Straylight Run (album)

Straylight Run is the self-titled debut studio album by American indie rock band Straylight Run. The band was formed by guitarist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper after the pair left Taking Back Sunday in early 2003. They recruited Breaking Pangaea drummer Will Noon and Nolan's sister, Michelle Nolan, to complete the line-up. They made some demos and toured through the remainder of 2003 before beginning work on their debut album. They tracked it at Apple Head Studios in Woodstock, New York, between March and June 2004 with producers Michael Birnbaum and Chris Bittner.

Straylight Run
Studio album by
Straylight Run
ReleasedOctober 12, 2004
RecordedMarch–June 2004
StudioApple Head Studios, Woodstock, New York
GenreIndie rock
Length49:07
LabelVictory
ProducerMichael Birnbaum, Chris Bittner
Straylight Run chronology
Straylight Run
(2004)		 Prepare to Be Wrong
(2005)

The record was released in October 2004 through independent label Victory Records. Several tours across the US followed with the likes of Hot Rod Circuit, Something Corporate and Firescape, and performances at The Bamboozle festival and on Last Call with Carson Daly. The music on Straylight Run moved away from the emo sound of Taking Back Sunday into piano-centred indie rock material, drawing comparisons to the Anniversary and Bright Eyes.

Straylight Run sold 11,000 copies in its first week of release and reached number 100 on the Billboard 200. In addition, it reached the top five of the Billboard Independent component chart. It would go on to sell over 225,000 copies as of September 2005. The album received a positive response from critics, with a few complimenting the album's sound and others disliking the production.

Background

Taking Back Sunday released their debut album, Tell All Your Friends, in 2002; the group found themselves at the forefront of the emo music scene.[1] Guitarist John Nolan, citing exhaustion from touring, left the band, with bassist Shaun Cooper leaving shortly thereafter.[2] Taking Back Sunday frontman Adam Lazzara said that he thought Nolan and Cooper were having difficulty adjusting to long-term touring,[2] however, Nolan later accused Lazzara of being unfaithful to his sister Michelle, with whom Lazzara was in a relationship, citing this as his reason for leaving the band.[3] In May 2003, Nolan and Cooper formed a new band; the pair tracked demos with the aid of Taking Back Sunday drummer Mark O'Connell. These recordings laid the groundwork for their new sound: piano-and-guitar oriented pop songs which would include samples, drum loops and other sounds.[4]

After recording the demos, Will Noon, formerly of Breaking Pangaea, was recruited as the band's permanent drummer. Cooper and Noon had previously played together, and Cooper and Nolan were familiar with Noon's work with Breaking Pangaea. Following a month of practice,[4] the trio decided that the band needed another member. Nolan was sharing an apartment with his sister, Michelle, at the time. He learned that she was writing her own songs but had no plans to do anything with them. Witnessing her talent, he decided to recruit her as the fourth band member.[5] The quartet continued practicing and recorded a few more tracks in the following months. When they felt ready to debut the band to the wider public, they settled on the name Straylight Run.[4]

In August, Nolan and Cooper[6] featured on a radio showcase,[7] where they promoted the band and played two new songs;[6] shortly after the appearance, fan–recorded versions were posted on the internet.[7] Due to the positive reaction,[6] the band quickly posted demo recordings of the tracks on their website. The web traffic for the new songs crashed the website, and in turn, forced them to find a better site to help keep up with the demand.[7] Within four months of the six demos being posted, the band was playing sold-out shows.[8] Around this time, the band was attracting offers from major labels and interest from music producers and managers who wished to work with them.[7] The group embarked on a brief headlining tour of the northeast US[4] in September 2003;[9] subsequent touring closed the year, including their first full US tour (co-headlining with the New Amsterdams),[4] and stints alongside the Format[10] and Coheed and Cambria.[11]

Writing and production

Straylight Run spent most of December 2003 working on new material and making plans to record their debut album,[6] before supporting Brand New on their UK tour in January 2004.[12] As part of the writing process, John and Michelle played the band acoustic tracks and worked on the tracks' arrangements. On some occasions, the track retained its original structure but had a different feel to it after each member added their parts to it. Prior to recording, the band played the new songs during their tours, giving them the opportunity to develop and change the songs. As a result, the band were comfortable with how the songs were played and required little input from the producers during the studio sessions.[13]

In March 2004, the band travelled to Woodstock, New York, to record their album at Apple Head Studios,[4] away from Nolan and Cooper's hometown of Amityville on Long Island.[14] With a brief break to play the Skate & Surf Fest, recording resumed, and concluded in June.[6] The band lived in a cabin across from the studio, which was located on a big ranch in the middle of the woods.[4] Pre-production was done by Mike Sapone at Sapone Studios in Bethpage, New York, for "The Tension and the Terror", "Existentialism on Prom Night", "Mistakes We Knew We Were Making", and "It's for the Best". Album sessions were produced and recorded by Michael Birnbaum and Chris Bittner; the pair later mixed the recordings.[15] The band re-recorded their earlier demos and incorporated new songs during the sessions.[16] Nate Ruess of The Format contributed vocals to "It's for the Best", while Linda Nolan of the Nolans and Laura June Kirsch provided additional vocals on "Sympathy for the Martyr".[15]

Composition
Straylight Run featured Nolan (left) and Cooper (right) leaving behind the emo sound of Taking Back Sunday in favor of piano-focused indie rock.

Overview

Nolan said that the change in sound between Tell All Your Friends and Straylight Run might appear to be drastic for fans of Taking Back Sunday, when in reality they showcased several years of writing development. The songs featured on Tell All Your Friends were a few years old by the time that album came out, which meant there was a long period between the writing of those songes and the ones that would appear on Straylight Run. Nolan said that during this time, he grew as a songwriter. The final batch of songs written for the album shed the remaining remnants of Taking Back Sunday's sound.[17]

Straylight Run shifted away from the emo sound of Taking Back Sunday[1] and into indie rock territory.[16] Though the album retains the introspective lyricism commonly found in emo,[18] it has more of an emphasis on a piano-based sound.[16] The inclusion of synth parts and male–female vocal dynamics drew comparisons to the Anniversary and Bright Eyes.[19] Michelle Nolan sings lead vocals on "Tool Sheds and Hot Tubs" and "Now It's Done"[20] and provides backing vocals throughout the rest of the album.[21]

Tracks

The opening track, "The Perfect Ending", contains only John Nolan's vocals and pianos, with accompanying bells by Noon.[20] "The Tension and the Terror" starts with the song's hook and minimalist vocals from Nolan, before Nolan and his sister harmonize in the chorus;[14] later in the song, Nolan plays a guitar solo.[20] "Existentialism on Prom Night" escalates from a sole piano and vocal track to expansive chords and backing parts. Nolan said it was about being in love and "finally feeling optimistic about your future and looking forward to the rest of your life."[14] "Another Word for Desperate" and "Mistakes We Knew We Were Making" are reminiscent of 1980s power ballads;[22] the former incorporates a coda with violins.[20]

"Your Name Here (Sunrise Highway)" is a reference to one of Long Island's highways, Sunrise Highway.[23] It was written a few years prior to its appearance on the album, and serves as a sequel to "There's No 'I' in Team", a track from Tell All Your Friends. "There's No 'I' in Team" was written in response to a feud between Nolan and Brand New frontman Jesse Lacey.[nb 1] The chorus to "Your Name Here (Sunrise Highway)" gives rough directions to Nolan's residence in Massapequa, New York, at the time. Nolan said it was "more 'I miss my best friend,' instead of all the angsty yelling [on 'Team']."[24] "Tool Sheds and Hot Tubs" features up-tempo electronic instrumentation, such as synthesizers.[18] In "It's for the Best", Nolan contrasts the idea of religion as a guide with that of a person finding their own way and answers.[25] The closing track, "Sympathy for the Martyr", highlights the band's musical strengths – piano-focused verse sections, Michelle's harmony parts, and an "anthematic second verse".[20]

Release

In April 2004, the band signed with independent Victory Records.[16] After finishing the recording, the band went on a US tour with Rooney,[6] Ozma, and the Redwalls in June and July.[26] On July 17, the album was announced for release in September. The band appeared on the KROQ show Domestic Disturbance, where they debuted a new track from the album and performed live. On September 26, the group filmed a video for "Existentialism on Prom Night"[6] on a subway train. They got clearance from the transit authority and the video was shot over a six-hour period. The train repeatedly drove back and forth between two stations for the shooting.[27] The video was featured in regular rotation on MTV.[14] After initially being scheduled for a September 21 release,[4] Straylight Run was released on October 12 through Victory Records.[28] To promote its release, the band held two in-store acoustic performances in New York City.[6] In October and November, the band went on tour with Hot Rod Circuit, Northstar, and Say Anything.[29]

On January 7, 2005, the band won a fan-voted contest on Launch.com, which earned them a live-in-the-studio performance of "Existentialism on Prom Night".[6] In January and February, the band toured across the US alongside Something Corporate, Hidden in Plain View, the Academy Is...,[30] and Armor for Sleep.[31] Following this tour, the group played a few headlining US shows in February, with support from Firescape, Action Action, and Bella Lea, before embarking on a UK tour in March.[6] In April and May, the band headlined the Alternative Press/Vans tour with support from Minus the Bear, Gratitude, the Honorary Title, and Spitalfield.[32] During this time, the band performed at The Bamboozle festival[33] and appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly.[6] Straylight Run was released on vinyl for the first time in April 2012,[34] and subsequently re-pressed in November 2013.[35]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Exclaim!Unfavorable[36]
LAS Magazine6.5/10[21]
Melodic[37]
SpinB-[38]
Sputnikmusic4/5[20]
Yahoo! MusicFavorable[22]

Straylight Run sold over 11,000 copies within its first week of release,[39] reaching number 100 on the Billboard 200.[40] It also reached number four on Billboard's Independent Albums chart.[41] As of September 2005, the album had sold over 225,000 copies.[6] "Existentialism on Prom Night" appeared on a best-of emo songs list by Vulture.[42]

AllMusic reviewer Johnny Loftus said that the while the album included some elements of emo, the "songwriting is more varied than many in that genre offer in the mid-2000s."[18] He added that the band "crafted a fine debut" that would "certainly please emo fans."[18] In a brief review, Spin compared Nolan's leaving Taking Back Sunday to form Straylight Run with "trading the football team for the choral society."[38]

Sputnikmusic's Adam Downer found it "an amazing, beautiful piece of work" with "some truly sensational anthem-ballads" and "solid tracks in the middle."[20] Downer also said that the middle tracks felt like a "bit of a letdown" when compared to the first and last portions of the album, but concluded that "there is really no terrible track."[20] Yahoo! Music reviewer Rob O'Connor noted that the "emphasis here is more on texture than catharsis", save for the "epic sense of drama of an '80s power ballad" in two of the tracks.[22] He said that Michelle's vocal appearance serves as "an extra change-up" with the rest of the group "turn[ing] 'twee' for a moment of heavenly shuffle" on "Tool Sheds and Hot Tubs".[22]

Kaj Roth of Melodic wrote that the record "takes you on a trip over the clouds in the atmosphere" with the "dreamlike and emotional vocals perfectly packaged."[37] Exclaim! writer Sam Sutherland called the album "a let down", criticizing the "glossy over-production" and "obscene amount of pitch correction."[36] He described the demos as "raw and emotionally charged", while saying that the finished versions "reek of insincerity and technological tweaking."[36] LAS Magazine's Natalie B. David considered the tracks with Michelle on lead vocals to be the weakest on the album, while also saying that a number of the songs "would be severely lacking without her."[21]

Track listing

All songs written by Straylight Run.[15]

  1. "The Perfect Ending" – 4:53
  2. "The Tension and the Terror" – 3:39
  3. "Existentialism on Prom Night" – 4:01
  4. "Another Word for Desperate" – 5:20
  5. "Mistakes We Knew We Were Making" – 3:39
  6. "Dignity and Money" – 3:34
  7. "Your Name Here (Sunrise Highway)" – 5:06
  8. "Tool Sheds and Hot Tubs" – 3:54
  9. "It's for the Best" – 4:21
  10. "Now It's Done" – 4:44
  11. "Sympathy for the Martyr" – 5:51

Personnel

Personnel per booklet,[15] except where noted.

Charts
Charts (2004) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[40] 100
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[41] 4
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gollark: I'll check the IR logs.
gollark: It's probably trying to kill-process itself.

References

Footnotes

  1. Lacey's perspective of the incident was chronicled in the Brand New song "Seventy Times 7".[24]

Citations

  1. Needles, Hope (January 27, 2005). "Starlight, Starbright". The GW Hatchet. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  2. Wiederhorn, Jon (June 24, 2004). "Taking Back Sunday Are Taking Back The Summer This Year". MTV. Archived from the original on July 17, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  3. Crane, Matt (April 11, 2014). "When your head goes through the windshield: the 10 best moments of the TBS/Brand New feud". Alternative Press. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  4. "Straylight Run Biography". Victory Records. Archived from the original on October 10, 2004. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  5. Koczan, JJ (April 6, 2005). "Straylight Run: Interview With John Nolan". The Aquarian Weekly. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  6. "Straylight Run". Straylight Run. Archived from the original on February 27, 2007. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  7. Gamboa, Glenn (October 19, 2003). "Strong Rebound". Newsday. Archived from the original on October 22, 2003. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  8. Alvarez, Olivia Flores (November 23, 2006). "Straylight Run". Houston Press. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  9. Heisel, Scott (August 5, 2003). "Taking Back Sunday and Breaking Pangaea – torrid tales of forbidden incest!". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on November 21, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  10. DuFour, Matt (October 6, 2003). "The Format Hit The Road With Straylight Run". The Fader. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  11. Heisel, Scott (November 9, 2003). "Updated Coheed and Cambria tour dates". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  12. Heisel, Scott (December 16, 2003). "Brand New/Straylight Run/Moneen UK tour". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  13. Koczan, JJ (April 6, 2005). "Straylight Run: Interview With John Nolan". The Aquarian Weekly. p. 2. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  14. Rashbaum, Alyssa (December 23, 2004). "Straylight Run: Life After Taking Back Sunday". MTV. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  15. Straylight Run (booklet). Straylight Run. Victory Records. 2004. VR229.CS1 maint: others (link)
  16. Apar, Corey. "Straylight Run | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  17. Moser, John J. (May 14, 2005). "Same song, different verse ** Straylight Run takes back the musical momentum". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  18. Loftus, Johnny. "Straylight Run - Straylight Run | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  19. Zaleski, Annie (January 19, 2005). "Straylight Run | Livewire". Cleveland Scene. Archived from the original on January 26, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  20. Downer, Adam (November 21, 2005). "Straylight Run - Straylight Run (album review 3)". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  21. David, Natalie B. (March 7, 2005). "Straylight Run Straylight Run". LAS Magazine. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  22. O'Connor, Rob (December 2, 2004). "Straylight Run". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on April 29, 2005. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  23. Millien, Russo (February 4, 2017). "51 Songs That Mention Long Island". Long Island Press. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  24. Manley, Brendan (October 21, 2004). "Running Free". Long Island Press. Archived from the original on November 17, 2004.
  25. Bautts, Jonathan (November 21, 2007). "Straylight Run". Jonathan Bautts. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  26. "Rooney - Tour". Rooney. Archived from the original on June 6, 2004. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  27. Gunzelman 2015, event occurs at 18:52–19:07, 19:42–9
  28. Christman 2004, p. 65
  29. Paul, Aubin (August 25, 2004). "Straylight Run announces Debut, Tour". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  30. Shultz, Brian (January 4, 2005). "Something Corporate / Straylight Run / Hidden In Plain View / The Academy Is". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  31. Adams, Chip (February 1, 2005). "Armor For Sleep Launch US Tour". The Fader. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  32. Shultz, Brian (February 27, 2005). "Straylight Run, Spitalfield, Minus The Bear and more on Alt Press / Vans Tour". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  33. Shultz, Brian (February 14, 2005). "Bamboozle lineup". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.
  34. "Victory Records Newsletter". Victory Records. April 17, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  35. "Victory Records Newsletter". Victory Records. November 12, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  36. Sutherland, Sam (November 1, 2004). "Straylight Run Straylight Run". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  37. Roth, Kaj (November 14, 2004). "Straylight Run - Straylight Run". Melodic. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  38. Spin 2004, p. 118
  39. Wippsson, Johan (March 13, 2007). "Straylight Run has now signed to Universal Republic Records". Melodic. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
  40. "Straylight Run Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  41. "Straylight Run Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  42. Nelson, Brad (February 13, 2020). "The 100 Greatest Emo Songs of All Time". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.

Sources

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