II (Unknown Mortal Orchestra album)
| II | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 February 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:25 | |||
| Label | Jagjaguwar | |||
| Producer | Ruban Nielson | |||
| Unknown Mortal Orchestra chronology | ||||
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| Singles from II | ||||
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II is the second studio album from the band Unknown Mortal Orchestra, released in February 2013.[1] A 15-track Deluxe Edition was released in October,[2] along with the EP Blue Record.[3] A 10th anniversary special vinyl reissue was released on 17 November 2023.[4][5]
Artwork[edit]
The album cover is a photo of the British Wiccan high priestess author Janet Farrar taken by her husband Stewart Farrar.
Critical reception[edit]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.7/10[6] |
| Metacritic | 78/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Financial Times | [9] |
| The Guardian | [10] |
| The Irish Times | [11] |
| NME | 8/10[1] |
| The Observer | [12] |
| Pitchfork | 7.3/10[13] |
| Q | [14] |
| Rolling Stone |  [15] |
| Uncut | 9/10[16] |
II received acclaim from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 78, based on 27 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[7]
AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, saying "from the opening moments of the trippy, lo-fi intro 'From the Sun' all the way to the funky-as-a-Hendrix-ballad closer 'Secret Xtians,' II takes risks and achieves greatness."[8]
NME gave the album eight out of ten, saying "raw melody made Unknown Mortal Orchestra exciting two years ago; now they’ve matched it with attention to detail."[1]
The Observer gave the album three out of five stars, described "Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)" as "conjoin[ing] sleep, prettiness and unease", and the album as having "longueurs where Nielson can get a little vague and inward-directed."[12]
II won Best Alternative Album in the 2013 New Zealand Music Awards.
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Ruban Nielson
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "From the Sun" | 4:43 |
| 2. | "Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)" | 2:45 |
| 3. | "So Good at Being in Trouble" | 3:50 |
| 4. | "One at a Time" | 2:28 |
| 5. | "The Opposite of Afternoon" | 5:25 |
| 6. | "No Need for a Leader" | 5:44 |
| 7. | "Monki" | 7:18 |
| 8. | "Dawn" | 1:08 |
| 9. | "Faded in the Morning" | 4:21 |
| 10. | "Secret Xtians" | 2:43 |
| Total length: | 40:25 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Two Generations of Excess" | 7:27 |
| 12. | "Waves of Confidence[a]" | 5:55 |
| Total length: | 53:47 | |
Blue Record (EP)[edit]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Swim & Sleep (Like a Shark)" (acoustic version) | 2:42 |
| 2. | "Faded in the Morning" (acoustic version) | 3:29 |
| 3. | "So Good at Being in Trouble" (acoustic version) | 3:30 |
| 4. | "Swing Lo Magellan" (Dirty Projectors cover) | 2:47 |
| 5. | "Puttin' It Down" (Beck cover) | 2:34 |
| Total length: | 15:02 | |
Source:[3]
Personnel[edit]
- Ruban Nielson – performance, recording; drums (tracks 3, 10)
- Chris Nielson – horns (track 4)
- Jacob Portrait – bass (track 6)
- Gregory Rogove – drums (track 7)
- Kody Nielson – drums (tracks 1, 2, 4–6, 9)
- Joe Lambert – mastering
- Stewart Farrar – cover photo of Janet Farrar
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Sheffield, Hazel (31 January 2013). "Unknown Mortal Orchestra – 'II'". NME. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ^ "II (Deluxe Edition), by Unknown Mortal Orchestra". Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
- ^ a b "ALBUM ANNOUNCE // Unknown Mortal Orchestra Announces Acoustic 'Blue Record' EP, Out 10/29 Blog :: JAGJAUWAR". Jagjaguwar. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
- ^ Minsker, Evan (19 September 2023). "Unknown Mortal Orchestra Announce 10th Anniversary II Reissue With Bonus Tracks". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ Petrosian, Nika (19 September 2023). "Unknown Mortal Orchestra Announce 'II' 10th Anniversary Reissue". Exclaim!. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "II by Unknown Mortal Orchestra reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Reviews for II by Unknown Mortal Orchestra". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ a b Lymangrover, Jason. "II – Unknown Mortal Orchestra". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (1 February 2013). "Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II". Financial Times. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ Mossman, Kate (31 January 2013). "The Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ Carroll, Jim (1 February 2013). "Unknown Mortal Orchestra". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ a b Empire, Kitty (27 January 2013). "Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II – review". The Observer. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ Cohen, Ian (5 February 2013). "Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- ^ "Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II". Q (320): 110. March 2013.
- ^ Dolan, Jon (5 February 2013). "II". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ "Unknown Mortal Orchestra: II". Uncut (190): 77. March 2013.
- ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (18 September 2012). "Unknown Mortal Orchestra: "Swim and Sleep (Like a Shark)" Track Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
