Strawberry Mansion (album) explained

Strawberry Mansion
Type:studio
Artist:Langhorne Slim
Cover:Langhorne Slim - Strawberry Mansion.png
Length:44:10
Label:Dualtone
Prev Title:Lost at Last Vol. 1
Prev Year:2017

Strawberry Mansion is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim. It was released on January 29, 2021, by Dualtone Records.[1]

Critical reception

Strawberry Mansion 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 84 based on 5 reviews.

In a review for American Songwriter, Lee Zimmerman wrote: "By turns both heartbreaking and heroic, it boasts the signature sound of an artist whose music has always been soothing, seductive and immediately engaging. In this case, quality is matched by quantity, given the fact that the album boasts some 18 tracks (plus an added demo), each as winsome and wistful as the next." John Moore of Glide Magazine said: "What’s most surprising about this deeply personal album is just how optimistic it manages to come across. No one would begrudge Slim a double flip off, "fuck you, world!" rager after the year he had, but he opts for a solidly optimistic take on his circumstances. And right there is the obvious charm of Strawberry Mansion. Over 45 minutes, he doesn't skirt any of the hard topics."[2] Ellen Johnson explained: "Slim finished more than 20 songs between March and May 2020, which eventually became the bones of Strawberry Mansion, the indie-folk veteran’s hopeful seventh studio album, per the press materials for the new release. Slim—beloved by Americana listeners for his frank, rugged folk songs — delivers perhaps his most serious work yet on Mansion."

Writing for Uncut, Rob Hughes stated: "Named after the area in Philadelphia where both his grandfathers were raised, it’s an album about the need to connect, not just with his muse but to anyone who may have had a similar experience. These songs feel as if they were written on the fly (which most of them were), their sense of immediacy reflected in the use of skittery acoustic guitar, banjo and rattling piano. Slim’s voice is geared to match.

Notes and References

  1. Langhorne Slim's 'Strawberry Mansion' Is His Most Personal Album Yet: Emerging Artists Spotlight. Billboard. Zellner. Xander. February 11, 2021. March 10, 2021.
  2. Web site: Langhorne Slim Reflects on a Shitty Year with Beautifully Frank 'Strawberry Mansion'. Glide Magazine. Moore. John. January 28, 2021. March 10, 2021.