And the Glass Handed Kites
Encyclopedia
And the Glass Handed Kites is the fourth studio album by Danish
band Mew
, released 19 September 2005 in Denmark
, 24 September 2005 in the United Kingdom and 25 July 2006 in the United States on Sony BMG. This was the last Mew album to feature bassist Johan Wohlert
, who left the band the following year to focus on being a father.
. Critics have likened the album to one long song due to the tracks' unnoticed transitions.
And the Glass Handed Kites sound has been compared to Sigur Ros
, Dinosaur Jr., Ride
, a concept album
and progressive rock
. In fact, the album features Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis
contributing backing vocals on the tracks "Why Are You Looking Grave?" and "An Envoy to the Open Fields."
And the Glass Handed Kites peaked at #2 on Denmark's Tracklisten
. Four singles were released for the album: "Apocalypso," "Special," "Why Are You Looking Grave?" and "The Zookeeper's Boy." Despite originally not having been released as a single, the track "The Zookeeper's Boy" gained massive popularity with the biggest radio station in Denmark, P3
, reaching #1 on the radio's Tjeklisten charts from October 9, 2005 through November 6, 2005. The track was voted "Hit of the Year" by Gaffa
readers, with another Mew song ("Special") coming in second. "The Zookeeper's Boy" was later released as a single in 2006.
-era Radiohead
, My Bloody Valentine, and Disintergration-era Cure
will find And the Glass Handed Kites one of the most breathtaking things to come along since the dawn of the dream pop/post-punk genres themselves." Drowned in Sound
's Jordan Dowling also gave And the Glass Handed Kites a positive review, writing "If you are looking for an album that you can put on for a couple minutes to fill time then you'd do better to look elsewhere, but if you want to be transported to an ethereal demi-world stuck between real life and dreams then ensure you purchase this. A masterpiece of overstated proportions, which is the greatest concept of all." Pitchfork Media
's Nitsuh Abebe praised the album's epic feel and called the album "a terrific accomplishment." However, the same website criticized the album cover, naming it one of the worst album covers of 2006.
In a more mixed review, Conrad Amenta of Cokemachineglow.com wrote "The real shame is that on this album... the songs become secondary to the gesture. They are denied a sense of finality or, in And the Glass Handed Kite’s case, are sometimes deprived of an ending altogether." Amenta concluded: "The band does have the musical ability, their songs are reasonably well constructed, and the melodies are there. It’s only the ridiculous costume of importance they wear so self-consciously that’ll keep them from ever joining the party."
The album has won several music prizes in Denmark, including four Danish Music Awards
. Gaffa
named And the Glass Handed Kites the best Danish album of 2005. The album also helped Mew win awards outside of Denmark, with the band winning the 2005 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Danish Act
. Pitchfork Media
ranked the song "The Zookeeper's Boy" #92 on its list of the top 100 tracks of 2006.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
band Mew
Mew (band)
Mew is a Danish alternative music band consisting of Jonas Bjerre, Bo Madsen, and Silas Utke Graae Jørgensen. Bassist Johan Wohlert was also a founding member of the band, but left in 2006...
, released 19 September 2005 in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, 24 September 2005 in the United Kingdom and 25 July 2006 in the United States on Sony BMG. This was the last Mew album to feature bassist Johan Wohlert
Johan Wohlert
Johan Wohlert is the former bass player of Danish indie band Mew. He left the band on 11 April 2006, because he did not feel that he could be a rock star and a good father at the same time...
, who left the band the following year to focus on being a father.
Overview
And the Glass Handed Kites was composed as a single continuous suiteSuite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
. Critics have likened the album to one long song due to the tracks' unnoticed transitions.
And the Glass Handed Kites sound has been compared to Sigur Ros
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
, Dinosaur Jr., Ride
Ride (band)
Ride were a British alternative rock band that formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, consisting of Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Laurence "Loz" Colbert, and Steve Queralt. The band were initially part of the "shoegazing" scene. Following the break-up of the band in 1996, members moved on to various other...
, a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
and progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
. In fact, the album features Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis
J Mascis
J Mascis is an American musician, best known as the singer, guitarist and songwriter for Dinosaur Jr.. In 2011, he was ranked in Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.- Biography :...
contributing backing vocals on the tracks "Why Are You Looking Grave?" and "An Envoy to the Open Fields."
And the Glass Handed Kites peaked at #2 on Denmark's Tracklisten
Tracklisten
Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl...
. Four singles were released for the album: "Apocalypso," "Special," "Why Are You Looking Grave?" and "The Zookeeper's Boy." Despite originally not having been released as a single, the track "The Zookeeper's Boy" gained massive popularity with the biggest radio station in Denmark, P3
DR P3
DR P3 is the third of the four national radio networks operated by the Danish public broadcaster DR...
, reaching #1 on the radio's Tjeklisten charts from October 9, 2005 through November 6, 2005. The track was voted "Hit of the Year" by Gaffa
Gaffa (magazine)
Gaffa is a free Danish music magazine, published on a monthly basis since 1983. The magazine is distributed to places such as educational institutions, record shops, libraries and cafés, as well as a small number to paying subscribers...
readers, with another Mew song ("Special") coming in second. "The Zookeeper's Boy" was later released as a single in 2006.
Reception
And the Glass Handed Kites has been well received by critics. James Christopher Monger of Allmusic gave the album a positive review, writing "Fans of OK ComputerOK Computer
OK Computer is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 on Parlophone in the UK and 1 July 1997 by Capitol Records in the US. It marks a deliberate attempt by the band to move away from the introspective guitar-oriented sound of their previous...
-era Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, My Bloody Valentine, and Disintergration-era Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
will find And the Glass Handed Kites one of the most breathtaking things to come along since the dawn of the dream pop/post-punk genres themselves." Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
's Jordan Dowling also gave And the Glass Handed Kites a positive review, writing "If you are looking for an album that you can put on for a couple minutes to fill time then you'd do better to look elsewhere, but if you want to be transported to an ethereal demi-world stuck between real life and dreams then ensure you purchase this. A masterpiece of overstated proportions, which is the greatest concept of all." Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Nitsuh Abebe praised the album's epic feel and called the album "a terrific accomplishment." However, the same website criticized the album cover, naming it one of the worst album covers of 2006.
In a more mixed review, Conrad Amenta of Cokemachineglow.com wrote "The real shame is that on this album... the songs become secondary to the gesture. They are denied a sense of finality or, in And the Glass Handed Kite’s case, are sometimes deprived of an ending altogether." Amenta concluded: "The band does have the musical ability, their songs are reasonably well constructed, and the melodies are there. It’s only the ridiculous costume of importance they wear so self-consciously that’ll keep them from ever joining the party."
The album has won several music prizes in Denmark, including four Danish Music Awards
Danish Music Awards
The Danish Music Awards is a Danish award show. The show has been arranged by IFPI since 1989, and was originally called IFPI-prisen until 1991, when it changed its name to Dansk Grammy . The current name was given in 2001, after the American Grammy Awards took copyright on the name Grammy....
. Gaffa
Gaffa (magazine)
Gaffa is a free Danish music magazine, published on a monthly basis since 1983. The magazine is distributed to places such as educational institutions, record shops, libraries and cafés, as well as a small number to paying subscribers...
named And the Glass Handed Kites the best Danish album of 2005. The album also helped Mew win awards outside of Denmark, with the band winning the 2005 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Danish Act
MTV Europe Music Award for Best Danish Act
The following is a list of the MTV Europe Music Award winners and nominees for Best Danish Act.-2000's:-2010's:- See also :* MTV Europe Music Award for Best Nordic Act...
. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
ranked the song "The Zookeeper's Boy" #92 on its list of the top 100 tracks of 2006.
Track listing
Mew
- Jonas Bjerre - guitar, vocals
- Bo Madsen - guitar
- Johan Wohlert - bass
- Silas Utke Graae Jørgensen - drums
Additional personnel
- Gaël Amzalag - Photography
- Kevin Bacon - Mixing
- Michael Beinhorn - Engineer, Producer
- Mathias Aagaard Christensen - Boy's Choir, Choir, Chorus
- Niklas Emil De Freis - Boy's Choir, Choir, Chorus
- Frank Filipetti - Engineer
- Pete Jackson - Management
- George Marino - Mastering
- J Mascis - Vocals, Vocals (Background)
- Alan McGee - Management
- Jonathan Quarmby - Mixing
- Bo Rande - Flugelhorn, Trumpet
- Felipe Tichauer - Engineer
- Damon Tuntunjian - Guitar
Album
| Chart (2005/2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Danish Album Charts | 2 |
| Finnish Album Charts | 4 |
| Norwegian Album Charts | 4 |
| Swedish Album Charts | 36 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak positions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
Den Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
|||||||||||
| 2005 | "Apocalypso" | 75 | — | |||||||||
| 2005 | "Special" | 46 | — | |||||||||
| 2006 | "Why Are You Looking Grave?" | 53 | 20 | |||||||||
| 2006 | "The Zookeeper's Boy" | — | 13 | |||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||||