Trip9love
Tirzah standing in front of a microphone with a bright white light behind her
Studio album by
Tirzah
Released5 September 2023
StudioTirzah's and Mica Levi's home studios
Length33:04
LabelDomino
ProducerMica Levi
Tirzah chronology
Colourgrade
(2021) 		Trip9love
(2023)

Trip9love (stylised as trip9love...???) is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Tirzah. It was surprise-released digitally on 5 September 2023, and released physically on 17 November, by Domino Recording Company. The album was produced by Mica Levi.

Recording

The album was written and recorded in Tirzah's and Levi's home studios, as well as in southeast London and Kent,[1] over about a year's time.[2]

Release

Trip9love was surprise-released digitally on 5 September 2023 without any prior singles.[3][1] Tirzah had said she would be "sharing the record next week" on 29 August.[4] Along with the digital release, a physical release by Domino Recording Company was announced to follow on 17 November.[1] The album tease in August came with the announcement of tour dates in Europe and North America,[4] but the North American leg was cancelled after Tirzah contracted pneumonia.[5]

Style

The central instruments of the album are the piano and drum machine.[6][7] Most songs on the album are built on the same drum beat, with different mixing and distortion applied to each to differentiate them, while a few are drumless ballads.[6][8] The piano's tone is also very consistent track to track.[6] The two instruments contrast with each other, with Pitchfork's Philip Sherburne calling the piano "distant and mournful" and the drums "confrontational, in your face, charged with latent violence."[6]

Reception

Trip9love ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic85/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash7/10[7]
Jenesaispop[10]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[11]
Mojo[12]
MusicOMH[13]
Pitchfork7.8/10[6]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Trip9love received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 from 6 critic scores.[9] Sherburne called the album "tender as a bruise, the kind of bruise you press down on now and again, just to confirm that it still hurts—and to take secret pleasure in the ache."[6] Clash's Ana Lamond wrote that "it is within the intricacies of Tirzah and Levi's union that the record truly gleams."[7] Resident Advisor's Kiana Mickles wrote that "The effect of a wrong note pressed, a one-take vocal run or a perfectly misplaced guitar screech might seem inconsequential because, at this point, it's so indisputably Tirzah. But real care goes into her rule-breaking, which is what makes it sound so immaculate."[14] Bandcamp Daily's Diamond Sharp wrote that Tirzah's "delicate vocals pair well over the warbled 808s and distorted beats", and called the album "raw and ever-changing."[15]

Critics emphasised the need for multiple listens to fully grasp the album.[7][8] Sherburne said it took him "a dozen or more listens" to notice the repeated drum pattern.[6]

Year-end lists

Trip9love on year-end lists
Publication # Ref.
DJ Mag — [16]
Gorilla vs. Bear 13 [17]
Les Inrockuptibles 8 [18]
The Line of Best Fit 44 [19]
Loud and Quiet 10 [20]
Resident Advisor — [21]
Time Out 9 [22]
The Washington Post 6 [23]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tirzah Mastin and Mica Levi. All tracks are produced by Levi.

Trip9love track listing
No.TitleLength
1."F22"3:38
2."Promises"2:37
3."U All the Time"4:12
4."Their Love"2:32
5."No Limit"3:02
6."Today"2:44
7."Stars"3:20
8."He Made"2:48
9."2 D I C U V"3:31
10."6 Phrazes"1:33
11."Nightmare"3:02
Total length:33:04

Personnel

Charts

Chart Peak
position
UK Independent Albums Breakers Chart (OCC)[24] 17

References

  1. ^ a b c Monroe, Jazz (5 September 2023). "Tirzah Releases New Album Trip9love...???". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  2. ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (5 September 2023). "Tirzah releases surprise new album, trip9love...???". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  3. ^ DeVille, Chris (5 September 2023). "Stream Tirzah's New Album trip9love...?". Stereogum. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (29 August 2023). "Tirzah Announces Tour Dates, Promises New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  5. ^ Rettig, James (12 October 2023). "Tirzah Cancels North American Tour Due to Pneumonia". Stereogum. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Sherburne, Philip (6 September 2023). "Tirzah: trip9love...??? Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d Lamond, Ana (6 September 2023). "Tirzah – trip9love...???". Clash. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b Bell, Kaelen (5 September 2023). "Listen to Tirzah's New Album trip9love...?". Exclaim!. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  9. ^ a b "trip9love...??? by Tirzah Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  10. ^ Alonso, Sebas E. (7 September 2023). "Tirzah / trip9love...???". Jenesaispop (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  11. ^ Taylor, Ims (5 September 2023). "Tirzah: trip9love...??? Review". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  12. ^ Cowan, Andy (November 2023). "Tirzah – trip9love...???". Mojo. p. 90.
  13. ^ Devlin, Ben (12 September 2023). "Tirzah – trip9love...???". MusicOMH. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  14. ^ Mickles, Kiana (7 September 2023). "Tirzah - trip9love...???". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  15. ^ Sharp, Diamond (9 September 2023). "Essential Releases, 8 September 2023". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  16. ^ Murphy, Ben (13 December 2023). "DJ Mag's top albums of 2023". DJ Mag. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2023". Gorilla vs. Bear. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Best of 2023". Les Inrockuptibles. 29 November 2023.
  19. ^ Turner, Thomas (4 December 2023). "The Best Albums of 2023 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Loud and Quiet Albums of the Year 2023". Loud and Quiet. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  21. ^ McTernan, Conor (14 December 2023). "The Best Albums of 2023". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  22. ^ Hewitson, Rosie (1 December 2023). "The 30 Best Albums of 2023". Time Out. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  23. ^ Richards, Chris (6 December 2023). "The best albums of 2023: Top pop from Peso Pluma to Sexyy Red". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
Categories