I Love the New Sky

by Tim Burgess

Overview

Tim Burgess opens I Love the New Sky, his first full-blown solo album since 2012's Oh No I Love You, with "Empathy for the Devil" -- a song that's not only a punning salute, it's a statement of purpose. The world may be a mess in 2020, but Burgess is choosing compassion over fear, a big-hearted notion for the age of Trump and Brexit. While I Love the New Sky isn't overtly political, there is certainly a message in how it presents a world without musical borders. Too young and too steeped in acid house to be a hippie, Burgess nevertheless comes across as an accepting, loving sort on I Love the New Sky, embracing everything from classic rock and elastic psychedelia to sunny electronica. As a quintessential crate digger, Burgess doesn't necessarily rely upon an especially contemporary collection of references, but the way he repurposes and reassembles old sounds is fresh, even modern. I Love the New Sky whirls through a number of ideas and styles, often juxtaposing different eras within the same track, always keeping his eye on inclusion and cheer. The essential generosity of Burgess' spirit helps keep I Love the New Sky buoyant during the rare moment it drifts a bit too far into cheerful trippiness. And those moments are so rare, they're hardly noticed. After all, it's hard to be mad at an album that can find positivity in a time as weird and unsettling as 2020. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	05/22/2020
Label:	Bella Union
UPC:	5400863026707
Rank:	90345

Tracks

1. Empathy for the Devil
2. Sweetheart Mercury
3. Comme D'habitude
4. Sweet Old Sorry Me
5. The Warhol Me
6. Lucky Creatures
7. The Mall
8. Timothy
9. Only Took a Year
10. I Got This
11. Undertow
12. Laurie

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Tim Burgess   Primary Artist,Vocals,Prophet 5,Handclapping,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Daniel O'Sullivan   Glockenspiel,Fender Rhodes,Guitar (Bass),Organ (Hammond),Vox Continental,Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background),Drums,Piano,Harpsichord
Alex Ward   Saxophone
Astrud Steehouder   Vocals (Background)
Margaret Hermant   Violin
Neil Leiter   Viola
Ivy O'Sullivan   Vocals
Ally Dawkins   Vocals (Background)
Annemie Osbourne   Cello
Morgan Burgess   Vocals
Rose Keeler-Schaeffler   Vocals (Background)
Nick Fraser   Vocals (Background)
Alexander Tucker   Drones
Richard Youngs   Vocals (Background)
Peter Broderick   Violin,Vocals (Background)
Thighpaulsandra   Chimes,Solina,Castanets,Mellotron,Prophet 5,Synthesizer,Tubular Bells,ARP Synthesizer,Organ (Hammond),Roland Synthesizer,Synthesizer Strings,Vocals (Background)
Nik Void   Processed Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Mark Collins   Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Daniel O'Sullivan   Arranger,Producer
Matt Colton   Mastering
Henry Broadhead   Engineer
Joel Patchett   Engineer
Ally Dawkins   Executive Producer
Thomas Allen   Engineer
Cat Stevens   Cover Photo,Sleeve Design
Thighpaulsandra   Mixing,Engineer
Jim Spencer   Engineer
Tim Burgess   Composer
Nik Void   Design,Modulator,Sleeve Photo