Ignorance (The Weather Station album)

Ignorance
Studio album by
The Weather Station
ReleasedFebruary 5, 2021 (2021-02-05)
Recorded2019
StudioCanterbury (Toronto)
GenreIndie rock, baroque pop, folk-pop[1]
Length40:42
Label
Producer
The Weather Station chronology
The Weather Station
(2017) 		Ignorance
(2021) 		How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars
(2022)
Singles from Ignorance
  1. "Robber"
    Released: October 14, 2020
  2. "Tried to Tell You"
    Released: November 18, 2020

Ignorance is the fifth studio album by Canadian band the Weather Station. It was released worldwide on February 5, 2021 through Fat Possum Records in the United States, and a small part (digital or vinyl only) through Next Door Records in Canada.[2][3] The album's lead single "Robber" was released on October 14, 2020.[4]

The album's ten tracks were recorded with two percussionists, a saxophonist and a flutist, plus bass, keys, and guitar. Songwriter Tamara Lindeman wrote and produced all the songs. The album's theme is based on Lindeman's contemplation of the global climate crisis.[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.6/10[5]
Metacritic89/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Financial Times[8]
Mojo[9]
NME[1]
The Observer[10]
Pitchfork9.0/10[11]
Record Collector[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
The Times[14]
Uncut9/10[15]

Ignorance was widely acclaimed by music critics.[6] Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times called it a "piercing new album" and applauded Lindeman's lyrics about climate change.[16]

The album was shortlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize.[17]

Accolades

Ignorance on year-end lists
Publication List Rank Ref.
CBC Music The 21 best Canadian albums of 2021
10
[18]
Exclaim! Best Albums of 2021
2
[19]
The Guardian The 50 Best Albums of 2021
4
[20]
The New York Times Best Albums of 2021
4
[21]
The New Yorker The Best Music of 2021
1
[22]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of 2021
3
[23]
Pitchfork The 50 Best Albums of 2021
7
[24]
Rolling Stone The 50 Best Albums of 2021
27
[25]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2021
8
[26]
Uncut Uncut's Top 75 Albums of 2021
1
[27]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tamara Lindeman

No.TitleLength
1."Robber"5:20
2."Atlantic"3:53
3."Tried to Tell You"3:38
4."Parking Lot"4:06
5."Loss"3:36
6."Separated"3:24
7."Wear"3:18
8."Trust"5:00
9."Heart"3:47
10."Subdivisions"4:40
Total length:40:42

Personnel

Credits adapted from Bandcamp:[28]

Musicians

  • Tamara Lindeman – vocals, piano, guitar, Moog, Pianet, Wurlitzer, string arrangements (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7)
  • Kieran Adams – drums, percussion
  • Christine Bougie – guitar
  • Ryan Driver – flute
  • Drew Jurecka – violin, clarinet, bass clarinet
  • Ian Kehoe – percussion
  • Shannon Knights – viola
  • Philippe Melanson – percussion
  • Lydia Munchinsky – cello
  • Owen Pallett – string arrangements (tracks 7, 8)
  • Marcus Paquin – percussion
  • Mike Smith – music notation
  • Johnny Spence – piano, organ, Wurlitzer, Moog, Juno
  • Brodie West – saxophone
  • Ben Whiteley – bass, guitar
  • Felicity Williams – harmony vocals (tracks 3, 9)
  • Rebekah Wolkstein – violin

Engineers

  • Tamara Lindeman – production, overdubbing
  • Marcus Paquin – production, overdubbing, mixing
  • Jeremy Darby – engineering
  • Julian Decorte – engineering
  • Joao Carvalho – final mastering

Design

  • Hugo Bernier – design
  • Jeff Bierk – photography

Charts

Chart performance for Ignorance
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 136
Scottish Albums (OCC)[30] 22
UK Albums (OCC)[31] 61
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[32] 5

References

  1. ^ a b Cooper, Leonie (February 4, 2021). "The Weather Station – 'Ignorance' review: moody folk-pop with an ABBA disco sheen". NME. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  2. ^ "Ignorance by The Weather Station". Apple Music. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "On 'Ignorance,' The Weather Station Compels You To Care". text.npr.org. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  4. ^ "Robber – Single by The Weather Station". Apple Music. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "Ignorance by The Weather Station reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Ignorance by The Weather Station Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  7. ^ Phares, Heather. "Ignorance – The Weather Station". AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (February 12, 2021). "The Weather Station expand on ecological themes in Ignorance". Financial Times. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  9. ^ Mulvey, John (March 2021). "Forty-six degrees of separation". Mojo. No. 328. p. 80.
  10. ^ Empire, Kitty (February 6, 2021). "The Weather Station: Ignorance review – a heartbroken masterpiece". The Observer. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  11. ^ Sodomsky, Sam (February 5, 2021). "The Weather Station: Ignorance". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  12. ^ Goldsmith, Mike (January 2021). "Ignorance | The Weather Station". Record Collector. No. 514. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  13. ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (February 5, 2021). "The Weather Station Hears the World Fade Away on 'Ignorance'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  14. ^ Hodgkinson, Will (February 11, 2021). "The best new music: Django Django and the Weather Station". The Times. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  15. ^ Williams, Richard (March 2021). "The Weather Station: Ignorance". Uncut. No. 286. p. 36.
  16. ^ Zoladz, Lindsay (January 25, 2021). "Climate Change Is Worsening. So the Weather Station Is Singing About It". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  17. ^ David Friend, "Dominique Fils-Aimé, Mustafa, and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson are among the 10 artists shortlisted for this year's Polaris Music Prize". Toronto Star, July 15, 2021.
  18. ^ "The 21 best Canadian albums of 2021". CBC Music. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  19. ^ "Best Albums of 2021". Exclaim. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  20. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Snapes, Laura (17 December 2021). "The 50 best albums of 2021". theguardian.com. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Best Albums of 2021". The New York Times. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  22. ^ "The Best Music of 2021". The New Yorker. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  23. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  24. ^ Cush, Andy (7 December 2021). "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  25. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Rolling Stone. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  26. ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2021". Stereogum. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  27. ^ "Uncut's Top 75 Albums of 2021". Uncut. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  28. ^ "Ignorance". The Weather Station. Retrieved February 2, 2021 – via Bandcamp.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Weather Station – Ignorance" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  30. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  31. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  32. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 1, 2021.