Keep Me On Your Side
Encyclopedia
Keep Me on Your Side is the second studio album
by New Zealand
pop punk
band Goodnight Nurse
, released on 7 April 2008. The album was the follow-up to their successful debut album, Always and Never
. It peaked at number five on New Zealand's RIANZ chart.
The album has produced three singles to date. "The Night" was released in Australia
and New Zealand
on 4 February 2008, with a music video for the song released on 24 February 2008. The second single from the album was "I Need This", it released on 5 May 2008. The third single "Serpent Queen Pt. 2" was released on 'free-to-download' on New Zealand's iTunes, which accelerated the album's success.
, Shihad
and Thirsty Merc
. A total of 40 songs were originally demoed by the group, with only 12 making it into the final cut to be recorded for the album. Keep Me on Your Side was mastered in New York by respected recording engineer Ted Jensen
, who is best known for his work with Norah Jones
' 2003 Grammy award
winning album Come Away with Me
, Simple Plan
and is also signed up to do Metallica
's upcoming 9th studio album.
. Reviewer Chris Schulz gave the album a 3 out of 5 star rating for national news website Stuff.co.nz
. Complimenting a variety of aspects of the album, including lead single "The Night
" - stating it "has a danceable stomp reminiscent of Bloc Party's Flux". He also went on to give mention to the "hard-hitting anthem" "Drift Away", saying it is sure to become a "live favourite". Compliments were also cited for the "serious" side of the album, as "Hard to Watch You Go" gained praise with its "real conviction" as "they come across like latter-day Blink 182". Schulz goes on to say the album is "let down by a couple of tracks that sound like Goodnight Nurse are fighting for inclusion on the next soundtrack for Grey's Anatomy - "Lay With Me" and "I Need This" especially." Overall they were seen as "aiming admirably high on an impressive second effort".
Music News website The Edge FM rated the new album as the "best work from Goodnight Nurse so far", saying it was "so different... from their previous album" and how it is "amazing and exciting". Also they went on to say it was full of "pretty much mind-blowing songs", with "other fantastic singles to come" after "The Night". A review also posted on the site labelled the second album from GNN as "catchy" and of a "high standard". Stating "the album opens with dark but catchy "Serpent Queen Part 2"" and that it doesn't slow down from there as "it's an album that starts awesome and finishes just as strong".
The album's cover, illustrated by Barny Bewick, won the 2008 Vodafone New Zealand Music Award for Best Album Cover.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band Goodnight Nurse
Goodnight Nurse
Goodnight Nurse was a pop punk band from New Zealand, formed in Auckland, in 2001. The group originally began as a trio, but later changed to a four-piece prior to the release of their second album...
, released on 7 April 2008. The album was the follow-up to their successful debut album, Always and Never
Always and Never
Always and Never is the debut album by New Zealand pop punk band, Goodnight Nurse, released in January 2006.- Album information :The album spawned many singles and radio hits, including, 'My Only', 'Death Goes To Disco', 'Loner', 'Our Song', 'Going Away', 'Taking Over', and, most recently, 'All For...
. It peaked at number five on New Zealand's RIANZ chart.
The album has produced three singles to date. "The Night" was released in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
on 4 February 2008, with a music video for the song released on 24 February 2008. The second single from the album was "I Need This", it released on 5 May 2008. The third single "Serpent Queen Pt. 2" was released on 'free-to-download' on New Zealand's iTunes, which accelerated the album's success.
Production
The album was recorded in Melbourne, Australia around August 2007. It was produced by Lindsay Gravina, well known for his work with bands such as The Living EndThe Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
, Shihad
Shihad
Shihad is a New Zealand hard/alternative rock band, currently based in Melbourne, Australia. During Shihad's recording career, they have produced four number-one studio albums and three top-ten singles in their home country of New Zealand....
and Thirsty Merc
Thirsty Merc
Thirsty Merc are an Australian pop rock band formed in 2002 in Sydney, Australia. The band consists of Rai Thistlethwayte , Phil Stack , Karl Robertson , and Matt Smith ....
. A total of 40 songs were originally demoed by the group, with only 12 making it into the final cut to be recorded for the album. Keep Me on Your Side was mastered in New York by respected recording engineer Ted Jensen
Ted Jensen
Ted Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
, who is best known for his work with Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
' 2003 Grammy award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winning album Come Away with Me
Come Away with Me
Come Away with Me is the debut album of pianist and singer Norah Jones, released February 26, 2002 on Blue Note Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at New York City's Sorcerer Sound Studio and Shokan's Allaire Studios in 2001...
, Simple Plan
Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...
and is also signed up to do Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's upcoming 9th studio album.
Reception
Keep Me on Your Side gained fairly positive reviews, though did not achieve the critical acclaim of its predecessor Always and NeverAlways and Never
Always and Never is the debut album by New Zealand pop punk band, Goodnight Nurse, released in January 2006.- Album information :The album spawned many singles and radio hits, including, 'My Only', 'Death Goes To Disco', 'Loner', 'Our Song', 'Going Away', 'Taking Over', and, most recently, 'All For...
. Reviewer Chris Schulz gave the album a 3 out of 5 star rating for national news website Stuff.co.nz
Stuff.co.nz
Stuff.co.nz is a New Zealand news website owned and operated by Fairfax New Zealand, a subsidiary of the Australian company Fairfax Media. Stuff hosts the websites for Fairfax's New Zealand newspapers, including the country's second and third highest circulation daily newspapers The Dominion Post...
. Complimenting a variety of aspects of the album, including lead single "The Night
The Night (song)
"The Night" is a song from Goodnight Nurse's second studio album, Keep Me On Your Side. It was released as the first single off of the album on 4 February 2008 in Australia and New Zealand....
" - stating it "has a danceable stomp reminiscent of Bloc Party's Flux". He also went on to give mention to the "hard-hitting anthem" "Drift Away", saying it is sure to become a "live favourite". Compliments were also cited for the "serious" side of the album, as "Hard to Watch You Go" gained praise with its "real conviction" as "they come across like latter-day Blink 182". Schulz goes on to say the album is "let down by a couple of tracks that sound like Goodnight Nurse are fighting for inclusion on the next soundtrack for Grey's Anatomy - "Lay With Me" and "I Need This" especially." Overall they were seen as "aiming admirably high on an impressive second effort".
Music News website The Edge FM rated the new album as the "best work from Goodnight Nurse so far", saying it was "so different... from their previous album" and how it is "amazing and exciting". Also they went on to say it was full of "pretty much mind-blowing songs", with "other fantastic singles to come" after "The Night". A review also posted on the site labelled the second album from GNN as "catchy" and of a "high standard". Stating "the album opens with dark but catchy "Serpent Queen Part 2"" and that it doesn't slow down from there as "it's an album that starts awesome and finishes just as strong".
The album's cover, illustrated by Barny Bewick, won the 2008 Vodafone New Zealand Music Award for Best Album Cover.
Track listing
- "Serpent Queen Pt. 2" - 2:53
- "The Night" - 3:06
- "Details" - 2:59
- "Hard to Watch You Go" - 3:40
- "Lay With Me" - 3:03
- "I Need This" - 3:33
- "Jesse" - 3:23
- "Drift Away" - 2:59
- "This is it" - 3:13
- "Drown" - 3:06
- "Say Your Goodbyes" - 2:56
- "Take it All" - 2:53
- "Take Me Away" - 3:26 (iTunes bonus track)
Album
| Chart | Chart position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand RIANZ albums chart | 5 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart position |
|---|---|---|
| NZ | ||
| 2008 | "The Night" | 24 |
| 2008 | "I Need This" | — |
| 2008 | "This Is It" | — |