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Sparrow (Ashley Monroe album)

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Sparrow
Studio album by
Ashley Monroe
ReleasedApril 20, 2018 (2018-04-20)
Recorded2017
StudioRCA Studio A (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre
Length43:18
LabelWarner Bros. Nashville
ProducerDave Cobb
Ashley Monroe chronology
Live at Third Man Records
(2016) 		Sparrow
(2018) 		Rosegold
(2021)
Singles from Sparrow
  1. "Hands on You"
    Released: February 23, 2018

Sparrow is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Ashley Monroe, released on April 20, 2018, through Warner Bros. Nashville. The album is produced by Dave Cobb and recorded in the iconic RCA Studio A.[2] It was preceded by the lead single "Hands on You", which was later covered by Lorrie Morgan on her 2024 album Dead Girl Walking.

Background

[edit]

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Monroe said "I knew I wanted to work with Dave; all of his records are consistently awesome and classic, timeless, old and new all in one". Monroe also teamed with notable writer-artists Brendan Benson and Waylon Payne, including on the seductive "Wild Love", and with longtime friends Angaleena Presley and Anderson East, recording the album while pregnant with son Dalton, who was born in August 2017.[3] In a press release to CMT she stated "To me, this record is about acknowledging past hurt, forgiveness and freedom to move forward. The most terrible things that happen to you are the most beautiful songs. That's what I respect most about music."[4]

Sonically, Monroe lists country pop-oriented material by Glen Campbell, Shelby Lynne, Waylon Jennings and Elvis Presley as influences, particularly for their use of strings. She also mentioned listening to albums by Elton John and Rick Hall during recording.[5]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?8.0/10[6]
Metacritic86/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Exclaim!9/10[9]
Paste8.9/10[10]
Pitchfork7.7/10[11]
PopMatters8/10[12]
Slant Magazine[13]
Uncut8/10[14]

Sparrow received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 86, based on 8 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[7] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called it "sharply constructed as an album, setting a mood with its first song and then finding variations on this lush, enveloping sound."[8] Thierry Côté from Exclaim! concluded his review saying "She has crafted a captivating Southern Gothic country-soul masterpiece, one that can stand proudly next to the timeless works that inspired it. There may not be a better record to come out of Nashville in 2018."[9]

Commercial performance

[edit]

The album debuted at No. 21 on Billboard's Top Country Albums,[15] selling 4,900 copies in the first week.[16] It has sold 8,000 copies in the United States as of June 2018.[17]

Track listing

[edit]

Credits adapted from Rolling Stone.[18]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Orphan"
4:28
2."Hard on a Heart"
  • Monroe
  • Moak
  • Blu Sanders
3:25
3."Hands on You"
3:52
4."Mother's Daughter"
3:50
5."Rita"
3:27
6."Wild Love"
3:51
7."This Heaven"
3:53
8."I'm Trying To"
  • Monroe
  • Randall
  • Kassi Ashton
3:44
9."She Wakes Me Up"
  • Monroe
  • Moak
  • Payne
2:26
10."Paying Attention"
  • Monroe
  • Benson
  • Payne
3:38
11."Daddy I Told You"
3:28
12."Keys to the Kingdom"
  • Monroe
  • Payne
3:13
Total length:43:18

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from AllMusic.[19]

Musicians

  • Brian Allen – bass, cello
  • David Angel – violin
  • Dave Cobb – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, percussion, production
  • David Davidson – violin
  • Cris Lacy – A&R
  • Ashley Monroe – vocals, Mellotron
  • Waylon Payne – backing vocals
  • Chris Powell – drums, percussion
  • Carole Rabinowitz – cello
  • Kristin Wilkinson – string arrangements, viola
  • Karen Winklemann – violin

Technical personnel

  • Hannah Burton – photography
  • Gena Johnson – engineering assistance
  • Mike Moore – art direction, design
  • Eddie Spear – engineering
  • Shane Tarleton – creative direction

Charts

[edit]
Chart (2018) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[20] 157
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[21] 21

Release history

[edit]
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
United States April 20, 2018
Warner Bros. Nashville [22]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hight, Jewly. "First Listen: Ashley Monroe, 'Sparrow'". NPR. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  2. ^ Garrison, Joey. "Iconic signs at Nashville's historic Studio A return after nearly 50 years". Tennessean. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  3. ^ Betts, Stephen L. "Ashley Monroe Reveals 'Sparrow' Album Details". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  4. ^ Tingle, Lauren. "Ashley Monroe's Empowering Message on Sparrow". CMT News. CMT. Archived from the original on April 4, 2018. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  5. ^ "Ashley Monroe's 'Hands On You' Exudes Quiet (And Thirsty) Confidence".
  6. ^ "Sparrow by Ashley Monroe reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Sparrow by Ashley Monroe Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sparrow – Ashley Monroe". AllMusic. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Côté, Thierry (April 23, 2018). "Ashley Monroe: Sparrow". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  10. ^ Ham, Robert (April 20, 2018). "Ashley Monroe: Sparrow Review". Paste. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  11. ^ Deusner, Stephen M. (April 26, 2018). "Ashley Monroe: Sparrow". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  12. ^ Horowitz, Steve (April 30, 2018). "Ashley Monroe Goes for That Classic Feeling on 'Sparrow'". PopMatters. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  13. ^ Hurst, Josh (April 9, 2018). "Ashley Monroe: Sparrow". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  14. ^ Hughes, Rob (June 2018). "Ashley Monroe: Sparrow". Uncut (253): 26.
  15. ^ "Top Country Albums". Billboard. May 5, 2018.
  16. ^ Bjorke, Matt (April 30, 2018). "Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: April 30, 2018". Roughstock. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  17. ^ Bjorke, Matt (June 4, 2018). "Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: June 5, 2018". Roughstock. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  18. ^ Betts, Stephen L. "Ashley Monroe Reveals 'Sparrow' Album Details". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  19. ^ "Sparrow - Ashley Monroe - Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  20. ^ "Ashley Monroe Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  21. ^ "Ashley Monroe Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
  22. ^ "Ashley Monroe: Sparrow: Music". ASIN B079TKSMYQ. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
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