Smiling with No Teeth
Smiling with No Teeth | ||||
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Studio album by Genesis Owusu | ||||
Released | 5 March 2021 | |||
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Length | 53:54 | |||
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Producer |
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Genesis Owusu chronology | ||||
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Singles from Smiling with No Teeth | ||||
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Singles from Missing Molars | ||||
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Smiling with No Teeth is the debut studio album by Australian musician Genesis Owusu, released on 5 March 2021 through Ourness. The album features a guest appearance from Kirin J. Callinan and production from Callinan, Andrew Klippel, Dave Hammer, Harvey Sutherland, Joe LaPorta, and Matt Corby.
Preceded by five singles—"Don't Need You", "Whip Cracker", "The Other Black Dog", "Gold Chains", and "Drown" (featuring Kirin J. Callinan)—Smiling with No Teeth debuted at number 27 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, the album won Album of the Year, Best Hip Hop Release and Best Independent Release while Andrew Klippel and Dave Hammer won Producer of the Year. Owusu was nominated for Best Artist and Kofi Anash & Bailey Howard were nominated for Best Cover Art.[2]
At the J Awards of 2021, the album won the Australian Album of the Year[3][4] and in March 2022, won the Australian Music Prize[5] and Best Record at the 2022 Rolling Stone Australia Awards.[6] at the AIR Awards of 2022, it won Independent Album of the Year.[7]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.1/10[8] |
Metacritic | 86/100[9] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
DIY | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Earmilk | 9/10[11] |
Gigwise | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Loud and Quiet | 9/10[13] |
musicOMH | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Arts Desk | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Independent | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[18] |
The Sydney Morning Herald | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Smiling with No Teeth received critical acclaim.[20] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 86 based on six reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[9] The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 8.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.[8]
Mark Salisbury of Earmilk praised the album, saying that it "is a visceral sonic attack on the senses and should cement Genesis Owusu as an international renaissance man".[11] Mike Vinti of Loud and Quiet said, "A triumph from top to bottom, Smiling with No Teeth sets the stage for Genesis Owusu to become a potentially generation-defining star".[13] John Murphy of musicOMH said, "it's an album that's easy to feel intimidated by at first listen, due to its sheer scale and ambition. However, after a few listens you'll be in no doubt that Genesis Owusu is one of the most exciting names of the year".[14] Steven Loftin of The Line of Best Fit said, "Owusu's debut offering not only manages to deftly balance style with substance, but does so with a jubilance that gives as much reason to curl up your own most toothy grin".[18] Simone Ziaziaris of The Sydney Morning Herald said, "via forays into multiple musical genres, Smiling with No Teeth creates a space both for Owusu to express his own personal experiences, and for others to question nuanced complexities".[19] Jenessa Williams of DIY said, "like Gorillaz, Outkast or even The Weeknd before him, he plays well with dark and sinister, throwing theatrical voice in a musical hall of mirrors with real versatility".[10] Cyclone Wehner of NME said, "with Smiling With No Teeth, Genesis Owusu has delivered a riveting album that underscores the power of self-knowledge, perspective and art – one that should be cranked loud".[15] Thomas H Green of The Arts Desk found that the album "brings to mind an overdose of references, but the musical magpie-ism is more Prince than pastiche".[16] Rachel Brodsky of The Independent said, "with strong, clear-eyed subtext, overlaid by compositions that touch on every influence from TV on the Radio to Prince, Childish Gambino and Radiohead, Smiling With No Teeth is not so much an album as it is a memoir".[17] Sofie Lindevall of Gigwise said that the album "has plenty of not only good, but great, songs and whether you are a fan of high energy hip-hop, raw punk-esque guitars or soulful R&B, there is something on the album for you".[12]
Mid-year lists
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
The Music | The Music's Top 25 Albums Of 2021 (So Far) | — | [21] |
Year-end lists
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Double J | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 11 | [22] |
NME | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 29 | [23] |
Paste | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 50 | [24] |
Commercial performance
Smiling with No Teeth debuted and peaked at number 27 on the ARIA Albums Chart for the chart dated 15 March 2021.[25]
The album also debuted at number 3 on the ARIA Top 20 Vinyl Albums Chart,[26] and at number 5 on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Albums Chart.[27]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "On the Move!" |
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| 1:47 |
2. | "The Other Black Dog" |
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| 4:23 |
3. | "Centrefold" |
|
| 3:16 |
4. | "Waitin' on Ya" |
| Klippel | 5:44 |
5. | "Don't Need You" |
|
| 3:05 |
6. | "Drown" (featuring Kirin J. Callinan) |
|
| 2:57 |
7. | "Gold Chains" |
|
| 3:38 |
8. | "Smiling with No Teeth" |
| Klippel | 4:59 |
9. | "I Don't See Colour" |
| Klippel | 2:56 |
10. | "Black Dogs!" |
| Corby | 2:00 |
11. | "Whip Cracker" |
| Klippel | 4:41 |
12. | "Easy" |
| Sutherland | 3:02 |
13. | "A Song About Fishing" |
|
| 3:25 |
14. | "No Looking Back" |
| Klippel | 3:42 |
15. | "Bye Bye" |
|
| 4:09 |
Total length: | 53:44 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "The Fall" |
|
| 2:18 |
2. | "What Do I Fear?" |
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| 3:34 |
3. | "Same Thing" |
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| 3:12 |
4. | "Fallen Branches" |
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| 4:13 |
5. | "Crosses" |
|
| 3:11 |
Total length: | 70:12 |
Notes
- The deluxe version removes the outro of "The Other Black Dog", changing the length from 4:23 to 3:30
Personnel
Musicians
- Genesis Owusu – writing, vocals (all tracks)
Backing band
- Kirin J. Callinan – writing, vocals, guitar (3–9, 11, 13–15)
- Michael Di Francesco – writing, bass guitar (2–9, 11, 13–15)
- Julian Sudek – writing, drums (2–9, 11, 13–15)
- Andrew Klippel – keyboard, writing (1–9, 11, 13–15)
Other musicians
- Dave Hammer – writing (5)
- David Haddad – writing (1, 6)
- Harvey Sutherland – writing (12)
- Matt Corby – writing (10)
Technical
- Andrew Klippel – production (1–9, 11, 13–15)
- Dave Hammer – production (1, 3, 5–7, 9, 13, 15), engineering (4, 8, 14)
- Harvey Sutherland – production (12)
- Joe LaPorta – production (5), engineering (1, 3–4, 6–10, 12–15)
- Matt Corby – production (10)
- Andrew Dawson – engineering (10)
- George Nicholas – engineering (1–9, 13–15)
- James Dring – engineering (2)
- Konstantin Kersting – engineering (12)
- Simon Cohen – engineering (2–4, 7–9, 11, 13–14)
Charts
Chart (2021) | Peak position |
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Australian Albums (ARIA)[28] | 27 |
References
- ^ "Watch Genesis Owusu get lost on an island in new "Waitin' On Ya'" video". NME Australia. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Kelly, Vivienne (20 October 2021). "ARIA Awards nominees revealed: Amy Shark & Genesis Owusu lead the charge". The Music Network. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
- ^ Kelly, Vivienne (1 November 2021). "Triple j reveals J Awards nominees". The Music Network. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
- ^ "Genesis Owusu leads this year's 2021 J Awards winners". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Genesis Owusu has won the $30,000 Australian Music Prize". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
- ^ "All the winners from the 2022 Rolling Stone Australia Awards". The Music Network. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ Tyler Jenke (5 August 2022). "Genesis Owusu Wins Big At The 2022 AIR Awards". MusicFeeds. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Smiling With No Teeth by Genesis Owusu reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Smiling with No Teeth by Genesis Owusu". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b Williams, Jenessa. "Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth | Reviews". DIY. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b Salisbury, Mark (8 March 2021). "Album Review: Genesis Owusu—Smiling With No Teeth". Earmilk. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b Lindevall, Sofie (4 March 2021). "Album Review: Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth | Gigwise". Gigwise. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b Vinti, Mike. "Genesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b Murphy, John (5 March 2021). "Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth | Album Reviews". musicOMH. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b Wehner, Cyclone (5 March 2021). "Genesis Owusu – 'Smiling With No Teeth' review: a transcendent conceptual opus". NME. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b Green, Thomas H (6 March 2021). "Album: Genesis Owusu - Smiling With No Teeth". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b Brodsky, Rachel (4 March 2021). "Album reviews: Genesis Owusu and Zara Larsson". The Independent. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b Loftin, Steven (1 March 2021). "Smiling With No Teeth finds Genesis Owusu perfectly balancing style with substance". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b Ziaziaris, Simone (5 March 2021). "Music reviews: Kings of Leon, Jane Weaver, Genesis Owusu and more". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "Gallery: The 2022 Sailor Jerry Rolling Stone Australia Awards". Rolling Stone Australia. 10 April 2022. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "Are these the best albums of 2021 so far?". The Music. 1 July 2021. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Double J. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". NME. 10 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Paste. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums for week of 15 March 2021". Australian Recording Industry Association. 15 March 2021. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Top 20 Vinyl Albums for week of 15 March 2021". Australian Recording Industry Association. 15 March 2021. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "ARIA Top 20 Australian Albums for week of 15 March 2021". Australian Recording Industry Association. 15 March 2021. Archived from the original on 23 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Genesis Owusu – Smiling With No Teeth". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- v
- t
- e
- Whispering Jack by John Farnham (1987)
- Man of Colours by Icehouse (1988)
- Temple of Low Men by Crowded House (1989)
- Matchbook by Ian Moss (1990)
- Blue Sky Mining by Midnight Oil (1991)
- Baby Animals by Baby Animals (1992)
- Hepfidelity by Diesel (1993)
- The Honeymoon Is Over by The Cruel Sea (1994)
- Don't Ask by Tina Arena (1995)
- Hourly, Daily by You Am I (1996)
- Savage Garden by Savage Garden (1997)
- Unit by Regurgitator (1998)
- Internationalist by Powderfinger (1999)
- Reflector by Killing Heidi (2000)
- Odyssey Number Five by Powderfinger (2001)
- Barricades & Brickwalls by Kasey Chambers (2002)
- Vulture Street by Powderfinger (2003)
- Get Born by Jet (2004)
- The Sound of White by Missy Higgins (2005)
- Tea & Sympathy by Bernard Fanning (2006)
- Young Modern by Silverchair (2007)
- Apocalypso by The Presets (2008)
- Walking on a Dream by Empire of the Sun (2009)
- Down the Way by Angus & Julia Stone (2010)
- Moonfire by Boy & Bear (2011)
- Making Mirrors by Gotye (2012)
- Lonerism by Tame Impala (2013)
- 1000 Forms of Fear by Sia (2014)
- Currents by Tame Impala (2015)
- Skin by Flume (2016)
- Go Farther in Lightness by Gang of Youths (2017)
- Love Monster by Amy Shark (2018)
- A Place We Knew by Dean Lewis (2019)
- The Slow Rush by Tame Impala (2020)
- Smiling with No Teeth by Genesis Owusu (2021)
- Gela by Baker Boy (2022)
- Struggler by Genesis Owusu (2023)
Notes
External links
- Smiling with No Teeth at Discogs (list of releases)