Before Today (album)

Before Today
Studio album by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Released June 8, 2010
Recorded 2009–2010
Studio
  • House of Blues Studios (Encino, CA)
  • various band members' home studios[1]
Genre Psychedelic pop, indie rock
Length 44:48
Label 4AD
Producer
  • Sunny Levine
  • Rik Pekkonen
  • Michael Wagener
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti chronology
Odditties Sodomies Vol. 1
(2008)Odditties Sodomies Vol. 12008		 Before Today
(2010)		 Mature Themes
(2012)Mature Themes2012

Before Today is an album by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, released on June 8, 2010, by 4AD.[2][3] The album's lead single "Round and Round" was ranked by Pitchfork as the best track of 2010.[4] Pitchfork also placed the album at number 9 on its list of "The Top 50 Albums of 2010".[5]

Composition

The album's opening track, "Hot Body Rub" previously appeared (in an alternative version) on an EP Ariel Pink with Added Pizzazz, which was a collaboration between Vas Deferens Organization (as producers) and Ariel Pink who are friends to each other. VDO provided production for this track, as well as thanks to one of its members, Eric Lumbleau, Pink made friends with Gonzales family who appeared on it.[6]

The album contains several homages to vintage rock and roll songs, such as "Bright Lit Blue Skies" which was originally recorded by the Rockin' Ramrods in 1966, and "Beverly Kills," which draws heavily on Ago's 1982 track "For You." "Reminiscences" is an instrumental cover of an Ethiopian pop song, "I Remember a Man" by Yeshimebet Dubale.

Critical reception and legacy

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic85/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
The A.V. ClubB[9]
The Guardian[10]
The Irish Times[11]
Mojo[12]
NME8/10[13]
Pitchfork Media9.0/10[14]
Q[15]
Spin7/10[16]
Uncut[17]

Exclaim! named "Before Today" the No. 15 Pop & Rock Album of 2010.[18] Exclaim! writer Dimitri Nasrallah said that "Before Today is a hard-earned victory lap for Pink, not only the most triumphantly realized album of his left-of-centre catalogue, but a much-needed second wind for an artist who very nearly finished off the decade as another minor curiosity in outsider-pop's long lineage."

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Hot Body Rub"2:26
2."Bright Lit Blue Skies"2:25
3."L'estat (Acc. to the Widow's Maid)"4:26
4."Fright Night (Nevermore)"3:35
5."Round and Round"5:08
6."Beverly Kills"3:56
7."Butt-House Blondies"3:27
8."Little Wig"5:46
9."Can't Hear My Eyes"3:19
10."Reminiscences"2:34
11."Menopause Man"4:00
12."Revolution's a Lie"3:49
Total length:44:48

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ Archived April 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today (new album / MP3)". PopMatters. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  3. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (2010-04-06). "Ariel Pink Announces New Album | News". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  4. ↑ "Staff Lists: The Top 100 Tracks of 2010 | Features". Pitchfork. 2010-12-13. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
  5. ↑ "Staff Lists: The Top 50 Albums of 2010 | Features". Pitchfork. 2010-12-16. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  6. ↑ Niklas Records, Jakub Krawczynski (2011, August). "Vas Deferens Organization and Brad Laner: Transcontinental Conspiracy presskit". Retrieved 09 September 2012.
  7. ↑ "Reviews for Before Today by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". Metacritic. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  8. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Before Today – Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". AllMusic. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  9. ↑ Murray, Noel (June 8, 2010). "Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  10. ↑ Cragg, Michael (June 3, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". The Guardian. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  11. ↑ Carroll, Jim (June 11, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti". The Irish Times. Retrieved September 1, 2011. (Subscription required (help)).
  12. ↑ "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Mojo (200): 93. July 2010.
  13. ↑ Malone, Ailbhe (June 7, 2010). "Album review: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – 'Before Today' (4AD)". NME. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  14. ↑ Richardson, Mark (June 7, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Q (288): 136. July 2010.
  16. ↑ Beta, Andy (June 8, 2010). "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, 'Before Today' (4AD)". Spin. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: Before Today". Uncut (158): 105. July 2010.
  18. ↑ "Pop & Rock Year in Review". Exclaim!.
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