Gentle Confrontation
| Gentle Confrontation | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 22 September 2023 | |||
| Genre | Electronic[1] | |||
| Length | 56:38 | |||
| Label | Hyperdub | |||
| Producer | Loraine James | |||
| Loraine James chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Gentle Confrontation | ||||
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Gentle Confrontation is the fifth album by London-based electronic musician Loraine James, released on 22 September 2023 through Hyperdub. It was produced by James and received acclaim from critics.
Background
On 23 May 2023, Loraine James announced the release of her fifth studio album, along with the release of the first single "2003".[2]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10[3] |
| Metacritic | 84/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Mojo |   [5] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[1] |
| The Skinny | [6] |
| Uncut | 8/10[7] |
Gentle Confrontation received a score of 84 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[4] Uncut called the album "a varied, disjointed, entirely unpredictable yet utterly singular record",[7] and Mojo felt that "it's the emotional, cathartic journey of the chief protagonist that captivates the most".[5] Pitchfork's Christine Kakaire wrote that James "uses chaotic arrangements and glitchy drums to express knotty, difficult-to-name emotions" on the album, which "sprawls, and each track settles into a distinct tonality".[1]
The Wire called the tracks "vignettes of memory and emotion, which see her thoughtful production informed by IDM, glitch and electronic emo. True to the album's concept, there's a charming bedroom maximalism" and concluded that it is a "lovely, affecting record".[4] Patrick Gamble of The Skinny found that the "most interesting moments are those where James' voice takes centre stage" as she "take a scalpel blade to her discography, only to reassemble the pieces into a record that plays like a victory lap".[6]
Accolades
| Critic/Publication | List | Rank | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clash | Clash's Albums of the Year | 8 | [8] |
| Exclaim! | Exclaim!'s Top 50 Albums of 2023 | 26 | [9] |
| The Guardian | The Guardian's Top 50 Albums of 2023 | 36 | [10] |
| NME | NME's Best Albums of 2023 | 25 | [11] |
| PopMatters | PopMatters' Top 80 Albums of 2023 | 13 | [12] |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gentle Confrontation" | Loraine James | 4:20 |
| 2. | "2003" |
| 2:39 |
| 3. | "Let U Go" (featuring Keiyaa) |
| 4:23 |
| 4. | "Déjà Vu" (featuring Ritchie) |
| 2:51 |
| 5. | "Prelude of Tired of Me" | James | 2:02 |
| 6. | "Glitch the System (Glitch Bitch 2)" | James | 3:34 |
| 7. | "I DM U" | James | 4:23 |
| 8. | "One Way Ticket to the Midwest (Emo)" (featuring Corey Mastrangelo) | James | 2:25 |
| 9. | "Cards with the Grandparents" | James | 3:21 |
| 10. | "While They Were Singing" (featuring Marina Herlop) |
| 4:22 |
| 11. | "Try for Me" (featuring Eden Samara) |
| 4:04 |
| 12. | "Tired of Me" | James | 2:19 |
| 13. | "Speechless" (with George Riley) |
| 4:57 |
| 14. | "Disjointed (Feeling Like a Kid Again)" | James | 4:05 |
| 15. | "I'm Trying to Love Myself" | James | 3:22 |
| 16. | "Saying Goodbye" (featuring Contour) |
| 3:31 |
| Total length: | 56:38 | ||
References
- ^ a b c Kakaire, Christine (27 September 2023). "Loraine James: Gentle Confrontation Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ a b Minkser, Evan (23 May 2023). "Loraine James Announces New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
- ^ "AnyDecentMusic Review". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "Gentle Confrontation by Loraine James Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Loraine James – Gentle Confrontation". Mojo. October 2023. p. 86.
- ^ a b Gamble, Patrick (19 September 2023). "Loraine James album review: Gentle Confrontation". The Skinny. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Loraine James – Gentle Confrontation". Uncut. October 2023. p. 29.
- ^ "Albums of the Year 2023". Clash. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Exclaim!'s 50 Best Albums of 2023". Exclaim!. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2023". The Guardian. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Albums of the Year 2023". Clash. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "The 80 Best Albums of 2023". PopMatters. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2024.