Picture of Bunny Rabbit
| Picture of Bunny Rabbit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | June 23, 2023 | |||
| Recorded | 1985–1986 | |||
| Studio | Battery Sound, New York City, New York, United States | |||
| Genre | Experimental music[1] | |||
| Length | 38:00 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Audika | |||
| Arthur Russell chronology | ||||
| ||||
Picture of Bunny Rabbit is a 2023 compilation album representing some of the last studio session work by American experimental musician Arthur Russell. The album continues a series of archival releases from record label Audika,[2][3] with this collection containing recordings that were made for World of Echo.[4] It has received positive reviews from critics.
Reception[edit]
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Picture of Bunny Rabbit received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 97 out of 100 from five critic scores.[5] Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Fred Thomas writing that "Picture of Bunny Rabbit's continuance of that pure spirit is a gift to anyone with a special place in their heart for Russell, and even more evidence of just how peerless he was an artist".[6] Nick Roseblade of Clash Music gave this compilation a 9 out of 10, calling it "a beautiful album" that is a "sublime example" of Russell's musical genius.[7] In Exclaim!, Kaelen Bell made this her staff pick and writing "these opalescent, alien songs are as difficult to square as any in his awe-inspiring catalogue, shivering along streaks of cello and burbling pulses that scatter and circle like fireflies. But while they may be largely inscrutable, they're also endlessly beautiful and mind-meltingly singular."[8] Eamon Sweeney of The Irish Times gave Picture of Bunny Rabbit 4 quote of 5 stars, describing it as "another beautifully understated but bravely adventurous suite of songs and instrumentals".[9] Pitchfork Media's editors chose this as Best New Reissue of the week and critic Jayson Greene gave it a 9.0 out of 10, stating that "there’s something near-holy about overhearing Russell in this magic half-light again".[1] Editors of The Quietus chose this as Reissue of the Week and editors chose this as one of the best albums of June and July 2023;[10] critic Eden Tizard writing that with this release, it is "as if this singular, unfathomable place [of Russell's music] has become more vast, or perhaps that new depths have been uncovered".[11] In The Washington Post, Michael Andor Brodeur calls this, "a stunning specimen of Arthur at his Arthurest" and states that it continues the enigma of Russell as a person and musician.[3]
Track listing[edit]
All songs written by Arthur Russell.
- "Fuzzbuster #10" – 3:22
- "Not Checking Up" – 4:35
- "Telling No One" – 2:30
- "Fuzzbuster #06" – 2:33
- "The Boy with a Smile" – 4:00
- "Fuzzbuster #09" – 2:06
- "Very Reason" – 3:59
- "Picture of Bunny Rabbit" – 8:13
- "In the Light of a Miracle" – 6:42
Personnel[edit]
- Arthur Russell – vocals, cello, keyboards, guitar, harmonica, echo, production
- Steve Knutson – compilation production
- Tom Lee – compilation production
- Eric Liljestrand – engineer
- Molly Smith – art direction, design
- Timothy Stollenwerk – mastering at Stereophonic Mastering
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Greene, Jayson (June 28, 2023). "Arthur Russell: Picture of Bunny Rabbit Album Review". Albums. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Sherburne, Philip (June 21, 2023). "The Story Behind the Greatest Arthur Russell Compilation Yet". The Pitch. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Brodeur, Michael Andor. "A new release of Arthur Russell's music only deepens its mystery". Arts & Entertainment. The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 2269358.
- ^ Hajdu, David (June 20, 2023). "Arthur Russell's Endless Reinventions". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ "Picture of Bunny Rabbit by Arthur Russell Reviews and Tracks – Metacritic". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. n.d. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Thomas, Fred (n.d.). "Arthur Russell – Picture of Bunny Rabbit". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Roseblade, Nick (June 23, 2023). "Arthur Russell – A Picture Of Bunny Rabbit". Clash Music. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Bell, Kaelen (July 3, 2023). "Exclaim!'s Staff Picks: Arthur Russell Retains His Enigma on Gorgeous 'Picture of Bunny Rabbit'". Exclaim!. ISSN 1207-6600. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ Sweeney, Eamon. "Arthur Russell: Picture of Bunny Rabbit – A wonderfully beguiling introduction to an immortal artist". Music. The Irish Times. ISSN 0791-5144.
- ^ Clarke, Patrick (July 28, 2023). "Music of the Month(s)". Quietus Charts. The Quietus. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
- ^ Tizard, Eden (June 23, 2023). "Reissue Of The Week: Arthur Russell's Picture Of Bunny Rabbit". The Quietus. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
External links[edit]
- Picture of Bunny Rabbit at Discogs (list of releases)
- Picture of Bunny Rabbit at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
