Wilderness of Mirrors (Lawrence English album)

Wilderness of Mirrors
Studio album by
Lawrence English
Released21 July 2014 (2014-07-21)
Length39:08
LabelRoom40
ProducerLawrence English
Lawrence English chronology
Suikinkutsu No Katawara Ni
(2013) 		Wilderness of Mirrors
(2014) 		Approaching Nothing
(2016)

Wilderness of Mirrors is a studio album by Australian record producer Lawrence English.[1] It was released on 21 July 2014 through his record label Room40.[2] It received universal acclaim from critics.[3]

Background

During the making of the album, Lawrence English drew inspiration from live performances by the bands Earth, Swans, and My Bloody Valentine.[4] The songs were written with the "live experience of listening" in mind.[5] It took him two years to finish the album.[6] The album's title originates from T. S. Eliot's poem "Gerontion".[7] A music video was released for the song "Forgiving Noir".[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
Fact[8]
MusicOMH[9]
Pitchfork7.5/10[10]
The Skinny[11]
Tiny Mix Tapes[12]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Wilderness of Mirrors received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 from 6 critic scores.[3]

Brian Howe of Pitchfork stated, "Wilderness of Mirrors isn't groundbreaking in general, but it is new territory for the often-cerebral English, and he puts an engaging, commanding stamp on this style of ambient overdrive hymn."[10] Maya Kalev of Fact commented that "Drone albums are by their nature immersive, but it's rare to come across one so tempestuous, evocative and compelling from start to finish as Wilderness of Mirrors."[8] Gary Kaill of The Skinny stated, "Built from almost intangible elements, Wilderness of Mirrors' aural scree is equal parts harmony and discord."[11] He added, "Its inarguable aesthetic makes for a listening experience as unsettling as it is exhilarating."[11] Pat Beane of Tiny Mix Tapes commented that "English makes us feel in our gut his sense of something-gone-wrong, which is central to our experience listening to this album."[12] He added, "To that end, he uses bass tones and shrill distortion to shake up the listener."[12]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Wilderness of Mirrors
Publication List Rank Ref.
Fact The 50 Best Albums of 2014
21
[13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Lawrence English.

Wilderness of Mirrors track listing
No.TitleLength
1."The Liquid Casket"6:20
2."Wilderness of Mirrors"2:37
3."Guillotines and Kingmakers"2:02
4."Another Body"6:26
5."Wrapped in Skin"3:18
6."Forgiving Noir"8:25
7."Graceless Hunter"5:10
8."Hapless Gatherer"4:47
Total length:39:08

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[14]

References

  1. ^ Simpson, Paul. "Lawrence English". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  2. ^ "Stream Lawrence English's crushing new album Wilderness of Mirrors". Fact. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Wilderness of Mirrors by Lawrence English". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Lawrence English reveals Swans-influenced new album Wilderness of Mirrors". Fact. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  5. ^ Twells, John (19 August 2014). ""I want to do things that have meaning": an interview with one of ambient music's modern masters, Lawrence English (page 1 of 3)". Fact. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  6. ^ a b C Monster (15 July 2014). "Lawrence English - "Forgiving Noir"". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  7. ^ Byrne, Michael (8 June 2014). "Lawrence English's 'Wilderness of Mirrors': A Cold War Truth in Dark Drones". Vice. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  8. ^ a b Kalev, Maya (27 August 2014). "Lawrence English - Wilderness of Mirrors". Fact. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  9. ^ Johnson, Steven (23 July 2014). "Lawrence English – Wilderness Of Mirrors". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  10. ^ a b Howe, Brian (31 July 2014). "Lawrence English: Wilderness of Mirrors Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  11. ^ a b c Kaill, Gary (1 July 2014). "Lawrence English – Wilderness of Mirrors". The Skinny. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  12. ^ a b c Beane, Pat. "Lawrence English - Wilderness Of Mirrors". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  13. ^ "The 50 best albums of 2014". Fact. 9 December 2014. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
  14. ^ Lawrence English (2014). Wilderness of Mirrors (CD booklet). Room40.

Further reading

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