Isles (album)
| Isles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
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| Studio album by Wild Belle | ||||
| Released | 12 March 2013 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:57 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer |
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| Wild Belle chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Consequence of Sound |    [1] |
Isles is the debut studio album by the American brother/sister duo Wild Belle. It was released on March 12, 2013, by Columbia Records. The album encompasses many genres, and its title refers to the band's goal of making each song its own "isle" with a distinct musical style.[2]
Contents
Style and instrumentation
The album has a relaxed feeling, with rhythmic yet varied beats and a unique blend of reggae, pop, and electronica.[3] Lead vocalist Natalie Bergman sings in a laid-back, breezy voice.[3] She is accompanied primarily by keyboard, drums, and electric guitar. Fellow band member Elliot Bergman sings lead vocals on "When It's Over."
Critical reception
Upon release, Isles received favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews by mainstream critics, Isles received an average score of 63, based on 16 reviews.[4] Greg Kot of The Chicago Tribune called the album "deceptively breezy", while praising Natalie Bergman's vocals and questioning Elliot's.[5] Consequence of Sound's Adam Kivel gave the album a C+, saying that the album was not made to meet any expectations, while also praising Natalie's vocals and comparing the album's material to the works of Beach House, Amy Winehouse, and Diana Ross.[6]
Hazel Sheffield of NME, however, was less positive by rating it 3/10. She described the album as "exotic" while also highlighting songs such as "Twisted", in which she contrasted Natalie's vocals to "a greyscale Lily Allen".[7] MusicOMH was also negative with its review of Isles, rating it only two and a half stars while describing the album's material as "mundane" and "turgid".[8]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Elliot Bergman and Natalie Bergman except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Keep You" | 3:30 |
| 2. | "It's Too Late" (E. Bergman, N. Bergman, J.Mittoo) | 3:13 |
| 3. | "Shine" | 4:41 |
| 4. | "Twisted" | 3:05 |
| 5. | "Backslider" | 3:23 |
| 6. | "Happy Home" | 3:45 |
| 7. | "Another Girl" | 3:52 |
| 8. | "Love Like This" | 3:58 |
| 9. | "When It's Over" | 3:33 |
| 10. | "June" | 4:03 |
| 11. | "Take Me Away" | 2:54 |
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Total length:
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39:57 | |
Personnel
Credits for Isles adapted from AllMusic.[9]
- Elliot Bergman – Producer
- Bill Skibbe - Engineer, Mixer, Producer
- Jackie Mittoo - Composer
- Greg Calbi – Mastering
- Jessica Ruffine - Engineer, Mixing
Charts
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[10] | 113 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[11] | 20 |
| US Top Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[12] | 1 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[13] | 31 |
References
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- ↑ "Wild Belle – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Wild Belle.
- ↑ "Wild Belle – Chart history" Billboard Top Alternative Albums for Wild Belle.
- ↑ "Wild Belle – Chart history" Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums for Wild Belle.
- ↑ "Wild Belle – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Wild Belle.
