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| type = studio | type = studio
| artist = ] | artist = ]
| cover = | cover = Blue Bendy - So Medieval.jpg
| alt = | alt = A person's legs hovering above white clouds.
| released = {{start date|2024|04|12}} | released = {{start date|2024|04|12}}
| recorded = 2023<ref name="bandcamp" /> | recorded = 2023<ref name="bandcamp" />
| venue =
| studio = Hermitage Works Studios<ref name="bandcamp" /> | studio = Hermitage Works Studios<ref name="bandcamp" />
| genre = ],<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> ]<ref name="nmereview" /> | genre = ],<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> ]<ref name="nmereview" />
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| prev_title = Motorbike | prev_title = Motorbike
| prev_year = 2022 | prev_year = 2022
| next_title = | next_title =
| next_year = | next_year =
}} }}


'''''So Medieval''''' is the debut album by British ] band ], released on 12 April 2024 through the The State51 Conspiracy ]. The album makes use of ironic lyrics to tackle themes such as morality and existential dread. Its genre is unclear, being variously described as ] and ]. It received generally positive reviews from critics. '''''So Medieval''''' is the debut album by British ] band ], released on 12 April 2024 through the ] The State51 Conspiracy. The album makes use of ironic lyrics to tackle themes such as morality and existential dread. Its overall genre is unclear, being variously described as ] and ], and some songs fitting into genres such as ] indie and ]. It received generally positive reviews from critics.


==Background and release== ==Background and release==
⚫ Blue Bendy began in 2017 after vocalist Arthur Nolan and guitarist Joe Nash moved to London from ]. They originally made ] music, but soon turned more towards pop.<ref name="guardianinterview" /> Their first EP, ''Motorbike'', was released in 2022.<ref name="guardianinterview" /><ref name="overblownreview" /> '']'' described it as "monologue-rock" and "handclap indie-pop".<ref name="pitchforkreview" />
{{further|Blue Bendy}}
⚫ Blue Bendy began in 2017 after vocalist Arthur Nolan and guitarist Joe Nash moved to London from ]. They originally made ] music, but they soon turned more towards pop music.<ref name="guardianinterview" /> Their first EP, ''Motorbike'', was released in 2022.<ref name="guardianinterview" /><ref name="overblownreview" /> '']'' described it as "monologue-rock" and "handclap indie-pop".<ref name="pitchforkreview" />


''So Medieval'' was released on 12 April 2024.<ref name="nmereview" /> It was preceded by the singles "Cloudy",<ref name="pitchforkcloudyreview" /> "Mr. Bubblegum",<ref name="pitchforkannounce" /> "Come On Baby, Dig!", and "The Day I Said You'd Died (He Lives)".<ref name="stilllistening" /> ''So Medieval'' was released on 12 April 2024.<ref name="nmereview" /> It was preceded by the singles "Cloudy",<ref name="pitchforkcloudyreview" /> "Mr. Bubblegum",<ref name="pitchforkannounce" /> "Come On Baby, Dig!", and "The Day I Said You'd Died (He Lives)".<ref name="stilllistening" />
Line 33: Line 33:
''So Medieval'' follows a loose narrative about the narrator becoming dedicated to his band after a break-up.<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> According to '']'', the album's lyrical style is "ironic" and "tackles the existential dread of our daily lives."<ref name="nmereview" /> There are pop culture references throughout, including a reference to ] in the track "I'm Sorry I Left Him To Bleed".<ref name="diyreview" /> '']'' praised the "deadpan absurdity" of lyrics discussing "raw halloumi, a Formula One audiobook, and '] sagas'".<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> The album as a whole discusses themes such as wealth and morality.<ref name="independentinterview" /> ''So Medieval'' follows a loose narrative about the narrator becoming dedicated to his band after a break-up.<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> According to '']'', the album's lyrical style is "ironic" and "tackles the existential dread of our daily lives."<ref name="nmereview" /> There are pop culture references throughout, including a reference to ] in the track "I'm Sorry I Left Him To Bleed".<ref name="diyreview" /> '']'' praised the "deadpan absurdity" of lyrics discussing "raw halloumi, a Formula One audiobook, and '] sagas'".<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> The album as a whole discusses themes such as wealth and morality.<ref name="independentinterview" />


Critics disagree on the genre of ''So Medieval''. ''Pitchfork'' describes the album as ] and ]<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> while ''NME'' describes it as ],<ref name="nmereview" />. The title track opens with "delicate ] indie",<ref name="lobfreview" /> and "Cloudy" has been described as ].<ref name="diyinterview" /> Nolan himself stated that "genre is dead as far as we're concerned. This album is all about the death of purity, embracing contrasts and everything being a big melting pot."<ref name=lobfreview" /> Many instruments are used throughout,<ref name="independentinterview" /> including keys, synths,<ref name="diyreview" /> and guitars.<ref name="overblownreview" /> Critics disagree on the genre of ''So Medieval''. ''Pitchfork'' describes the album as ] and ]<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> while ''NME'' describes it as ].<ref name="nmereview" /> The title track opens with "delicate ] indie",<ref name="lobfreview" /> and "Cloudy" has been described as ].<ref name="diyreview" /> Nolan himself stated that "genre is dead as far as we're concerned. This album is all about the death of purity, embracing contrasts and everything being a big melting pot."<ref name="lobfreview" /> Many instruments are used throughout,<ref name="independentinterview" /> including keys, synths,<ref name="diyreview" /> and guitars.<ref name="overblownreview" />


==Critical reception== ==Critical reception==
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}} }}


''So Medieval'' has received generally positive reviews from critics. In a review for '']'', Max Pilley described the album as "powered by longing, melodic riffs, but the sense of an impending cataclysm is never far away",<ref name="nmereview" /> while Roisin O'Connor from '']'' said that it "never feels cluttered, despite its profound cacophony of instruments."<ref name="independentinterview" /> In a review for '']'', Daisy Carter stated that ''So Medieval'' "revels in its scope", describing the track "Darp" as an "undulating, guitar-led number that progresses with the steady power of a swelling wave" and its follow-up "Darp 2 / Exorcism" as "an exponential expansion that sees said wave eventually break into a moving and cathartic crescendo".<ref name="diyreview" /> '']'''s review by Marshall Grace summarises the lyrics as "like an audiobook during a car crash" and gave the album an 8/10,<ref name="lobfreview" /> which was also the score given by '']''<ref name="clashreview" /> and '']''.<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> ''NME'' and ''DIY'' both gave the album four stars out of five.<ref name="nmereview" /><ref name="diyreview" /> ''So Medieval'' has received generally positive reviews from critics. In a review for '']'', Max Pilley described the album as "powered by longing, melodic riffs, but the sense of an impending cataclysm is never far away",<ref name="nmereview" /> while Roisin O'Connor from '']'' wrote that it "never feels cluttered, despite its profound cacophony of instruments."<ref name="independentinterview" /> In a review for '']'', Daisy Carter stated that ''So Medieval'' "revels in its scope", describing the track "Darp" as an "undulating, guitar-led number that progresses with the steady power of a swelling wave" and its follow-up "Darp 2 / Exorcism" as "an exponential expansion that sees said wave eventually break into a moving and cathartic crescendo".<ref name="diyreview" /> '']'''s review by Marshall Grace summarises the lyrics as "like an audiobook during a car crash" and gave the album an 8/10,<ref name="lobfreview" /> which was also the score given by '']''<ref name="clashreview" /> and '']''.<ref name="pitchforkreview" /> ''NME'' and ''DIY'' both gave the album four stars out of five.<ref name="nmereview" /><ref name="diyreview" />


==Track listing== ==Track listing==
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| length10 = 4:08 | length10 = 4:08
}} }}

==Charts==


==References== ==References==
Line 102: Line 100:


<!-- OFFICIAL (use sparingly) --> <!-- OFFICIAL (use sparingly) -->
<ref name="bandcamp">{{cite web |title=So Medieval, by Blue Bendy |url=https://bluebendy.bandcamp.com/album/so-medieval |website=Bandcamp |access-date=30 December 2024 |language=en |date=12 April 2024}}</ref> <ref name="bandcamp">{{cite web |title=So Medieval, by Blue Bendy |url=https://bluebendy.bandcamp.com/album/so-medieval |website=Bandcamp |access-date=30 December 2024 |language=en |date=12 April 2024 |archive-date=17 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217034727/https://bluebendy.bandcamp.com/album/so-medieval |url-status=live }}</ref>


<!-- REVIEWS --> <!-- REVIEWS -->
Line 108: Line 106:
<ref name="clashreview">{{cite magazine |title=Blue Bendy - So Medieval |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/blue-bendy-so-medieval/ |website=] |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=9 April 2024}}</ref> <ref name="clashreview">{{cite magazine |title=Blue Bendy - So Medieval |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/blue-bendy-so-medieval/ |website=] |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=9 April 2024}}</ref>


<ref name="pitchforkreview">{{cite web |last1=Monroe |first1=Jazz |title=Blue Bendy: So Medieval |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/blue-bendy-so-medieval/ |website=] |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=16 April 2024}}</ref> <ref name="pitchforkreview">{{cite web |last1=Monroe |first1=Jazz |title=Blue Bendy: So Medieval |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/blue-bendy-so-medieval/ |website=] |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=16 April 2024 |archive-date=19 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240919135549/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/blue-bendy-so-medieval/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


<ref name="nmereview">{{cite magazine |last1=Pilley |first1=Max |title=Blue Bendy – 'So Medieval' review: this arch, athletic album surprises at every turn |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/blue-bendy-so-medieval-album-review-tracklist-radar-3614609 |website=] |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=11 April 2024}}</ref> <ref name="nmereview">{{cite magazine |last1=Pilley |first1=Max |title=Blue Bendy – 'So Medieval' review: this arch, athletic album surprises at every turn |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/blue-bendy-so-medieval-album-review-tracklist-radar-3614609 |website=] |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=11 April 2024 |archive-date=23 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423220316/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/blue-bendy-so-medieval-album-review-tracklist-radar-3614609 |url-status=live }}</ref>


<ref name="lobfreview">{{cite magazine |last1=Marshall |first1=Grace |title=Blue Bendy: So Medieval Review |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/blue-bendy-so-medieval-masterclass-in-deflection |website=] |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=10 April 2024}}</ref> <ref name="lobfreview">{{cite magazine |last1=Marshall |first1=Grace |title=Blue Bendy: So Medieval Review |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/blue-bendy-so-medieval-masterclass-in-deflection |website=] |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=10 April 2024 |archive-date=15 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240415002716/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/blue-bendy-so-medieval-masterclass-in-deflection |url-status=live }}</ref>


<ref name="diyreview">{{cite magazine |last1=Carter |first1=Daisy |title=Blue Bendy - So Medieval |url=https://diymag.com/review/album/blue-bendy-so-medieval |website=] |access-date=30 December 2024 |language=en |date=10 April 2024}}</ref> <ref name="diyreview">{{cite magazine |last1=Carter |first1=Daisy |title=Blue Bendy - So Medieval |url=https://diymag.com/review/album/blue-bendy-so-medieval |website=] |access-date=30 December 2024 |language=en |date=10 April 2024 |archive-date=23 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523083421/https://diymag.com/review/album/blue-bendy-so-medieval |url-status=live }}</ref>


<!-- not in the ratings table --> <!-- not in the ratings table -->
<ref name="overblownreview">{{cite web |last1=Cross |first1=Reuben |title=Blue Bendy - So Medieval review: a labyrinthine debut which doesn't forego the fun |url=https://overblown.co.uk/reviews/album/blue-bendy-so-medieval-review/ |website=Overblown |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=12 April 2024}}</ref> <ref name="overblownreview">{{cite web |last1=Cross |first1=Reuben |title=Blue Bendy - So Medieval review: a labyrinthine debut which doesn't forego the fun |url=https://overblown.co.uk/reviews/album/blue-bendy-so-medieval-review/ |website=Overblown |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=12 April 2024 |archive-date=27 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240527024704/https://overblown.co.uk/reviews/album/blue-bendy-so-medieval-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


<ref name="pitchforkcloudyreview">{{cite web |last1=Greene |first1=Jayson |title=Blue Bendy: "Cloudy" |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/blue-bendy-cloudy/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=5 April 2023}}</ref> <ref name="pitchforkcloudyreview">{{cite web |last1=Greene |first1=Jayson |title=Blue Bendy: "Cloudy" |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/blue-bendy-cloudy/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=5 April 2023 |archive-date=25 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240125153056/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/blue-bendy-cloudy/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


<!-- INTERVIEWS --> <!-- INTERVIEWS -->
<ref name="guardianinterview">{{cite news |last1=Wray |first1=Daniel Dylan |title=Blue Bendy: the south London post-punk pop band who fried Wire's brains |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/02/blue-bendy-the-south-london-post-punk-pop-band-who-fried-wires-brains |access-date=30 December 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=2 January 2023}}</ref> <ref name="guardianinterview">{{cite news |last1=Wray |first1=Daniel Dylan |title=Blue Bendy: the south London post-punk pop band who fried Wire's brains |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/02/blue-bendy-the-south-london-post-punk-pop-band-who-fried-wires-brains |access-date=30 December 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=2 January 2023}}</ref>


<ref name="independentinterview">{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Roisin |title=Blue Bendy frontman Arthur Nolan: 'I see a lot of myself in Kendall Roy' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/blue-bendy-interview-so-medieval-arthur-nolan-b2527773.html |website=The Independent |access-date=30 December 2024 |language=en |date=14 April 2024}}</ref> <ref name="independentinterview">{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Roisin |title=Blue Bendy frontman Arthur Nolan: 'I see a lot of myself in Kendall Roy' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/blue-bendy-interview-so-medieval-arthur-nolan-b2527773.html |website=The Independent |access-date=30 December 2024 |language=en |date=14 April 2024 |archive-date=4 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241004174244/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/blue-bendy-interview-so-medieval-arthur-nolan-b2527773.html |url-status=live }}</ref>


<ref name="stilllistening">{{cite web |last1=Aimee |first1=Rachel |title=Start Listening To: Blue Bendy |url=https://www.stilllisteningmagazine.com/start-listening-to/start-listening-to-blue-bendy |website=Still Listening |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=8 March 2024}}</ref> <ref name="stilllistening">{{cite web |last1=Aimee |first1=Rachel |title=Start Listening To: Blue Bendy |url=https://www.stilllisteningmagazine.com/start-listening-to/start-listening-to-blue-bendy |website=Still Listening |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=8 March 2024}}</ref>


<!-- OTHER --> <!-- OTHER -->
<ref name="pitchforkannounce">{{cite web |last1=Monroe |first1=Jazz |title=Blue Bendy Announce Debut Album So Medieval, Share Spooky New Video |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/blue-bendy-announce-debut-album-so-medieval-share-spooky-new-video-watch/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=25 January 2024}}</ref> <ref name="pitchforkannounce">{{cite web |last1=Monroe |first1=Jazz |title=Blue Bendy Announce Debut Album So Medieval, Share Spooky New Video |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/blue-bendy-announce-debut-album-so-medieval-share-spooky-new-video-watch/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=30 December 2024 |date=25 January 2024 |archive-date=11 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240211090141/https://pitchfork.com/news/blue-bendy-announce-debut-album-so-medieval-share-spooky-new-video-watch/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


}} }}

]
]
]

Latest revision as of 21:59, 30 December 2024

2024 indie rock album

So Medieval
A person's legs hovering above white clouds.
Studio album by Blue Bendy
ReleasedApril 12, 2024 (2024-04-12)
Recorded2023
StudioHermitage Works Studios
GenreIndie rock, post-punk
Length36:13
LabelThe State51 Conspiracy
ProducerNathan Ridley
Blue Bendy chronology
Motorbike
(2022) 		So Medieval
(2024)

So Medieval is the debut album by British indie rock band Blue Bendy, released on 12 April 2024 through the record label The State51 Conspiracy. The album makes use of ironic lyrics to tackle themes such as morality and existential dread. Its overall genre is unclear, being variously described as art rock and post-punk, and some songs fitting into genres such as baroque indie and post-rock. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

Background and release

Blue Bendy began in 2017 after vocalist Arthur Nolan and guitarist Joe Nash moved to London from Scunthorpe. They originally made post-punk music, but soon turned more towards pop. Their first EP, Motorbike, was released in 2022. Pitchfork described it as "monologue-rock" and "handclap indie-pop".

So Medieval was released on 12 April 2024. It was preceded by the singles "Cloudy", "Mr. Bubblegum", "Come On Baby, Dig!", and "The Day I Said You'd Died (He Lives)".

Style and composition

So Medieval follows a loose narrative about the narrator becoming dedicated to his band after a break-up. According to NME, the album's lyrical style is "ironic" and "tackles the existential dread of our daily lives." There are pop culture references throughout, including a reference to Kendall Roy in the track "I'm Sorry I Left Him To Bleed". Pitchfork praised the "deadpan absurdity" of lyrics discussing "raw halloumi, a Formula One audiobook, and 'shitpost sagas'". The album as a whole discusses themes such as wealth and morality.

Critics disagree on the genre of So Medieval. Pitchfork describes the album as indie rock and art rock while NME describes it as post-punk. The title track opens with "delicate baroque indie", and "Cloudy" has been described as post-rock. Nolan himself stated that "genre is dead as far as we're concerned. This album is all about the death of purity, embracing contrasts and everything being a big melting pot." Many instruments are used throughout, including keys, synths, and guitars.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash8/10
Pitchfork8.0/10
NME
The Line of Best Fit8/10
DIY

So Medieval has received generally positive reviews from critics. In a review for NME, Max Pilley described the album as "powered by longing, melodic riffs, but the sense of an impending cataclysm is never far away", while Roisin O'Connor from The Independent wrote that it "never feels cluttered, despite its profound cacophony of instruments." In a review for DIY, Daisy Carter stated that So Medieval "revels in its scope", describing the track "Darp" as an "undulating, guitar-led number that progresses with the steady power of a swelling wave" and its follow-up "Darp 2 / Exorcism" as "an exponential expansion that sees said wave eventually break into a moving and cathartic crescendo". The Line of Best Fit's review by Marshall Grace summarises the lyrics as "like an audiobook during a car crash" and gave the album an 8/10, which was also the score given by Clash and Pitchfork. NME and DIY both gave the album four stars out of five.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Arthur Nolan.

So Medieval track listing
No.TitleLength
1."So Medieval"3:54
2."Mr. Bubblegum"4:29
3."Darp"2:47
4."Darp 2 / Exorcism"3:20
5."I'm Sorry I Left Him To Bleed"2:47
6."The Day I Said You'd Died (He Lives)"3:53
7."Come On Baby, Dig!"2:49
8."Sunny"1:46
9."Cloudy"6:20
10."Goodnight Bobby"4:08
Total length:36:13

References

  1. ^ "So Medieval, by Blue Bendy". Bandcamp. 12 April 2024. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  2. ^ Monroe, Jazz (16 April 2024). "Blue Bendy: So Medieval". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  3. ^ Pilley, Max (11 April 2024). "Blue Bendy – 'So Medieval' review: this arch, athletic album surprises at every turn". NME. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  4. ^ Wray, Daniel Dylan (2 January 2023). "Blue Bendy: the south London post-punk pop band who fried Wire's brains". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  5. ^ Cross, Reuben (12 April 2024). "Blue Bendy - So Medieval review: a labyrinthine debut which doesn't forego the fun". Overblown. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  6. Greene, Jayson (5 April 2023). "Blue Bendy: "Cloudy"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  7. Monroe, Jazz (25 January 2024). "Blue Bendy Announce Debut Album So Medieval, Share Spooky New Video". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  8. Aimee, Rachel (8 March 2024). "Start Listening To: Blue Bendy". Still Listening. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  9. ^ Carter, Daisy (10 April 2024). "Blue Bendy - So Medieval". DIY. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  10. ^ O'Connor, Roisin (14 April 2024). "Blue Bendy frontman Arthur Nolan: 'I see a lot of myself in Kendall Roy'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 4 October 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  11. ^ Marshall, Grace (10 April 2024). "Blue Bendy: So Medieval Review". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  12. ^ "Blue Bendy - So Medieval". Clash. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
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