Your Majesty (album)

Your Majesty is the second studio album by American rock band the Anniversary. Following the release of their debut album Designing a Nervous Breakdown in early 2000, the band had started writing new material by August. They recorded their next album in June 2001 at Sonora Recorders in Los Feliz, California with producer Rob Schnapf. Your Majesty is a garage rock, neo-psychedelia, pop rock and space rock record that featured slower tempos, guitar solos and a grand piano. It drew comparisons to a full-band iteration of Elliott Smith, the New Pornographers and the Kinks, among others.

Your Majesty
Studio album by
The Anniversary
ReleasedJanuary 22, 2002
RecordedJune 2001
StudioSonora
Genre
Length46:46
LabelVagrant
ProducerRob Schnapf
The Anniversary chronology
Designing a Nervous Breakdown
(2000)		 Your Majesty
(2002)		 Devil on Our Side: B-Sides & Rarities
(2008)

Preceded by two US tours, Your Majesty was released on January 22, 2002 through Vagrant Records. It charted on two Billboard component charts, namely number 15 on Independent Albums, and number 17 on Heatseekers Albums. It received a mixed-to-positive reaction from music critics, with some commenting on the male–female vocals, and others on Schnapf's production. It was promoted with supporting slots for Guided by Voices, Dashboard Confessional and Cheap Trick, and two headlining tours.

Background and production

The Anniversary released their debut album Designing a Nervous Breakdown in January 2000[1] through Heroes & Villains, an imprint of independent label Vagrant Records that was owned by the Get Up Kids.[2] By August, the band were working on new material, which vocalist/guitarist Josh Berwanger said was more acoustic based and featured electric piano from vocalist/keyboardist Adrianne Pope.[3] The group went on the Heroes & Villains Fall Tour in September and October,[4] took a two-week break, before touring again until Christmas.[3] They spent the period writing further material for their next album.[5] The band supported Hey Mercedes on their headlining US tour[6] in February and March 2001.[7] A week prior to recording, the band did pre-production with Rob Schnapf at a practice space. They played him every track, and after each performance, they would go over parts and song structures.[8]

Your Majesty was recorded at Sonora Recorders, located in Los Feliz, California in June 2001[9] across two and a half weeks.[8] They shared a two-bed hotel room down the road from the studio, which led to claustrophobia and brainstorming sessions.[10] The band reframed from recording in their hometown of Lawrence, Kansas as they felt it would be a big distraction with their family and friends being there.[11] Schnapf acted as producer with recording being handled by Doug Boehm; they were assisted by Andrew Boston.[9] The band spent some downtime at Malibu Beach, where they wrote additional parts and a portion of lyrics.[11] Schnapf and Boehm mixed the recordings with assistance from Pete Magdaleno at King Sound Studios in Los Angeles, California. Don C. Tyler then mastered the recordings at Precision Mastering.[9]

Composition

All of the music was credited to the Anniversary. Berwanger and Roelofs wrote all of the lyrics; six of Your Majesty's tracks were credited to Berwanger–Roelofs, while the remainder were Roelofs–Berwanger.[9] Musically, the sound of Your Majesty has been described as garage rock, neo-psychedelia,[12] pop rock[13] and space rock,[14] incorporating influence from progressive rock.[15] Though the album has also been tagged as emo,[13][16] some reviewers noted that the band moved away from this style.[14][17][18][19] It was slower than their debut with more of a straightforward rock sound, off-kilter vocal performances,[14] and guitar solos.[20] Parts of it drew comparison to a full-band iteration of Elliott Smith and Rufus Wainwright,[17] the New Pornographers,[21] as well as English acts the Kinks and Mott the Hoople.[22] Berwanger and Roleofs sung with a breathy stride that was reminiscent of the Rentals frontman Matt Sharp on his band's album Seven More Minutes (1999).[23] Pope switched from her Moog synthesizer to a grand piano[10] and an organ.[20]

Your Majesty begins with two rock tracks, "Sweet Marie" and "Crooked Crown", the intro of the latter being in the vein of Weezer. "Peace, Pain & Regret" retains the upbeat energy of the group's debut.[14] "Husam Husam" was compared to Pink Floyd with its intro, spacious keyboard parts and throaty backing vocals.[16] Its borderline-orchestral arrangement recalled the Verve, complete with Pop singing choral vocals in its intro.[23] The indie rock track "The Sirens Sings"[15] features guitar riffs in the vein of Neil Young.[18] "Never Die Young" is an up-tempo pop song with the biggest resemblance to the sound of their debut album. "Tu-Whitt Tu-Whoo" is love song[14] that is followed by the folk-esque "The Ghost of the River".[16] "The Death of the King" is an near-six minute song, with its instrumental ending segueing into "Follow the Sun",[14] which consists of two lines.[18] "The Death of the King" was written in a hotel bathroom at 1AM with Berwanger and Roleofs playing guitars in the dark.[10] Both tracks are progressive rock-indebted numbers,[16] with "The Death of the King" evoking the sound of Pink Floyd.[14]

Release

In July, the band appeared on the Vagrant Across America tour.[24] On September 3, the album's track listing was revealed.[25] On September 24, it was revealed that Vagrant pushed the album's release back from October to January next year at the band's insistence.[26] In October and November, the band went on a US tour with Superdrag and the Mars Volta.[27] Your Majesty was delayed several times, and with each delay, tension was mounting within the group.[8] It was eventually released on January 22, 2002;[16] its artwork channeled the Beatles' Revolver (1966).[22] The band played three shows with Guided by Voices in February, before supporting Dashboard Confessional on an eight-week tour in March and April.[28] In October and November, they went on a headlining tour with Burning Brides and the Gadjits.[29] On November 19, Vagrant released a video compilation Another Year on the Screen, which included the music video for "Sweet Marie".[30]

On March 7, 2003, the band said they had left Vagrant Records.[31] In response, Vagrant's owner Rich Egan made a highly negative post on the label's message board, which was subsequently deleted. Egan followed this up, saying the "relationship [with the band] had run its course"; Berwanger said the label and the band had "complete opposite ideas of what music should be."[32] He revealed the label had "no idea" how to market Your Majesty, though Egan retorted that Vagrant had no difficulty promoting it, and that it out-sold the band's debut.[32] In March and April, the group supported Cheap Trick on their US headlining tour.[31] In October and November, the went on tour; the Natural History and the Vexers supported the first half, while Carrier and Apollo Sunshine supported the second.[33] Towards the end of the stint, the band broke up in late November 2003.[34]

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic73/100[35]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Chart AttackFavorable[17]
CMJ New Music ReportFavorable[15]
E! OnlineB[36]
InlanderUnfavorable[18]
The Michigan DailyC-[23]
Ox-FanzineUnfavorable[37]
Pitchfork2/10[13]
PopMattersFavorable[14]
Rolling Stone[38]

Your Majesty reached number 15 on the Independent Albums chart,[39] and number 17 on the Heatseekers Albums chart.[40]

Your Majesty received generally favorable reviews from music critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[35] Chart Attack writer Steve Servos said "[g]one are the emo labels and in their place the band show off an appreciation for the classic pop-influences-rock sound."[17] He was not surprised to hear "the full band version" of Elliott Smith due to them working with Schnapf, "with a little Rufus Wainwright thrown in for good measure."[17] CMJ New Music Report's Amy Sciarretto said it was an "ambitious, left-of-center" release with keyboard melodies that were used "in a different way" than on their debut.[15] She complimented Berwanger and Pope's "absolutely lush vocal harmonies".[15] E! Online said the release moved from the "tight, catchy end of the pop spectrum to airy, dreamy tunes".[36] Berwanger and Pope's vocals kept the record from sounding "too same-y", and in spite of the influences, the band "retain[ed] its own personality, with a laid-back style and pizzazz that keeps this party a pleasant one."[36]

AllMusic reviewer Heather Phares said the group expanded on "some of their artier tendencies and keeping the playful, hooky songwriting that made their debut so refreshing."[16] Though praising the "aptly lush" production work of Schapf, hte band's "inherent, slightly awkward earnestness shines through at every turn."[16] Stephen Rauch of PopMatters said that while it retained the male–female vocals and keyboard from the debut, it was "a very different album", with the tracks coming across as "more straight-forward".[14] Despite the loss of up-tempo material in favor of "slower, more deliberate songs", it was "still a very good album."[14] The Michigan Daily arts editor Luke Smith said the band "strengthened their once thin guitar sound, and sucked the cheese out of their Moogs."[23] He went on to commend Pope for giving a "sugary-sweet foil" to "breathy intonations" of Berwanger and Roleofs.[23]

Rolling Stone writer Jenny Eliscu said Schnapf's work with Smith shone through with a "twinge of sadness turn[ing] even sunny tunes ... slightly sour."[38] She said the group "occasionally piles on a few too many layers of sounds" to some songs, and referred to the lyrics as "drunken hippie-shaman shit".[38] Inlander's Mike Corrigan said Pope's "earnest, airy vocals are a nice compliment to the more affected delivery" of Berwanger and Roelofs.[18] He found the band lacking in "genuine passion and emotional depth", adding that the album was "full of half-hearted performances, secondhand sentiments, mediocre writing and little, if any real soul."[18] Joachim Hiller of Ox-Fanzine said Schnapf's production brought out the best in other musicians, however, with the Anniversary, it failed to do so. He mentioned the Promise Ring's Wood/Water (2002), calling Your Majesty "only third rate" by comparison, "not a really bad record, just a pretty boring one."[37] Pitchfork writer Brad Haywood said the music "pretend[ed] to be candy-coated pop-rock" despite featuring all of "emo's key indicators, including melodramatic vocal delivery, seamless production, and shameless overambition."[13]

Track listing

All music by the Anniversary, lyric credits noted below.[9]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sweet Marie"Roelofs, Berwanger3:35
2."Crooked Crown"Roelofs, Berwanger3:48
3."Peace, Pain & Regret"Berwanger, Roelofs3:34
4."Husam Husam"Roelofs, Berwanger6:45
5."The Siren Sings"Berwanger, Roelofs4:36
6."Never Die Young"Roelofs, Berwanger4:01
7."Tu-Whitt Tu-Whoo"Berwanger, Roelofs2:29
8."The Ghost of the River"Roelofs, Berwanger6:28
9."Devil on My Side"Berwanger, Roelofs3:19
10."The Death of the King"Roelofs, Berwanger5:56
11."Follow the Sun"Berwanger, Roelofs2:28
Total length:46:56

Personnel

Personnel per sleeve.[9]

Charts
Chart (2002) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[41] 17
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[42] 15

References

Citations

  1. Phares, Heather. "Designing a Nervous Breakdown - The Anniversary | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  2. DePasquale, Ron. "The Anniversary | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  3. Bishop, Robert (August 31, 2000). "Happy Anniversary". The Pitch. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  4. "Show Dates". The Anniversary. Archived from the original on October 1, 2000. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  5. "News (December 2000)". The Anniversary. Archived from the original on March 9, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  6. "Hey Mercedes News". Hey Mercedes. Archived from the original on March 31, 2001. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  7. "Show Dates". The Anniversary. Archived from the original on April 5, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  8. Niccum 2002, p. 2D
  9. Your Majesty (sleeve). The Anniversary. Vagrant/Heroes & Villians Records. 2002. VR359/HV0011.CS1 maint: others (link)
  10. Miller, Andrew (May 23, 2002). "Crown Affair". The Pitch. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  11. Niccum 2002, p. 1D
  12. Simon, Leslie (June 7, 2016). "Taste Of Tuesday: Getting the royal treatment with the Anniversary". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on June 27, 2016. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  13. Haywood, Brad (September 12, 2002). "The Anniversary: Your Majesty Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 19, 2009. Retrieved August 2, 2002.
  14. Rauch, Stephen (January 21, 2002). "The Anniversary: Your Majesty". PopMatters. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  15. Sciarretto 2002, p. 4
  16. Phares, Heather. "Your Majesty - The Anniversary | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  17. Servos, Steve (February 12, 2002). "CD Reviews: The Anniversary, Megadeth, Misstress Barbara and many more". Chart Attack. Archived from the original on December 6, 2005. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  18. Corrigan, Mike (April 25, 2002). "CD Review - The Anniversary". Inlander. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  19. Keiper 2002, p. 22
  20. Hirshfeld, Josh (June 2008). "Emo Revisted: The White Boy Blues". Perfect Sound Forever. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  21. "Lost Classics: The Anniversary "Your Majesty"". Magnet. February 11, 2009. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  22. Kundrath 2002, p. 49
  23. Smith 2002, p. 7
  24. "across america.. or parts of it". The Anniversary. Archived from the original on June 19, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  25. Heisel, Scott (September 3, 2001). "The Anniversary's New CD's Track list released, tour announced". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  26. Heisel, Scott (September 24, 2001). "Vagrant Pushes back The Anniversary's new release". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  27. "Anniversary Fall U.S. Tour". The Anniversary. Archived from the original on January 29, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  28. Heisel, Scott (January 19, 2002). "Wouldn't it be funny if *your* anniversary was one of these dates? C'mon!". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on May 13, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  29. Heisel, Scott (October 11, 2002). "The Anniversary, Burning Brides, Gadjits to tour". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on January 21, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  30. White, Adam (October 25, 2002). "Another Year On The Screen". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  31. White, Adam (March 7, 2003). "The Anniversary Tour With Cheap Trick". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  32. Harkness, Geoff (April 10, 2003). "Vagrant Foul". The Pitch. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  33. Heisel, Scott (October 18, 2003). "The Anniversary back on the road". Punknews.org. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  34. Spacek, Nick (September 13, 2016). "The reunited Anniversary heads back to the Bottleneck". The Pitch. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  35. "Your Majesty by The Anniversary". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  36. "Music - The Anniversary "Your Majesty"". E! Online. Archived from the original on December 27, 2002. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  37. Hiller, Joachim (March–May 2002). "Reviews: Anniversary, The / Your Majesty CD". Ox-Fanzine (in German). Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  38. Eliscu, Jenny (March 28, 2002). "Recordings: The Anniversary, Your Majesty, 3 Stars". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 20, 2003. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  39. "Independent Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  40. "Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 28, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  41. "Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
  42. "Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved August 12, 2020.

Sources

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