Spiral in a Straight Line
| Spiral in a Straight Line | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 11, 2024 | |||
| Studio | The Peaky Barnacle (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | Post-hardcore[1] | |||
| Length | 31:49 | |||
| Label | Rise | |||
| Producer | Ross Robinson | |||
| Touché Amoré chronology | ||||
| ||||
Spiral in a Straight Line is the sixth studio album by American post-hardcore band Touché Amoré. It was released on October 11, 2024, through Rise Records. Production was handled by Ross Robinson. It features guest appearances from Julien Baker and Lou Barlow.
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| DIY |   [3] |
| Dork | [4] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10[5] |
| God Is in the TV | 9/10[6] |
| Kerrang! | 3/5[7] |
| laut.de |  [8] |
| Metal Hammer | [1] |
| Pitchfork | 7.9/10[9] |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.8/5[10] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[11] |
Spiral in a Straight Line was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 79 based on seven reviews.[2]
Ben Tipple of DIY praised the album, stating: "the shifts are subtle but notable, providing another brilliant backdrop for Jeremy's largely pained candour".[3] Will Yarbrough of The Line of Best Fit resumed: "it's not their best album, but by sticking closely to this pattern, Spiral in a Straight Line is their most cohesive".[11] Ellie Kovach of Pitchfork wrote: "the band has lost none of the adventurousness of Lament, but the songs are more direct and immediate, weaponizing Bolm's hoarse roar in service of the strongest and most surprising hooks of their career to date".[9] Sputnikmusic staff member found "Spiral in a Straight Line strives to strike a balance. It's a collection of great songs, varies in pace, and is recognisably Touché".[10] Paul Dika of Exclaim! wrote: "Spiral in a Straight Line is an album that represents the logical next step for a band who have honed in on what works — not reinventing the wheel but finding subtle ways to improve on what Touché Amoré is and what they can be".[5]
In a mixed review, Mischa Pearlman of Kerrang! stated: "there are a couple of marvellous moments – namely the shapeshifting "Mezzanine" and the agonising regret of "Finalist" – but often Spiral In A Straight Line settles into itself too much".[7]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Touché Amoré; "Altitude" written with Ioanna Gika, "Subversion (Brand New Love)" written with Lou Barlow, and "Goodbye for Now" written with Julien Baker.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nobody's" | 2:15 |
| 2. | "Disasters" | 2:53 |
| 3. | "Hal Ashby" | 2:55 |
| 4. | "Force of Habit" | 2:55 |
| 5. | "Mezzanine" | 2:07 |
| 6. | "Altitude" | 3:26 |
| 7. | "This Routine" | 2:35 |
| 8. | "Finalist" | 2:13 |
| 9. | "Subversion (Brand New Love)" (featuring Lou Barlow) | 3:17 |
| 10. | "The Glue" | 2:53 |
| 11. | "Goodbye for Now" (featuring Julien Baker) | 4:20 |
| Total length: | 31:49 | |
Personnel
[edit]Touché Amoré
- Jeremy Bolm – vocals
- Clayton Stevens – guitars, keyboards
- Nick Steinhardt – guitars, pedal steel, art direction, design
- Elliot Babin – drums
- Tyler Kirby – bass
Additional contributors
- Ross Robinson – production, additional engineering
- Alan Douches – mastering
- Steve Evetts – mixing
- Mike Balboa – engineering
- Matt DeLisi – cover art
- Sean F. Stout – principal photography
- Jordan Divers – design
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[12] | 58 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[13] | 22 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Young, Nik (October 8, 2024). "Touche Amore team up with Ross Robinson to make post-hardcore perfection on Spiral In A Straight Line". Metal Hammer. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Critic Reviews for Spiral in a Straight Line - Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Tipple, Ben (October 9, 2024). "Touché Amoré - Spiral in a Straight Line". DIY. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ Bradley, Alexander (October 17, 2024). "Touché Amoré – Spiral in a Straight Line". Dork. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Dika, Paul (October 11, 2024). "Touché Amoré Find the Centre on 'Spiral in a Straight Line'". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ Allen, Josh (October 25, 2024). "Touché Amoré - Spiral In A Straight Line (Rise Records) - God Is In The TV". God Is in the TV. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Pearlman, Mischa (October 11, 2024). "Album review: Touché Amoré – Spiral In A Straight Line". Kerrang!. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ Hennig, Toni. "Zwischen Hooks, intimen Momenten und Gewaltausbrüchen". laut.de (in German). Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Kovach, Ellie (October 18, 2024). "Touché Amoré: Spiral in a Straight Line". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Review: Touche Amore - Spiral in a Straight Line | Sputnikmusic". Sputnikmusic. October 10, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Yarbrough, Will (October 10, 2024). "Touché Amoré: Spiral In A Straight Line Review - cohesive hardcore | Rock". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Spiral In A Straight Line at Discogs (list of releases)