Such Ferocious Beauty
Cowboy Junkies · 2023
39 min · 10 tracks · alternative rock
A haunting blend of atmospheric melodies and introspective lyrics that capture the complexities of human emotions.
Top tracks — play these first
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What I Lost — Opening the album, this track sets the tone with its ethereal instrumentation and poignant reflections on loss, encapsulating the emotional journey ahead.
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Flood — This track employs vivid imagery to tackle themes of overwhelming emotions and resilience, showcasing the band's lyrical prowess and musical cohesion.
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Mike Tyson (Here It Comes) — Blending personal narrative with broader social commentary, this song highlights the band's ability to intertwine storytelling with catchy melodies.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong writing and production, with moments of depth but lacks broad cultural resonance.
What we noticed
- The first three tracks feature a gradual build in intensity, with the fourth track introducing a more complex arrangement that includes strings.
- Several tracks utilize layered vocal harmonies that create an ethereal quality, particularly in 'Flood' and 'Shadows 2'.
- The album closes with 'Blue Skies', which contrasts the darker themes of earlier tracks by incorporating a brighter melody and more optimistic lyrics.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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6/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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7/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- introspective listening experiences
- haunting, atmospheric soundscapes
- gradual builds and payoffs
- reflective late-night moods
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Such Ferocious Beauty marks the Cowboy Junkies' thirteenth studio album, arriving nearly four years after their previous release. By this point in their career, the band has established a distinct sound that fuses alternative rock with folk influences, continually evolving while staying true to their roots.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Mazzy Star· Red House Painters· The National
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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Flood
The imagery shifts from calm to chaos illustrates a sudden emotional shift that mirrors life's unpredictability.
This transition emphasizes the fragility of stability in one's life, reflecting the duality of hope and despair central to the album's theme.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 What I Lost 3:46
- 2 Flood 4:21
- 3 Hard to Build. Easy to Break 4:19
- 4 Circe and Penelope 3:34
- 5 Hell Is Real 3:30
- 6 Shadows 2 3:41
- 7 Knives 4:31
- 8 Mike Tyson (Here It Comes) 4:04
- 9 Throw a Match 3:46
- 10 Blue Skies 3:32
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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