Angry Cyclist

Angry Cyclist is the eleventh[1] studio album by Scottish folk rock duo The Proclaimers. The album was released on 10 August 2018 on the label Cooking Vinyl.[1] The album spawned the titular single "Angry Cyclist",[2] accompanied by a music video. Charting at No. 2 in Scotland, as well as at No. 17 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 3 on the Indie Charts,[3] the release of Angry Cyclist was followed by a promotional tour of the United Kingdom, Canada, Iceland, Asia and Australia.[4]

Angry Cyclist
Studio album by
The Proclaimers
Released10 August 2018
StudioRockfield Studios, Wales
GenreRock
Length37:26
LabelCooking Vinyl
ProducerDave Eringa
The Proclaimers chronology
Let's Hear It for the Dogs
(2015)		 Angry Cyclist
(2018)
Singles from Angry Cyclist
  1. "Angry Cyclist"
    Released: 14 June 2018
  2. "Streets of Edinburgh"
    Released: 2018
  3. "Sometimes It's The Fools"
    Released: 2019

Receiving a generally favourable reception,[5] AllMusic praising the record an example of the band's best work,[6] Angry Cyclist included politically-angled songs reflecting Brexit and Donald Trump,[2] and absorbed a variegation of influences including country,[6] jangle pop and soul.[4]

Production

The album was produced by Dave Eringa[1] who produced The Proclaimers' previous album Let's Hear It for the Dogs, and was likewise recorded in Wales at Rockfield Studios.[7]

Release

Angry Cyclist was released on 10 August 2018.[6] Released through Cooking Vinyl,[8] the album saw Europe-wide release on CD, as well as vinyl and cassette releases in the UK.[8]

Style and content

Lyrical themes

The lyrics of Angry Cyclist included political themes. The title-track "Angry Cyclist" reflected dismay at a societal shift to the political right following Brexit and the election of Donald Trump,[2] band member Craig Reid metaphorically likening "sweating, angry cyclists “hemmed in” by city traffic with the polarisation of political discourse", the song was hailed "a metaphor for our times".[2] "Classy" was a wry insight into the "ludicrous strata" of the British class system.[9] The sentimental ballad "Streets of Edinburgh" looked backwards and forwards at the city where the band spend their formative years.[10]

Musical style

AllMusic opined that The Proclaimers "present a mix of style influences" on Angry Cyclist,[6] ordaining "The Battle of the Booze" as "countrified" and entailing "Information"'s R&B infusions.[6] "Sometimes It's the Fools" rang out with what The Scotsman adjudged a "pithy and pacey jangle",[4] remindful of R.E.M., declaring "You Make Me Happy" to be a "direct and driving Celtic soul stormer" and "A Way with Words" a "twanging country rock’n’roller".[4]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[6]
The Scotsman[4]
The Skinny[1]
Spill Magazine[10]

According to Metacritic, Angry Cyclist received a score of 77/100 based in 5 reviews, suggesting "generally positive reviews".[5] Marcy Donelson of AllMusic described the record as "one of [the band's] best" and "the type of album that would be fun see performed live in full".[6] In an eight-out-of-ten review, Bryan Willitson of Toronto-based publication Spill Magazine opined that the album had "many moments to enjoy" and that it "grows on the listener with each successive spin".[10] The Skinny, in a four out-of five-star review by Alan O'Hare, while acknowledging the album to offer "a little less gravitas than usual", stated that " the taut Telecasters that dominate The Proclaimers' eleventh studio album provide a tension that seems to sit well within [...] these prescient compositions",[1] and further alluded to the track "Classy" as "lyrical genius".[1] The Scotsman complimented Angry Cyclist as one of the band's "most cutting collections" and that "every track brims with confidence".[4]

Touring

The Proclaimers embarked on a worldwide tour following the release of Angry Cyclist. The 2018 leg of the Angry Cyclist tour saw the band perform 43 shows and 5 festivals in the United Kingdom, as well as 13 concerts in Canada supported by the English indie folk artist Siobhan Wilson.[11][12] The 2019 portion included performances that April in Reykjavik, Dubai and Singapore,[13][14] as well as a 10-date tour of Australia that May.[15] The tour concluded with a performance on 14 September 2019 at The Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.[16] The Angry Cyclist tour saw the duo perform to over 400,000 people across 111 performances.[16]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Craig and Charlie Reid.

No.TitleLength
1."Angry Cyclist"2:26
2."Stretch"2:55
3."Streets of Edinburgh"3:46
4."Then It Comes to Me"3:05
5."You Make Me Happy"2:27
6."Looted"3:00
7."The Hours Between"3:16
8."Information"2:43
9."Sometimes It's the Fools"2:57
10."A Way With Words"2:11
11."Classy"2:38
12."The Battle of the Booze"2:34
13."I'd Ask the Questions"2:28

Personnel

Chart performance
Charts (2018) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[18] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[19] 17
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[20] 3
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References
  1. O'Hare, Alan (7 August 2018). "The Proclaimers – Angry Cyclist". The Skinny. The Skinny. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  2. Alexander, Michael (11 August 2018). "Interview with The Proclaimers: Why new album title track 'Angry Cyclist' is a metaphor for our times". The Courier. The Courier. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  3. "Angry Cyclist album charts at Number 17". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  4. "Album reviews: The Proclaimers | Jah Wobble | Giant Sand | Israel Nash". The Scotsman. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  5. "Angry Cyclist by The Proclaimers". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  6. Donelson, Marcy. "The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist - Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  7. "The Proclaimers' new album "Angry Cyclist"". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  8. "The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist". Discogs. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  9. Alinscoe, Mike. "The Proclaimers: Angry Cyclist – Video, single and Album News". Louder Than War. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  10. Williston, Bryan. "Spill Album Review: The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist". Spill Magazine. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  11. "Angry Cyclist 2018 Tour". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  12. Murphy, Sarah (17 April 2018). "The Proclaimers Plot Fall Canadian Tour". Exclaim. Exclaim. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  13. "The Proclaimers will perform live in Singapore on 29 April 2019". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  14. "Latest news on Tour". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  15. "Australia - "Angry Cyclist tour" 2019". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  16. "Angry Cyclist Tour - The last show". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  17. The liner notes entail the musical and technical personnel of Angry Cyclist.
  18. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  19. "Proclaimers | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  20. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
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