| In These Times | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Makaya McCraven |
| Cover: | Makaya McCraven - In These Times.png |
| Alt: | A photo of a line of trees with white leaves in a small circle inside an off-white background. The album's name is type in block letters at the top-middle, and the artist's is at the bottom-middle. |
| Length: | 41:12 |
| Label: | |
| Prev Title: | Deciphering The Message |
| Prev Year: | 2020 |
In These Times is the sixth studio album by American musician Makaya McCraven. It was released on September 23, 2022, by International Anthem Recording Company, Nonesuch Records and XL Recordings.[1] The release features collaborations with Jeff Parker, Brandee Younger, Macie Stewart, Junius Paul, Marta Sofia Honer and Lia Kohl.[2]
The album tracks were completed over a period of seven years, and constructed in five different studios and four live performance spaces.[3] [4]
On June 23, 2022, Makaya McCraven announced the release of the new album.[3] The first single "Seventh String" was released alongside the announcement.[4]
The second single "Dream Another" was released on July 19, 2022.[5] The music video for the single, which is directed by Nik Arthur, features photographic animations in the style of a zoopraxiscope.[6]
McCraven released the third single "The Fours" on September 13, 2022.[7]
In These Times was met with "universal acclaim" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 87, based on 11 reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the release a 7.9 out of 10 based on a critical consensus of 7 reviews.
Thom Jurek of AllMusic described the album as its "own jazz labyrinth, and as such is destined for repeated listening and startling discovery." At Clash, Robin Murray wrote: "A challenging yet continually beautiful project, In These Times contains a terrific sense of unity, one that belies the lengthy manner of its gestation."
Stereogum made the album as their "Album of the Week" on September 20, 2022.[8]
| Loud and Quiet | Loud and Quiet Top 40 Albums of 2022 | 14 | [9] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norman Records | Norman Records' Top 50 Albums of 2022 | 12 | [10] |
| NPR Music | NPR Music Top 50 Albums of 2022 | 7 | [11] |
| Passion of the Weiss | Passion of the Weiss Top 50 Albums of 2022 | 3 | [12] |
| Stereogum | Stereogum Top 50 Albums of 2022 | 37 | [13] |
| Stereogum Top 10 Jazz Albums of 2022 | 1 | [14] |
In These Times ranked at number 85 in Scotland, number 56 in Germany, and number 92 in Switzerland.