Mountains (Nils Lofgren album)
| Mountains | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 21, 2023 | |||
| Length | 38:26 | |||
| Label | Cattle Track Road | |||
| Nils Lofgren chronology | ||||
| ||||
Mountains is a studio album by Nils Lofgren, released on July 21, 2023, through Cattle Track Road Records. It features guest appearances from David Crosby, Ringo Starr, Neil Young, and Ron Carter, and received generally positive reviews from critics.[1]
Background[edit]
Lofgren stated that the album started out "as a form of therapy but it very quickly grew beyond that" and that it was "so freeing to work without any restrictions", calling it "some of the most inspired work" he has ever made.[2] He wrote and recorded the album at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, also enlisting his regular engineer Jamison Weddle.[3]
Critical reception[edit]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 68/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| American Songwriter |   [4] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[5] |
Mountains received a score of 68 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[1] Jedd Beaudoin of PopMatters wrote that Lofgren "never fails to deliver albums filled with glorious guitar playing, heartfelt songs, and a soulful look at the human condition. That his latest, Mountains, features all should come as no surprise", concluding that "he delivers something we didn't know we needed but now somehow can't live without".[5] American Songwriter's Hal Horowitz found that "the set suffers from an excess of ballads" as songs like "Angel Blues" are "delicate, pretty, and charming, but edge dangerously close to schlocky and don't play to Lofgren's tougher talents", but nevertheless felt that "there's enough solid material here displaying Lofgren's impressive vocal, instrumental, and songwriting qualities to punch another notch on his belt of good but not great albums".[4]
Mojo stated that Lofgren "and his guests have history, but the second half of Mountains might have benefited from fewer backing singers - however good, they over-egg the songs", while Uncut opined that "had Lofgren trusted his considerable gifts to carry these earnest songs, Mountains would've been a more satisfying album".[1]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Nils Lofgren, except "Back In Your Arms" written by Bruce Springsteen
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ain't the Truth Enough" | 3:24 |
| 2. | "Only Ticket Out" | 5:15 |
| 3. | "Back in Your Arms" | 4:22 |
| 4. | "Won't Cry No More (For Charlie Watts)" | 4:05 |
| 5. | "Nothin's Easy (For Amy)" | 3:35 |
| 6. | "Dream Killer" | 3:35 |
| 7. | "Only Your Smile" | 3:45 |
| 8. | "I Remember Her Name" | 4:13 |
| 9. | "We Better Find It" | 2:59 |
| 10. | "Angel Blues" | 3:13 |
| Total length: | 38:26 | |
Personnel[edit]
Musicians
- Nils Lofgren – vocals, guitar, keyboards, pedal steel guitar, dulcimer, lap steel guitar, percussion, drums, bass guitar, production
- Amy Lofgren – production
- Jamison Weddle – mixing, recording
- Ed Mell – album artwork
- Kevin McCormick – bass guitar (tracks 1, 2, 3, 6)
- Cindy Mizelle – vocals (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10)
- Ringo Starr – drums (1), vocals (9)
- Andy Newmark – drums (2, 6)
- The Howard University Gospel Choir – choir (3)
- Timm Biery – drums (3)
- Luis Conte – percussion (3)
- Neil Young – vocals (5)
- Ron Carter – double bass (7)
- David Crosby – vocals (8)
- Christine Vivona – harp (10)
Charts[edit]
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[6] | 85 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[7] | 67 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[8] | 65 |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d "Mountains by Nils Lofgren Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ Lances, Jill (May 3, 2023). "Nils Lofgren's new album, Mountains, features Neil Young, the late David Crosby and more". ABC Audio. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ Graff, Gary (May 3, 2023). "Nils Lofgren Recruits Famous Friends for Mountains Album". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ a b Horowitz, Hal (June 19, 2023). "Review: Veteran Rocker Nils Lofgren Displays Multiple Talents on Mountains". American Songwriter. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ a b Beaudoin, Jedd (July 17, 2023). "Nils Lofgren Is Still Grinning on Mountains". PopMatters. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Nils Lofgren – Mountains" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 29, 2023.