Warp & Weft is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Laura Veirs. Released on August 19, 2013 in the United States, and August 24, 2013 in Europe, the album was written by Veirs herself and produced by her husband Tucker Martine.

Warp & Weft
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 20, 2013 (2013-08-20)
Recorded2012–2013
GenreFolk
Length42:31
LabelRaven Marching Band
ProducerTucker Martine
Laura Veirs chronology
Tumble Bee
(2011)
Warp & Weft
(2013)
case/lang/veirs
(2016)
Singles from Warp & Weft
  1. "Sun Song"
    Released: August 6, 2013[1]
  2. "America"
    Released: August 6, 2013[2]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Consequence of Sound[5]
The Independent[6]
The Line of Best Fit[7]
musicOMH[7]
PopMatters[7]
Slant Magazine[7]

Recorded under Raven Marching Band Records in the US, and under Bella Union in Europe, ‘’Warp & Weft’’ is one of Veirs’ greatest commercial successes. It debuted at number 10 on the US Folk Albums chart and number 59 on the UK Albums Chart.

Background and composition edit

On February 2, 2013, Laura Veirs announced on her official Facebook page that she was working her next full-length record in her husband Tucker Martine's studio, and also specified she would work with "new and old friends". Several hours before, she had announced her pregnancy, saying the child would be born in April.

Teaming up with American singer-songwriter Neko Case for the first time, and with some members of The Decemberists, Veirs recorded the album in a basement studio, as she was still pregnant with her second child. Her pregnancy is a very important theme in the album. Even though she does not directly deal with pregnancy in her songs, Veirs explained: "I'm haunted by the idea that something terrible could happen to my kids, but that fear pushes me to embrace the moment. This record is an exploration of extremes - deep, dark suffering and intense, compassionate love."[8]

Singles edit

Two weeks before the album release, "Sun Song", the opening track, was released on August 8, 2013. The song features Neko Case on backing vocals. Directed by Alexandra Spalding, the "Sun Song" video is an Instagram-type tribute to the sun, with a diorama of sunny scenes in the countryside, and some pictures of Veirs playing guitar. The same week, "America" was also announced as a single.

Track listing edit

Warp & Weft track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Sun Song"4:12
2."America"4:13
3."Finster Saw the Angels"3:00
4."Dorothy of the Island"5:31
5."Shape Shifter"3:06
6."Ghosts of Louisville"0:29
7."Say Darlin' Say"3:48
8."That Alice"3:26
9."Ikaria"1:29
10."Sadako Folding Cranes"3:54
11."Ten Bridges"3:53
12."White Cherry"5:30
Total length:42:31

Charts edit

Chart performance of Warp & Weft
Chart (2013) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 59
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[10] 10
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[11] 13
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[12] 22

References edit

  1. ^ "Sun Song - Single". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  2. ^ "America - Single". itunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  3. ^ "Warp & Weft Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  4. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Warp & Weft - Laura Veirs". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-08-25.
  5. ^ Hardy, Tony (Aug 27, 2013). "Album Review: Laura Veirs - Warp & Weft". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved Aug 27, 2013.
  6. ^ Hardy, Tony (Aug 16, 2013). "Album Review: Laura Veirs - Warp & Weft". The Independent. Retrieved Aug 27, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d Hardy, Tony (Aug 16, 2013). "Album Review: Laura Veirs - Warp & Weft". Metacritic. Retrieved Aug 27, 2013.
  8. ^ "Laura Veirs » Biography". lauraveirs.com. Archived from the original on 2009-09-25.
  9. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  10. ^ "Laura Veirs Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  11. ^ "Laura Veirs Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  12. ^ "Laura Veirs Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2020.