Mug Museum
| Mug Museum | ||||
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| Studio album by Cate Le Bon | ||||
| Released | 12 November 2013 | |||
| Recorded | March 2013 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock | |||
| Length | 42:09 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Noah Georgeson, Josiah Steinbrick | |||
| Cate Le Bon chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Mug Museum | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Consequence of Sound | D- |
| NME | (8/10) |
| Pitchfork Media | (7.3/10) |
| PopMatters | (7/10) |
Mug Museum is the third studio album by Welsh singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon, released in 2013. It was produced by Noah Georgeson and Josiah Steinbrick and was recorded in Los Angeles shortly after Le Bon relocated there from Wales. The album was generally praised by critics for its understated musical arrangements and lyrical content based on the theme of relationships, which was partially inspired by the recent death of Le Bon's grandmother. The track "I Think I Knew" features a duet between Le Bon and Perfume Genius.
Mug Museum was recorded in Los Angeles in March 2013, shortly after Le Bon relocated there from Wales. The album was produced by Noah Georgeson, known for his work with Joanna Newsom and Devendra Banhart, and Josiah Steinbrick. Le Bon's collaboration with Georgeson led to a more spare, stripped-down style compared to her previous work: "We realised that everything was sounding so good that there was this unwritten rule that things have to really deserve their place on the track to warrant being there." Le Bon's other collaborators on the album included H. Hawkline, Sweet Baboo, Nick Murray, and Seattle recording artist Perfume Genius performing guest vocals on "I Think I Knew".
Le Bon described Mug Museum as a reaction to the recent death of her grandmother, stating "rather than it being a grief laden album it is more about what someone at the top of the female chain leaves behind and how there’s a palpable shift in every relationship. I suppose when you start meditating on any relationship then others naturally fall into the fold. The Mug Museum is an imaginary place where relationships are looked at and thought upon." The title phrase "mug museum" was coined by a former roommate in reference to the accumulation of teacups in Le Bon's bedroom.
Mug Museum received a positive response from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77 based on 22 reviews, indicating a "generally favorable" reception.Bob Boilen, the host of NPR's All Songs Considered, compared the album to the work of Nico and Television and wrote that "it's already become one of my new best friends". He later listed Mug Museum as one of his top 20 albums of 2013.
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