''Tales from the Backseat'' is the debut studio album by Irish indie rock band

The Academic The Academic are an Irish indie rock band, formed in Rochfortbridge, County Westmeath in 2013. The band consists of Craig Fitzgerald, Dean Gavin, and brothers Matthew and Stephen Murtagh. Their debut studio album, '' Tales from the Backseat'', ...

, released on 12 January 2018 by Room 6 Records. It debuted at number 1 on the

Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). The charts were previously compiled on behalf of IRMA by Chart-Track, and have been compiled by the ...

and received generally favourable critical reception, with the album being nominated for Irish Record of the Year by RTE.

Production

''Tales from the Backseat'' was produced by Tim Pagnotta and recorded in Los Angeles and London. The album was written when the band was in their teens.

Release

On 26 October 2017, the band released a new single "Permanent Vacation" and announced that their debut LP, ''Tales from the Backseat'', would be released on 12 January 2018. Follow up single "Why Can't We Be Friends?" was selected by

Annie Mac Annie Mac (born 18 July 1978), is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, including hosting her AMP (Annie Mac Presents) ...

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

as her Hottest Record in the world which '' Clash'' also called it "a crisp, ultra-catchy indie pop jammer."

Reception

Critical reception

''Tales from the Backseat'' was met with generally favourable reviews. ''

The Last Mixed Tape ''The Last Mixed Tape'' is an Irish-based daily music blog founded in February 2014 by critic and journalist Stephen White. The site is composed of reviews, interviews, and news features all written by White, specifically about the Dublin music ...

'' praised the album and described it as "a short sharp shock debut that makes great use of every indie-pop trope available." '' Clash'' said the album was "brimming with energy and potential" and likened the album's sound to that of

The Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio More ...

and the

Yeah Yeah Yeahs The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complem ...

RTÉ.ie RTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ)'s online activities, located at the URL https://www.rte.ie/. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely com ...

also gave the album a positive review, with writer Alan Corr concluding, "The spectre of indie landfill rears up here and there but at a thrifty 33 minutes, The Academic have delivered a short, sharp jab to the aural sweet spot."

Commercial performance

''Tales from the Backseat'' debuted at number 1 on the

on its first week of release.

Track listing

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2018 debut albums Downtown Records albums The Academic albums