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Faded Gloryville
by
Faded Gloryville Image
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 8 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

  • Summary: The third full-length release for the Canadian country singer features a duet with former Civil Wars member John Paul White.
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Top Track

Ashes
You came to set my heart on fire Then you just left it to burn This cold dark ashes This cold dark ashes I earned I earned I earned You showed me all... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Exclaim
    Aug 10, 2015
    80
    At its best (the haunting "Ashes," the provocative "I Ain't The Girl," the killer cover of "To Love Somebody" and the title track), Faded Gloryville is a tour de force. Too bad the two weakest songs ("Run A Muck" and "Rundown Neighborhood") appear back-to-back, temporarily breaking the spell at the midway point.
  2. NOW Magazine
    Aug 10, 2015
    80
    It has some of the year’s best country songs, plus a groove-heavy take on the Bee Gees’ classic To Love Somebody.
  3. The Guardian
    Aug 27, 2015
    80
    She gives every syllable meaning and emotional heft.
  4. American Songwriter
    Aug 10, 2015
    80
    Based on recording location alone the varied musical approach to these 10 cuts veers from straight country, to rockabilly, R&B, rootsy rock and even some pop, all connected by Ortega’s trilling, bittersweet, instantly recognizable vocals.
  5. The Independent (UK)
    Aug 21, 2015
    80
    Lindi Ortega split sessions between Nashville and Muscle Shoals. The result stretches her character in new and intriguing ways, effectively redefining Ortega as a cross between Loretta Lynn and Amy Winehouse.
  6. Q Magazine
    Aug 25, 2015
    80
    What sets Faded Gloryville apart, however, is the new bluesy, soul-filled groove she found recording in Muscle Shoals. [Oct 2015, p.113]
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  7. Pitchfork
    Aug 11, 2015
    70
    Ultimately, she makes Faded Gloryville sound not so much like a place of diminished opportunity, but endless possibility.

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Sofa_Critic
    Aug 11, 2015
    6
    Nashville-based Lindi Ortega's fourth album, "Faded Gloryville" is the follow-up to her acclaimed 2013 release "Tin Star". One could classifyNashville-based Lindi Ortega's fourth album, "Faded Gloryville" is the follow-up to her acclaimed 2013 release "Tin Star". One could classify the album as traditional country or Americana, with the varied influences that last label encompasses. Compared to its predecessor, the Canadian singer/songwriter's latest release is a quieter affair, employing more ballads and mid-tempo numbers.

    The album opens with two mournful ballads: "Ashes", about the dissolution of a short-lived, passionate romance, and the title track "Faded Gloryville", which Lindi describes as a kind of purgatory where a person's dreams go to die. Both songs make effective use of spare electric-guitar lines using a wavering tremolo effect. Lindi's nuanced voice floats in the open, airy spaces, making these Colin Linden-produced tracks (along with tender album closer "Half Moon") the most emotional tracks on the album.

    Two uptempo tracks near the end of the album ("Run-Down Neighborhood" and "Run Amuck" ) lack the hooks and fiery kick of Tin Star's "I Want You" and "Voodoo Mama", and are among the album's weaker cuts.

    Ex-Civil Wars member John Paul White and partner Ben Tanner produced three songs on the LP, the best of which is Lindi's cover of the Bee Gee's 1967 hit "To Love Somebody".

    To my ears, the album represents a step backwards from the promise of "Tin Star". The album is quite strong lyrically, but apart from the aforementioned Linden-produced tracks, it lacks memorable melodies and hooks, particularly in the instrumentation. It will appeal to those who gravitate toward lyric-driven songs. Still, a good portion of it beats most of what passes for contemporary country music these days.

    Best tracks: "Half Moon", "Faded Gloryville", "Ashes"
    See also: "I Ain't the Girl", "To Love Somebody"

    Produced by Colin Linden, John Paul White & Ben Tanner, Dave Cobb
    Recorded in Nashville, TN and Muscle Shoals, AL    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

100
#100 Best Album of 2015

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