Run (Awolnation album)

Run
Album cover for digital versions of Run.
Studio album by Awolnation
Released	March 17, 2015 (2015-03-17)
Genre	Alternative rock electronic rock[1] pop rock alternative dance soul
Length	55:20
Label	Red Bull
Producer	Aaron Bruno
Awolnation chronology
Megalithic Symphony (2011) Run (2015)
Singles from 'Run'
"Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)" Released: January 26, 2015 "I Am" Released: July 7, 2015 "Woman Woman" Released: December 9, 2015

Run is the second studio album by American electronic rock band Awolnation, released on March 17, 2015 through Red Bull Records. The album was announced on January 25, 2015 along with a music video of their new song "Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)".

Background

In an interview with MTV News on May 11, 2012, Aaron Bruno commented on the follow-up to Megalithic Symphony, "I think the next record will be a little more raw, and a little more aggro, and a little stranger, but still have the nursery-rhyme feel of melody, because that's the only way I know how to write. [...] I've always been the underdog my whole life, and the guys in my band, we all came up in the same situation, so this success is totally new and foreign for us, so I want to maintain the hunger of being the underdog and never feel complacent with the success and always want to reach more ears. Not necessarily to make money, but because I feel the music's important." Red Bull Records announced that a new album would be released in 2014 but this did not eventuate. A new song entitled "KOOKSEVERYWHERE!!!" was played at the Rock am Ring festival. Aaron worked on new material from mid-2013 until the end of 2014. After months of touring, Aaron announced in an interview at Voodoo Music Experience 2014 that the new album would be released mid-March 2015. After various weeks of teasing new material on the official Facebook page of the band, they officially released the first single from Run, "Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)". The album is also the first to feature Isaac Carpenter on drums, replacing former drummer, Hayden Scott.

Promotion

The band began teasing new material being released on their official Facebook page. This included cards with segments of new lyrics, and a day countdown until the release of "Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)". On January 26, the band officially released the single, with a video on Red Bull Records' YouTube page. It also impacted American alternative music radio stations that same day. The first promotional single, "Windows", was released on March 3. The title track, "Run", was subsequently released as the second promotional single on March 5. The second single, "I Am", was originally released as a lyric video on May 17. 2 months later, the official music video was released, and on July 7, it was released as a full-fledged single. On December 9, "Woman Woman" was also released as a single.^[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	(68/100)[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Alternative Press	[5]
Billboard	[6]
Exclaim!	4/10[7]
Kerrang!	[5]
The New Zealand Herald	[8]
Q	[5]
Rolling Stone	[1]

Run has received generally positive, but often polarizing, reviews. It currently holds on Metacritic a 68 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Calum Slingerland of Exclaim! wrote that Bruno's incredibly varied writing style made the listen "exhausting", concluding that "his mad dash in a myriad of different musical directions isn't well-suited to an hour-long record." However, other critics, such as April Siese of Glide Magazine describes the album as "approaching the listener like a particularly rewarding but difficult novel."^[9]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Aaron Bruno, except where noted^[10]. 

Personnel

Awolnation

• Aaron Bruno – vocals, synthesizer, drums, percussion, keyboards, guitar, bass guitar, piano
• Kenny Carkeet – keyboards, rhythm guitar
• Drew Stewart – lead guitar
• Isaac Carpenter – drums
• Marc Walloch – bass

References