Unknown Colors Explained

Unknown Colors
Type:Album
Artist:Sad Day for Puppets
Cover:Saddayunknowncolors.jpeg
Released:28 October 2008
Genre:Shoegazing
Label:HaHa Fonogram
Producer:Martin Källholm
Alex Svenson-Metés
Next Title:Pale Silver & Shiny Gold
Next Year:2010

Unknown Colors is the debut studio album by Swedish quintet Sad Day for Puppets. It was initially released exclusively in Sweden on 28 October 2008 by independent label HaHa Fonogram, with a United Kingdom release following eight months later on 1 June 2009 via Sonic Cathedral Recordings. The UK edition contained two exclusive bonus tracks, "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" and "Saddest Cloud".

Recording and promotion

The majority of songs on the record were composed within a six-month period. "Marble Gods" was released as the album's lead single, and appeared on Rough Trade's sampler album Indiepop 09.[1] [2] "Cherry Blossom" was also released as a single.[3] The band promoted the album with performances at several UK music festivals, including Truck Festival.[4] [5]

Critical reception

The record received positive review upon release. Heather Phares of AllMusic rated the album four stars out of five, praising it for revisiting the "halcyon days of the late '80s and early '90s, when indie pop crossbred with shoegaze, and groups like Lush, Bettie Serveert, and Velocity Girl mixed those dreamy sonics with immediate hooks and melodies." She summarised by saying: "Even if there aren't too many previously unknown sounds on Unknown Colors, Sad Day for Puppets know how to use them well."[6] A writer for Sydsvenskan complimented the disparity between the influences the band used in composing the record, and said they succeeded in making a record "better than their combined influences. There's something quite majestic going on here, even if you can't put your finger on it."[7] Likewise, Swedish magazine Muzic said: "The music and melodies are elaborate and well composed without being predictable or too easily accessible, which is an art in itself to master."[8] NME was complimentary of Anna Eklund's vocals, saying that her "spectral diction – enshrined under glacial washes of distortion – is seductive and richly evocative."[9] Although Joyzine was dismissive about the length of time it took the band to compose the album, and said such brevity often resulted in sub-par records, they described Unknown Colors as a major leap forward for the group.[10]

The album also received some mixed reviews. A writer for Sonic Magazine said they enjoyed the first ten songs, but "quickly lost interest" during the album's eleventh track, when "everything begins to fall flat".[11] Groove described the record as "nice" while indicating "Little Light" was its best song, but was unimpressed by the rest of the album.[12]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Martin Källholm.

  1. "Little Light" – 3:17
  2. "Blue Skies" – 4:00
  3. "Marble Gods" – 3:45
  4. "Mother's Tears" – 3:06
  5. "Cherry Blossom" – 3:06
  6. "Lay Your Burden On Me" – 5:21
  7. "When the Morning Comes" – 2:54
  8. "Last Night" – 3:38
  9. "Shiny Teeth and Sharpened Claws" – 3:23
  10. "Romans" – 3:18
  11. "All the Songs" – 4:01
  12. "My Twin Star" – 4:09
  13. "Withering Petals and Dust" – 3:03
  14. "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" – 3:22
  15. "Saddest Cloud" – 2:06

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Unknown Colors.[13]

Additional personnel:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rough Trade Shops – Indiepop 09 . . . 6 November 2008 . 30 November 2019.
  2. Web site: Rough Trade Shops: Indiepop 09 . Monger, James Christopher . . . 30 November 2019.
  3. Web site: Shoegaze Week: Label Focus # 25: Sonic Cathedral / In Depth . Gourlay, Dom . . 20 April 2009 . 7 January 2020 . 3 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191203005105/http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4136606-shoegaze-week--label-focus-25--sonic-cathedral . dead .
  4. Web site: Crewe live music: Volume Festival returns for 2011 . . . 29 December 2010 . 30 November 2019.
  5. Web site: Full Truck Festival line-up announced . . 3 July 2009 . 30 November 2019.
  6. Web site: Unknown Colors – Sad Day for Puppets Songs, Reviews, Credits . Phares, Heather . AllMusic . RhythmOne . 30 November 2019.
  7. Web site: Sad Day For Puppets . Berg, Sara . . . 6 November 2008 . 30 November 2019.
  8. Web site: muzic.se – skivrecension – Sad Day For Puppets – Unknown Colors . Muzic.se . 7 November 2008 . 30 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100823001638/http://muzic.se/show.php?typ=skivor&id=1329 . 23 August 2010 . dead.
  9. Web site: Album Review: Sad Day For Puppets – 'Unknown Colors' . Nicolson, Barry . . 27 May 2009 . 7 January 2020.
  10. Web site: Joyzine Recension – Skiva Sad Day For Puppets: Unknown Colors, 2008 . Joyzine . 18 November 2008 . 30 November 2019 . Swedish.
  11. Web site: Sad Day For Puppets: Unknown Colors . Sonic Magazine . 11 November 2008 . 1 December 2019 . 1650-2795.
  12. Web site: Sad Day For Puppets – Unknown colors – GROOVE – Sveriges största musktidning . Swedish . Sad Day For Puppets – Unknown colors – GROOVE – Sweden's largest music magazine . Gustafsson, Anna . Groove . 2 December 2019.
  13. Unknown Colors . liner notes . Digital booklet . . HaHa Fonogram . 2008 . HHF0810 . Stockholm, Sweden.

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