Is 4 Lovers is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock duo Death from Above 1979. The album was released on March 26, 2021, through Universal Music Canada.[10]
| Is 4 Lovers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 26, 2021 | |||
| Genre | Dance-punk | |||
| Length | 31:02 | |||
| Label | Everything Eleven, Inc., Universal Music Canada, Spinefarm Records | |||
| Producer | Death From Above 1979 | |||
| Death from Above 1979 chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Is 4 Lovers | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 71/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Clash Magazine |   [3] |
| Exclaim! | [4] |
| The Independent | [5] |
| Kerrang! | [6] |
| musicOMH | [7] |
| NME | [8] |
| Paste | 6.7/10[9] |
The album was preceded by the single, "One + One", which was released on February 3, 2021.[11]
Reception edit
Is 4 Lovers has received generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the release received an average score of 71, based on 11 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The album received four-star reviews from both Allmusic and NME. Writing for the former, Matt Collar praised the album for its "sonically vibrant production" that "feels bigger and more robust than you might expect." Meanwhile, writing for the latter, Andrew Trendell described Is 4 Lovers as "their best album since their debut, adding that "Death From Above still pack a punch, but the bruise is a lot more colourful this time." Exclaim!'s Ashley Hampson gave the album an eight out of 10, in particular praising the song "One + One" for "showcasing how much they've grown since their early days."
More mixed reviews came from The Independent and Kerrang!, who each gave the album three stars. The former's Roisin O'Connor said that while "much of their self-produced album... is great," it was also "a little deflating for a band whose history is based on boundary-pushing." The latter's Mark Sutherland, meanwhile, was critical of the band's attempt to change their sound in the latter half of the record. "It's a good idea to mix things up," he wrote, "but the move also renders them less visceral and dilutes their identity."
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Modern Guy" | 3:30 |
| 2. | "One + One" | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Free Animal" | 2:50 |
| 4. | "N.Y.C. Power Elite Part I" | 2:50 |
| 5. | "N.Y.C. Power Elite Part II" | 1:30 |
| 6. | "Totally Wiped Out" | 2:32 |
| 7. | "Glass Homes" | 3:44 |
| 8. | "Love Letter" | 4:17 |
| 9. | "Mean Streets" | 2:26 |
| 10. | "No War" | 3:37 |
| Total length: | 31:02 | |
Personnel edit
- Jesse F. Keeler – bass guitar, synthesizer, piano, keyboards, programming, backing vocals, production
- Sebastien Grainger – vocals, drums, percussion, programming, production
Charts edit
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] | 63 |
References edit
- ^ "Is 4 Lovers by Death from Above 1979 Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ Collar, Matt. "Is 4 Lovers - Death from Above | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Gray, Josh (March 25, 2021). "Death From Above - Is 4 Lovers". Clash Magazine. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Hampson, Ashley (March 23, 2021). "Death from Above 1979 Have Settled into Their Lives and Sound on 'Is 4 Lovers'". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Roisin, O'Connor (March 26, 2021). "Album reviews: Ben Howard, serpentwithfeet and For Those I Love". The Independent. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Sutherland, Mark (March 23, 2021). "Album review: Death From Above 1979 – Is 4 Lovers". Kerrang!. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Horton, Ross (March 28, 2021). "Death From Above 1979 - Is 4 Lovers". musicOMH. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Trendell, Andrew (March 24, 2021). "Death From Above 1979 – 'Is 4 Lovers' review: their best album since their debut". NME. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ Reyes-Kulkarni, Saby (March 26, 2021). "Death From Above 1979 Abandon Outrage Without Losing Their Fire on Is 4 Lovers". Paste. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
- ^ "Death From Above 1979 announce new album 'Is 4 Lovers'". DIY. February 4, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ Trendell, Andrew (February 3, 2021). "Death From Above 1979 return with dance-y single 'One + One' and tell us about 'playful' new album 'Is 4 Lovers'". NME. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Death from Above 1979 – Is 4 Lovers" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 7, 2021.