Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted
Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted is the twelfth studio album by English singer-songwriter Passenger. Recording started in 2019 and the album released on 8 January 2021 by Black Crow Records.[1] All profits from the album go to Ecologi and Eden Reforestation Project, a nonprofit organization that works in developing countries to rebuild natural landscapes destroyed by deforestation. A tree will be planted for every physical copy of the album sold via the Passenger store.[2]
| Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 8 January 2021 | |||
| Recorded | 2019–2021 | |||
| Length | 35:48 | |||
| Label | Black Crow | |||
| Producer | Chris Vallejo | |||
| Passenger chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted | ||||
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Background
Before releasing Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted, Passenger wrote and recorded his standalone record, Patchwork during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, alongside producer Chris Vallejo and guest musicians Andrew Phillaips (formerly of the band Passenger alongside Rosenberg) and Richard Brinklow. It was made along partnership with The Trussell Trust, a NGO organization that focused on food banks charity in United Kingdom. Mike Rosenberg confirmed that the album was originally in process of recording back before the coronavirus pandemic.
Rosenberg stated that he spent most of time recording in Sydney. The initial release of the album was supposed to be in the early 2020, but later pushed back to the early 2021 due to the COVID-19 lockdown.[3]
Composition
Music
The idea of making Patchwork as a complete acoustic record made him tempted to give more sound varieties, thus later presented in Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted. During lockdown making Patchwork, several songs were later added in the album. Even though, due to his small-spaced home studio, the recording session was made separately.[3]
On 25 January 2020, "Sandstorm" was teased as an acoustic version on YouTube,[4] and an acoustic version of "Sword from the Stone" was included as the first track on Patchwork (named as Patchwork version).[5]
Lyrics
Rosenberg stated that he wrote lyrics for the album when he was newly single, and almost related to his life; about being in breakups, drunk, and dealing with life in general. He added: "I think it's a very strange world we live in, and everything I experienced usually percolates around the brain box for a little bit and then gets channeled into the songwriting, so a breakup is no different. It’s a very extreme version of that."[3]
Packaging
The physical packaging of the album, along with all CDs and vinyl sold via Passenger's official store, is made of 100% recycled materials.[2]
Track listing
All songs were written by Mike Rosenberg.[6]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sword from the Stone" | 3:21 |
| 2. | "Tip of My Tongue" | 3:01 |
| 3. | "What You're Waiting For" | 2:37 |
| 4. | "The Way That I Love You" | 2:39 |
| 5. | "Remember to Forget" | 3:38 |
| 6. | "Sandstorm" | 5:01 |
| 7. | "A Song for the Drunk and Broken Hearted" | 3:59 |
| 8. | "Suzanne" | 4:15 |
| 9. | "Nothing Aches Like a Broken Heart" | 4:16 |
| 10. | "London in the Spring" | 3:01 |
| Total length: | 35:48 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "London in the Spring" (acoustic) | 2:56 |
| 2. | "Nothing Aches Like a Broken Heart" (acoustic) | 3:17 |
| 3. | "Suzanne" (acoustic) | 4:05 |
| 4. | "A Song for the Drunk and Broken Hearted" (acoustic) | 3:56 |
| 5. | "Sandstorm" (acoustic) | 4:10 |
| 6. | "Remember to Forget" (acoustic) | 3:36 |
| 7. | "The Way That I Love You" (acoustic) | 2:37 |
| 8. | "What You're Waiting For" (acoustic) | 2:36 |
| 9. | "Tip of My Tongue" (acoustic) | 3:00 |
| 10. | "Sword from the Stone" (acoustic) | 3:33 |
| Total length: | 69:34 | |
Charts
| Chart (2021) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[7] | 6 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[8] | 28 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[9] | 188 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[10] | 18 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] | 6 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[12] | 33 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] | 2 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[14] | 2 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 8 January 2021 | Black Crow | Digital download, CD, vinyl |
References
- "Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted (Deluxe) by Passenger". Apple Music. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
- "Passenger Introduces a New Drunk and Broken Hearted Character with Latest Song 'Remember to Forget'". Vents Magazine. 2020-12-11. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
- "Interview: Passenger on getting drunk, being vulnerable and playing a sad clown". The AU Review. 2020-12-30. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
- "Passenger | Sandstorm (Acoustic) - Official Video - YouTube". Retrieved 2021-01-08 – via YouTube.
- "Patchwork by Passenger". Apple Music. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
- "Album Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted (Deluxe) by Passenger | Qobuz : téléchargez et streamez en haute qualité". Qobuz (in French). Retrieved 2021-01-08.
- "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- "Ultratop.be – Passenger – Songs for the Drunk and Broken-Hearted" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- "Ultratop.be – Passenger – Songs for the Drunk and Broken-Hearted" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Passenger – Songs for the Drunk and Broken-Hearted" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Passenger – Songs for the Drunk and Broken-Hearted" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- "Swisscharts.com – Passenger – Songs for the Drunk and Broken-Hearted". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
Further reading
- "REVIEW: Passenger wallows in despair on 'Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted'". RIFF Magazine. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- Blistein, Jon (14 January 2021). "Passenger Drops Ed Sheeran-Produced 'Gingerbread Mix' of 'Sword From the Stone'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- "Album reviews: Passenger – Songs for the Drunk and Broken-Hearted, and Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz". The Independent. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.