Merriam-Webster defines gaslight as: to attempt to make (someone) believe that he or she is going insane (as by subjecting that person to a series of experiences that have no rational explanation).
The Chicks, who dropped Dixie from their name last month, are back after a 14-year hiatus with their new – and fifth studio – album Gaslighter, and they are not pulling any punches.
The first song on the record is the title track Gaslighter. An upbeat tune with strong lyrics. A great way to open an album, grabbing the listener by the throat. Followed by Sleep At Night, the second single to be taken from the record, things slow down a bit. This song – like many others on the album – express some of Natalie Maines’ feelings about her recent divorce from her husband of 19 years and will make some listeners want to know what happened, whilst others will relate.
Rather than give you a blow-by-blow of the rest of the album, what you need to know is the lyrics are great, the music is just as good, and there are songs which sound just like classic Chicks. If you’re looking for a carbon copy of Ready to Fly, you’ll be disappointed, but if you enjoy a band that evolves without losing their essence, then this is the album for you.
Whilst there are no weak songs – just those that take a few mores listens before they grab your attention – if I had to choose just three to listen to, it would have to be Gaslighter, Texas Man – about getting back out there after a divorce/failed relationship/just being older – and March March, about empowering people who stand up for what they believe and inspired by March for Our Lives and other similar movements.
GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING GLOBAL SUPERSTARS
THE CHICKS RELEASE THEIR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED FIFTH STUDIO ALBUM GASLIGHTER
The release of GASLIGHTER brings the official music video for “Sleep at Night” available today
“Stunning.” – Telegraph 5*
“Laser sharp.” – Observer 4*
“Still political, still resilient.” – Independent 4*
“The only thing that I do not like about ‘Gaslighter’ is that I could cry for want of jumping round to a live gig in celebration of those women and their supreme songs.” – The Arts Desk 4*
After nearly 14 years, the 13-time GRAMMY award-winning, multi-platinum selling global superstars, The Chicks, released today their highly anticipated fifth studio album, GASLIGHTER, via Columbia Records. The record release also brings the trio’s second single off the album, “Sleep At Night,” with a powerful new music video shot in the Mojave Desert. GASLIGHTER was co-produced by GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter, record producer, and friend of the band, Jack Antonoff. Order GASLIGHTER here and watch the official music video for “Sleep At Night” here.
Collaborators on GASLIGHTER alongside Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer, Martie Maguire, and Jack Antonoff include master sound engineer, Laura Sisk, and award-winning singer-songwriters, Sarah Aarons, Ben Abraham, Annie Clark, Teddy Geiger, Ross Golan, Ian Kirkpatrick, Charlotte Lawrence, Julia Michaels, H.G. Penne, Ariel Rechtshaid, Joe Spargur, Justin Tranter, and Dan Wilson.
The Chicks are proud to announce the “For Her Alliance,” a collection of female visual artists who collaborated with the band to create visualizers for select tracks off the album. The talented artists whose work is represented in these videos include Miranda Burke on “Tights On My Boat,” Lucy Dyson on “Texas Man,” Cosima Elwes on “Everybody Loves You,” “For Her,” “Set Me Free,” and “Hope It’s Something Good,” and Paloma Grim, Sam Cutbush and Milly Constanti on “For Her.” The Chicks collaborated on the visualizers for “My Best Friend’s Weddings” and “Young Man.” The “For Her Alliance,” Creative Director is Seanne Farmer, Executive Produced by Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire and Produced by Mindi Pelletier. Watch the videos today via the The Chicks official YouTube Channel here.
To celebrate the album’s release, The Chicks appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night for their debut performance of “March March. The band also performed “Sleep At Night” for the first time this morning on the TODAY Show’s Summer Concert Series with a special performance of “Gaslighter” exclusive to TODAY.com. The Chicks will end the day with a simultaneous YouTube and Twitter live Happy Hour, complete with a few surprise guest appearances.
GASLIGHTER TRACKLIST:
Gaslighter
Sleep At Night
Texas Man
Everybody Loves You
For Her
March March.
My Best Friend’s Weddings
Tights On My Boat
Julianna Calm Down
Young Man
Hope It’s Something Good
Set Me Free
Earning universal recognition as the biggest-selling U.S. female band of all time, The Chicks have sold more than 30.5 million albums and are among an elite group of artists and the only female group to achieve multiple “diamond” selling (ten million copies) releases. Counting 13 GRAMMY Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, four American Music Awards, and numerous Country Music Association Awards among many other accolades, their last record-breaking studio album, TAKING THE LONG WAY (2006), won five GRAMMY Awards including “Album of the Year,” “Record of the Year,” and “Song of the Year.”
Most recently, The Chicks collaborated with Taylor Swift on “Soon You’ll Get Better,” a track from Swift’s seventh studio album, Lover. The collaboration resulted in The Chicks returning to the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, their first appearance on the chart in 12 years.
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