At the Dam
| At the Dam | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 4, 2016 | |||
| Genre | Electronic[1] | |||
| Length | 43:59 | |||
| Label | Ghostly International | |||
| Producer | Mary Lattimore | |||
| Mary Lattimore chronology | ||||
| ||||
At the Dam is a solo studio album by American harpist Mary Lattimore. It was released on March 4, 2016, through Ghostly International. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.[2]
Background
[edit]Mary Lattimore is an American harpist originally from Asheville, North Carolina.[3] In 2014, she received a fellowship from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.[4] She used the grant to fund a road trip across the United States and created At the Dam with her harp and laptop.[4] The album contains five tracks, clocking in at 44 minutes.[5] The album's title is taken from an essay in Joan Didion's book, The White Album (1979), about the Hoover Dam.[5] The album was released on March 4, 2016, through Ghostly International.[6] Music videos were released for "Otis Walks into the Woods"[4][7] and "Jimmy V".[8][9]
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [10] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[5] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[11] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, At the Dam received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 from 4 critic scores.[2]
Paul Simpson of AllMusic wrote, "The album sounds as billowing and ethereal as one would expect from a solo harpist, but Lattimore's sense of experimentation gives her a distinctive sound, and At the Dam is simply a magnificent album."[10] Kevin Lozano of Pitchfork stated, "On its face a seemingly modest project, At the Dam bursts with ambition and ideas, offering a meditation on the ever-evolving relationship Lattimore has to her instrument and the spaces she shares it with."[5] Matthew Fiander of PopMatters commented that "Lattimore delivers a haunting, lasting performance, one that feels solitary but never spare, alone but never lonesome."[11]
Accolades
[edit]| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| AllMusic | Favorite Electronic Albums | — |
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Mary Lattimore.[12]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Otis Walks into the Woods" | 9:40 |
| 2. | "Jimmy V" | 5:57 |
| 3. | "The Quiet at Night" | 4:12 |
| 4. | "Jaxine Drive" | 10:53 |
| 5. | "Ferris Wheel, January" | 13:17 |
| Total length: | 43:59 | |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from liner notes.[12]
- Mary Lattimore – harp, production, recording
- Rob Laakso – recording
- Jeff Zeigler – mixing
- James Plotkin – mastering
- Becky Suss – painting
- Michael Cina – design
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Favorite Electronic Albums | AllMusic 2016 in Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "At the Dam by Mary Lattimore". Metacritic. Archived from the original on October 17, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Simpson, Paul. "Mary Lattimore". AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Warren, Bruce (March 9, 2016). "Songs We Love: Mary Lattimore, 'Otis Walks Into The Woods'". NPR. Archived from the original on May 15, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Lozano, Kevin (March 7, 2016). "Mary Lattimore: At the Dam". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Sacher, Andrew (February 4, 2016). "Mary Lattimore releasing a new album on Ghostly, playing shows with Julia Holter, Don De Vore & more (dates, stream)". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Ghostly International (March 9, 2016). "Mary Lattimore - Otis Walks Into The Woods". YouTube. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Murray, Robin (May 3, 2016). "Premiere: Mary Lattimore – 'Jimmy V'". Clash. Archived from the original on August 21, 2026. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Ghostly International (May 3, 2016). "Mary Lattimore - Jimmy V". YouTube. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- 1 2 Simpson, Paul. "At the Dam - Mary Lattimore". AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- 1 2 Fiander, Matthew (April 11, 2016). "Mary Lattimore: At the Dam". PopMatters. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- 1 2 Mary Lattimore (2016). At the Dam (vinyl liner notes). Ghostly International.
- ↑ "At The Dam | Mary Lattimore". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
External links
[edit]- At the Dam at Discogs (list of releases)