Life Love Flesh Blood | ||||
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Studio album by Imelda May | ||||
Released | 7 April 2017 | |||
Recorded | Village Studios (Los Angeles, California) |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 44:05 | |||
Label | Decca | |||
Producer | T Bone Burnett | |||
Imelda May chronology | ||||
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Singles from Life Love Flesh Blood | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.5/10 |
Metacritic | 73/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
The Arts Desk | |
The Guardian | |
The Independent | |
The Irish Times | |
London Evening Standard | |
Mojo | |
Paste | |
Q | |
Spectrum Culture | |
Uncut |
Life Love Flesh Blood is the fifth studio album recorded by Irish singer Imelda May. It was released on 7 April 2017, through Decca Records, as a follow-up to Tribal (2014). May collaborated with American musician T Bone Burnett on the record, who was the sole producer on the album. Throughout the creative process, May received guidance from U2 vocalist Bono. The album followed May's divorce from guitarist Darrel Higham, which influenced many of the lyrical themes featured on the record. Life Love Flesh Blood features soft rock and acoustic styles, which differed significantly from her previous rockabilly genre.
Commercially, the album peaked at number two on the Irish Albums Chart (IRMA), prevented from reaching number one by Ed Sheeran's album ÷. The album reached number one on the UK americana chart, where it remained for three weeks, even preventing the hugely successful Chris Stapleton from topping the chart with his latest release From A Room: Volume 1. Three singles have been released from the album: "Call Me", "Black Tears", and "Should've Been You". The album also features guest appearances by pianist Jools Holland and guitarist Jeff Beck. May is scheduled to embark on an international tour in May 2017, in support of the album.
To critical acclaim, May released her previous album, Tribal, on 25 April 2014. In July 2015, May announced that she had split from her husband, guitarist Darrel Higham. He served as her creative partner and collaborator for most of her previous albums. Following their divorce, Higham also quit May's band. The break-up influenced many of the themes on the album, but also gave May the courage to depart from her previous rockabilly genre. In a July 2015 interview with the Irish Independent, May confirmed that she had started working on the album, and that the release was slated for early 2016. After being postponed, the album was finally announced in November 2016, scheduled to be released on 31 March 2017. However, the album was delayed by a week in May's home-country the Republic of Ireland, and rescheduled to 21 April 2017 elsewhere.