Nil by Mouth is the seventh studio album by English band Blancmange, released in 2015. The album is made up of instrumental tracks, including a 2005 re-recording of "Holiday Camp", a Blancmange track from the 1980 EP Irene & Mavis.[1]
| Nil by Mouth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 25 September 2015[1] | |||
| Length | 45:23 | |||
| Label | Blanc Check Records | |||
| Producer | Neil Arthur | |||
| Blancmange chronology | ||||
| ||||
Nil by Mouth was originally made available at Blancmange's two concerts at the Red Gallery, London, on 15 and 16 May.[2] The album was later given a full release digitally and on CD in September.[1]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Arts Desk |   [3] |
| MusicOMH |  [4] |
| Record Collector | [5] |
Upon release, Andy Jex of MusicOMH wrote: "Nil by Mouth is a reminder of where Blancmange originally came from; very much born of the DIY improvisation of the kitchen sink recording that typified their earlier years. This is stripped-down, bare bones Blancmange with music evoking films never written, scenes never soundtracked and popcorn never eaten."[4] Caspar Gomez of The Arts Desk stated: "The results are more entertaining and gripping than Blancmange's last "proper" album. It's not essential fare, but it does put a smile on the face."[3] Mark Elliott of Record Collector concluded: "Nil by Mouth offers no suggestion that Blancmange will be heading out on the revival circuit anytime soon."[5]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Neil Arthur, except "Holiday Camp (2005)" written by Arthur and Stephen Luscombe
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Eleanor" | 3:33 |
| 2. | "Fall" | 5:58 |
| 3. | "R and P" | 3:11 |
| 4. | "Cistern" | 3:24 |
| 5. | "Gone" | 3:17 |
| 6. | "Crystals of Zircon" | 4:01 |
| 7. | "The Son" | 4:06 |
| 8. | "Matters of Life" | 2:03 |
| 9. | "Holiday Camp (2005)" | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Landsea" | 2:53 |
| 11. | "So Long Ago" | 5:56 |
| 12. | "Close Encounters" | 3:39 |
Personnel edit
- Neil Arthur - instrumentation, mixing, recording
- Stephen Luscombe - instrumentation (track 9)
- Dallas Simpson - mastering
- Other
- Adam Yeldham - artwork
- Helen Kincaid - painting
- Steve Malins - management
References edit
- ^ a b c "Nil By Mouth". Blancmange. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ "News | LISTEN: Blancmange - Eleanor". The Quietus. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ a b "CD: Blancmange - Nil By Mouth". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Blancmange – Nil By Mouth | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Nil By Mouth - Record Collector Magazine". Recordcollectormag.com. Retrieved 24 October 2018.