Songs for Pierre Chuvin

Songs for Pierre Chuvin is the eighteenth studio album by the Mountain Goats, released on April 10, 2020.[1] It is the first album since 2002's All Hail West Texas to feature only the band's frontman, John Darnielle, as well as the first since then to be recorded entirely on a boombox.[2][3][4][5] The album was first released on cassette and digital, with CD and vinyl releases following in 2021.[6]

Songs for Pierre Chuvin
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 10, 2020
RecordedMarch 2020
GenreLo-fi
Length27:17
LabelMerge Records
ProducerJohn Darnielle
The Mountain Goats chronology
In League with Dragons
(2019)
Songs for Pierre Chuvin
(2020)
Getting into Knives
(2020)

Songs for Pierre Chuvin was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to help the band and some of their crew make ends meet in lieu of a postponed tour in the United States.[2] Inspiration for the songs, as well as the album's title, largely came from French historian Pierre Chuvin's book A Chronicle of the Last Pagans.[1][3][4][5] Darnielle recorded the tracks over a 10-day period in March 2020, releasing the songs "Exegetic Chains", "Until Olympius Returns", and "For the Snakes" on the band's YouTube channel prior to the full release.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Pitchfork8.1/10[7]
Exclaim!8/10[8]
Tom HullB+ (  )[9]

The online magazine Pitchfork rated Songs for Pierre Chuvin 8.1 out of 10, calling the album "a brief but thoughtful collection marked by old-school production".[7]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by John Darnielle

Songs for Pierre Chuvin track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Aulon Raid"2:13
2."Until Olympius Returns"2:12
3."Last Gasp at Calama"1:58
4."For the Snakes"2:09
5."The Wooded Hills Along the Black Sea"2:57
6."January 31, 438"2:22
7."Hopeful Assassins of Zeno"3:15
8."Their Gods Do Not Have Surgeons"3:34
9."Going to Lebanon 2"2:26
10."Exegetic Chains"4:11
Total length:27:17

Charts

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Chart performance for Songs for Pierre Chuvin
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[10] 86
Scottish Albums (OCC)[11] 13
US Billboard 200[12] 152
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[13] 7
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[14] 4
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[15] 19
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[16] 23

References

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  1. ^ a b "Songs for Pierre Chuvin - Bandcamp". Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b Currin, Grayson (10 April 2020). "John Darnielle Goes Back To The Boombox". NPR. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b Graves, Wren (10 April 2020). "The Mountain Goats Reveal New Album Songs for Pierre Chuvin: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  4. ^ a b Strauss, Matthew (10 April 2020). "The Mountain Goats Release New Album Songs for Pierre Chuvin: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  5. ^ a b "The Mountain Goats Release New Album Songs for Pierre Chuvin". Spin. 10 April 2020. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  6. ^ Gallagher, Alex (12 April 2020). "The Mountain Goats release surprise lo-fi album 'Songs For Pierre Chuvin'". NME. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b Sodomsky, Sam. "The Mountain Goats: Songs for Pierre Chuvin Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  8. ^ Mortin, Max (20 April 2020). "The Mountain Goats Use Lo-Fi Sounds for Transcendent Results on 'Songs for Pierre Chuvin'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  9. ^ Hull, Tom (April 28, 2020). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  10. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 20 April 2020". No. 1572. Australian Recording Industry Association. April 20, 2020. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  11. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  12. ^ "Billboard 200: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  13. ^ "Alternative Albums: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  14. ^ "Americana/Folk Albums: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  15. ^ "Independent Albums: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  16. ^ "Top Rock Albums: April 25, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
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