Sweet Heart Sweet Light

Sweet Heart Sweet Light
Studio album by Spiritualized
Released 16 April 2012
Genre Art rock, neo-psychedelia, garage rock, gospel
Length 59:30
Label Double Six
Producer Jason Pierce
Spiritualized chronology

Songs in A&E
(2008)		 Sweet Heart Sweet Light
(2012)

Sweet Heart Sweet Light is the seventh studio album by Spiritualized. It was released on 16 April 2012, on Double Six Records.

Recording and release

The band spent two years recording the album, in three different cities, and frontman Jason Pierce spent another year mixing it at home. Spiritualized previewed the record live, playing it in its entirety during a show at the Royal Albert Hall on 11 October 2011.[1] Sweet Heart Sweet Light featured contributions from Pierce's 11-year old daughter Poppy Spaceman, as well as contributions from the Icelandic band Amiina.[2][3] Jason Pierce revealed in an interview that the album will "embrace" more poppy songs. Jason Pierce also stated that the album was partly inspired by the experiences of performing Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space live in its entirety.[4]

Sweet Heart Sweet Light was originally going to be called Huh? Pierce was taking medication for liver disease while writing the album and the original title was a reference to the effects the medicine had on Pierce's mind.[5]

The first song released from the album was "Hey Jane."[6] A music video for "Hey Jane" was released on 19 March 2012.[7] The video has caused controversy over its violent content.[8]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic (81/100)[9]
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [10]
Beats Per Minute 85%[11]
BBC Music (positive)[12]
Drowned in Sound (6/10)[13]
The Guardian [14]
Pitchfork (8.8/10)[15]
The Quietus (negative)[16]
Slant Magazine [17]
Tiny Mix Tapes [8]
Under The Radar [18]

Sweet Heart Sweet Light has received critical acclaim. From a collected 38 reviews, the review website Metacritic gives the album a score of 81 out of 100, indicating "Universal Acclaim."[9]

Nathan Shaffer of Tiny Mix Tapes gave the album a perfect score, writing "[..] Sweet Heart, Sweet Light is one of those gorgeous things and, if nothing else, the most profound late statement Spaceman has given us in a decade."[8] Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal gave the album a Best New Album designation, calling it Pierce's most uplifting album of his career.[15] In another positive review, BBC Music's Chris Lo wrote "For every diehard fan there's someone else wondering what all the fuss is about. Sweet Heart Sweet Light, Spiritualized's seventh studio album, isn’t going to change any of that." Lo concluded: "[..] it's a Spiritualized album, and a great one."[12] Rob Hakimian also praised the album, writing "All ten of the songs here are grandiose and muscular in the great tradition of Spiritualized songs, doing away entirely with the fragility that cropped up on songs like "Death Take Your Fiddle" from their last album."[11]

Not all reviews were positive. In a more mixed review, Drowned in Sound's Didz Hammond wrote "It is, all in all, a pretty solid front half of a Spiritualized album that sort of transmits intermittently in the middle and then totally falls on its arse for the last three tracks."[13] Harry Sword of The Quietus gave the album a negative review, writing "Not only does Sweet Heart Sweet Light hit all patented Spiritualized thematic buttons squarely between the eyes – religion, drugs, sickness and redemption – it is also a record that covers everything with a Wyoming sized scoop of full-fat icky sentiment." Sword concluded: "And where previous lyrical excesses have often been tempered by a genius for tension building arrangement, the overriding vibe on Sweet Heart Sweet Light is that of bloated self-parody, and gratuitous self-pity."[16]

The album was listed 20th on Stereogum's list of top 50 albums of 2012.[19]

Track listing

All songs written by Jason Pierce except where noted.

  1. "Huh? (Intro)" – 1:00
  2. "Hey Jane" – 8:51
  3. "Little Girl" – 3:43
  4. "Get What You Deserve" – 6:47
  5. "Too Late" – 3:45
  6. "Headin' for the Top Now" – 8:22
  7. "Freedom" – 4:31
  8. "I Am What I Am" (Pierce, Dr. John) – 4:37
  9. "Mary" – 6:11
  10. "Life Is a Problem" – 4:02
  11. "So Long You Pretty Thing" (Pierce, Poppy Spaceman) – 7:49

Personnel

The following people contributed to Sweet Heart Sweet Light:[20]

Musicians

Spiritualized

  • Tom Edwards – Farfisa Organ, Fender Rhodes, Organ, Organ (Hammond), Percussion, Piano, String Arrangements, Tympani [Timpani], Vox Continental
  • J. Spaceman – Arranger, Art Direction, Composer, Design, Farfisa Organ, Fender Jaguar, Fender Jazz Bass, Glockenspiel, Guitar (Acoustic), Harmonica, Melodica, Mixing, Post Production, Producer, String Arrangements, Vocals
  • Kevin Bales – Cymbals, Drums
  • Tony Foster – Bass, Fender Jazz Bass, Guitar
  • Tim Lewis – Engineer

Amiina

  • Hildur Ársælsdóttir – Saw, String Quartet
  • Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir – String Quartet
  • Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir – String Quartet
  • Sólrún Sumarliðadóttir – String Quartet

Additional musicians

  • Bukky Abdul – Choir, Chorus
  • James Adams – Trombone, Trombone (Bass)
  • Laura Anstee – String Quartet
  • Tony Bevan – Sax (Tenor)
  • Rosie Blissett – Choir, Chorus
  • Jeanette Bossman – Choir, Chorus
  • Lucy Bryant – Choir, Chorus
  • Sarah Dean – Choir, Chorus
  • James Dee – Choir, Chorus
  • Laura Dickinson – Vocals
  • Dr. John – Composer
  • Lauren Dyer – Choir, Chorus
  • Ben Edwards – Trumpet
  • Karyma Ellis – Choir, Chorus
  • Stuart Homer-Wright – Choir, Chorus
  • Ian Jeanes – Choir, Chorus
  • Pippasha Khan – Choir, Chorus
  • Kat Koch – Choir, Chorus
  • Rathi Kumar – Assistant Director, Choir, Chorus
  • Cathy Manning – Choir, Chorus
  • Phoenix Martins – Choir, Chorus
  • Louise Murphy – Choir, Chorus
  • Melanie Nyema – Vocals
  • Victoria Owusu – Choir, Chorus
  • Evan Parker – Sax (Tenor)
  • Finn Peters – Flute, Sax (Tenor)
  • Monika Pomeroy – Choir, Chorus
  • Simon Prag – Choir, Chorus
  • Emily Pringle – String Quartet
  • Henrietta Ridgeon – String Quartet
  • Roundhouse Choir – Choir, Chorus
  • Sali-Wyn Ryan – String Quartet
  • Usman Saidu – Choir, Chorus
  • Osnat Schmool – Choir, Chorus, Director
  • Nicola Simpson – Choir, Chorus
  • Claudia Smith – Vocals
  • Poppy Spaceman – Composer, Vocals
  • Romeo Stodart – Banjo, Vocals
  • Ashleigh Thompson – Choir, Chorus
  • Sandra Townsend – Choir, Chorus
  • Stefan Vitalis – Choir, Chorus
  • Deborah Wilkes – Choir, Chorus
  • Sarah Wright – Choir, Chorus

Additional personnel

  • James Aparicio – Engineer, Mixing
  • Birgir Jón Birgisson – Engineer
  • Rupert Clervaux – Post Production
  • Scott Hackwith – Engineer
  • Rob Holden – Management
  • Héctor Espinosa – Engineer
  • Anthony Leung – Engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – Mastering
  • Mick Paterson – Management

Charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
US Billboard 200 60[21]
US Independent Albums 9[21]
US Alternative Albums 16[21]
US Rock Albums 24[21]
UK Albums Chart 19[22]

References

  1. ↑ Spiritualized • Sweet Heart Sweet Light. Double Six Records. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  2. ↑ Spiritualized "Sweet Heart Sweet Light". Fat Possum Records. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  3. ↑ Norris, John. Spiritualized Goes Pop. Interview. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  4. ↑ "Jason Pierce 'living in the studio' to record new Spiritualized album | News". Nme.Com. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  5. ↑ Dombal, Ryan. Take Cover: Spiritualized: Sweet Heart Sweet Light. Pitchfork Media. 6 April 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  6. ↑ Battan, Carrie. Spiritualized Share New Song and WTF Album Cover. Pitchfork Media. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  7. ↑ Minsker, Evan. NSFW Video: Spiritualized: "Hey Jane". Pitchfork Media. 19 March 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Shaffer, Nathan. "Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light".
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Critic Reviews for Sweet Heart Sweet Light. Metacritic. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  10. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Sweet Heart, Sweet Light – Spiritualized". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Hakimian, Rob (2 April 2012). "Album Review: Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light". Beats Per Minutes. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Chris, Lo (11 April 2012). "Music – Review of Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light". BBC Music.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Hammond, Didz (16 April 2012). "Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light". Drowend in Sound. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  14. ↑ Jonze, Tim (12 April 2012). "Spiritualized: Sweet Heart Sweet Light". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Dombal, Ryan (16 April 2012). "Spiritualized: Sweet Heart Sweet Light". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Sword, Harry. Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light. The Quietus. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  17. ↑ "Slant review".
  18. ↑ Everhart, John (13 April 2012). "Spiritualized: Sweet Heart Sweet Light". Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  19. ↑ http://stereogum.com/1210661/stereogums-top-50-albums-of-2012/franchises/listomania/
  20. ↑ Sweet Heart, Sweet Light – Credits. Allmusic. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Sweet Heart Sweet Light – Charts & Awards. Allmusic. Retrieved 19 May 2011
  22. ↑ Spiritualized | Artist. Theofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 19 May 2012.

External links