A Thousand Words
Encyclopedia
A Thousand Words is the sixth album for artist Styrofoam
aka Arne Van Petegem. It is also the first for label Nettwerk
.
A Thousand Words eschews previous methods of what Styrofoam calls “bedroom producing” in favor of a fresh approach. Breaking the mold from previous Styrofoam albums, which were self-produced, A Thousand Words enlisted the guidance of WAX LTD (Wally Gagel and Xandy Barry), a Los Angeles production team with some pretty varied credits ranging from Sebadoh and Tanya Donelly to The Eels
and Folk Implosion—and even the Backstreet Boys
and Jessica Simpson
. That experience with both indie rock and pop was something Van Petegem found very attractive.
The album features a diverse yet cohesive array of guest vocalists, like Jim Adkins from Jimmy Eat World
, Blake Hazard and Josh Rouse
. Van Petegem has grown out of the, as he puts it, “shy electronic guy afraid of singing” to return to his roots singing in indie rock bands. He sounds relaxed and joyful as he delivers bright, multi-layered harmonies and simple, thought-provoking lyrics.
"I basically wanted to make an uptempo pop album with big choruses to sing along to. I sort of figured I’d made enough sulky midtempo music for the rest of my life . . . I’m very interested in presenting all these weird sounds, bleeps etc. in a package that is quite accessible overall. But when you listen a little deeper, there is still a lot there to discover."
Styrofoam (musician)
Styrofoam is a Belgian one man glitch electronica project on the independent record label Morr Music...
aka Arne Van Petegem. It is also the first for label Nettwerk
Nettwerk
The Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Management, Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk One Publishing, Nutone Records, and Artwerk. With over 150 employees, the Vancouver-based company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Boston, Nashville, and Hamburg...
.
A Thousand Words eschews previous methods of what Styrofoam calls “bedroom producing” in favor of a fresh approach. Breaking the mold from previous Styrofoam albums, which were self-produced, A Thousand Words enlisted the guidance of WAX LTD (Wally Gagel and Xandy Barry), a Los Angeles production team with some pretty varied credits ranging from Sebadoh and Tanya Donelly to The Eels
Eels (band)
Eels is an American indie rock band formed by singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E...
and Folk Implosion—and even the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
and Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
. That experience with both indie rock and pop was something Van Petegem found very attractive.
The album features a diverse yet cohesive array of guest vocalists, like Jim Adkins from Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
, Blake Hazard and Josh Rouse
Josh Rouse
Josh Rouse is an American folk/roots pop singer-songwriter.-Biography:Born in the small town of Paxton, Nebraska, he moved to various places in the Midwest during his childhood due to his father's military career...
. Van Petegem has grown out of the, as he puts it, “shy electronic guy afraid of singing” to return to his roots singing in indie rock bands. He sounds relaxed and joyful as he delivers bright, multi-layered harmonies and simple, thought-provoking lyrics.
"I basically wanted to make an uptempo pop album with big choruses to sing along to. I sort of figured I’d made enough sulky midtempo music for the rest of my life . . . I’m very interested in presenting all these weird sounds, bleeps etc. in a package that is quite accessible overall. But when you listen a little deeper, there is still a lot there to discover."
Track listing
- "After Sunset" – 3:40
- "A Thousand Words" – 3:42
- "My Next Mistake" [Ft. Jim Adkins] – 4:41
- "No Happy Endings" [Ft. Erica DriscollBlondfireBlondfire is an indie pop band from New York City composed of the brother-and-sister duo Bruce and Erica Driscoll.- Childhood :The Driscolls were born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to an American father and a Brazilian mother. They spent many summers in northern Brazil, and are citizens of...
] – 4:09 - "Microscope" [Ft. Blake Hazard] – 3:55
- "Thirty To One" – 4:38
- "Other Side Of Town" – 4:20
- "Lil White Boy" [Ft. Josh RouseJosh RouseJosh Rouse is an American folk/roots pop singer-songwriter.-Biography:Born in the small town of Paxton, Nebraska, he moved to various places in the Midwest during his childhood due to his father's military career...
] – 4:03 - "No Deliveries List" [Ft. Lili De La Mora] – 4:22
- "Bright Red Helmet" – 4:13
- "Final Offer" – 3:09
Release history
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
20 April 2008 |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
10 June 2008 |