Something About April II
| Something About April II | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 22, 2016 | |||
| Studio | Linear Labs (Los Angeles, California)[1] | |||
| Length | 36:21 | |||
| Label | Linear Labs | |||
| Producer | Adrian Younge | |||
| Adrian Younge chronology | ||||
| ||||
Something About April II is a studio album by American record producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge. It was released on January 22, 2016, through Linear Labs. It received universal acclaim from critics.[2]
Background
Adrian Younge is an American record producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist from Los Angeles.[3] Something About April II is the second installment of his Something About April series of albums, following Something about April (2011) and preceding Something About April III (2025).[3] It includes contributions from vocalists Loren Oden, Karolina, Stereolab's Lætitia Sadier, Bilal, Raphael Saadiq, and Saudia Yasmein.[4] Prior to the album's release, RZA released his remix version of the track "Hands of God" in 2015.[5] The album was released on January 22, 2016, through Linear Labs.[6]
An instrumental version of the album was later released on February 12, 2016.[7]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 83/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [4] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10[8] |
| HipHopDX | 4.0/5[9] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[10] |
| Q | [11] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Something About April II received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 from 7 critic scores.[2]
Andy Kellman of AllMusic wrote, "Though a couple cuts aren't as quick to stick to memory as the sweet and sour soul displayed throughout the stunning 2011 album, this less novel but engrossing sequel is another worthy addition to the Younge discography."[4] Andre Grant of HipHopDX commented that "The sounds are jaw-dropping on this one, each note masterfully arranged to create both mood and nuance."[9]
In 2017, Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan included the track "La Ballade" in his list of the "30 Essential Psychedelic Soul Songs".[12]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sittin' by the Radio" |
| 2:07 |
| 2. | "Winter Is Here" | Karolina | 3:27 |
| 3. | "Sandrine" |
| 2:58 |
| 4. | "Step Beyond" | Lætitia Sadier | 2:45 |
| 5. | "Sea Motet" | Younge | 2:30 |
| 6. | "Memories of War" | Sadier | 2:43 |
| 7. | "Psalms" | Younge | 2:19 |
| 8. | "Magic Music" | Younge | 2:29 |
| 9. | "Ready to Love" |
| 3:12 |
| 10. | "La Ballade" |
| 2:50 |
| 11. | "April Sonata" | Younge | 3:59 |
| 12. | "Hands of God" |
| 2:49 |
| 13. | "Hear My Love" | Karolina | 2:14 |
| Total length: | 36:21 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.[1]
- Adrian Younge – production, recording, mixing
- Venice Dawn – performance
- Loren Oden – lead vocals (1, 3, 7, 9, 13), background vocals (1–3, 8, 9, 13)
- Hannah Blumenfeld – strings (2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11–13)
- Jack Waterson – electric guitar (2, 8, 9, 13), chanting (12)
- Karolina – lead vocals (2, 12, 13)
- John Herndon – drums (4)
- Lætitia Sadier – lead vocals (4, 6, 9, 10, 12), background vocals (4, 6, 9)
- Bilal – lead vocals (4, 10), background vocals (4)
- Raphael Saadiq – lead vocals (8), background vocals (8)
- Saudia Yasmein – lead vocals (8), background vocals (8)
- Brooke DeRosa – background vocals (11)
- Todd Simon – trumpet (12), French horn (12)
- Dave Cooley – mastering
- Andrew Lojero – executive production
- HB District – design
- The Artform Studio – photography
References
- ^ a b c Adrian Younge (2016). Something About April II (CD liner notes). Linear Labs.
- ^ a b c "Something About April II by Adrian Younge". Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 2, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Adrian Younge". AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ a b c Kellman, Andy. "Adrian Younge Presents Something About April II - Venice Dawn, Adrian Younge". AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ Camp, Zoe (December 30, 2015). "RZA Remixes Adrian Younge's "Hands of God" In Honor of Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ Beaudoin, Jedd (February 24, 2016). "There's Something About Adrian: An Interview With Hip-Hop / Soul Producer Adrian Younge". PopMatters. Archived from the original on September 17, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ "Something About April II Instrumentals | Adrian Younge". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ Warren, Michael J. (January 22, 2016). "Adrian Younge Something About April II". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ a b Grant, Andre (January 28, 2016). "Adrian Younge - Something About April II". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ Ex, Kris (January 21, 2016). "Adrian Younge: Something About April II". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ Yates, Steve (March 2016). "New Albums". Q. p. 119.
- ^ Sacher, Andrew (March 2, 2017). "30 essential psychedelic soul songs". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ "Something About April II | Adrian Younge". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
External links
- Something About April II at Discogs (list of releases)