Capacity (album)

Capacity
Studio album by
Big Thief
ReleasedJune 9, 2017 (2017-06-09)
Studio
  • Outlier Inn Recording (Woodridge, New York)
  • Figure 8 Recording (Brooklyn)
  • Lethe Lounge (New York City)
  • Black Lodge Recording (Brooklyn)[a]
Genre
Length41:40
LabelSaddle Creek
ProducerAndrew Sarlo
Big Thief chronology
Masterpiece
(2016) 		Capacity
(2017) 		U.F.O.F.
(2019)
Singles from Capacity
  1. "Mythological Beauty"
    Released: April 22, 2017 (2017-04-22)
  2. "Shark Smile"
    Released: May 8, 2017 (2017-05-08)

Capacity is the second studio album by the American band Big Thief, released through Saddle Creek Records on June 9, 2017.[5]

Background and recording

Capacity was recorded in a farmhouse that the band was house-sitting. With the owner out of town, the band was able to record uninterrupted for a month. The album was recorded on analog recording equipment.[6]

Artwork

The album's cover artwork features a photograph of vocalist Adrianne Lenker's uncle holding her as a newborn.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[8]
Metacritic81/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
The A.V. ClubB[11]
Consequence of SoundB[12]
Exclaim!9/10[13]
Mojo[14]
Pitchfork8.3/10[2]
Rolling Stone[15]
The Skinny[16]
Uncut8/10[3]
ViceB+[17]

Capacity received critical acclaim upon its release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, the album has received an average score of 81, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 15 reviews.[9]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Rank Ref
The Alternative The Alternative's Top 50 Albums of 2017 10 [18]
BrooklynVegan BrooklynVegan's Top 50 Albums of 2017 13 [19]
Flood Magazine The Best Albums of 2017 1 [20]
NPR The 50 Best Albums of 2017 3 [21]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2017 23 [22]
Rough Trade Rough Trade Albums of the Year 2017 4 [23]
The Skinny The Skinny's Top 50 Albums of 2017 12 [24]
Spin 50 Best Albums of 2017 2 [25]
Vinyl Me, Please The Best Albums of 2017 8 [26]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Adrianne Lenker, except where noted

No.TitleLength
1."Pretty Things"3:05
2."Shark Smile"4:00
3."Capacity"3:52
4."Watering" (Adrianne Lenker, Zoë Lenker)3:22
5."Coma"3:40
6."Great White Shark"3:23
7."Mythological Beauty"5:06
8."Objects"2:43
9."Haley"3:33
10."Mary"5:30
11."Black Diamonds"3:35
Total length:41:40

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[27]

Big Thief

  • Adrianne Lenker – vocals (all tracks), acoustic guitar (1, 2, 4–7, 9), electric guitar (2–8, 11), background vocals (2, 4, 6, 8, 11), choir (3), French press (3), mouth trumpet (7), claps (8), ARP synthesizer (9)
  • Buck Meek – electric guitar (2–4, 6–9, 11), choir (3), background vocals (5, 6, 8, 9), claps (8)
  • Max Oleartchik – upright bass (1, 3), bass (2, 4–9, 11), choir (3)
  • James Krivchenia – drums (2–9, 11), percussion (2–9), choir (3), Casio SK-1 (5), bells (6), howls (6), acoustic guitar (6), claps (8, 9), lap harp (8), background vocals (9), organ (10)

Additional musicians

  • Andrew Sarlo – piano (1), choir (3), mouth trumpet (7)
  • Unknown – stairs (1)
  • Zoë Lenker – background vocals (4, 7, 8)
  • Mat Davidson – background vocals (5, 6, 9), acoustic guitar (8), pump organ (8, 10), piano (10)
  • Erin Birgy – howls (6)
  • Michael Sachs – bass clarinet (10)

Technical personnel

  • Andrew Sarlo – production (all tracks), engineering (all tracks), mixing (all tracks)
  • Greg Calbi – mastering
  • Josh Druckman – engineering [basics] (8)

Artwork

  • Josh Goleman – band photo

Notes

  1. ^ Additional overdubs recorded at Black Lodge Recording in Brooklyn, New York

References

  1. ^ Breihan, Tom (June 6, 2017). "Album Of The Week: Big Thief Capacity". Stereogum. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Moreland, Quinn (June 9, 2017). "Big Thief: Capacity". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Watts, Peter (July 4, 2017). "Big Thief – Capacity". Uncut. Archived from the original on July 17, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  4. ^ Kok, Dan (July 26, 2017). "Big Thief: Capacity". PopMatters. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  5. ^ "Capacity". Saddle Creek Records. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  6. ^ Writer, Zach Schonfeld Senior (July 19, 2017). "The Strange Majesty of Big Thief". Newsweek. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  7. ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (April 30, 2019). "The Big Themes and Big Dreams of Big Thief". The Ringer (website). Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  8. ^ "Capacity by Big Thief reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  9. ^ a b "Reviews and Tracks for Capacity by Big Thief". Metacritic. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  10. ^ Donelson, Marcy. "Capacity – Big Thief". AllMusic. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  11. ^ Terry, Josh (June 9, 2017). "Big Thief offers its rawest, most personal record yet with Capacity". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  12. ^ Flynn, Katherine (June 6, 2017). "Big Thief – Capacity". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  13. ^ Lindsay, Cam (June 7, 2017). "Big Thief: Capacity". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  14. ^ "Big Thief: Capacity". Mojo (284): 96. July 2017.
  15. ^ Hermes, Will (June 21, 2017). "Review: Big Thief's 'Capacity' Is a Raw Folk-Rock Gem". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  16. ^ Ogden, Chris (June 5, 2017). "Big Thief – Capacity". The Skinny. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  17. ^ Christgau, Robert (November 4, 2017). "Robert Christgau on the Grown-Up Feelings of A. Savage and Big Thief". Vice. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  18. ^ "The Alternative's Top 50 Albums of 2017 - The Alternative". The Alternative. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  19. ^ "BrooklynVegan's Top 50 Albums of 2017". BrooklynVegan. December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  20. ^ "The Best Albums of 2017". FLOOD. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  21. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2017 (10-1)". NPR.org. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  22. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2017 | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  23. ^ "Capacity". Rough Trade. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  24. ^ "The Skinny's Top 50 Albums of 2017". Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  25. ^ "50 Best Albums of 2017". Spin. December 18, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  26. ^ "The Best Albums Of 2017". Vinyl Me Please. December 20, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  27. ^ Capacity (liner notes). Big Thief. Saddle Creek. 2017. LBJ-255.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)