Now Only

{{Short description|2018 studio album by Mount Eerie}}

{{Use mdy dates|date = May 2020}} {{Infobox album | name = Now Only | type = studio | artist = Mount Eerie | cover = Mount Eerie - Now Only.jpg | border = yes | alt = | released = {{start date|2018|3|16}} | recorded = March 14 – October 9, 2017 | studio = | genre = *Indie folk *indie rock *noise rock *lo-fi | length = 43:33 | label = P.W. Elverum & Sun Ltd. | producer = Phil Elverum | prev_title = A Crow Looked at Me | prev_year = 2017 | next_title = (after) | next_year = 2018 | misc = {{Extra chronology | artist = Mount Eerie studio album | type = studio | prev_title = A Crow Looked at Me | prev_year = 2017 | title = Now Only | year = 2018 | next_title = Lost Wisdom pt. 2 | next_year = 2019 }} }}

'''''Now Only''''' is the ninth studio album by Mount Eerie, the solo project of American musician Phil Elverum. It was released on March 16, 2018, on Elverum's record label P.W. Elverum & Sun. Like the preceding Mount Eerie album ''A Crow Looked at Me'', ''Now Only'' is a concept album in the aftermath of the death of Elverum's wife, the cartoonist and musician Geneviève Castrée; Elverum described it as the second part of that album. The album was entirely written and produced by Elverum, and recorded in the room in which Castrée died.

The album departs from ''A Crow Looked at Me's'' raw and intimate style of writing, intending, instead, to answer grander and more introspective questions about Elverum's life after Castrée's death. Lyrically, the album focuses on themes of the aftermath of death and the lingering ghostly presence of the deceased. It continues the use of direct lyricism and nearly spoken delivery, first seen in ''A Crow Looked at Me. Now Only'' is musically similar to ''A Crow Looked at Me'', although its songs are longer and feature some more diverse instrumentation.

To promote the album, he released the singles "Distortion" on January 17, 2018, and "Tintin in Tibet" on February 20, 2018, and undertook tours of North America and Europe. ''Now Only'' was an immediate and widespread critical success; critics discussed the perceived sense of sadness and hope found in the album. It appeared on multiple year-end lists. Elverum's subsequent album ''Lost Wisdom Pt. 2'' (2019) served as a continuation; furthering the themes of Castrée's illness and death.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Haver Currin|first=Grayson|date=November 13, 2019|title=Mount Eerie / Julie Doiron: Lost Wisdom pt. 2|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/mount-eerie-julie-doiron-lost-wisdom-pt-2/|access-date=2020-12-26|website=Pitchfork|language=en}}</ref>

== Background and composition == thumb|alt=refer to caption|Elverum and Castrée performing together in 2006 In 2015, four months after the birth of their first child, Phil Elverum's wife, Canadian cartoonist and musician Geneviève Castrée, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died at their home in Anacortes, Washington, on July 9, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Yoo|first1=Noah|date=July 10, 2016|title=Geneviève Elverum Has Died|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/66697-genevieve-elverum-has-died|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220050642/http://pitchfork.com/news/66697-genevieve-elverum-has-died/|archive-date=February 20, 2017|access-date=February 19, 2017|work=Pitchfork}}</ref><ref name="now">{{cite news|last=Greene|first=Sarah|date=March 27, 2017|title=Mount Eerie's A Crow Looked At Me is unsettlingly personal|newspaper=Now|url=https://nowtoronto.com/music/album-reviews/mount-eerie-album-review/|url-status=live|access-date=February 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170401055945/https://nowtoronto.com/music/album-reviews/mount-eerie-album-review/|archive-date=April 1, 2017}}</ref> According to Elverum, ''Now Only'' is "part two" to ''A Crow Looked at Me''.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last=Klinge|first=Steven|date=2018-05-22|title=Mount Eerie: Songs Of Pain And Devotion|url=http://magnetmagazine.com/2018/05/22/mount-eerie-songs-pain-devotion/|access-date=2020-09-11|website=Magnet|language=en-US}}</ref> After releasing ''A Crow Looked at Me'' in 2017, Elverum decided that he did not want to play any of his older songs because they seemed "irrelevant" and so continued to write in order to have enough material to go on tour.<ref name="larecord">{{cite web |last1=Child |first1=Tom |title=Mount Eerie: Stay Sincere |url=http://larecord.com/archive/2017/04/10/mount-eerie-a-crow-looked-at-me-phil-elverum-interview |website=L.A. Record |access-date=18 December 2018 |date=April 10, 2017}}</ref> Elverum wrote the album on pieces of paper left over from Castrée, noting their sentimental quality.<ref name="Stereogum" /> The writing process took place almost immediately after ''A Crow Looked at Me.<ref name="Stereogum Elverum">{{Cite web|title=Phil Elverum On Critical Acclaim, Lil Peep, & Mount Eerie's New Album Now Only|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1987063/phil-elverum-on-critical-acclaim-lil-peep-mount-eeries-new-album-now-only/franchises/interview/|last=Lyons|first=Patrick|date=2018-03-14|website=Stereogum|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207001545/https://www.stereogum.com/1987063/phil-elverum-on-critical-acclaim-lil-peep-mount-eeries-new-album-now-only/franchises/interview/|archive-date=February 7, 2020|access-date=2020-05-19}}</ref>'' The album was recorded in Elverum's house in the room in which Castrée died.<ref name="bandcamp">{{cite web|date=March 16, 2018|title=Now Only|url=https://pwelverumandsun.bandcamp.com/album/now-only|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200420051144/https://pwelverumandsun.bandcamp.com/album/now-only|archive-date=April 20, 2020|access-date=February 7, 2020}}</ref>

Moving on from the raw catharsis of the previous album, Elverum approached the writing of Now Only from an introspective perspective, attempting to answer the question of how Castrée exists in his life post-death. Elverum described this as the "thesis of the record, the question I'm poking at"<ref name="theatlantic">{{cite web|title=The Pointlessness and Promise of Art After Death|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/03/mount-eerie-now-only-interview-phil-elverum/555485/|last=Kornhaber|first=Spencer|date=March 14, 2017|website= The Atlantic|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119214746/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/03/mount-eerie-now-only-interview-phil-elverum/555485/|archive-date=November 19, 2018|access-date=February 7, 2020}}</ref>

The album cover is a picture of Elverum's refrigerator. It features a Walt Whitman quote: "Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes",{{efn|The version that appears on the album cover is an edited version in which soul is replaced with "mindstream".}} photos of wildlife, Beat Happening and Castrée, postcards, portraits and friends' writing.''<ref name="Stereogum Elverum" />''<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Review: Mount Eerie — 'Now Only'|url=https://www.northwestmusicscene.net/review-mount-eerie-now-only/|last=Barrons|first=Ethan J.|date=2018-04-10|website=Northwest Music Scene|language=en-US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614202351/http://www.northwestmusicscene.net/review-mount-eerie-now-only/|archive-date=June 14, 2018|access-date=2020-05-23}}</ref> Elverum chose to use his refrigerator as the album cover upon realizing how the images displayed on it had subconsciously influenced the lyrics.''<ref name="Stereogum Elverum" />''

== Music and lyrics == thumb|260x280px|''Midsummer Eve Bonfire'' (ca. 1915) thumb|260x280px|''Foxgloves'' (ca. 1920)

=== Overview === The lyrics deal with a number of topics such as the life Elverum and Castrée lived, "the absurdity of the bigger picture" of Elverum's life and Elverum playing the songs in public.<ref name="theatlantic" /> Like in ''A Crow Looked at Me,'' time plays a significant role, with the range of events and dates being more extensive.''<ref name="Stereogum Elverum" />'' The lyrics takes on a more direct descriptive manner rather the than the poetic style of his music before Castrée's death.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mount Eerie sings about death without the euphemisms|url=https://theworld.org/stories/2018/04/11/mount-eerie-sings-about-death-without-euphemisms|last=Chung|first=Evan|date=April 12, 2018|website=The World|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412043739/https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-04-12/mount-eerie-sings-about-death-without-euphemisms|archive-date=April 12, 2019|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref> In comparison to ''A Crow Looked at Me'' the lyrics are "stranger, sometimes facetious".''<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|last=Nguyen|first=Kevin|date=April 10, 2018|title=Mount Eerie's Phil Elverum on His New Record, the Futility of Facebook, and Being a Single Dad|url=https://www.gq.com/story/phil-elverum-mount-eerie-profile|access-date=2020-09-22|website=GQ|language=en-us}}</ref>''

Elverum described the songs present on the album as "deeper and broader" than those on ''A Crow Looked at Me''.<ref name="cult">{{cite web|title=Mount Eerie's Phil Elverum on music and grief|url=https://cultmtl.com/2017/09/mount-eerie-phil-elverum-interview/|last=Burtan|first=Donovan|date=September 12, 2017|website=Cult MTL|access-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412120318/https://cultmtl.com/2017/09/mount-eerie-phil-elverum-interview/|archive-date=April 12, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Elverum sings in a direct, sing-speaking, "stream-of-consciousness" manner.<ref name="guardian" /><ref name=":20">{{Cite web|last=Nguyen|first=Kevin|date=April 10, 2018|title=Mount Eerie's Phil Elverum on His New Record, the Futility of Facebook, and Being a Single Dad|url=https://www.gq.com/story/phil-elverum-mount-eerie-profile|access-date=2020-09-17|website=GQ|language=en-us}}</ref> Despite every song dealing explicitly with Castrée, the central focus of the album is Elverum and his perspective on death.<ref name="Exclaim! 2018-03-16">{{Cite web|title=Mount Eerie Reveals How a Psychic Shaped His Perspective on Death on 'Now Only'|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/mount_eerie_reveals_how_a_psychic_shaped_his_perspective_on_death_on_now_only|last=Hudson|first=Alex|date=March 16, 2018|website=Exclaim!|language=en-ca|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122212240/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/mount_eerie_reveals_how_a_psychic_shaped_his_perspective_on_death_on_now_only|archive-date=November 22, 2019|access-date=2020-05-19}}</ref> His perspective ranges from "ruminative, cosmic existentialism to carefully observed banality".<ref name=":8" />

The songs are musically similar to those on ''A Crow Looked at Me'' but longer, averaging seven minutes each, compared to ''A Crow Looked at Me's'' averaged less than four minutes.<ref name=":6" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Wilson|first=Carl|date=2018-03-19|title=Mount Eerie's Haunting New Album Explores the Stages of Grief That Come After "Acceptance"|url=https://slate.com/culture/2018/03/mount-eeries-new-album-now-only-reviewed.html|access-date=2020-08-17|website=Slate|language=en}}</ref> Elverum explained that the reason for this change was his interest in "having a more nuanced conversation."<ref name=":7" /> They have also been said to feature "richer instrumentation".<ref name=":8" />

The songs also feature multiple movements and follow non-linear narratives.<ref name="pitchfork" /> Just like ''A Crow Looked at Me'' the theme of the absurdity of performing intimate material in public while pretending otherwise is present as is the theme of contextualising death, particularly in the song "Two Paintings by Nikolai Alstrup".<ref name="theatlantic" /><ref name=":17">{{Cite web|last=Klinge|first=Steven|date=2018-05-22|title=Mount Eerie: Songs Of Pain And Devotion|url=http://magnetmagazine.com/2018/05/22/mount-eerie-songs-pain-devotion/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026172349/http://magnetmagazine.com/2018/05/22/mount-eerie-songs-pain-devotion/|archive-date=October 26, 2019|access-date=2020-09-11|website=Magnet|language=en-US}}</ref> The theme of "shifts in memory and posterity" which Elverum called the theme of album is also present, such as in songs like "Distortion".<ref name="theatlantic" /> The role of art within the grieving process is also a recurring motif.<ref name=":8" />

=== Songs === The title of the song "Tintin in Tibet" refers to ''Tintin in Tibet'', the twentieth volume of the comics series ''The Adventures of Tintin'' by Belgian cartoonist Hergé.<ref name="Stereogum">{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1987063/phil-elverum-on-critical-acclaim-lil-peep-mount-eeries-new-album-now-only/franchises/interview/|title=Phil Elverum On Critical Acclaim, Lil Peep, & Mount Eerie's New Album Now Only|last=Lyons|first=Patrick|date=March 14, 2018|access-date=February 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207001545/https://www.stereogum.com/1987063/phil-elverum-on-critical-acclaim-lil-peep-mount-eeries-new-album-now-only/franchises/interview/|archive-date=February 7, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> A copy of ''Tintin in Tibet'' owned by Castrée previously appeared in the cover art of ''A Crow Looked at Me.<ref name="Stereogum Elverum" /><ref name="bandcamp2">{{cite web|title=Mount Eerie on Intimate Grief and the Creative Impulse|url=https://daily.bandcamp.com/2017/03/21/mount-eerie-interview/|last1=Martin|first1=Erin Lyndal|date=March 21, 2017|publisher=Bandcamp|access-date=November 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181129183925/https://daily.bandcamp.com/2017/03/21/mount-eerie-interview/|archive-date=November 29, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>'' Thematically similar to ''A Crow Looked at Me'', the song details Elverum's memories of Castrée before her illness.<ref name="Exclaim! 2018-03-16" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Lindquist|first=Andy|date=2018-02-21|title=Mount Eerie Releases New Adventurous Song "Tintin In Tibet" -|url=https://music.mxdwn.com/2018/02/21/news/mount-eerie-releases-new-adventurous-song-tintin-in-tibet/|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Mxdwn|language=en-US}}</ref> It opens with a major chord.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mount Eerie – Now Only|url=https://wiux.org/read/mount-eerie-now-only/|last=Cherchenko|first=Luke|date=March 31, 2018|website=WIUX|language=en-US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214191645/https://wiux.org/read/mount-eerie-now-only/|archive-date=December 14, 2019|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> The song along with others on the album incorporates multiple tempo and instrument changes such as the transition from guitar chords to melodic riffs played on a classical guitar.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mount Eerie - Now Only -|url=https://music.mxdwn.com/2018/09/01/reviews/mount-eerie-now-only/|last=Heniff|first=John|date=2018-09-01|website=mxdwn|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> The song also features cymbal crashes and snare rim hits.<ref name=":2" />

The second track "Distortion", which has been described as an 11-minute epic,<ref name="Exclaim! 2018-03-16" /> deals with the ideas of memory and mortality.<ref name="Exclaim! 2018-03-16" /><ref name="KEXP 2018-03-15">{{Cite web|title=Throwaway Style: Mount Eerie and the Enduring Pain of Grief|url=https://kexp.org/read/2018/3/15/throwaway-style-mount-eerie-and-enduring-pain-grief/|last=Douglas|first=Martin|date=March 15, 2018|publisher=KEXP-FM|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180321233915/http://kexp.org/read/2018/3/15/throwaway-style-mount-eerie-and-enduring-pain-grief/|archive-date=March 21, 2018|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref> Across its six verses,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Hancox|first=Dan|date=March 17, 2019|title=How Phil Elverum's journey with grief led to inspiration for his music|url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music/how-phil-elverum-s-journey-with-grief-led-to-inspiration-for-his-music-1.837928|access-date=2020-08-10|website=The National|language=en}}</ref> Elverum contemplates how one will be remembered and how Castrée lives on through his memories.<ref name="Exclaim! 2018-03-16" /> It, like many of Elverum's past works, opens with heavy distorted guitars.<ref name=":5" /> Alongside that it features guitar arpeggios, distorted metal bass notes, vocal harmonies and piano trills.<ref name="Pitchfork 2018-01-17">{{Cite web|title=Mount Eerie 'Distortion'|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/mount-eerie-distortion/|last=Geffen|first=Sasha|date=January 17, 2018|website=Pitchfork|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200425214617/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/mount-eerie-distortion/|archive-date=April 25, 2020|access-date=May 20, 2020}}</ref><ref name="AV Club 2018-06-27">{{Cite web|title=The best albums of 2018 so far|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-best-albums-of-2018-so-far-1827117616|last=Dowd|first=A.A.|date=June 27, 2018|website=The A.V. Club|language=en-us|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705180245/https://music.avclub.com/the-best-albums-of-2018-so-far-1827117616|archive-date=July 5, 2018|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref> The instrumentation is evocative of his previous black metal work.<ref name="pitchfork" /> The song references Jack Kerouac and his daughter with Elverum noting a resemblance between Castrée and Jan Kerouac.<ref name="theatlantic" /> It also references Elverum's childhood memory of his great-grandfather's funeral in particular the impact of seeing his corpse and a pregnancy scare he experienced at age 23.''<ref name="Stereogum Elverum" /><ref name="KEXP 2018-03-15" />''[[File:Mount Eerie, Now Only, Chorus.ogg|thumb|260x280px|Musically the album features more diverse instrumentation than ''A Crow Looked at Me''.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=Album Review: Mount Eerie - Now Only|url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/20260/reviews/4151689|last=Cleeve|first=Sam|date=March 23, 2018|website=DrownedInSound|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191110102155/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/20260/reviews/4151689|archive-date=November 10, 2019|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref> with the piano led<ref name=":2" /> chorus of the title track featuring a major key melody, described by a press release as "pop"<ref name="bandcamp" /><ref name="KEXP 2018-03-15" />]]

The title track which has been described as the centerpiece of the album. It features a "playful" recitation of the phrase "People get cancer and die."<ref name="Under the Radar 2018-06-25">{{Cite web|title=Mount Eerie on 'Now Only'|url=http://undertheradarmag.com/interviews/mount_eerie_on_now_only|last=Fink|first=Matt|date=June 25, 2018|website=Under the Radar|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103063530/http://www.undertheradarmag.com/interviews/mount_eerie_on_now_only/|archive-date=November 3, 2019|access-date=2020-05-19}}</ref> It's notable in the context of the album and Elverum's discography as a whole due to it functioning as a hook which Elverum admits that he's "maybe never written" before.<ref name="Under the Radar 2018-06-25" /> The phrase is intended to represent the "absurdity of everything" with the clash between the "catchy and pretty" instrumention and the grim lyrics representing "the clash between the facts and experiencing beauty and devastation in the same moment."<ref name="Under the Radar 2018-06-25" /> Elverum reflects on his time spent in hospitals, the absurdity of playing his "death songs" to audiences at a music festival outside of Phoenix, Arizona and the success of A Crow Looked at Me.<ref name="KEXP 2018-03-15" /><ref name="Exclaim! 2018-03-16" /><ref name="pitchfork" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Stephens|first=Murdoch|date=January 15, 2018|title=How to listen to Mount Eerie, the saddest musician in the world|url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/music/15-01-2018/how-to-listen-to-mount-eerie-the-saddest-musician-in-the-world/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190502215710/https://thespinoff.co.nz/music/15-01-2018/how-to-listen-to-mount-eerie-the-saddest-musician-in-the-world/|archive-date=May 2, 2019|access-date=April 9, 2020|website=The Spinoff}}</ref> The song uses the Arizonan deserts as a reflection of Elverum's "self-discovery and coping."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The 27 Best Songs About Metro Phoenix|url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/the-27-best-songs-about-metro-phoenix-7828381|last=Stechnij|first=Tanner|date=2020-05-06|website=Phoenix New Times|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519072949/https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/the-27-best-songs-about-metro-phoenix-7828381|archive-date=May 19, 2020|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref>

In the song "Earth" Elverum references "I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots" by the Cascadian black metal band ''Wolves in the Throne Room'',"<ref name="theatlantic" /> The song details Elverum discovering pieces of Castrée's bones in the area where he spread her ashes. Elverum was careful with how he portrayed this moment framing it not as gory, gratuitous, or shocking, merely a reflection of the truth.<ref name="theatlantic" /> It features a grunge style opening reminiscent of his 2008 EP ''Black Wooden Ceiling Opening'' and his 2009 album ''Wind's Poem''<ref name="pitchfork" /><ref name=":1" /> along with power chords, open hi-hats, finger-picked acoustic guitar and keyboard accompaniment.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Review: Mount Eerie's Heartrending Now Only Is a Beautiful Reflection on Grief|url=https://www.spin.com/2018/03/mount-eerie-now-only-review/|last=Cummings|first=Raymond|date=2018-03-19|website=Spin|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128104058/https://www.spin.com/2018/03/mount-eerie-now-only-review/|archive-date=January 28, 2020|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Butchard|first=Skye|date=March 12, 2018|title=Mount Eerie - Now Only - Album review|url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/reviews/mount-eerie-now/|access-date=2020-08-09|website=Loud and Quiet|language=en-US}}</ref>

"Two Paintings by Nikolai Astrup" refers to Norwegian painter Nikolai Astrup and his paintings ''Midsummer Eve Bonfire'' (ca. 1915) and ''Foxgloves'' (ca. 1920).<ref name="KEXP 2018-03-15" /> Elverum chose Astrup upon realizing that the phenomenon of "observing the transition from a living person into a memory" he is experiencing with Castrée, once similarly happened to Astrup and to "every person who's ever been alive."<ref name="theatlantic" /> The lyrics contain Elverum pondering the occurrence of his death such as flight over the Grand Canyon suddenly crashing.<ref name="Exclaim! 2018-03-16" /><ref name="KEXP 2018-03-15" /> The opening lyrics "I Know No One" are a reference to the opening track on his 2005 album ''No Flashlight''.<ref name="pitchfork" /> The melody is reused from his song "Who?" from his 2008 album ''Lost Wisdom''.<ref name=":1" />

The final track "Crow, Pt. 2" is a continuation from "Crow", likewise the final track from ''A Crow Looked at Me''.<ref name="NPR">{{Cite web|title=Review: Mount Eerie, 'Now Only'|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/03/08/590957789/first-listen-mount-eerie-now-only|last=Heller|first=Jason|date=March 8, 2018|website=NPR|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521131940/https://www.npr.org/2018/03/08/590957789/first-listen-mount-eerie-now-only|archive-date=May 21, 2020|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> The song is more energetic than "Crow" although it still retains the previously established dark tone and features finger-picked acoustic guitar.<ref name="NPR" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Butchard|first=Skye|date=April 28, 2018|title=Death is real but so is the comfort found in Mount Eerie's overwhelming grief|url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/short/death-is-real-but-so-is-the-comfort-found-in-mount-eeries-overwhelming-grief/|access-date=2020-08-09|website=Loud and Quiet|language=en-US}}</ref> While still directed to Castrée, Elverum's daughter is the central focus of the song, mentioning her sense of grief.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Now Only by Mount Eerie|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/thesampler/audio/2018640153/now-only-by-mount-eerie|last=Bollinger|first=Nick|date=2018-04-11|website=RNZ|language=en-nz|access-date=2020-05-22}}</ref> Throughout the song and the album as a whole Elverum lists a "series of symbolic incarnations" of Castrée, the areas and ideas in which he sees Castrée{{efn|Examples throughout the album include "in their front yard, on a ferry in Victoria, among big trees, gasping for breath on her deathbed, in the face of "this good daughter we made."<ref name="NPR" />}} however he ultimately admits that he doesn't see her in anything, anymore.<ref name="pitchfork" /><ref name="NPR" />

== Release and promotion == On January 17, 2018, Elverum announced that he would release a new album and go on tour, performing select North American dates.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mount Eerie's New Single Is an 11-Minute Meditation on Mortality|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/mount-eeries-now-only-distortion-stream/|last=Joyce|first=Colin|date=2018-01-18|website=Vice|language=en|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Mount Eerie Announces New Album Now Only, Shares New Song: Listen|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/mount-eerie-announces-new-album-now-only-shares-new-song-listen/|last=Blais-Billie|first=Braudie|date=January 17, 2018|website=Pitchfork|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318120558/https://pitchfork.com/news/mount-eerie-announces-new-album-now-only-shares-new-song-listen/|archive-date=March 18, 2018|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref> Alongside the announcement Elverum released the first single "Distortion" to positive reviews, netting the "Best New Track" distinction from ''Pitchfork<ref name="Pitchfork 2018-01-17" />'' and being called the best song of the week by ''Under the Radar''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=10 Best Songs of the Week: Mount Eerie, of Montreal, Gwenno, Yo La Tengo, Ought, and More|url=http://undertheradarmag.com/news/10_best_songs_of_the_week_mount_eerie_of_montreal_gwenno_yo_la_tengo_ought_|last=Roberts|first=Christopher|date=January 19, 2018|website=Under the Radar|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513164008/http://www.undertheradarmag.com/news/10_best_songs_of_the_week_mount_eerie_of_montreal_gwenno_yo_la_tengo_ought_/|archive-date=May 13, 2020|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref> The second single, "Tintin in Tibet" was released on February 20, 2018, again to positive reviews, appearing on ''Under the Radar's'' list of the 12 best songs of the week''.''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mount Eerie unveils stirring new song "Tintin In Tibet": Stream|url=https://consequence.net/2018/02/mount-eerie-unveils-stirring-new-song-tintin-in-tibet-stream/|last=Fu|first=Eddie|date=2018-02-20|website=Consequence of Sound|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=12 Best Songs of the Week: Janelle Monáe, Ed Schrader's Music Beat, Parquet Courts, and More|url=http://undertheradarmag.com/news/12_best_songs_of_the_week_janelle_monae_ed_schraders_music_beat_parquet_cou|last=Roberts|first=Christopher|date=February 23, 2018|website=Under the Radar|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200403040500/http://www.undertheradarmag.com/news/12_best_songs_of_the_week_janelle_monae_ed_schraders_music_beat_parquet_cou/|archive-date=April 3, 2020|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref>

==Reception== {{Music ratings | ADM = 8.3/10<ref name="adm">{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/9209/Mount-Eerie-Now-Only.aspx|title=''Now Only'' by Mount Eerie reviews|publisher=AnyDecentMusic?|access-date=June 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628015452/http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/9209/Mount-Eerie-Now-Only.aspx|archive-date=June 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> | MC = 82/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/now-only/mount-eerie|title=''Now Only'' by Mount Eerie Reviews and Tracks|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=March 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180316215349/http://www.metacritic.com/music/now-only/mount-eerie|archive-date=March 16, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="AM">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/now-only-mw0003151290|title=''Now Only'' – Mount Eerie|publisher=AllMusic|last=Phares|first=Heather|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320112954/https://www.allmusic.com/album/now-only-mw0003151290|archive-date=March 20, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev2 = ''The A.V. Club'' | rev2score = A−<ref name="A.V.">{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/mount-eerie-hot-snakes-and-more-albums-to-know-about-1823746128|title=Mount Eerie, Hot Snakes, and more albums to know about this week: Mount Eerie, ''Now Only''|website=The A.V. Club|last=Dowd|first=A. A.|date=March 16, 2018|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320110051/https://www.avclub.com/mount-eerie-hot-snakes-and-more-albums-to-know-about-1823746128|archive-date=March 20, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Exclaim!'' | rev3score = 9/10<ref name="Exclaim!">{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/mount_eerie-now_only|title=Mount Eerie: ''Now Only''|website=Exclaim!|last=Hudson|first=Alex|date=March 9, 2018|access-date=August 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608083600/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/mount_eerie-now_only|archive-date=June 8, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev4 = ''The Guardian'' | rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/15/mount-eerie-now-only-review|title=Mount Eerie: ''Now Only'' review – drops of light pierce the fog of grief|website=The Guardian|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis|date=March 15, 2018|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318035234/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/15/mount-eerie-now-only-review|archive-date=March 18, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev5 = ''The Independent'' | rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="The Independent">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/kacey-musgraves-golden-hour-reviews-the-vaccines-kate-nash-today-a8277981.html|title=Album reviews: Kacey Musgraves, The Vaccines, Kate Nash, Frankie Cosmos, Sons of Kemet, Mount Eerie|website=The Independent|last1=O'Connor|first1=Roisin|last2=Hasted|first2=Nick|last3=Kaplan|first3=Ilana|date=March 28, 2018|access-date=March 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328190322/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/kacey-musgraves-golden-hour-reviews-the-vaccines-kate-nash-today-a8277981.html|archive-date=March 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev6 = ''Paste'' | rev6score = 9.0/10<ref name="Paste">{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/03/mount-eerie-now-only-review.html|title=Mount Eerie: ''Now Only'' Review|website=Paste|last=Ham|first=Robert|date=March 13, 2018|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328102726/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/03/mount-eerie-now-only-review.html|archive-date=March 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev7 = ''Pitchfork'' | rev7score = 8.5/10<ref name="pfork">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/mount-eerie-now-only/|title=Mount Eerie: ''Now Only''|website=Pitchfork|last=Sodomsky|first=Sam|date=March 16, 2018|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320110421/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/mount-eerie-now-only/|archive-date=March 20, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev8 = ''PopMatters'' | rev8score = 7/10<ref name="popmatters">{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/mount-eerie-now-only-2547207698.html|title=Mount Eerie's ''Now Only'' Feels Like More of ''A Crow Looked at Me''|website=PopMatters|last=Britt|first=Thomas|date=March 15, 2018|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130061037/https://www.popmatters.com/mount-eerie-now-only-2547207698.html|archive-date=January 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> | rev9 = ''Uncut'' | rev9score = 6/10<ref name="uncut">{{cite journal|title=Mt Eerie: Now Only|journal=Uncut|last=Thomson|first=Graeme|issue=253|date=June 2018|page=33}}</ref> | rev10 = ''Vice'' | rev10score = A<ref name="Vice">{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/robert-christgau-on-the-complexity-of-mount-eeries-survival-record/|title=Robert Christgau on the Complexity of Mount Eerie's Survival Record|website=Vice|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=May 11, 2018|access-date=May 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513081221/https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/qvn4a7/robert-christgau-on-the-complexity-of-mount-eeries-survival-record|archive-date=May 13, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> }}

''Now Only'' received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from music critics, the album has received an average score of 82, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 19 reviews.<ref name="MC"/> Sam Sodomsky of ''Pitchfork'' called it "part memoir and part magnum opus" and "his most harrowing and physical description of decay".<ref name="pitchfork">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/mount-eerie-now-only/|title=Mount Eerie: ''Now Only''|website=Pitchfork|last=Sodomsky|first=Sam|date=October 27, 2019|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113123019/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/mount-eerie-now-only/|archive-date=November 13, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Alexis Petridis of ''The Guardian'' said, "Elverum still sounds lost in fathomless pain, struggling to get on with his life while terrified of letting his wife's memory fade".<ref name="guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/15/mount-eerie-now-only-review|title=Mount Eerie: ''Now Only'' review – drops of light pierce the fog of grief|website=The Guardian|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis|date=March 15, 2018|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108153833/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/mar/15/mount-eerie-now-only-review|archive-date=November 8, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Nick Hasted of ''The Independent'' wrote, "Its lyrics are a tidal, seemingly undifferentiated tumble".<ref name="independent">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/kacey-musgraves-golden-hour-reviews-the-vaccines-kate-nash-today-a8277981.html|title=Album reviews: Kacey Musgraves, The Vaccines, Kate Nash, Frankie Cosmos, Sons of Kemet, Mount Eerie|website=The Independent|last1=O'Connor|first1=Roisin|last2=Hasted|first2=Nick|last3=Kaplan|first3=Ilana|date=March 28, 2018|access-date=October 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401204136/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/kacey-musgraves-golden-hour-reviews-the-vaccines-kate-nash-today-a8277981.html|archive-date=April 1, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Robert Ham of ''Paste'' felt a personal connection to Elverum and his loss, relating it to the passing of Patton Oswalt's wife, writing, "Through the art that Elverum and Oswalt have made manifest in the wake of their wives dying, I feel like I know them with an uncomfortable intimacy. As much as I marvel at Annihilation or Now Only, I feel like I want them back on this planet, too." he also wrote, "Now Only is still as wrenching and direct as its predecessor, but concerns itself, at times, with the bitter truth that, sooner rather than later, he'll be gone, too".<ref name="paste">{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/03/mount-eerie-now-only-review.html|title=Mount Eerie: ''Now Only'' Review|website=Paste|last=Ham|first=Robert|date=March 13, 2018|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108194448/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/03/mount-eerie-now-only-review.html|archive-date=November 8, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Thomas Britt of ''Popmatters'' said that the album "will be of interest to Mount Eerie devotees but feels more downbeat and less necessary than its predecessor".<ref name=":1">"{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/mount-eerie-now-only-2547207698.html|title=Mount Eerie's ''Now Only'' Feels Like More of ''A Crow Looked at Me''|website=PopMatters|last=Britt|first=Thomas|date=March 15, 2018|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130061037/https://www.popmatters.com/mount-eerie-now-only-2547207698.html|archive-date=January 30, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Robert Christgau, writing for ''Vice'', said, "you have to admire the no-fuss complexities of his survival album—in particular his realization that it isn't just the artist's body that can't survive, it's the artist's body of work".<ref name="vice">{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/robert-christgau-on-the-complexity-of-mount-eeries-survival-record/|title=Robert Christgau on the Complexity of Mount Eerie's Survival Record|website=Vice|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=May 11, 2018|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827233553/https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/qvn4a7/robert-christgau-on-the-complexity-of-mount-eeries-survival-record|archive-date=August 27, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Skye Butchard of ''Loud and Quiet'' initially gave the album a perfect ten but later noted that rating the album or calling it a masterpiece "[seemed] wrong".<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />

Many writers noted that the album sounded more hopeful than ''A Crow Looked at Me'' and had more diverse instrumentation. Heather Phares of ''AllMusic'' said, "this album isn't quite as devastatingly sad as its predecessor, and on songs such as "Crow, Pt. 2," there's a lightness when he sings "you're a quiet echo on a loud wind" that wasn't there before" and "his use of sound is even more evocative".<ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/now-only-mw0003151290|title=''Now Only'' – Mount Eerie|publisher=AllMusic|last=Phares|first=Heather|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024201349/https://www.allmusic.com/album/now-only-mw0003151290|archive-date=October 24, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The A.V. Club'' said, "Where Crow occupied a numb, purgatorial present tense, the new record leaps around like a wandering mind, to vivid anecdotes from the singer-songwriter's past".<ref name="AV">{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/mount-eerie-hot-snakes-and-more-albums-to-know-about-1823746128|title=Mount Eerie, Hot Snakes, and more albums to know about this week: Mount Eerie, ''Now Only''|website=The A.V. Club|last=Dowd|first=A. A.|date=March 16, 2018|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031022119/https://www.avclub.com/mount-eerie-hot-snakes-and-more-albums-to-know-about-1823746128|archive-date=October 31, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Alex Hudson of ''Exclaim!'' speaking of the more diverse instrumentation said, "the result is an emotionally nuanced meditation on death that is both heartbreaking and hopeful".<ref name="exclaim">{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/mount_eerie-now_only|title=Mount Eerie: ''Now Only''|website=Exclaim!|last=Hudson|first=Alex|date=March 9, 2018|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608083600/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/mount_eerie-now_only|archive-date=June 8, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Accolades === ''Now Only'' appeared on numerous year-end top lists by several publications. Such as ''AllMusic,''<ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Not stated-->|title=AllMusic Best of 2018 {{!}} AllMusic 2018 in Review|url=https://www.allmusic.com/year-in-review/2018|access-date=2020-08-01|website=AllMusic|language=en-us}}</ref> ''The Daily Emerald'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=Castillon|first=Nic|date=December 22, 2018|title=Best albums of 2018|url=https://www.dailyemerald.com/arts-culture/best-albums-of-2018/article_c9a19074-0617-11e9-a897-bb42b2ac2613.html|access-date=2020-05-20|website=Daily Emerald|language=en}}</ref> ''Digital Trends,''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hall|first=Parker|date=December 12, 2018|title=The best albums of 2018|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/music/best-albums-of-2018/|access-date=2020-08-01|website=www.digitaltrends.com}}</ref> ''Earbuddy'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=K|first=N|date=2018-12-19|title=Earbuddy's 50 Best Albums of 2018 {{!}} Page 4 of 5|url=https://www.earbuddy.net/73965/earbuddys-50-best-albums-of-2018.html/albums-of-the-year|access-date=2020-08-01|website=Earbuddy|language=en-US}}</ref> ''Exclaim!,''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bobkin|first=Matt|date=December 6, 2018|title=Exclaim!'s Top 10 Folk and Country Albums Best of 2018|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/exclaim_s_top_10_folk_and_country_albums-best_of_2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427204828/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/exclaim_s_top_10_folk_and_country_albums-best_of_2018|archive-date=April 27, 2020|access-date=2020-05-20|website=Exclaim!|language=en-ca}}</ref> KCPR'',<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-12-14|title=KCPR's Top Albums of 2018|url=http://kcpr2020.dreamhosters.com/2018/12/14/kcprs-top-albums-of-2018/|access-date=2020-05-20|website=KCPR|language=en-US}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>'' ''Loud and Quiet'',<ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->|date=December 7, 2018|title=The Loud And Quiet best 40 albums of 2018|url=https://www.loudandquiet.com/short/the-loud-and-quiet-best-40-albums-of-2018/|access-date=2020-08-09|website=Loud and Quiet|language=en-US}}</ref> ''Noisey,''<ref>{{Cite web|last=Joyce|first=Colin|date=December 5, 2018|title=The 100 Best Albums of 2018|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-100-best-albums-of-2018/|access-date=2020-08-01|website=Noisey|language=en}}</ref> NPR,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Thompson|first=Steven|date=December 27, 2018|title=NPR Music Staff Picks: The Best Of 2018|url=https://www.wprl.org/post/npr-music-staff-picks-best-2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227220828/https://www.wprl.org/post/npr-music-staff-picks-best-2018|archive-date=December 27, 2018|access-date=2020-05-20|website=NPR Music|language=en}}</ref> ''Pitchfork,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Moreland|first=Quinn|date=December 17, 2018|title=The Best Rock Albums of 2018|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-rock-albums-of-2018/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523115113/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-rock-albums-of-2018/|archive-date=May 23, 2020|access-date=2020-05-24|website=Pitchfork|language=en}}</ref>'' ''The Seattle Times,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rietmulder|first=Michael|date=2018-12-13|title=The best Seattle albums of 2018: Critics choose the top 20 releases of the year|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/the-best-seattle-albums-of-2018-critics-choose-the-top-20-releases-of-the-year/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210205900/https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/the-best-seattle-albums-of-2018-critics-choose-the-top-20-releases-of-the-year/|archive-date=December 10, 2019|access-date=2020-05-21|website=The Seattle Times|language=en-US}}</ref>'' ''The Skinny'',<ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=December 5, 2018|title=The Skinny's Top 50 Albums of 2018|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/opinion/albums-of-the-year/the-skinnys-top-50-albums-of-2018|access-date=2020-08-01|website=The Skinny|language=en}}</ref> ''Slate'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wilson|first=Carl|date=2018-12-12|title=The Best Albums of 2018|url=https://slate.com/culture/2018/12/best-albums-2018-cardi-b-black-panther-robyn.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510231024/https://slate.com/culture/2018/12/best-albums-2018-cardi-b-black-panther-robyn.html|archive-date=May 10, 2020|access-date=2020-05-21|website=Slate|language=en}}</ref> ''Tiny Mix Tapes,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Scavo|first=James|date=December 17, 2018|title=2018: Favorite 50 Music Releases|url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/2018-favorite-50-music-releases|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513143117/https://www.tinymixtapes.com/features/2018-favorite-50-music-releases|archive-date=May 13, 2020|access-date=2020-05-23|website=Tiny Mix Tapes|language=en}}</ref>'' and ''Treblezine.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Prickett|first=Sam|date=2018-12-06|title=Top 50 Albums of 2018|url=https://www.treblezine.com/top-50-best-albums-of-2018/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426084104/https://www.treblezine.com/top-50-best-albums-of-2018/|archive-date=April 26, 2019|access-date=2020-05-24|website=Treblezine|language=en-US}}</ref>'' Songs such as "Tintin in Tibet", "Distortion" and "Now Only" also appeared on year-end top lists by ''Treblezine,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Prickett|first=Sam|date=2018-12-05|title=Top 100 Songs of 2018|url=https://www.treblezine.com/top-100-songs-of-2018/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406023635/https://www.treblezine.com/top-100-songs-of-2018/|archive-date=April 6, 2019|access-date=2020-05-24|website=Treblezine|language=en-US}}</ref> Pitchfork,''<ref>{{Cite web|title=The 100 Best Songs of 2018|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-100-best-songs-of-2018/|last=Richardson|first=Mark|date=December 10, 2018|website=Pitchfork|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514151351/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-100-best-songs-of-2018/|archive-date=May 14, 2020|access-date=2020-05-24}}</ref> and the ''Phoenix New Times,''<ref name=":0" /> respectively. American singer-songwriter Kevin Morby included the album on his list of his favorite albums of 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pearis|first=Bill|date=December 11, 2018|title=Kevin Morby tells us about his favorite albums of 2018|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/kevin-morby-tells-us-about-his-favorite-albums-of-2018/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121181927/http://www.brooklynvegan.com/kevin-morby-tells-us-about-his-favorite-albums-of-2018/|archive-date=November 21, 2019|access-date=2020-05-21|website=BrooklynVegan|language=en}}</ref>

==Track listing== {{Track listing | all_writing = Phil Elverum | total_length = 43:33 | title1 = Tintin in Tibet | length1 = 4:37 | title2 = Distortion | length2 = 10:58 | title3 = Now Only | length3 = 5:54 | title4 = Earth | length4 = 5:52 | title5 = Two Paintings by Nikolai Astrup | length5 = 9:22 | title6 = Crow, Pt. 2 | length6 = 6:50 }}

==Personnel== *Phil Elverum – songwriting, vocals, production, mixing, guitars, bass, drums, piano, keyboards

==Release history== {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" ! Region ! Label ! Format ! Category ! Reference |- ! scope="row"| United States | rowspan="2"| P. W. Elverum & Sun | Double LP, digital download | ELV041 | rowspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | <ref name="PWES">{{cite web|title=Now Only|url=http://www.pwelverumandsun.com/store#mounteerie|website=pwelverumandsun|access-date=27 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117135059/https://www.pwelverumandsun.com/store#mounteerie|archive-date=November 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| Japan | CD | EPCD105 |}

==References== {{reflist|35em}}

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

==External links== * {{Discogs master|1333964|Now Only}}

{{Mount Eerie}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2018 albums Category:Albums recorded in a home studio Category:Mount Eerie albums Category:2010s concept albums Category:Works about cancer