The Man Who Died in His Boat
| The Man Who Died in His Boat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Grouper | ||||
| Released | February 4, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2007-2008 | |||
| Genre | Ambient, psychedelic folk, dream pop | |||
| Length | 47:07 | |||
| Label | Kranky | |||
| Producer | Liz Harris | |||
| Grouper chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Man Who Died in His Boat is the ninth studio album from ambient musician Grouper, released February 4, 2013 on Kranky. A photograph of Harris' mother is featured on the cover art.[1]
The album consists of outtakes from the previous several years, when she was in the process of recording Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill.[2]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (81/100)[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Pitchfork Media | (8.3/10)[5] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes |  [6] |
| NME | (7/10)[7] |
| Drowned In Sound | (9/10)[8] |
| Consequence of Sound | (B)[9] |
| PopMatters | (7/10)[10] |
| No Ripcord | (8/10)[11] |
| The Austin Chronicle | [12] |
| FACT | [13] |
The aggregate review site Metacritic assigned an average score of 81 to the album based on 17 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim."
The song, "Vital" was chosen as a Best New Track on Pitchfork Media on December 20, 2012,[14] and also was placed at #88 on Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks of 2013.[15]
Recording
In a press release, Harris explained the title The Man Who Died in His Boat:
| “ | When I was a teenager the wreckage of a sailboat washed up on the shore of Agate Beach. The remains of the vessel weren't removed for several days. I walked down with my father to peer inside the boat cabin. Maps, coffee cups and clothing were strewn around inside. I remember looking only briefly, wilted by the feeling that I was violating some remnant of this man's presence by witnessing the evidence of its failure. Later I read a story about him in the paper. It was impossible to know what had happened.[16] | ” |
Speaking of the main protagonist implied in the title of the album, Drowned In Sound collumnist Tim Peyton said:
| “ | The titular ...Man was a sailor whose boat was wrecked on the shore of Harris's hometown when she was a teenager. The mysterious pathos of this incident suits Grouper well. As Harris explains, 'the boat never crashed or capsized....(it) just slipped off somehow. And the boat, like a riderless horse, eventually came back home.' This haunting return of an unmanned vessel is spooky in a similar way to Harris's ethereal, multi tracked vocals.[17] | ” |
Track listing
All songs written and performed by Liz Harris.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "6" | 1:49 |
| 2. | "Vital" | 4:14 |
| 3. | "Cloud in Places" | 4:05 |
| 4. | "Being Her Shadow" | 4:45 |
| 5. | "Cover the Long Way" | 4:06 |
| 6. | "Difference (Voices)" | 5:48 |
| 7. | "Vanishing Point" | 3:32 |
| 8. | "The Man Who Died in His Boat" | 5:01 |
| 9. | "Towers" | 5:19 |
| 10. | "STS" | 6:06 |
| 11. | "Living Room" | 2:22 |
| Total length: | 47:07 | |
References
- ↑ Peyton, Tim (2013-02-01). "Album Review: Grouper - The Man Who Died in his Boat". Drowned In Sound. Retrieved 2014-09-09.
- ↑ Richardson, Mark. "Grouper: The Man Who Died In His Boat". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ↑ "Grouper - The Man Who Died in His Boat". Metacritic.
- ↑ Phares, Heather. "Grouper - The Man Who Died in His Boat". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ↑ "Grouper - The Man Who Died in His Boat Pitchfork Review". Pitchfork Media.
- ↑ "Grouper - The Man Who Died in His Boat Tiny Mix Tapes Review".
- ↑ "Grouper - The Man Who Died in His Boat NME Review".
- ↑ "Grouper - The Man Who Died in His Boat Drowned in Sound Review". Drowned In Sound.
- ↑ Kivel, Adam. "Grouper – The Man Who Died In His Boat". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ↑ Smith, Robin. "Grouper: The Man Who Died in His Boat". PopMatters. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ↑ Wragg, Stephen. "Grouper: The Man Who Died in His Boat". No Ripcord. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ↑ Winkie, Luke. "Review: Grouper - The Man Who Died in His Boat". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ↑ Finlayson, Angus. "The Man Who Died in his Boat". FACT. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ↑ "Grouper - Vital BNT on Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com.
- ↑ "Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks of 2013". pitchfork.com.
- ↑ Minsker, Evan. "New Grouper Album Coming, Plus Reissue of Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ↑ Peyton, Tim. "Grouper - The Man Who Died In His Boat". Drowned In Sound. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
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