Dear Wormwood

Dear Wormwood is the second album by American folk rock band The Oh Hellos, released October 15, 2015. It was written, produced, and performed primarily by siblings Tyler and Maggie Heath, with the exception of "Danse Macabre", which was composed by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1874. The mixing and mastering was done by Charlie Kramsky, with extra vocals being recorded by members of the ensemble that tours with the duo, including Matthew Hagerman and Joey Chance.[1][2]

Dear Wormwood
Studio album by
The Oh Hellos
ReleasedOctober 16, 2016
GenreFolk rock, indie folk
Length39:02
LabelElektra
ProducerMaggie and Tyler Heath
The Oh Hellos chronology
The Oh Hellos' Family Christmas Album
(2013)		 Dear Wormwood
(2016)		 Notos
(2017)

Background

The album takes its title from The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis, which has every chapter of the book begin with the words "Dear Wormwood,". It draws further inspiration from the book by framing each song as a letter from someone in an abusive or unhealthy relationship to their abuser, reversing how the book was composed of letters trying to teach one demon how to lead a particular human astray. The songs vary in tone from lovingly addressed to determined to escape the relationship.[1][3][4] It also draws inspiration from The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss, with the descriptions of literature, language, and music being an influence on the way the album was written. It's described as a sequel to their first LP Through the Deep, Dark Valley, with the first album concerning where the speaker of the album has been, and Dear Wormwood dealing with the speaker having to pick up and move on from where he left off.[4]

Critical reception and response
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Glide Magazine8/10

Dear Wormwood peaked at #134 on Billboard 200 and stayed there for a week.[5]

Neil Z. Yeung gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5, saying that "These songs are heavy on the drama, but the conviction with which the band delivers each one borders on glorious rapture." Brandon Easley of Glide Magazine gave Dear Wormwood an 8/10, calling the album "a fantastic recording that is easy to share,".[6][7]

The Track "Soldier, Poet, King" received minor attention in the animation community when animator Gothfrog created a short animation set to the main lyrics of the song. The lyrics tell of a trio of individuals and their defining traits; a soldier ("Who carries a mighty sword / He will tear your city down"), a poet ("Whose weapon is his word / he will slay you with his tongue") and a king or ruler ("Whose brow is laid in thorn / Smeared in oil like David's boy"). The animation depicts the introduction of three characters who represent these three archetypes marching to the beat of the song. They are not exactly these things, but represent them spiritually in some manner. Following Gothfrog's posting of the video, many other animators have taken to making similar videos using their own style and characters to fit to the song. These videos are usually made whenever the user reaches a certain number of subscribers.[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Maggie and Tyler Heath, unless noted.

Dear Wormwood track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Prelude"1:08
2."Bitter Water"3:16
3."There Beneath"2:58
4."In the Blue Hours of Morning"0:43
5."Exeunt"2:33
6."Caesar"4:42
7."This Will End"3:13
8."Pale White Horse"3:27
9."Where Is Your Rider"3:19
10."Soldier, Poet, King"2:45
11."Dear Wormwood"5:16
12."Danse Macabre (Saint-Saëns)[9]"2:02
13."Thus Always to Tyrants"3:40
Total length:39:02
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References
  1. "Dear Wormwood, by The Oh Hellos". The Oh Hellos. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  2. "Dear Wormwood - The Oh Hellos | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  3. Grey, Stephanie (2016-09-28). "The Oh Hellos on C.S. Lewis, Christian Art and Learning to Trust the Music Industry". Westword. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  4. Times, Music (2015-10-15). "The Oh Hellos Bring C.S. Lewis Inspirations to Rich New Album 'Dear Wormwood': Interview". Music Times. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  5. "The Oh Hellos". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  6. "Dear Wormwood - The Oh Hellos | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  7. Easley, Brandon (2015-09-26). "THE OH HELLOS – 'DEAR WORMWOOD' (ALBUM REVIEW)". glidemagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  8. "Soldier, Poet, King | Original Animation Meme". YouTube. Gothfrog. December 18, 2018.
  9. "Danse macabre, Op.40 (Saint-Saëns, Camille) - IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music". imslp.org. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
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