''Pipe Dreams'' is the debut
studio album by
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
band
Whirr, released on March 13, 2012 by
Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records is an American independent rock music record label in New York City, prominent for releasing music by Sleep, Witch, Graveyard, Earthless, High on Fire and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. It has housed many stoner rock bands.
R ...
. The album served as a follow-up to '' Distressor'', the bands critically acclaimed debut EP.
Reception
Reception for ''Pipe Dreams'' was generally positive. Reviewers paid particular attention to the song "Formulas and Frequencies", with Steven Spoerl of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' saying that the song "
as ahaunting acoustic track that utilizes a piano in stunning fashion and really puts a distinguishing mark on the album’s willingness to take unexpected directions in experimentation.",
while Martin Douglas of
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
said, "For starters, few shoegaze albums would have the moxie to include a song like "Formulas and Frequencies", which explores texture with an adventurousness that goes beyond tweaking effects pedals. Built around acoustic guitar, piano, and singer Alexandra Morte's floaty soprano, the song is melancholy almost to the point of being a dirge, a slow drift that inches toward the six-minute mark."
Ned Raggett of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
said that calling the song "Formulas and Frequencies" was a "dare".
Track listing
References
{{Authority control
2012 albums
Whirr (band) albums