{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox album | name = Electrophonic Chronic | type = album | artist = the Arcs | cover = The Arcs - Electrophonic Chronic.png | alt = | released = January 27, 2023 | recorded = <!-- Do not add unsourced recording dates/years --> | studio = * Easy Eye Sound (Nashville) * Electric Lady (Manhattan) * Diamond Mine (Queens, New York) * Dunham Sound Studios (Brooklyn) | genre = <!-- Do not add unsourced genres --> | length = 38:45 | label = Easy Eye Sound | producer = * Dan Auerbach * Leon Michels | prev_title = Yours, Dreamily, | prev_year = 2015 | next_title = | next_year = | misc = {{Singles | name = Electrophonic Chronic | type = studio | single1 = Keep on Dreamin' | single1date = October 13, 2022 | single2 = Heaven Is a Place | single2date = November 10, 2022 | single3 = Eyez | single3date = December 8, 2022 | single4 = Sunshine | single4date = January 12, 2023 }} }}
'''''Electrophonic Chronic''''' is the second studio album by the Arcs, a side project of Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. It was released on January 27, 2023, under Auerbach's label Easy Eye Sound.
==Recording== A second album was initially conceived by the Arcs following the release of their debut album ''Yours, Dreamily,'' (2015); however, this did not materialize.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Graff |first=Gary |title=Dan Auerbach Says The Arcs Are 'Really Close' to Wrapping Second Album As Black Friday EP Drops |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6777856/dan-auerbach-arcs-new-album-black-friday |magazine=Billboard |access-date=January 6, 2023 |date=November 27, 2015}}</ref> ''Electrophonic Chronic'' features the original lineup of the band and was recorded primarily prior to Richard Swift's death in 2018. Recording took place at Auerbach's Easy Eye Sound studios in Nashville, Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan, and Leon Michels' Diamond Mine Studio in Queens, New York. It was co-produced by Auerbach and Michels. The album was announced by the band on October 13, 2022, coinciding with the release of the lead single "Keep on Dreamin'".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/the-arcs-announce-first-album-in-8-years-share-video-for-new-song-watch/|title=The Arcs Announce First Album in 8 Years, Share Video for New Song: Watch|last=Bloom|first=Madison|date=October 13, 2022|website=Pitchfork|access-date=January 6, 2023}}</ref>
==Release and promotion== The album's first single "Keep on Dreamin'" was released simultaneously with the album announcement on October 13, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rettig |first=James |title=The Arcs Announce First New Album In 8 Years, 'Electrophonic Chronic' |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2202609/the-arcs-keep-on-dreamin/music/ |website=Stereogum |access-date=January 6, 2023 |language=en |date=October 13, 2022}}</ref> A second single, "Heaven Is a Place", was released on November 10, 2022, along with a visualizer directed by Roboshobo that pays tribute to Swift.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2022/11/the-arcs-heaven-is-a-place/|title=The Arcs Salute Late Member Richard Swift On 'Heaven Is A Place'|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|date=November 10, 2022|website=Spin|access-date=January 7, 2023}}</ref> A third single, "Eyez", was released on December 8, 2022, along with a visualizer for it directed by Roboshobo.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kennally |first=Cerys |title=The Arcs unveil new single "Eyez" |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/the-arcs-unveil-new-single-eyez |website=The Line of Best Fit |access-date=January 6, 2023 |date=December 8, 2022}}</ref> A fourth and final single, "Sunshine", was released on January 12, 2023.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Paul|first=Larisha|date=January 12, 2023|title=Dan Auerbach Leads the Arcs on a Search for 'Sunshine' on New Single|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dan-auerbach-the-arcs-sunshine-single-electronic-chronic-1234659959/|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=February 11, 2023}}</ref> A music video for "Sunshine" directed by Roboshobo followed on January 23, 2023.
The band has no plans to tour in support of ''Electrophonic Chronic'' or to record new music. Commenting on the band's period of creativity with Swift and David Berman, Leon Michels said, "It was almost like this insane manic creative energy that was unsustainable. That's why we recorded so much music. We were trying to basically capture this feeling that can't sustain itself."<ref name="Vulture">{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2023/01/the-arcs-only-one-for-me-david-berman-dan-auerbach.html|title=The Long, Odd History Behind the Arcs' Lost David Berman Collaboration|last=Curto|first=Justin|date=January 27, 2023|website=Vulture|access-date=February 11, 2023}}</ref>
==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | MC = 82/100<ref name="MC">{{Cite web |title=''Electrohponic Chronic'' by the Arcs Reviews and Tracks |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/electrophonic-chronic/the-arcs |access-date=February 10, 2023 |publisher=Metacritic}}</ref> | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="AllMusic">{{Cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |authorlink=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |date=January 27, 2023 |title=The Arcs – ''Electrohponic Chronic'' |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/electrophonic-chronic-mw0003834193 |access-date=February 10, 2023 |work=AllMusic}}</ref> | rev2 = ''American Songwriter'' | rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Horowitz |first=Hal |date=January 26, 2023 |title=The Arcs – ''Electrohponic Chronic'' |url=https://americansongwriter.com/review-dan-auerbachs-arcs-return-after-8-years-with-more-soulful-sounds |access-date=January 28, 2023 |work=American Songwriter}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Clash'' | rev3score = 8/10<ref name="Clash">{{Cite web |last=Connor |first=Christopher |date=January 26, 2023 |title=The Arcs – ''Electrohponic Chronic'' |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/the-arcs-electrophonic-chronic |access-date=January 28, 2023 |work=Clash}}</ref> | rev4 = ''Far Out'' | rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Taylor|first=Tom|date=January 26, 2023|title=Album of the Week: The Arcs honour Richard Swift with groovy eulogy, 'Electrophonic Chronic'|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-arcs-album-electrophonic-chronic/|magazine=Far Out|access-date=March 31, 2023}}</ref> | rev5 = ''Hot Press'' | rev5score = 8/10<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Russell|first=Will|date=January 27, 2023|title=Album Review: The Arcs, ''Electrophonic Chronic''|url=https://www.hotpress.com/opinion/album-review-the-arcs-electrophonic-chronic-22948658|magazine=Hot Press|access-date=March 31, 2023}}</ref> | rev6 = ''Mojo'' | rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Wilson |first=Lois |date=February 2023 |title=The Arcs – ''Electrohponic Chronic'' |url=https://archive.org/details/mojo-02.2023/page/n83 |magazine=Mojo |issue=351 |page=84 |access-date=January 28, 2023}}</ref> | rev7 = ''The Observer'' | rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Empire|first=Kitty|author-link=Kitty Empire|date=January 29, 2023|title=The Arcs: Electrophonic Chronic review – emotional healing|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/29/the-arcs-electrophonic-chronic-review-emotional-healing-richard-swift|newspaper=The Observer|access-date=February 11, 2023}}</ref> | rev8 = ''Uncut'' | rev8score = 8/10<ref name="Uncut">{{Cite magazine |last=Scoppa |first=Bud |date=March 2023 |title=The Arcs – ''Electrohponic Chronic'' |url=https://archive.org/details/uncut-uk-03.2023/page/n24 |magazine=Uncut |issue=310 |page=25 |access-date=27 January 2023}}</ref> }} Electrophonic Chronic received universal acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 82, based on 7 reviews.<ref name="MC" />
Bud Scoppa of ''Uncut'' gave the album an 8 out of 10 rating, writing, "Auerbach's stoic, close-mic'd vocals and gnarled tendrils of distorted guitar bring a devastating immediacy to an album that contemplates the death of love and, by extension, mortality itself, seeking closure."<ref name="Uncut" /> Christopher Connor of ''Clash'' wrote, "Worth the wait for fans. The record balances its psychedelia with more mediative moments offering plenty of variety. This record again shows Auerbach's musical influences and projects beyond The Black Keys."<ref name="Clash" /> Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote, "''Electrophonic Chronic'' plays like an old-fashioned long-player instead of a stack of 45s, a heady experience that nevertheless is anchored in R&B. Maybe the thrills aren't as immediate as they are on ''Yours, Dreamily,'' yet the free-floating psychedelic soul is alluring, as well as a worthy tribute to Swift."<ref name="AllMusic" />
==Track listing== {{track listing | headline = ''Electrophonic Chronic'' track listing | title1 = Keep on Dreamin' | writer1 = {{Flatlist| * Dan Auerbach * Leon Michels * Richard Swift }} | length1 = 4:26 | title2 = Eyez | writer2 = {{Flatlist| * Auerbach * Michels * Nick Movshon * Homer Steinweiss * Swift }} | length2 = 3:40 | title3 = Heaven Is a Place | writer3 = {{Flatlist| * Auerbach * Michels * Steinweiss }} | length3 = 4:49 | title4 = Califone Interlude | writer4 = {{Flatlist| * Auerbach * Michels * Movshon * Russ Pahl * Steinweiss }} | length4 = 1:16 | title5 = River | writer5 = {{Flatlist| * Auerbach * Michels * Swift }} | length5 = 3:27 | title6 = Sunshine | writer6 = {{Flatlist| * Auerbach * Michels * Steinweiss * Swift }} | length6 = 2:56 | title7 = A Man Will Do Wrong | writer7 = {{Flatlist| * Willie Clarke * Clarence Reid }} | length7 = 4:17 | title8 = Behind the Eyes | writer8 = {{Flatlist| * Auerbach * Michels * Movshon * Pahl * Steinweiss }} | length8 = 4:09 | title9 = Backstage Mess | writer9 = {{Flatlist| * Auerbach * Michels * Movshon * Steinweiss * Swift }} | length9 = 1:47 | title10 = Sporting Girls Interlude | length10 = 0:17 | title11 = Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore | writer11 = {{Flatlist| * Auerbach * Michels * Steinweiss }} | length11 = 3:45 | title12 = Only One for Me | writer12 = {{Flatlist| * Auerbach * David Berman * Michels * Swift }} | length12 = 3:56 | total_length = 38:45 }}
== Personnel == {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} '''The Arcs''' * Dan Auerbach – lead vocals (1–3, 5–9, 11, 12), acoustic guitar (1, 7–9, 11), electric guitar (1–9, 11), bass (1, 3, 5, 11, 12), background vocals (2), fuzz bass (8), percussion (8) * Leon Michels – Ace Tone (1, 2, 5, 6), Hammond B3 (1, 3, 5–9, 11, 12), synthesizer (1–3, 7, 11), horns (1, 6, 7), background vocals (2), Rhodes (3), piano (4, 6, 11), flute (9, 12), Mellotron (11), glockenspiel (12) * Nick Movshon – bass (2, 4, 6–9) * Homer Steinweiss – drums (2–4, 6–9, 11), percussion (4, 11) * Richard Swift – drums (1, 5, 11, 12), background Vocals (1, 5–7, 9, 11), percussion (6, 11)
'''Additional musicians''' * Shawn Camp – fiddle (4) * Russ Pahl – steel guitar (4, 8) * Sam Bacco – percussion (5–7), congas (6) * Shae Fiol – background vocals (5, 6) * Mireya Ramos – background vocals (5, 6) * Hiroko Taguchi – violin (5, 12) * Garo Yellin – cello (5, 12) * Ray Mason – horns (6, 7) * Thomas Brenneck – electric guitar (7) {{col-2}} '''Technical''' * Dan Auerbach – production * Leon Michels – production * M. Allen Parker – engineering * Ben Baptie – engineering * Collin Dupuis – engineering * Patrick Damphier – engineering<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/electrophonic-chronic-mw0003834193/credits|title=Electrophonic Chronic - The Arcs {{!}} Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=February 19, 2023}}</ref> * Ken Takahashi – engineering * Joe Visciano – engineering * Phil Joly – engineering * Caleb VanBuskirk – engineering * McKinley James – additional engineering * Tyler Zwiep – additional engineering * Jonny Ullman – additional engineering * Tchad Blake – mixing * Greg Calbi – mastering * Steve Fallone – mastering
'''Packaging''' * Perry Shall – design, layout * Omar "El Oms" Juarez – illustrations {{col-end}}
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ Chart performance for ''Electrophonic Chronic'' ! scope="col"| Chart (2023) ! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position |- {{album chart|Germany|90|id=511869|artist=The Arcs|album=Electrophonic Chronic|rowheader=true|access-date=February 3, 2023}} |- {{album chart|Switzerland|57|artist=The Arcs|album=Electrophonic Chronic|rowheader=true|access-date=February 5, 2023}} |- {{album chart|UKDigital|49|date=20230203|rowheader=true|access-date=February 4, 2023}} |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{The Arcs}} {{Authority control}}
Category:2023 albums Category:The Arcs albums Category:Albums produced by Dan Auerbach Category:Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios Category:Albums recorded at Easy Eye Sound (studio) Category:Easy Eye Sound (record label) albums