I've Seen All I Need to See
| I've Seen All I Need to See | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 29, 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2019 | |||
| Studio | Machines with Magnets | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 38:00 | |||
| Label | Thrill Jockey | |||
| Producer | Seth Manchester | |||
| The Body chronology | ||||
| ||||
I've Seen All I Need to See is the eighth full-length studio album by the American experimental metal band the Body. The album was released on January 29, 2021, through Thrill Jockey.
Background and release[edit]
On October 13, 2020, the Body announced the release of the album, I've Seen All I Need to See. The opening track, "A Lament" was served simultaneously as the album's lead single.[1] It marks the duo's first non-collaborative studio album since I Have Fought Against It, but I Can't Any Longer. (2018).[2] Recorded in 2019,[3] the album was engineered by the duo's frequent collaborator, Seth Manchester, and mastered by Matt Colton. It features contributions from Chrissy Wolpert and vocalist Ben Eberle.[1]
I think that's just a fancy way of saying that we tried to focus more on the distortion and reverb, which is how we sound live [...] we just tried to recreate that to the best of our ability.
— Lee Buford on the album, Apple Music[4]
Composition[edit]
I’ve Seen All I Need to See relies on a more stripped-down production that departs from the orchestral arrangements, operatic vocals, and contemporary pop and chopped-and-screwed hip-hop production of their past releases. The production employs drums, vocals, and violently overdriven guitars, deriving its sound from death industrial and power electronics.[2] Described by the band "as an exploration of the extremes and micro-tonality of distortion" the album lyrically addresses themes of death and despondence.[5] The record opens with a reading of Scottish poet Douglas Dunn's "The Kaleidoscope", that was written by him after the early death of his wife, Lesley Dunn, in 1981.[5][3]
Critical reception[edit]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100[6] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[7] |
| musicOMH | [3] |
| Pitchfork |   [5] |
| Uncut | [6] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 80 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[6]
Pitchfork's Grayson Haver Currin said that the album embraces the "bluntly fatalistic" sound of the duo by being "mercilessly distilled and efficient, reminding us there's no time to waste."[5] Similarly, Sam Shepherd of musicOMH called it "a brutal album", writing that "somehow, there's an odd clarity to be found amongst all the noise, distortion and decay."[3] Paul Simpson of AllMusic lauded the duo's "piercing vocals" and regarded the album as "undeniably some of their most direct and punishing work."[2] Exclaim! writer Max Heilman praised the stripped-down concept and impenetrable execution of the album and summarized it as "the purest summation of the Body's artistry."[7]
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Lament" | 5:54 |
| 2. | "Tied Up and Locked in" | 2:55 |
| 3. | "Eschatological Imperative" | 4:37 |
| 4. | "A Pain of Knowing" | 5:40 |
| 5. | "The City is Shelled" | 5:38 |
| 6. | "They are Coming" | 4:44 |
| 7. | "The Handle / the Blade" | 3:38 |
| 8. | "Path of Failure" | 5:08 |
| Total length: | 38:00 | |
Personnel[edit]
Credits are adapted from AllMusic.[2]
- The Body
- Lee Buford – drums, vocals
- Chip King – guitar, vocals
- Additional musicians
- Max Goldman – vocals
- Ben Eberle – vocals
- Seth Manchester – drums, programming, keyboard
- Chrissy Wolpert – piano, vocals
- Production
- Seth Manchester – engineering, production
- Matt Colton – mastering
- Alexander Barton – art design, layout
References[edit]
- ^ a b Pappis, Konstantinos (13 October 2020). "The Body Announce New Album 'I've Seen All I Need to See', Share New Song". Our Culture Mag. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Simpson, Paul (27 January 2021). "I've Seen All I Need to See | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d Shepherd, Sam (30 January 2021). "The Body – I've Seen All I Need To See". musicOMH. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ "I've Seen All I Need to See – The Body". Apple Music. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d Currin Haver, Grayson (8 February 2021). "The Body – I've Seen All I Need to See". Pitchfork. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ a b c "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- ^ a b Heilman, Max (27 January 2021). "The Body Harness the Heart of Darkness on Pulverizing 'I've Seen All I Need to See'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
