Luna

Luna
Studio album by Shell Ruin
Released	July 10, 2017
Recorded	February 2016 – May 2016 Sunset Sound Recorders, (Hollywood, California)
Label	Fusion Records Ida Rose Recordings
Producer	Shell Ruin (exec.) Alesha
Shell Ruin chronology
Nocturne (2016) Luna (2017) –

Luna is the tenth studio album by British recording artist Shell Ruin. It was first released by Fusion Records and Ida Rose Recordings on July 10, 2017. Ruin experiments with country and Americana music on Luna, which is considered to be one of Ruin's most personal records. The album explores soft rock, folk and country styles in order to create a more live feeling and emphasize Ruin's vocal abilities. The album was written and recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, California with close friend and collaborator Alesha. Lyrically, the album includes themes of family, relationships and is a "healing" record during the current political climate.

After living in in New York for a decade, Ruin relocated her family to Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles in 2016. Known for its rich musical history in the 1960s and 70s, Ruin became inspired by the likes of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Mama Cass Elliott. Ruin worked closely friend and frequent collaborator Alesha and a collective of female musicians she met in Los Angeles. The four musicians would later become Ruin's permanent touring band while promoting Luna, taking on the name the Ida Rose Band.

Background and development

Ruin released her ninth studio album Nocturne in 2016. Inspired by Ruin's late night after parties during touring, Nocturne explored deeply personal subject matters through R&B and trap music. The lead single "Same Parties" and its parent album both debuted at number one of the Official Charts. Nocturne spawned two more number one singles in the form of "Emilio" and "Daddy Issues". To promote the album, Ruin embarked on a Club Tour and the Nocturne World Tour which became Ruin's most commercially successful tour to date.

After living in New York for a decade, Ruin and her two children relocated permanently to Los Angeles. Living in a modest mansion in the hills of Laurel Canyon, Ruin became immersed in the region's rich musical history – specifically iconic music of the 1960s and 70s such as Joni Mitchell and Linda Ronstadt. Ruin recounted a story during an interview with Rolling Stone magazine whereby she purchased two iconic albums of this era. "When I moved to L.A. at 17, I spent my last $20 on History: America's Greatest Hits (1975) and Trio (1985) [a collaborative album between Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstaft and Emmylou Harris]. I played those two records to death and they inspired songs I wrote for my first record. I feel like moving back to Los Angeles and recording my tenth album over a decade later, I've come full circle". Additionally, Ruin had previously expressed years prior that her favourite album of all time was Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town (1978) by Emmylou Harris. Ruin began recording the album in February 2017 at the Sunset Sound Recorders studios in Hollywood, California – the same studio where The Beach Boys recorded Pet Sounds (1966) and Led Zeppelin wrote and recorded several of their biggest records.

Talking to Nashville Scene, Ruin said that the songs "weren't written off-the-cuff, but they were definitely recorded, not carelessly, but with a real effort to capture a live feeling, particularly with the vocals". Ruin continued, "To me, it's a big step in a different direction... and to be able to sink into the vocal take while the band was playing was a very liberating experience for me." Ruin told The A.V. Club, "We played these songs on the road hundreds of times, so we knew that we could walk into the studio and record them the same way. [...] It wasn't really a studio record, but more of a live record in some ways. It was about getting the band together and creating an atmosphere that lent itself to good chemistry between the band members and trying to capture as much of the record live as we could." As "a child of digital generation", Ruin had generally worked with Pro Tools, but wanted to capture the "not-perfect sound" of some of her favorite records.

Concept and artwork

Ruin photographed with Lindberg, Auldridge and Williams in Laurel Canyon.

Unlike her previous albums which were conceptualised before writing or recording took place, Ruin says Luna came about in a more organic way. After moving to Laurel Canyon, Ruin began reading about the history and musical collaborations in the 1970s. While reading an old edition of Vanity Fair, she came across the article An Oral History of Laurel Canyon: The 60s and 70s Music Mecca by Lisa Robinson. Ruin further studied music of the era, buying old vinyl records from nearby thrift stores and watching concerts online. Ruin was heavily inspired by Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris and Mama Cass Elliott of the Mamas and the Papas. While reading the Vanity Fair article, English singer-songwriter Graham Nash described Cass Elliot as "the Gertrude Stein of Laurel Canyon" — that she had a "salon" similar to the one at 27 Rue de Fleurus in Paris in the 1920s. Cass brought her friends from the music and movie worlds together. She was a conversationalist and a storyteller who could hold forth on anything and everything, and according to Stephen Stills "you could always go over there. But call first." Ruin felt inspired by the sense of collaboration and creative spirit, and wanted to bring back part of the music scene of Laurel Canyon in the '70s, inviting Alesha to her house to begin work on her tenth studio album. Alesha also inspired the direction of the album having experimented with country and folk music on The White Album (2016). After two weeks of writing, Ruin recruited a four piece collective of female musicians. Bronwyn Jones (guitar, keyboards), Caroline Lindberg (guitar, synths), Alegra Lanois (bass) and Delilah Auldridge (drums) all moved into Ruin's house where she, Alesha and the girls worked for a month during early 2017 conceptualising the record. The album was completed at Sunset Studio Recorders in Hollywood, California in April 2017, with Ruin and Alesha producing the entirety of the album and Auldridge stepping in as engineer during the final days of recording.

The album title is in reference to Ruin's daughter, Zowie Zephyr Luna Lily. The album cover was designed by Ruin's close friend and creative director Mat Maitland. Ruin was inspired by the designs of vintage tins, typically used to store tobacco and candy. Housed within a tin box, the outer packaging featured the main front cover – a pastel lavender design featuring a moon motif, country western lettering and a new logo designed specifically for the album campaign. The cover and logo were heavily inspired by the Carpenters self-titled 1971 album. Within the tin case, one half holds the disc on a suede holder, the other containing a booklet which featured an alternative cover featuring a black and white photo of Ruin, taken by Inez and Vinoodh. The album booklet contains further photos from the shoot, along with hand drawn illustrations and personal photos taken on the set. Ruin was praised for the album packaging, which is her most elaborate yet. Speaking to The New York Times, Ruin said "nobody buys CDs anymore, so I can afford to make the packaging really pretty for those who still want them for their collections".

Composition

Songs

The opening track and lead single, "California", is a soft rock song with country influences. According to Amanda Petrusich of The New Yorker, "California" is a mix of Laurel Canyon and Nashville, "Equal parts bohemian and smarmy; it is as if Dolly Parton were finally called upon to sing a late-era Stevie Nicks track". "Beggars & Thieves" incorporates elements of blues-rock in a song which was inspired by Ruin's father, an American man who moved to Britain in the early 90s. Ruin told Rolling Stone magazine, "My father travelled a lot and would always tell me the best stories growing up; that song is a cumulation of a few things he's told me about his past".

"Devil His Dues" is a country and dance song, with elements of trip hop and folk within its composition. During an interview for Billboard magazine, Ruin discussed the lyrics, stating, "To me it is a romantic song. Just, you know, do not tell me who I should love, or how I should love. I've been there and done it, so don’t tell me to give up. To me, in a way it’s like that Frank Sinatra song, 'If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere'." "Gypsy Queen" is a tribute to Ruin's grandparents who were travellers in the 60s before they settled down to start a family. Ruin told Billboard, "It's a tribute to my grandmother, but also my own mother. I was inspired by looking at photographs of my nan in the 60s, and the stories she and my mother would tell me. I always wanted to dress like her, do my hair like her — to me, she was the queen of the gypsies". "Gypsy Queen" is a typically folk-rock song which drew comparisons to Cher's 1971 song "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", which Ruin says was a big inspiration behind the composition.

"Bad Moon" incorporates elements of psychedelic rock and desert rock. Stuart Hudson of Attitude magazine described the song as "apocalyptic pop", referring to its lyrical themes of the apocalypse and pending end of the world. Ruin told Hudson during an interview for the publication, "The song is inspired by many things; global warming and the way we treat the Earth, but also the our lack of respect for each other as human beings". "No Money" is a love song that draws the most influences from country music. The song tells the tale of a man who "likes old western music, that doesn't make him feel uptight" and "listens to the radio, front porch swinging, smoking his cigarettes at night". Ruin was inspired by Emmylou Harris and says the song was written about "no man in particular, but a few men I've dated".

more soon! lol

Critical reception

Luna received a weighted score of 86 out of 100 from review aggregate website Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews", based on 27 reviews from music critics. British music journalist Neil McCormick gave the album a four-out-of-five-star rating, in his review published in The Daily Telegraph. He complimented the old-fashioned songs present on Luna, saying: "With big songs and big production, Luna certainly sounds like the business. Yet while its modernity is expressed by mixing and matching genres or adding digital zing to familiar tropes, for all its bravura exuberance and pop slickness it is old fashioned to its core." Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic gave it a three-and-a-half-out-of-five rating. He gave a positive review feeling that unlike Ruin's previous endeavors, where she appeared as a "high-wire act", Luna was more "earth-bound" and is a "record made by an artist determined to execute only the stunts she knows how to pull off... Ruin's feet remain firmly planted in pop even when she brings in a number of collaborators". The same rating was given by Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield, who called the album an "old-school Nineties soft rock album, heavy on the acoustic guitar". Complimenting the understated production by Alesha and the Ida Rose Band, Sheffield concluded by saying that "for all its hits and misses, Luna is a welcome reminder of why the world needs [Ruin] around."

Writing for The A.V. Club, Annie Zaleski commended the "genre fluidity" of Luna. Rating it B, Zaleski noted that songs like "Devil His Dues", "Beggars & Thieves", "No Money" and "Sandman" besides being the best tracks from the album, also highlighted Ruin's vocal prowess. In a three-out-of-five-star review for Slant Magazine, Sal Cinquemani criticized the album for its oversung ballads and lack of strong hooks, but deemed it more consistent and focused than Nocturne.[ Maeve McDermott from USA Today complimented Ruin for "expanding her artistic vision and toying with different genres [on the album], while still recording the customary pop tracks listeners have come to expect". Andy Gill gave the album three out of five stars in a review for The Independent. Gill said that the album's rock leanings largely work, praising Alesha's work on "Sandman" and "No Money" as highlights, though he called "California" a dull ode to MOR 90s pop-rock.

The Guardian's Caroline Sullivan considered Luna to be a "brave move" for Ruin and admired it. In her three-out-of-five-star review in the newspaper, Sullivan explained that "Ruin's voice adds a self-protective veneer, as does the presence of the other musicians, but at least she's done the groundwork for future albums that might show her with true transparency." Digital Spy's Lewis Corner wrote, "Luna is clearly Ruin's most personal album, popping aside the synthetic personas for something more honest and, well, human. Her Princess of Pop persona may be retired for now, but Shell Ruin's sheer musical brilliance still shines through." For Evan Sawdey of PopMatters, the album—with its "flaws and all"—was a correct musical step for Ruin, which he believed would make "fans and observers once again rethink what they know about the daring diva". Similarly, Amanda Petrusich of Pitchfork remarked how Ruin explores an alternative path diverging away from "visual provocations" that permeated most of her career, and that the album feels "tentative, an affront to the Ruin of yesteryear."

Mikael Wood from the Los Angeles Times felt that most songs on the album "lacked strong stories" and were "mere stylistic exercises" on Ruin's part. Rich Juzwiak, who reviewed Luna for Spin did not find the musical evolution that Ruin presented on the album as authentic. He added: "It's understandable that Luna finds Ruin performing authenticity... The image here—the illusion, really—is as imperfect as it is meticulously rendered." Rating the album two-out-of-four stars, journalist Greg Kot wrote in his review for Chicago Times that "[Ruin] sounds like she's just trying too hard" with Luna. Jon Caramancia from The New York Times noted that the album's elemental sound did not come as a surprise. "Shell Ruin was always simply too focused a singer to be strictly defined by her presentation," he wrote. "[Luna] isn't daring or radical — it's logical, a rejoinder to her past and also to the candy-striped pop that surrounds her." He described the album as confused and incoherent, adding that the collaborators, with the exception of Alesha, lack their respective charms.

Commercial response

Luna entered the official albums chart at number one upon its release, selling 105,295 physical and digital copies in its first week of sale. The album remained at number one for a second week with an additional 94,277 copies shifted, followed by two weeks at number two on the chart.

Promotion

To promote the album, Ruin covered the May edition of Rolling Stone magazine, formally announcing details of her forthcoming music for the first time. Ruin performed the songs "California" and "Pearl" on Saturday Night Live on June 24, 2017. On June 30, Ruin performed "California" on The Graham Norton Show, and then five days later, he performed on the French television programme, Quotidien where she performed the new single and "Beggars & Thieves".

On July 9, Ruin performed the tracks "California", "Pearl", "Beggars & Thieves", as well as an acoustic rendition of her previous number one single "Emilio" on the Today Show. The day after the album's release, Ruin headlined a sold-out concert at The Garage, a 600-capacity venue in Islington, London. That week, a 59-minute documentary, Luna: Behind the Album, was released via Apple Music to further promote the album. The documentary features interview segments with Ruin, footage from her Laurel Canyon writing retreat with collaborator Alesha, as well as an extended full-band recording sequences with the Ida Rose Band filmed at her home. Ruin performed songs from the album every night on The Late Late Show with James Corden from July 3–7, as well as appearing in the show's Carpool Karaoke segment.

Track listing

1. "California"
2. "Beggars & Thieves"
3. "Devil His Dues"
4. "Gypsy Queen"
5. "Bad Moon"
6. "No Money"
7. "Sandman" (with Alesha)
8. "Drugstore Blues"
9. "Million Years"
10. "Pearl"
11. "Swansong"

Deluxe bonus tracks

1. "American"
2. "River"

Notes

• Tracks 2, 3 and 11 written and produced by Shell Ruin
• Tracks 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 12 co-written and produced by Shell Ruin and Alesha
• Track 13 written and produced by Alesha
• "Sandman" contains a sample of the song "Tin Man" by America

Personnel

• Shell Ruin – vocals, producer, acoustic guitar, piano
• Alesha Roosevelt – producer, harmony vocals, guitar, percussion
• Bronwyn Jones – guitar, keyboards, electronics
• Caroline Lindberg – guitar, synthesizer, drums
• Alegra Lanois – bass, mandolin, harmony vocals
• Delilah Auldridge – drums, keyboards, engineer
• Inez and Vinoodh – photography
• Big Active – art direction

Artwork

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  Front cover

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  Back cover

Charts

Chart (2016)	Peak position
Urapopstar Top 40 Albums Chart	?