The Reputation (album)
Encyclopedia
The Reputation is the eponymous debut album by indie rock
band The Reputation
. It was released in 2002 on Initial Records
.
Written almost entirely by lead singer Elizabeth Elmore
, the album was well-received critically. The Los Angeles Times
gave the album 3.5 out of 4 stars, saying that "[Elmore's] streaming anecdotes give the listener the feeling of walking right into the middle of life-altering events. The College Music Journal
s Amy Wan called the album "showcase for Elmore's powerfully biting lyrics and her passionate voice, dancing deftly between little-girl sweet and outright roar," and Robert Christgau
of the Village Voice gave the album an A-.
The album featured regular members Elmore, Sean Hulet (on guitar), and Joel Root (bass). Chad Romanowski, who played in Elmore's previous band Sarge
, played drums for most of the album. The song "Almost Blue" is a cover of the same song by Elvis Costello
, from his album Imperial Bedroom
. With Elmore on vocals, the rest of the band did not participate, while featuring former Wilco
guitarist Jay Bennett
on piano.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band The Reputation
The Reputation
The Reputation were an indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois. The band was fronted by former Sarge singer-songwriter Elizabeth Elmore, with other positions filled by various members....
. It was released in 2002 on Initial Records
Initial Records
Initial Records was an iconic Louisville based independent record label during the Nineties and early part of the new millennium. Initial released records from hardcore punk to indie rock over its 12-year span...
.
Written almost entirely by lead singer Elizabeth Elmore
Elizabeth Elmore
Elizabeth Elmore is an American singer/songwriter, recently with the rock bands The Reputation and Sarge.Elmore formed Sarge in 1996, and the band broke up in 1999...
, the album was well-received critically. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
gave the album 3.5 out of 4 stars, saying that "[Elmore's] streaming anecdotes give the listener the feeling of walking right into the middle of life-altering events. The College Music Journal
College Music Journal
College Music Journal, commonly known as CMJ, is a music events/publishing company which hosts an annual festival in New York City, the CMJ Music Marathon, as well as a weekly magazine of and for the music industry and college radio stations in the United States and Canada. It publishes top 30...
s Amy Wan called the album "showcase for Elmore's powerfully biting lyrics and her passionate voice, dancing deftly between little-girl sweet and outright roar," and Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
of the Village Voice gave the album an A-.
The album featured regular members Elmore, Sean Hulet (on guitar), and Joel Root (bass). Chad Romanowski, who played in Elmore's previous band Sarge
Sarge (band)
Sarge was an indie rock band from Champaign, Illinois, in the United States. They released three albums on Mud Records.-History:The band was formed in 1996. Led by singer/songwriter Elizabeth Elmore, the band did some touring and released their debut album Charcoal on Mud Records...
, played drums for most of the album. The song "Almost Blue" is a cover of the same song by Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, from his album Imperial Bedroom
Imperial Bedroom
Imperial Bedroom is a 1982 album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It was the second Costello album, along with Almost Blue, not produced by Nick Lowe, the production duties handled by Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick...
. With Elmore on vocals, the rest of the band did not participate, while featuring former Wilco
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John...
guitarist Jay Bennett
Jay Bennett
Jay Walter Bennett was an American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Wilco.-Early life and work with Wilco:...
on piano.
Track listing
- "Either Coast" – 3:27
- "Stars of Amateur Hour" – 3:30
- "Misery by Design" – 3:58
- "She Turned Your Head..." – 4:22
- "This Town" – 3:50
- "Alaskan" – 4:10
- "The Uselessness of Friends..." – 4:47
- "Truth" – 4:03
- "For the Win" – 10:17
- "Almost BlueAlmost BlueAlmost Blue is an album by Elvis Costello and the Attractions. It was recorded May 1981 in Nashville, and released on 23 October 1981. The record's songs consist entirely of country covers, including works originally written by Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, George Jones and Gram Parsons...
" – 2:57