Spell Blanket Explained

Spell Blanket
Type:demo
Artist:Broadcast
Cover:Spell Blanket - Collected Demos 2006-2009 album cover.jpg
Alt:A side profile photograph of Broadcast lead singer Trish Keenan with the words "Spell Blanket" flipped on their side.
Length:64:39
Label:Warp
Prev Title:Mother Is the Milky Way
Prev Year:2022
Next Title:Distant Call
Next Year:2024

Spell Blanket is the first demo album by British indie electronic group Broadcast. It was released on 3 May 2024, through Warp Records.[1] This album marks the fourth posthumous release by Broadcast after lead singer Trish Keenan's death in 2011,[2] and the final release of unheard material from the group.[3]

Background

In September 2023, group member James Cargill, who has taken on the role of managing Broadcast's remaining material, announced on Facebook that he would be issuing a collection of previously unreleased demos in early 2024.[4] In March 2024, Warp Records announced the release of two demo albums: Spell Blanket in May 2024, and Distant Call in September 2024.[5] These two releases are to be the final material released by Broadcast. Spell Blanket consists of unreleased demos by Keenan recorded to 4-track tapes and MiniDiscs that were intended for the follow-up to Broadcast's 2005 album Tender Buttons.[6]

Singles

The same day of the announcement, a track off each album was released, with Spell Blankets being a previously unheard song, "Follow the Light".[7] Three other songs could be previously heard on Cargill's SoundCloud account: "The Song Before The Song Comes Out", "Where Are You?", and "Tunnel View".[8]

In April 2024, a new single was released for the album, "The Games You Play". This demo is an vocal version of their instrumental song "DDL", which was featured on their 2006 compilation album The Future Crayon.[9]

Reception

Upon its release, Spell Blanket was met with critical acclaim. Piers Martin of Uncut gave the release a 9/10 rating, writing of how "It fills in gaps we didn’t know were there, offers tantalizing clues to their unfinished fifth album, and somehow ends up enhancing their mystique, despite laying all the cards on the table." He praised Keenan's poetic lyrics and the variety of styles and textures that she and Cargill experiment with.[10] Heather Phares of AllMusic also commended the lyrical work, noting "There's a fullness to Keenan's lyrics that brings out the empathy of her writing as well as its mystery and beauty", and calling it a "true privilege" to discover the "raw brilliance" of the music.[11]

Charts

!Chart (2024)!Peak position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[12] 27
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[13] 12
UK Scottish Albums (OCC)[14] 38
UK Vinyl Albums (OCC)[15] 31

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2024-05-03 . Spell Blanket - Collected Demos 2006-2009 by Broadcast - Releases . 2024-03-21 . WARP . en.
  2. Web site: Tafoya . Harry . Broadcast: Maida Vale Sessions / Microtonics / Mother Is the Milky Way . 2024-03-22 . Pitchfork . en-US.
  3. Web site: Broadcast announce their final two albums, Spell Blanket and Distant Call . 2024-03-22 . The Line of Best Fit . en-US.
  4. Web site: Broadcast - Facebook . 2024-03-21 . www.facebook.com.
  5. Web site: Monroe . Jazz . 2024-03-21 . Broadcast Demos Collected on Two New Albums: Listen to "Follow the Light" . 2024-03-21 . Pitchfork . en-US.
  6. Web site: 2024-03-21 . Broadcast Announce Two New Demo Collections . 2024-03-21 . Stereogum . en.
  7. Web site: Terich . Jeff . 2024-03-21 . Hear a previously unreleased demo from Broadcast, "Follow the Light" . 2024-03-21 . Treble . en-US.
  8. Web site: James Broadcast . 2024-03-22 . SoundCloud . en.
  9. Web site: Bonner . Michael . 2024-04-16 . Broadcast release an unheard vocal take of "The Games You Play" . 2024-04-17 . UNCUT . en-GB.
  10. Martin . Piers . May 2024 . Broadcast - Spell Blanket: Collected Demos 2006-2009 . . 327 . 44.
  11. Web site: Phares . Heather . 3 May 2024 . Spell Blanket: Collected Demos 2006-2009 . AllMusic.
  12. Web site: Official Album Downloads Chart on 10/5/2024 . 2024-05-14 . Official Charts . en.
  13. Web site: Official Independent Albums Chart on 10/5/2024 . 2024-05-14 . Official Charts . en.
  14. Web site: Official Scottish Albums Chart on 10/5/2024 . 2024-05-14 . Official Charts . en.
  15. Web site: Official Vinyl Albums Chart on 10/5/2024 . 2024-05-14 . Official Charts . en.