Truth Is a Beautiful Thing explained

Truth Is a Beautiful Thing
Type:	studio
Artist:	London Grammar
Cover:	London Grammar - Truth Is a Beautiful Thing.png
Recorded:	2014–2016
Studio:	Smecky (Prague) The Church (London) State of the Ark (London) Westpoint (London) Metropolis (London) Maida Vale (London)
Genre:	Dream pop trip hop
Label:	Metal & Dust Ministry of Sound
Producer:	Simon Askew Ben Baptie Paul Epworth Jon Hopkins Greg Kurstin London Grammar Myriot
Prev Title:	If You Wait
Prev Year:	2013
Next Title:	Californian Soil
Next Year:	2021

Truth Is a Beautiful Thing is the second studio album by English indie pop band London Grammar. It was released on 9 June 2017 by the trio's imprint Metal & Dust and Ministry of Sound.^[1]

Singles

"Rooting for You" was released as the album's lead single on 1 January 2017.^[2] It peaked at number 58 on the UK Singles Chart.^[3] The album's second single, "Big Picture", was released on 1 February 2017,^[4] reaching number 73 on the UK Singles Chart.^[3] "Truth Is a Beautiful Thing" was released as the third single on 24 March 2017. "Oh Woman Oh Man" was released as the fourth single on 21 April 2017,^[5] peaking at number 85 on the UK Singles Chart.^[3] On 11 August 2017, "Non Believer" was sent to UK contemporary hit radio as the album's fifth single.^[6] The album's sixth single, "Hell to the Liars", was serviced to UK contemporary hit radio on 1 December 2017,^[7] followed by a digital release on 8 December.^[8]

Critical reception

Truth Is a Beautiful Thing received a score of 68 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on 17 critics' reviews, which the website categorised as "generally favorable" reception. According to Harriet Gibsone of The Guardian, Truth is a Beautiful Thing sound "seems dated", and although Reid "wrestles with the good and bad, truth and lies, the open skies and the pits of hell", musically, "the album is one note" and "drowns in its own despair".

Commercial performance

Truth Is a Beautiful Thing debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 43,403 copies, including 2,780 from sales-equivalent streams.^[9]

Track listing

Notes

• signifies a co-producer
• signifies a vocal producer
• signifies an additional vocal producer
• signifies an additional producer

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the deluxe edition of Truth Is a Beautiful Thing.^[10]

London Grammar

• Hannah Reid – vocals ; piano
• Daniel Rothman – guitars

Additional musicians

• Paul Epworth – drums, programming ; additional programming
  • Greg Kurstin – piano, Mellotron, Chamberlin, Orchestron, Juno-60 Wil Malone – string arrangements, string conducting
• Lucie Švehlová – concertmaster
• City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra – strings
• Myriot (Tim Bran and Roy Kerr) – additional programming

Technical

• Jan Holzner – string recording
• London Grammar – production ; mixing
• Paul Epworth – production
• Jon Hopkins – production, mixing
• Myriot (Tim Bran and Roy Kerr) – production ; co-production ; additional vocal production ; additional production
• Greg Kurstin – production, engineering
• Ben Baptie – production ; mixing ; additional engineering
• Simon Askew – production
• Tom Elmhirst – vocal production; vocal mixing ; mixing
• Brandon Bost – mix assistance
• Andy Menhenitt – mix assistance ; engineering assistance
• Matt Wiggins – mixing ; engineering
• Joseph Hartwell Jones – engineering
• Riley MacIntyre – additional engineering ; engineering
• Joe Visciano – engineering for mix
• Manon Grandjean – engineering ; vocal recording
• Luke Pickering – engineering assistance
• Alex Pasco – engineering
• Julian Burg – engineering
• Tom Coyne – mastering
• Kevin Tuffy – mastering

Artwork

• Eliot Lee Hazel – cover photo
• Alexandra Waespi – inside photos
• Harry Hall – inside photos
• Leif Podhajsky – creative direction, layout

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2017)! scope="col"

Peak position
Greek Albums (IFPI)^[11]	24

Year-end charts

Chart (2017)! scope="col"

Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[12]	45
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[13]	13
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[14]	32
French Albums (SNEP)^[15]	77
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[16]	63
UK Albums (OCC)^[17]	33

Chart (2018)! scope="col"

Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[18]	63
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[19]	194

Chart (2019)! scope="col"

Position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[20]	181

Release history

Region! scope="col"

Date	Format	Edition	Label
Various	9 June 2017				^[21] ^[22] ^[23] ^[24] ^[25] ^[26]
Australia				Dew Process	^[27] ^[28] ^[29] ^[30] ^[31] ^[32]
France		CD		Because	^[33] ^[34]
			Deluxe		^[35] ^[36]
United States		LP	Standard	Columbia	^[37]
		Digital download			^[38] ^[39]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Geslani . Michelle . London Grammar announce new album, share spellbinding "Truth Is A Beautiful Thing" — listen . . 24 March 2017 . 24 March 2017.
2. Web site: Rooting For You – Single by London Grammar . . United Kingdom . 28 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170103003326/https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/rooting-for-you-single/id1185499575 . 3 January 2017.
3. Web site: London Grammar . . 28 July 2017.
4. Web site: Trendell . Andrew . London Grammar unveil new single and video for 'Big Picture' . NME . 1 February 2017 . 22 July 2017.
5. Web site: Trendell . Andrew . London Grammar unveil new single 'Oh Woman Oh Man' . NME . 21 April 2017 . 22 July 2017.
6. Web site: BBC – Radio 1 – Playlist . . 31 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170811180140/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/playlist . 11 August 2017.
7. Web site: BBC – Radio 1 – Playlist . BBC Radio 1 . 3 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171202134052/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/playlist . 2 December 2017.
8. Web site: Hell to the Liars – Single by Sir Spyro, Ghetts, JayKae & London Grammar . iTunes Store . 8 December 2017 . United Kingdom . 4 November 2018.
9. Web site: Jones . Alan . Official Charts Analysis: London Grammar enter at No.1 . . 16 June 2017 . 16 June 2017 . subscription.
10. Truth Is a Beautiful Thing . deluxe edition liner notes . . Metal & Dust . 2017 . MADART2TLTD.
11. Web site: Official IFPI Charts – Top-75 Albums Sales Chart (Week: 25/2017) . . 3 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170710021532/http://www.ifpi.gr/charts_en.html . 10 July 2017.
12. Web site: ARIA Top 100 Albums for 2017. Australian Recording Industry Association. 26 March 2021.
13. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2017 – Albums. Ultratop. nl. 21 December 2017.
14. Web site: Rapports Annuels 2017 – Albums. Ultratop. fr. 21 December 2017.
15. Web site: Tops de L'Année Top Albums – 2017. fr. Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. 21 March 2021.
16. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2017. hitparade.ch. de. 21 March 2021.
17. Web site: White. Jack. The Top 40 biggest albums of 2017 on the Official Chart. Official Charts Company. 3 January 2018. 3 January 2018.
18. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2018 – Albums. Ultratop. nl. 21 December 2018.
19. Web site: Rapports Annuels 2018 – Albums. Ultratop. fr. 21 December 2018.
20. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2019 – Albums. Ultratop. nl. 8 November 2020.
21. Web site: Truth Is a Beautiful Thing – Deluxe CD . London Grammar Official Store . 18 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170619000756/https://london-grammar-uk.myshopify.com/products/truth-is-a-beautiful-thing-deluxe-cd . 19 June 2017.
22. Web site: Truth Is a Beautiful Thing (Deluxe) by London Grammar . iTunes Store . 9 June 2017 . United Kingdom . 18 June 2017.
23. Web site: Truth Is A Beautiful Thing: London Grammar . . United Kingdom . 4 November 2018.
24. Web site: Truth Is A Beautiful Thing [Vinyl]

    London Grammar ]

    . Amazon . United Kingdom . 4 November 2018.
25. Web site: Truth Is A Beautiful Thing (Deluxe) [Vinyl]

    London Grammar ]

    . Amazon . United Kingdom . 4 November 2018.
26. Web site: Truth Is a Beautiful Thing by London Grammar . iTunes Store . 9 June 2017 . United Kingdom . 4 November 2018.
27. Web site: Truth Is A Beautiful Thing: London Grammar (CD) . . 4 November 2018.
28. Web site: Truth Is A Beautiful Thing – Deluxe Edition: London Grammar (CD) . Sanity . 4 November 2018.
29. Web site: Truth Is A Beautiful Thing: London Grammar (Vinyl) . Sanity . 4 November 2018.
30. Web site: Truth Is A Beautiful Thing – Deluxe Edition: London Grammar (Vinyl) . Sanity . 4 November 2018.
31. Web site: Truth Is a Beautiful Thing by London Grammar . iTunes Store . 9 June 2017 . Australia . 4 November 2018.
32. Web site: Truth Is a Beautiful Thing (Deluxe) by London Grammar . iTunes Store . 9 June 2017 . Australia . 4 November 2018.
33. Web site: Truth is a beautiful thing – London Grammar – CD album . . fr . 4 November 2018.
34. Web site: Truth is a beautiful thing Double CD Digipack Edition Deluxe limitée Inclus 7 titres inédits et un livret de 6 pages – London Grammar – CD album . Fnac . fr . 4 November 2018.
35. Web site: Truth Is a Beautiful Thing by London Grammar . iTunes Store . France . 4 November 2018.
36. Web site: Truth is a beautiful thing Double Vinyle 180 gr Gatefold Edition Deluxe limitée Inclus 2 CD et 7 titres inédits – London Grammar – Vinyle album . Fnac . fr . 4 November 2018.
37. Web site: Truth Is a Beautiful Thing (LP): London Grammar . Amazon . United States . 4 November 2018.
38. Web site: Truth Is a Beautiful Thing by London Grammar . iTunes Store . 9 June 2017 . United States . 4 November 2018.
39. Web site: Truth Is a Beautiful Thing (Deluxe) by London Grammar . iTunes Store . 9 June 2017 . United States . 4 November 2018.