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Angry Cyclist

Angry Cyclist is the eleventh[1] studio album by Scottish folk rock duo The Proclaimers. The album was released on 10 August 2018 on the label Cooking Vinyl.[1] The album spawned the titular single "Angry Cyclist",[2] accompanied by a music video. Charting at No. 2 in Scotland, as well as at No. 17 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 3 on the Indie Charts,[3] the release of Angry Cyclist was followed by a promotional tour of the United Kingdom, Canada, Iceland, Asia and Australia.[4]

Angry Cyclist
Studio album by
The Proclaimers
Released10 August 2018
StudioRockfield Studios, Wales
Genre
Length37:26
LabelCooking Vinyl
ProducerDave Eringa
The Proclaimers chronology
Let's Hear It for the Dogs
(2015) 		Angry Cyclist
(2018) 		Dentures Out
(2022)
Singles from Angry Cyclist
  1. "Angry Cyclist"
    Released: 14 June 2018
  2. "Streets of Edinburgh"
    Released: 2018
  3. "Sometimes It's The Fools"
    Released: 2019

Receiving a generally favourable reception, with AllMusic praising the record an example of the band's best work, Angry Cyclist included politically-themed songs reflecting scepticism of Brexit and Donald Trump; it was described by Louder Than War as "an essential record" for those unhappy with the political landscape. The record was described as "punk in spirit" and showcased a variety of influences including country, jangle pop and soul.[5][6][2][7][4][8]

Production

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The album was produced by Dave Eringa who produced The Proclaimers' previous album Let's Hear It for the Dogs, and was likewise recorded in Wales at Rockfield Studios. On 15 June 2018, it was announced that the album would be released worldwide on 10 August that year.[9]

Release

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Angry Cyclist was released on 10 August 2018.[6] Released through Cooking Vinyl,[10] the album saw Europe-wide release on CD, as well as vinyl and cassette releases in the UK.[10]

Style and content

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Lyrical themes

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The lyrics of Angry Cyclist included political themes. The title-track "Angry Cyclist" reflected dismay at a societal shift to the political right following Brexit and the election of Donald Trump,[2] band member Craig Reid metaphorically likening "sweating, angry cyclists “hemmed in” by city traffic with the polarisation of political discourse", the song was hailed "a metaphor for our times".[2] "Classy" was a wry insight into the "ludicrous strata" of the British class system.[11] The sentimental ballad "Streets of Edinburgh" looked backwards and forwards at the city where the band spent their formative years.[12]

Musical style

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The York Press described the album as "soulful country-folk" as well as "punk in spirit", upgraded with strings in a manner reminiscent of producer Dave Eringa's work with Idlewild and Manic Street Preachers.[8] AllMusic stated that The Proclaimers "present a mix of style influences" on Angry Cyclist,[6] describing "The Battle of the Booze" as "countrified" and noting "Information"'s R&B infusions.[6] "Sometimes It's the Fools" has been described by The Scotsman as ringing out with a "pithy and pacey jangle", comparable to R.E.M., "You Make Me Happy" was labelled a "direct and driving Celtic soul stormer", with it and "Then It Comes To Me" described by The Skinny as "Springsteen-esque rockers", with The Scotsman labelling "A Way with Words" a "twanging country rock’n’roller".[4]

Reception

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Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [6]
The Scotsman     [4]
The Skinny     [1]
The Spill Magazine          [12]

According to Metacritic, Angry Cyclist received a score of 77/100 based in 5 reviews, suggesting "generally positive reviews".[5]

Marcy Donelson of AllMusic described the record as "one of [the band's] best" and "the type of album that would be fun see performed live in full".[6]

Louder Than War described Dentures Out as "an absolutely essential record for those of us unhappy with the nasty turns the world has been taking".[7]

In an eight-out-of-ten review, Bryan Willitson of Toronto-based publication The Spill Magazine opined that the album had "many moments to enjoy" and that it "grows on the listener with each successive spin".[12]

The Skinny, in a four out-of five-star review by Alan O'Hare, while acknowledging the album to offer "a little less gravitas than usual", stated that " the taut Telecasters that dominate The Proclaimers' eleventh studio album provide a tension that seems to sit well within [...] these prescient compositions",[1] and further alluded to the track "Classy" as "lyrical genius".[1]

The Scotsman complimented Angry Cyclist as one of the band's "most cutting collections" and that "every track brims with confidence".[4]

Accolades

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Angry Cyclist ranked at No. 64 on 100 Best Albums of 2018 by UK music retailer Fopp.[13]

Touring

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The Proclaimers embarked on a worldwide tour following the release of Angry Cyclist. The 2018 leg of the Angry Cyclist tour saw the band perform 43 shows and 5 festivals in the United Kingdom, as well as 13 concerts in Canada supported by the English indie folk artist Siobhan Wilson.[14][15] The 2019 portion included performances that April in Reykjavík, Dubai and Singapore,[16][17] as well as a 10-date tour of Australia that May.[18] The tour concluded with a performance on 14 September 2019 at The Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.[19] The Angry Cyclist tour saw the duo perform to over 400,000 people across 111 performances.[19]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Craig and Charlie Reid

No.TitleLength
1."Angry Cyclist"2:26
2."Stretch"2:55
3."Streets of Edinburgh"3:46
4."Then It Comes to Me"3:05
5."You Make Me Happy"2:27
6."Looted"3:00
7."The Hours Between"3:16
8."Information"2:43
9."Sometimes It's the Fools"2:57
10."A Way With Words"2:11
11."Classy"2:38
12."The Battle of the Booze"2:34
13."I'd Ask the Questions"2:28

Personnel

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Chart performance

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Charts (2018) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[21] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[22] 17
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[23] 3

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e O'Hare, Alan (7 August 2018). "The Proclaimers – Angry Cyclist". The Skinny. The Skinny. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Alexander, Michael (11 August 2018). "Interview with The Proclaimers: Why new album title track 'Angry Cyclist' is a metaphor for our times". The Courier. The Courier. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Angry Cyclist album charts at Number 17". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Album reviews: The Proclaimers | Jah Wobble | Giant Sand | Israel Nash". The Scotsman. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Angry Cyclist by The Proclaimers". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Donelson, Marcy. "The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist - Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  7. ^ a b Joenk Watt, Angela (7 August 2018). "The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist". Louder Than War. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  8. ^ a b Hutchinson, Charles (10 August 2018). "Album of the Week: The Proclaimers, Angry Cyclist (Cooking Vinyl) ***". The York Press. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  9. ^ "The Proclaimers' new album "Angry Cyclist"". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  10. ^ a b "The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist". Discogs. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  11. ^ Alinscoe, Mike. "The Proclaimers: Angry Cyclist – Video, single and Album News". Louder Than War. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  12. ^ a b c Williston, Bryan. "Spill Album Review: The Proclaimers - Angry Cyclist". The Spill Magazine. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  13. ^ "Best Albums of 2018".
  14. ^ "Angry Cyclist 2018 Tour". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  15. ^ Murphy, Sarah (17 April 2018). "The Proclaimers Plot Fall Canadian Tour". Exclaim. Exclaim. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  16. ^ "The Proclaimers will perform live in Singapore on 29 April 2019". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  17. ^ "Latest news on Tour". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  18. ^ "Australia - "Angry Cyclist tour" 2019". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Angry Cyclist Tour - The last show". The Proclaimers. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  20. ^ a b c The liner notes entail the musical and technical personnel of Angry Cyclist.
  21. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  22. ^ "Proclaimers | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  23. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
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