The Art of the Lie is the sixth studio album by American musician John Grant, released on June 14, 2024, through Bella Union. It received positive reviews from critics.
| The Art of the Lie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 14, 2024 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Length | 61:45 | |||
| Label | Bella Union | |||
| Producer | Ivor Guest | |||
| John Grant chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[2] |
| DIY |   [3] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[4] |
| Mojo | [5] |
| Uncut | 8/10[6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Art of the Lie received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 from 10 critic scores.[1] Uncut commented that Grant is "best on matters of the heart: 'Father' is a spectral journey to a lost 1970s of family intimacy and may be the most affecting song yet in a catalog stuffed with heartbreakers".[6] Mojo felt that "with aid of latter-day Grace Jones producer Ivor Guest, his upbeat tendencies manifest in talk box-voiced electronic funk (think Roger Troutman/Zapp) that is more flattering, particularly when matched to the singer's biting wit on 'All That School' and the MAGA-bashing 'Meek AF'".[5]
Chris Todd of The Line of Best Fit called it "one of Grant's richest & most satisfying sounding albums thus far" on which he "embraces his love of eighties IBM/EBM music and kitchen sink gothery from the likes of Soft Cell, alongside the end-of-the-world electronica of Throbbing Gristle".[4] DIY's Lisa Wright described The Art of the Lie as "a record musically cleaved in two" with "twitchy 'hits' – the '80s, vocoder-doused funk strut of opener 'All That School for Nothing', or the sassy wobbles of lead single 'It's a Bitch' – but they're directly juxtaposed with moments of total devastation".[3] Reviewing the album for Clash, Luke Winstanley concluded that it is "a perfect distillation of everything one yearns for in John Grant's music; his golden baritone voice, icy electronic soundscapes, emotive balladry, sumptuous funk and phenomenal diction".[2]
Year-end lists
edit| Publication/critic | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOJO | 75 Best Albums of 2024 | 11 | [8] |
| Rough Trade UK | Albums of the Year 2024 | 58 | [9] |
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by John Grant.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All That School for Nothing" | 5:20 |
| 2. | "Marbles" | 7:14 |
| 3. | "Father" | 7:02 |
| 4. | "Mother and Son" | 7:26 |
| 5. | "Twistin Scriptures" | 0:20 |
| 6. | "Meek AF" | 6:29 |
| 7. | "It's a Bitch" | 4:32 |
| 8. | "Daddy" | 6:46 |
| 9. | "The Child Catcher" | 7:14 |
| 10. | "Laura Lou" | 3:52 |
| 11. | "Zeitgeist" | 5:30 |
| Total length: | 61:45 | |
Personnel
editMusicians
- John Grant – vocals, synthesizers, keyboards, programming (all tracks); spinet (tracks 9, 10)
- Kurt Uenala – additional programming
- Dave Okumu – guitar (tracks 1–4, 9–11), Vowel solo (10)
- Robin Mullarkay – bass guitar (tracks 1–3, 6, 7), fretless bass guitar (4, 8–11)
- Ed Baden Powell – guitar (tracks 1, 2, 6, 7)
- Robert Logan – synthesizers (tracks 1, 2, 6, 11), programming (6), "cut ups" (7)
- Sebastian Rochford – drum kit (tracks 1, 2, 8, 9), live drum machine (6)
- Robin Simon – reverse guitar (track 1), guitar (3)
- Charles Stuart – synthesizers (track 1)
- Ivor Guest – programming (tracks 1, 2, 6, 7), synthesizers (1, 6)
- Benge – modular synthesis (tracks 1, 2, 8, 11)
- Don-e Mclean – talk box (tracks 1, 6), stabs (7)
- Sarah Douglas – chatting (track 1)
- Leo Abrahams – acoustic guitar (track 3), guitars (8, 9), synthesizers (8), spinet (9, 10)
- Adam Blake – acoustic guitar (tracks 4, 10)
- Rachel Sermanni – chorus vocals (track 4)
Technical
- Ivor Guest – production, mixing, additional ProTools, additional engineering
- Matt Colton – mastering
- Cameron Craig – mixing (all tracks), engineering (tracks 1–3, 6–10)
- Benge – engineering (track 11); additional ProTools, additional engineering (all tracks)
- Dave Watson – additional ProTools, additional engineering
- James Watson – additional ProTools, additional engineering
- Leo Abrahams – additional ProTools, additional engineering
- Luke Glazewski – engineering assistance
- Kurt Uenala – computer engineering (tracks 1–3, 6–10)
- Samur Khouja – main vocal engineering, vocal sample engineering (track 7)
Visuals
- Drinkwater Studio – artwork
- Al Jackson – render
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[10] | 82 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[11] | 5 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 28 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[13] | 2 |
References
edit- ^ a b "The Art of the Lie by John Grant Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Winstanley, Luke (June 12, 2024). "John Grant – The Art of the Lie | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Wright, Lisa (June 12, 2024). "John Grant – The Art of the Lie review". DIY. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Todd, Chris (June 12, 2024). "John Grant: The Art of the Lie Review – richly sensationalist". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "John Grant – The Art of the Lie". Mojo. July 2024. p. 86.
- ^ a b "John Grant – The Art of the Lie". Uncut. July 2024. p. 32.
- ^ Kalia, Ammar (June 14, 2024). "John Grant – The Art of the Lie Review review". The Guardian. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ "MOJO's 75 Best Albums of 2024". albumoftheyear.org. November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ^ "Albums of the Year 2024". roughtrade.com. November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
- ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 21 June 2024". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 22, 2024.