Patch the Sky

Patch the Sky is the 12th solo album from former Hüsker Dü and Sugar frontman Bob Mould.

Patch the Sky
Studio album by Bob Mould
Released	March 25, 2016 (2016-03-25)
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	44:55
Label	Merge
Producer	Bob Mould
Bob Mould chronology
Beauty & Ruin (2014) Patch the Sky (2016) Sunshine Rock (2019)

Background

Patch the Sky is described by Mould as the third album in a trilogy, the other two albums being 2012's Silver Age and 2014's Beauty & Ruin.[1] This trilogy of albums began with Mould's signing to Merge Records and recruiting bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster into his recording and touring band.

Bob Mould initially considered making a primarily-acoustic album, much like his 1989 solo debut Workbook. The song "Hold On" dates back to this time, having been written as a "downtempo acoustic song" in 2013.[2]

After the release of Beauty & Ruin, Mould's mother died. This, combined with other circumstances in Mould's life like "relationships ending", led to the darker tone of the album.[2]

Recording

Recording for the album occurred at Steve Albini's Chicago studio Electrical Audio, with Bob Mould serving as producer and Beau Sorenson serving as engineer.[3]

Title

The title of the album arose out of a vision Mould had, "of when people leave or things end, of something shooting through the 'fabric of the sky' and disappearing. 'Sometimes you think you want to chase it,' he says, meditating on the people or elements you lose along the way in life. 'Sometimes you get right to the edge of it, and sew it back shut and stay on the other side. Does that make sense?' You decide to patch the sky and keep going, instead of shooting through yourself."[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bob Mould.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Voices in My Head"	3:54
2.	"The End of Things"	3:37
3.	"Hold On"	2:55
4.	"You Say You"	2:59
5.	"Losing Sleep"	3:25
6.	"Pray for Rain"	3:20
7.	"Lucifer and God"	3:45
8.	"Daddy's Favorite"	3:19
9.	"Hands Are Tied"	1:44
10.	"Black Confetti"	4:15
11.	"Losing Time"	2:11
12.	"Monument"	5:31
Total length:		44:55

Personnel

• Bob Mould - guitars, vocals, keyboards, percussion
• Jason Narducy - bass, backing vocals
• Jon Wurster - drums, percussion

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	83/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
The A.V. Club	B+[5]
AllMusic	[6]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[7]
Mojo	[8]
PopMatters	8/10[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]

Patch the Sky received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, the album received an average score of 83, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 16 reviews.[4]

Charts

Chart (2016)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[11]	172
UK Albums (OCC)[12]	54
US Billboard 200[13]	82

References

1. "Interview: Bob Mould". Louder Than War. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
2. "Catching The Rain". Stereogum. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
3. "Patch The Sky, by Bob Mould". Bob Mould. Retrieved 2016-04-11.
4. "Reviews for Patch the Sky by Bob Mould". Metacritic. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
5. Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (25 March 2016). "Patch The Sky finds Bob Mould in spirited, cathartic form". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
6. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Patch the Sky. – Bob Mould". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
7. Greenblatt, Leah (25 March 2016). "Bob Mould's Patch the Sky: EW Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
8. Mojo review
9. Risch, Eric (25 March 2016). "Bob Mould –'Patch the Sky' Review". NME. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
10. Hermes, Will (25 March 2016). "Patch the Sky". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
11. "Ultratop.be – Bob Mould – Patch the Sky" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
12. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
13. "Bob Mould Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2016.