Crimson/Red is the tenth studio album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, although for this album "Prefab Sprout" consists entirely of singer/songwriter Paddy McAloon, who writes, sings and plays every note on the album. Crimson/Red was released in the United Kingdom by Icebreaker Records and Kitchenware Records on 7 October 2013.[1] The album title is a reference to artist Mark Rothko.[2]
| Crimson/Red | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 7 October 2013 | |||
| Recorded | Autumn 2012 | |||
| Studio | Andromeda Heights Studio | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | ||||
| Prefab Sprout chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception edit
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.5/10[3] |
| Metacritic | 81/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| The Guardian | [6] |
| The Independent | [7] |
| The Irish Times | [8] |
| Mojo | [9] |
| The Observer | [10] |
| Q | [11] |
| Record Collector | [12] |
| The Times | [13] |
| Uncut | 8/10[14] |
In Mojo magazine, critic Danny Eccleston called Crimson/Red "the welcome return of Durham's song-craftsman supreme".[9] The Observer's Phil Mongredien praised the album as "charming, articulate and urbane" (a lyric from "Devil Came a Calling").[10] Four-star ratings appeared in both The Independent and The Times, with the former describing Crimson/Red as a "lovely album from a true one-off".[7]
David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "The music throughout is just as beautiful and bold as the lyrics", with "immaculate production and an overall classic album flow".[5]
Commercial reception edit
Crimson/Red was a chart success for Prefab Sprout. The album debuted at No. 15 in the UK Albums Chart, giving the band their highest-charting record since Andromeda Heights in 1997.
Crimson/Red debuted at No. 10 in Sweden and No. 21 in Norway, giving the band their second-highest chart positions ever in both countries. In its second week on the Norwegian charts, "Crimson/Red" climbed to No. 7, an all-time high for the band in Norway.
In Ireland, the album debuted at No. 40 (and No. 9 on the indie chart). In Germany, the album debuted at No. 42, making it Prefab Sprout's highest-charting album there.
Crimson/Red also charted in the Flanders region of Belgium (No. 83) and in Switzerland (No. 92).
Track listing edit
All songs written by Paddy McAloon.
- "The Best Jewel Thief in the World"
- "List of Impossible Things"
- "Adolescence"
- "Grief Built the Taj Mahal"
- "Devil Came a Calling"
- "Billy"
- "The Dreamer"
- "The Songs of Danny Galway"
- "The Old Magician"
- "Mysterious"
References edit
- ^ "Prefab Sprout | Crimson/Red". Prefabsproutalbum.com. 7 October 2013. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ According to an interview with Paddy McAloon on BBC Radio 6 Music on 8 October 2013
- ^ "Crimson/Red by Prefab Sprout reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ "Reviews for Crimson/Red by Prefab Sprout". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ a b Jeffries, David. "Crimson/Red – Prefab Sprout". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
- ^ Sullivan, Caroline (3 October 2013). "Prefab Sprout: Crimson/Red – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ a b Richman, Simmy (6 October 2013). "Album review: Prefab Sprout, Crimson/Red (Icebreaker Records)". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ Clayton-Lea, Tony (4 October 2013). "Prefab Sprout: Crimson/Red". The Irish Times. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ a b Eccleston, Danny (7 October 2013). "Prefab Sprout – Crimson Red". Mojo. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ a b Mongredien, Phil (6 October 2013). "Prefab Sprout: Crimson/Red – review". The Observer. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ "Prefab Sprout: Crimson/Red". Q (328): 114. November 2013.
- ^ Staunton, Terry (November 2013). "Prefab Sprout – Crimson/Red". Record Collector (420). Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ Hodgkinson, Will (5 October 2013). "Prefab Sprout: Crimson/Red". The Times. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ Mulholland, Garry (31 October 2013). "Prefab Sprout – Crimson/Red". Uncut. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.