The Normal Album

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The Normal Album
Will Wood reaches out and waves from an open window; the picture is surrounded by a black frame with colorful zig-zags scattered around and the album's name and author written in a serif font that has been wriggled around
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 10, 2020 (2020-07-10)
Studio
Genre
Length45:47
LabelSay-10 Records
ProducerJonathon Maisto
Will Wood chronology
The Real Will Wood (Music From the Award-Winning Concert Film)
(2020)
The Normal Album
(2020)
Camp Here & There Soundtrack: Campfire Songs Edition
(2022)
Singles from The Normal Album
  1. "Love, Me Normally"
    Released: May 29, 2020
  2. "Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)"
    Released: June 12, 2020
  3. "...well, better than the alternative."
    Released: June 26, 2020

The Normal Album is the third studio album by American musician Will Wood, released on July 10, 2020, by Say-10 Records. It was produced by Jonathon Maisto, who also produced his first album, Everything is a Lot. The album was financed in part by a crowdfunding campaign, which met its goal in its first day.[2]

Trivia[edit]

Two songs eventually included in the live album IN CASE I DIE, "Misanthrapologist" and "...And If I Did, You Deserved It.", had been intended to appear on The Normal Album and later its successor, "In case I make it," but were omitted from both.[3][4]

Release[edit]

The Normal Album was partly financed by a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, as well as by subscribers to Will Wood's Patreon page.[5] The Indiegogo campaign reached its funding goal within a day of its launch, and went on to raise nearly $28,000.[2]

The tracks "Love, Me Normally", "Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)", and "...well, better than the alternative." were released as singles prior to the release of the album.[2][5][6] The album was released on July 10, 2020, through Say-10 Records.

Reception[edit]

Jordan Blum of PopMatters wrote that The Normal Album "explores themes of normality, identity, morality, and other psychological traits", and called it "a thrilling mix of genres (jazz, new wave, doo-wop, and disco among them)";[7] Blum highlighted the song "BlackBoxWarrior – OKULTRA" as being "a great glimpse into Wood's bold and brilliant aesthetic."[7] Bleeding Cool's Joshua Nelson gave the album a positive review, noting the "sardonic bite" and varying moods of its tracks.[8]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Will Wood.

No.TitleLength
1."Suburbia Overture"
  • "Greetings from Mary Bell Township!"
  • "(Vampire) Culture"
  • "Love Me, Normally"
6:16
2."2econd 2ight 2eer (that was fun, goodbye.)"3:26
3."Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)"4:01
4."I / Me / Myself"4:51
5."...well, better than the alternative"4:15
6."Outliars and Hyppocrates: a fun fact about apples"4:12
7."BlackBoxWarrior – OKULTRA"4:54
8."Marsha, Thankk You for the Dialectics, but I Need You to Leave"5:19
9."Love, Me Normally"5:44
10."Memento Mori: the most important thing in the world"2:49

Personnel[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b From the album's liner notes.
  2. ^ a b c "Will Wood To Release "The Normal Album"". New Jersey Stage. May 28, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  3. ^ Will Wood – Misanthrapologist ("In case I make it," Outtake) - Live in Backroom Studios, Rockaway, NJ, retrieved January 4, 2024
  4. ^ Will Wood – ...And If I Did, You Deserved It. ("In case I make it," Outtake) - Live at Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA, retrieved January 4, 2024
  5. ^ a b "Will Wood Releases Music Video For "... well, better than the alternative"". New Jersey Stage. July 1, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  6. ^ "Video Premiere: Will Wood Swings Maniacally with Dark and Swanky Pop Tune "Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!)"". Glide Magazine. June 11, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Blum, Jordan (September 10, 2020). "Will Wood Works His Madcap Magic On "BlackboxWarrior – OKULTRA [Live in Studio]" (Premiere)". PopMatters. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  8. ^ Nelson, Joshua (July 12, 2020). "Review: Will Wood's "The Normal Album" – Anything But, And Better". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved May 17, 2022.