Impersonator (album)

Impersonator is the third studio album by Canadian pop duo Majical Cloudz, released on May 21, 2013 by Matador Records and Mythryl Records.[1][2] It was their first album on Matador after signing with the label in February 2013.[3] It was also the group's first album to feature producer Matthew Otto as a member, following the departure of Matthew E. Duffy after the release of II in 2011.[4]

Impersonator
Studio album by
Majical Cloudz
ReleasedMay 21, 2013
Length38:15
Label
Producer
Majical Cloudz chronology
II
(2011)		 Impersonator
(2013)		 Are You Alone?
(2015)
Singles from Sparkle Hard
  1. "Turns Turns Turns"
    Released: November 5, 2012
  2. "Childhood's End"
    Released: March 26, 2013
  3. "Bugs Don't Buzz"
    Released: May 2, 2013

The album was longlisted for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize.[5][6]

Release and promotion

"Turns Turns Turns" was released on November 5, 2012 as a single from their EP of the same name, which was released on December 3, 2012 by Arbutus Records and Merok Records.[7][8]

"Childhood's End" was released on March 26, 2013.[9][10] On April 3, 2013, a music video for "Childhood's End" directed by Emily Kai Bock was released starring Devon Welsh's father Kenneth Welsh.[11]

"Bugs Don't Buzz" was released on May 2, 2013.[12][13] On June 20, 2013, a music video for "Bugs Don't Buzz" was premiered through NPR.[14] It was directed by Gordon von Steiner and features cockroaches and beetles with miniature furniture and landscaping.[15]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.2/10[16]
Metacritic77/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Consequence of Sound[19]
Exclaim!8/10[20]
The Irish Times[21]
NME7/10[22]
Pitchfork8.2/10[23]
PopMatters8/10[24]
Q[25]
Rolling Stone[26]
Uncut6/10[27]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 77, based on 23 reviews.[17] Writing for Pitchfork, Jayson Greene praised the album, stating, "Impersonator is a gorgeous record-- extraordinarily sung, hypnotically focused-- but it is Welsh's sense of emotional urgency that makes it special."[23] Fred Thomas of AllMusic said, "With such a wide-open sound, even the confusing and painful parts sound hauntingly beautiful."[18] Writing for Consequence of Sound, Sasha Geffen said, "By paring pop music to its core human elements, Majical Cloudz has written a record that's bare enough to breathe inside. Feeling thrives in the blankness: that's Impersonator's paradox."[19] Brice Ezell of PopMatters' praised Devon Welsh's lyricism and the album's musical simplicity, stating, "Impersonator is an album of intriguing paradox. Its ingredients are so simple that it might have been made in a home or garage studio, but Majical Cloudz' sound is so uniquely and deliberately crafted that it's unlikely just anyone with ProTools could do the same. Welsh's simple sentence-centric lyrics are nothing a budding writer couldn't imitate, but his delivery is more akin to the terse yet resonant style of Ernest Hemingway."[24]

In a less favorable review, Laura Studarus of Under the Radar said, "The majority sounds like demos for a fuller, richer album that Welsh undoubtedly has the skills to write."[28]

Year-end lists
Publication Rank List
Consequence of Sound 33 Top 50 Albums of 2013[29]
Flavorwire 2 25 Favorite Albums of 2013[30]
Pitchfork 8 The Top 50 Albums of 2013[31]
Vice 19 Top 50 Albums of 2013[32]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Devon Welsh.

No.TitleLength
1."Impersonator"3:10
2."This Is Magic"4:26
3."Childhood's End"3:48
4."I Do Sing for You"4:10
5."Mister"4:12
6."Turns Turns Turns"3:43
7."Silver Rings"5:15
8."Illusion"2:51
9."Bugs Don't Buzz"3:21
10."Notebook"3:19
Total length:38:15
Impersonator – Deluxe Version[33]
No.TitleLength
11."Savage"3:40
12."Love Soul"4:23

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[34]

  • Devon Welsh – songwriting, production
  • Matthew Otto – production
  • Dimitri Condax – mastering
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References
  1. Murray, Robin (March 26, 2013). "Majical Cloudz Announces New Album 'Impersonator'". Clash. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  2. Breihan, Tom (May 21, 2013). "Album Of The Week: Majical Cloudz Impersonator". Stereogum. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  3. Adams, Gregory (February 5, 2013). "Majical Cloudz Sign to Matador". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  4. Joyce (March 12, 2016). "Watch Devon Welsh and Matthew Otto's Final Performance as Majical Cloud". Pigeons & Planes. Complex. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  5. Brophy, Aaron (June 13, 2013). "Polaris Music Prize 2013 Long List Is Here". Polaris Music Prize. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  6. McGovern, Kyle (July 16, 2013). "Polaris Prize 2013 Nominees: Tegan and Sara, Metric, and More". Spin. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  7. Zoladz, Lindsay (November 5, 2012). ""Turns Turns Turns" by Majical Cloudz Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  8. Hudson, Alex (November 6, 2012). "Majical Cloudz Get Set for 'Turns Turns Turns' EP". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  9. Coplan, Chris (March 26, 2013). "Majical Cloudz announces new album Impersonator, listen to "Childhood's End"". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  10. "Majical Cloudz announces Matador debut Impersonator; stream the melancholy 'Childhood's End' now". Fact. March 26, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  11. Minsker, Evan (April 3, 2013). "Majical Cloudz' Father, Kenneth Welsh of "Twin Peaks", Stars in the "Childhood's End" Video". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  12. Nelson, Michael (May 2, 2013). "Majical Cloudz – "Bugs Don't Buzz"". Stereogum. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  13. Hughes, Josiah (May 2, 2013). "Majical Cloudz "Bugs Don't Buzz"". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  14. Hilton, Robin (June 20, 2013). "First Watch: Majical Cloudz, 'Bugs Don't Buzz'". NPR. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  15. Hogan, Marc (June 20, 2013). "Majical Cloudz's 'Bugs Don't Buzz' Video Finds Grandeur in Cockroaches". Spin. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  16. "Impersonator by Majical Cloudz reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  17. "Reviews for Impersonator by Majical Cloudz". Metacritic. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  18. Thomas, Fred. "Impersonator – Majical Cloudz". AllMusic. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  19. Geffen, Sasha (May 22, 2013). "Album Review: Majical Cloudz – Impersonator". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  20. Monroe, Jazz (May 21, 2013). "Majical Cloudz: Impersonator". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  21. Carroll, Jim (June 7, 2013). "Majical Cloudz: Impersonator". The Irish Times. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  22. Levine, Nick (May 20, 2013). "Majical Cloudz – 'Impersonator'". NME. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  23. Greene, Jayson (May 22, 2013). "Majical Cloudz: Impersonator". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  24. Ezell, Brice (May 21, 2013). "Majical Cloudz: Impersonator". PopMatters. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  25. "Majical Cloudz: Impersonator". Q. No. 325. August 2013. p. 102.
  26. Powell, Mike (May 16, 2013). "Impersonator". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  27. "Majical Cloudz: Impersonator". Uncut. No. 193. June 2013. p. 75.
  28. Studarus, Laura (May 29, 2013). "Majical Cloudz: Impersonator (Matador)". Under the Radar. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  29. "Top 50 Albums of 2013". Consequence of Sound. December 13, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  30. Hawking, Tom (December 13, 2013). "Flavorwire's 25 Favorite Albums of 2013". Flavorwire. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  31. "The 50 Best Albums of 2018". Pitchfork. December 18, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  32. "VICE's Top 50 Albums of 2013". Vice. December 18, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  33. "Impersonator (Deluxe Version) by Majical Cloudz" – via itunes.apple.com.
  34. Impersonator (Liner notes). Majical Cloudz. Matador Records. 2013. OLE-1034-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
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