Archangel Hill
A pastoral scene with horses walking toward green hills
Studio album by
Shirley Collins
Released26 May 2023 (2023-05-26)
StudioMetway Studios, Brighton, East Sussex, England, UK
GenreEnglish folk music
Length37:28
LanguageEnglish
LabelDomino Recording Company
ProducerIan Kearey
Shirley Collins chronology
Heart's Ease
(2020)		 Archangel Hill
(2023)

Archangel Hill is a 2023 studio album by British folk musician Shirley Collins. It has received positive reviews from critics.

Reception

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Archangel Hill received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from seven critic scores.[1] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Mark Deming writing that this "offers a brief taste of what Collins was like as a performer shortly before [Collins]' retirement" which lasted almost 40 years, concluding with 2016's Lodestar and he sums up that this album "documents a singular artist with a tremendous command of her gifts".[2] Mojo's Jim Wirth gave this album 4 out of 5 stars, summing up that with "its own low-key sparkle Archangel Hill stands testament to a musical third act every bit as engaging as anything that went before".[3] Ben Hogwood of musicOMH rated Archangel Hill 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it "another life-affirming encounter with a remarkable artist" that "once again shows her ability to communicate with her listeners as though they are the only people in the room".[4] NPR's Jonathan Williger characterizes this release as "sagelike, Collins presents these songs as a testament to a life well lived, all its sentimental nooks and crannies fully intact" and ending "that sincerity, the bridge between now and then, is the great gift of Collins' music and underpins the power of these songs that have resonated throughout her homeland and her life".[5] Neil Spencer of The Observer gave this work 4 out of 5 stars, writing that "weathered tones come with unforced gravitas" in Collins' voice.[6] Jim Hilton of The Quietus noted that there was some jubilance the music and additionally, "the songs speak of departure, displacement, pursuit, kidnap, long journeying and delayed arrival".[7] In Uncut, Louis Pattison rated it 4 out of 5 stars, stating that "one of the things that fascinates about Archangel Hill is listening to the way Collins’ relationship with this material has changed over time", including how Collins' voice has aged.[8]

Archangel Hill in best-of lists
Outlet Listing Rank
AllMusic[9] Favorite Folk & Americana Albums —
Mojo[10] The 75 Best Albums of 2023 36
musicOMH[11] musicOMH’s Top 50 Albums Of 2023 15
The Quietus[12] Quietus Albums of the Year 2023 23
Uncut[13] The 75 Best Albums of 2023 22

Uncut editor Michael Bonner included this album on his list of the best of the year.[14]

Track listing

  1. "Fare Thee Well My Dearest Dear" – 3:16
  2. "Lost in a Wood" – 3:00
  3. "The Captain with the Whiskers" – 2:46
  4. "June Apple" – 1:52
  5. "The Golden Glove" – 3:11
  6. "High and Away" – 3:55
  7. "Oakham Poachers" – 2:19
  8. "Hares on the Mountain" – 3:08
  9. "Hand and Heart" – 2:19
  10. "The Bonny Labouring Boy" – 3:21
  11. "Swaggering Boney" – 1:42
  12. "How Far Is It to Bethlehem?" – 2:06
  13. "Archangel Hill" – 4:33

Personnel

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Archangel Hill by Shirley Collins Reviews and Tracks – Metacritic". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. n.d. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. ↑ Deming, Mark (n.d.). "Shirley Collins – Archangel Hill". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Wirth, Jim (26 May 2023). "Shirley Collins Reviewed". Articles | New Music. Mojo. ISSN 1351-0193.
  4. ↑ Hogwood, Ben (27 May 2023). "Shirley Collins – Archangel Hill". Album Reviews. musicOMH. ISSN 2516-6220. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  5. ↑ Williger, Jonathan (25 May 2023). "Review: Shirley Collins' 'Archangel Hill' is a testament to a life well lived". The NPR Music Review. NPR. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Spencer, Neil (20 May 2023). "Shirley Collins: Archangel Hill review – brio and unforced gravitas". Review. The Observer. Guardian Media Group. ISSN 0029-7712. OCLC 50230244. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Hilton, Jim (6 June 2023). "Shirley Collins". Review. The Quietus. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  8. 1 2 Watts, Peter (1 June 2023). "Shirley Collins – Archangel Hill". Reviews > Albums. Uncut. ISSN 1368-0722.
  9. ↑ "Favorite Folk & Americana Albums". AllMusic. RhythmOne. n.d. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "MOJO's Top 75 Albums of 2023". BrooklynVegan. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023. from the original in Mojo, issue 362 (ISSN 1351-0193
  11. ↑ Hubbard, Michael (8 December 2023). "musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2023". Lists. musicOMH. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  12. ↑ Hilton, Jim (4 December 2023). "Quietus Albums Of The Year 2023 (In Association With Norman Records)". Features | Quietus Charts. The Quietus. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  13. ↑ Sacher, Andrew (9 November 2023). "Uncut's Top 75 Albums of 2023". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 15 November 2023. from the original in Uncut, January 2024 (ISSN 1368-0722
  14. ↑ Bonner, Michael (6 December 2023). "The Best Albums Of 2023 – the Editor's picks". Features > Blogs. Uncut. ISSN 1368-0722. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
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