| Strange Disciple | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 15, 2023 | |||
| Length | 44:02 | |||
| Label | PIAS | |||
| Producer | Nick Millhiser | |||
| Nation of Language chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Strange Disciple | ||||
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Strange Disciple is the third studio album by American synth-pop band Nation of Language, released on September 15, 2023 via PIAS. It is their first album since A Way Forward in 2021.
The first single, "Sole Obsession", was released on March 8, 2023.[1] The album was announced on April 13, 2023, with the release of the single "Weak in Your Light".[2] A third single, "Stumbling Still", was released on May 17, 2023.[3] The fourth single, "Too Much, Enough", was released on July 26, 2023.[4] A fifth and final single, "Sightseer", was released on September 11, 2023.[5] According to the band, the album's central theme is "infatuation and how one's reality can be warped by it."[4] The album was produced by Nick Millhiser of Holy Ghost!.[2] It marks the addition of bassist Alex MacKay, following the departure of Michael Sue-Poi.[6]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Clash | 8/10[9] |
| NME | [10] |
| Pitchfork | 7.3/10[11] |
Strange Disciple received a score of 78 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on six critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[7] Erica Campbell of NME said, "With their third album, Nation Of Language prove their able to stretch their auditory imagination, all while sticking to their roots."[10] Similarly, AllMusic's Marcy Donelson writes how the band "adhere strictly to a core timbral palette and, at least so far, always sound like themselves."[8] Reviewing the album for Pitchfork, Hattie Lindert called the album "another achievement in economy, a project that looks to the sound of new wave as a springboard, not a textbook, and lets small touches shine".[11]
All tracks are written by Nation of Language.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Weak in Your Light" | 4:15 |
| 2. | "Sole Obsession" | 4:16 |
| 3. | "Surely I Can't Wait" | 4:03 |
| 4. | "Swimming in the Shallow Sea" | 4:37 |
| 5. | "Too Much, Enough" | 4:51 |
| 6. | "Spare Me the Decision" | 2:46 |
| 7. | "Sightseer" | 4:19 |
| 8. | "Stumbling Still" | 4:39 |
| 9. | "A New Goodbye" | 5:21 |
| 10. | "I Will Never Learn" | 4:55 |
| Total length: | 44:02 | |
Nation of Language
Additional contributors
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[12] | 29 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[13] | 49 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[14] | 12 |
