Ladyhawke: Ladyhawke". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Tartanella, Emily (1 September 2008). "Ladyhawke: Ladyhawke (Special Edition)". PopMatters. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Rosen, Jody (22 January 2009). "Ladyhawke : Ladyhawke". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on 30 April 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 O'Regan, Nadine (19 December 2008). "Ladyhawke, 'Ladyhawke' (Modular)". Spin. Buzz Media. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Cairns, Dan (21 September 2008). "Ladyhawke: Ladyhawke – The Sunday Times review". The Sunday Times. Times Newspapers. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  18. ↑ Preece, Ben (21 September 2008). "Ladyhawke". Time Off. Archived from the original on 10 December 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  19. ↑ Williams, Elvissia (19 September 2008). "Review of Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke". BBC Music. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  20. ↑ Kara, Scott (8 October 2009). "Honours of night go to Ladyhawke". The New Zealand Herald. APN News & Media. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  21. ↑ "2009: 23rd Annual ARIA Awards". ARIA Music Awards. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 "Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Latest Gold / Platinum Albums". RadioScope New Zealand. 20 December 2009. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 "The Official Charts Company - Ladyhawke by Ladyhawke Search". The Official Charts Company. 6 May 2013.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "2009 Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. 9 May 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 "Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke". Island Records. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 レディホーク - レディホーク [Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke] (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "Ladyhawke (Collectors Edition)". WOW HD New Zealand. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "Ladyhawke Store – Ladyhawke (Deluxe Edition)". Getmusic. Universal Music Australia. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 "Ladyhawke (Special Edition): Ladyhawke". Amazon.com. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  34. ↑ Ladyhawke (CD liner notes). Ladyhawke. Modular Recordings. 2008. MODCD093.
  35. ↑ "Ladyhawke – Chart history: European Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  36. ↑ "Ladyhawke – Chart history: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  37. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2009". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  38. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 2009". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  39. ↑ "LADYHAWKE – Ladyhawke". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  40. ↑ "Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke". Marbecks. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  41. ↑ "LADYHAWKE | Ladyhawke" (in German). Universal Music Germany. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  42. ↑ "Ladyhawke (Dig)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 16 April 2011.