Expectations (Katie Pruitt album)

Summary

Expectations is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt, released by Rounder Records on February 21, 2020. The album has received positive reviews from critics.[1] The album is made up of compositions about Pruitt's life.[2] On November 24, 2020, Expectations was nominated for a Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.[3]

Expectations
A black-and-white, faded photo of Pruitt looking up in an ornate window with rainbows, flowers, and butterflies surrounding her
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 21, 2020 (2020-02-21)
StudioMinutia, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
GenreCountry
Length46:47
LabelRounder
Producer
Katie Pruitt chronology
Expectations
(2020)
Mantras
(2024)

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic76/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
American Songwriter     [5]
Exclaim!8/10[6]
Paste7/10[7]
Pitchfork7.0/10[8]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Expectations received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from four critic scores.[4] Album of the Year characterized the critical consensus as a 75 out of 100.[9] For Paste, Eric R. Danton gave Expectations a seven out of 10, praising the emotional depth of the lyrics but criticizing formulaic songwriting and some lyrics that fall flat.[7] Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork gave it the same rating, writing that it has strong arrangements and stately ballads.[8] In Exclaim!, Scott Roos gave it an eight out of 10 for truth-telling lyrics and a "first-rate" band.[6] American Songwriter's Hal Horowitz scored Expectations at four out of five for wise production that accentuates her lyrics, along with a balance of musical genres.[5] Introducing Pruitt for a feature, Kelly McCartney of No Depression, called the release "stunning" and continued, "As an artist’s opening statement, the album is bold and beautiful, impactful and entertaining. It’s an exercise in courage so exquisitely raw that Brown would surely be proud of it."[10] Joseph Hudak of Rolling Stone praised Pruitt's "nimble guitar playing" and "elastic voice".[1] NPR's Jewly Hight characterized the album with, "Pruitt's done that with such clarity of expression and disarming intimacy—Expectations is aesthetically warmhearted even in its tensest moments of confrontation—that she's given her own family a greater understanding of her experience".[11]

Track listing edit

All songs written by Katie Pruitt, except where noted

  1. "Wishful Thinking" – 5:10
  2. "My Mind's a Ship (That's Going Down)" (Jess Nolan and Pruitt) – 4:00
  3. "Expectations" (Ross McReynolds and Pruitt) – 3:55
  4. "Out of the Blue" – 5:13
  5. "Normal" – 5:12
  6. "Grace Has a Gun" – 4:21
  7. "Searching for the Truth" – 4:32
  8. "Georgia" – 4:11
  9. "Loving Her" – 5:04
  10. "It's Always Been You" – 5:13

Personnel edit

  • Katie Pruitt – lead and backing vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, liner notes, production
  • Hank Born – electric guitar
  • Maggie Chaffee – cello
  • David Crutcher – Fender Rhodes, organ, piano
  • Eric Darken – bells, vibraphone
  • Alicia Enstrom – violin
  • Luke Enyeart – electric guitar
  • Laura Epling – violin
  • Alysse Gafkjen – photography
  • Austin Hoke – cello
  • Jedd Hughes – electric guitar
  • Calvin Knowles – bass guitar
  • Betsy Lamb – viola
  • Ross McReynolds – drums, percussion
  • Ian Miller – African bells, Fender Rhodes, keyboards, Mellotron, organ, piano
  • Jess Nolan – backing vocals
  • Jake Ohlbaum – backing vocals
  • Gary Paczosa – engineering
  • Michael Robinson – engineer, production
  • Carrie Smith – design
  • Jake Tudor – viola
  • Kristin Webber – violin
  • Sami Wideberg – artwork
  • Johnny Williamson – electric guitar

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Hudak, Joseph (March 13, 2020). "Katie Pruitt Has Reason to Believe". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  2. ^ Liptak, Carena (February 21, 2020). "Interview: Katie Pruitt Tells Her 'Loosely Chronological' Coming-of-Age Story on Debut Album, Expectations". The Boot. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  3. ^ "2021 GRAMMYs Nominees for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical". The Recording Academy. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Expectations by Katie Pruitt". Metacritic. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Horowitz, Hal (February 17, 2020). "Katie Pruitt Elevates Herself on Expectations". American Songwriter. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Roos, Scott (February 21, 2020). "Katie Pruitt Expectations". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Danton, Eric R. (February 19, 2020). "Katie Pruitt Finds Her Own Path on Expectations". Paste. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Sodomsky, Sam (March 3, 2020). "Katie Pruitt: Expectations". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  9. ^ "Katie Pruitt – Expectations". Album of the Year. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  10. ^ McCartney, Kelly (February 18, 2020). "Katie Pruitt Debuts with Great Expectations". No Depression. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  11. ^ Hight, Jewly (February 24, 2020). "Interview: Katie Pruitt On Expectations, Relationship with Her Mother, Debut". NPR. Retrieved April 12, 2020.

External links edit

  • Official website  
  • Exepectations at Discogs (list of releases)
  • Exepectations at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
  • Rounder Records press release
  • A set by Pruitt on NPR's World Cafe