Trip9love (stylised as trip9love...???) is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Tirzah. It was surprise-released digitally on 5 September 2023, and released physically on 17 November, by Domino Recording Company. The album was produced by Mica Levi.

Trip9love
Tirzah standing in front of a microphone with a bright white light behind her
Studio album by
Released5 September 2023
StudioTirzah's and Mica Levi's home studios
Length33:04
LabelDomino
ProducerMica Levi
Tirzah chronology
Colourgrade
(2021)
Trip9love
(2023)

Recording

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The album was written and recorded in Tirzah's and Levi's home studios, as well as in southeast London and Kent,[1] over about a year's time.[2]

Release

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Trip9love was surprise-released digitally on 5 September 2023 without any prior singles.[3][1] Tirzah had said she would be "sharing the record next week" on 29 August.[4] Along with the digital release, a physical release by Domino Recording Company was announced to follow on 17 November.[1] The album tease in August came with the announcement of tour dates in Europe and North America,[4] but the North American leg was cancelled after Tirzah contracted pneumonia.[5]

Style

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The central instruments of the album are the piano and drum machine.[6][7] Most songs on the album are built on the same drum beat, with different mixing and distortion applied to each to differentiate them, while a few are drumless ballads.[6][8] The piano's tone is also very consistent track to track.[6] The two instruments contrast with each other, with Pitchfork's Philip Sherburne calling the piano "distant and mournful" and the drums "confrontational, in your face, charged with latent violence."[6]

Reception

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Trip9love ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic85/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash7/10[7]
Jenesaispop     [10]
The Line of Best Fit9/10[11]
Mojo     [12]
MusicOMH     [13]
Pitchfork7.8/10[6]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Trip9love received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 85 out of 100 from 6 critic scores.[9] Sherburne called the album "tender as a bruise, the kind of bruise you press down on now and again, just to confirm that it still hurts—and to take secret pleasure in the ache."[6] Clash's Ana Lamond wrote that "it is within the intricacies of Tirzah and Levi's union that the record truly gleams."[7] Resident Advisor's Kiana Mickles wrote that "The effect of a wrong note pressed, a one-take vocal run or a perfectly misplaced guitar screech might seem inconsequential because, at this point, it's so indisputably Tirzah. But real care goes into her rule-breaking, which is what makes it sound so immaculate."[14] Bandcamp Daily's Diamond Sharp wrote that Tirzah's "delicate vocals pair well over the warbled 808s and distorted beats", and called the album "raw and ever-changing."[15]

Critics emphasised the need for multiple listens to fully grasp the album.[7][8] Sherburne said it took him "a dozen or more listens" to notice the repeated drum pattern.[6]

Year-end lists

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Trip9love on year-end lists
Publication # Ref.
DJ Mag [16]
Gorilla vs. Bear 13 [17]
Les Inrockuptibles 8 [18]
The Line of Best Fit 44 [19]
Loud and Quiet 10 [20]
Resident Advisor [21]
Time Out 9 [22]
The Washington Post 6 [23]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Tirzah Mastin and Mica Levi. All tracks are produced by Levi.

Trip9love track listing
No.TitleLength
1."F22"3:38
2."Promises"2:37
3."U All the Time"4:12
4."Their Love"2:32
5."No Limit"3:02
6."Today"2:44
7."Stars"3:20
8."He Made"2:48
9."2 D I C U V"3:31
10."6 Phrazes"1:33
11."Nightmare"3:02
Total length:33:04

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart Peak
position
UK Independent Albums Breakers Chart (OCC)[24] 17

References

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  1. ^ a b c Monroe, Jazz (5 September 2023). "Tirzah Releases New Album Trip9love...???". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  2. ^ Kelly, Tyler Damara (5 September 2023). "Tirzah releases surprise new album, trip9love...???". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  3. ^ DeVille, Chris (5 September 2023). "Stream Tirzah's New Album trip9love...?". Stereogum. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (29 August 2023). "Tirzah Announces Tour Dates, Promises New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  5. ^ Rettig, James (12 October 2023). "Tirzah Cancels North American Tour Due to Pneumonia". Stereogum. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Sherburne, Philip (6 September 2023). "Tirzah: trip9love...??? Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d Lamond, Ana (6 September 2023). "Tirzah – trip9love...???". Clash. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b Bell, Kaelen (5 September 2023). "Listen to Tirzah's New Album trip9love...?". Exclaim!. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  9. ^ a b "trip9love...??? by Tirzah Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  10. ^ Alonso, Sebas E. (7 September 2023). "Tirzah / trip9love...???". Jenesaispop (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  11. ^ Taylor, Ims (5 September 2023). "Tirzah: trip9love...??? Review". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  12. ^ Cowan, Andy (November 2023). "Tirzah – trip9love...???". Mojo. p. 90.
  13. ^ Devlin, Ben (12 September 2023). "Tirzah – trip9love...???". MusicOMH. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  14. ^ Mickles, Kiana (7 September 2023). "Tirzah - trip9love...???". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  15. ^ Sharp, Diamond (9 September 2023). "Essential Releases, 8 September 2023". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  16. ^ Murphy, Ben (13 December 2023). "DJ Mag's top albums of 2023". DJ Mag. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2023". Gorilla vs. Bear. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Best of 2023". Les Inrockuptibles. 29 November 2023.
  19. ^ Turner, Thomas (4 December 2023). "The Best Albums of 2023 Ranked". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Loud and Quiet Albums of the Year 2023". Loud and Quiet. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  21. ^ McTernan, Conor (14 December 2023). "The Best Albums of 2023". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  22. ^ Hewitson, Rosie (1 December 2023). "The 30 Best Albums of 2023". Time Out. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  23. ^ Richards, Chris (6 December 2023). "The best albums of 2023: Top pop from Peso Pluma to Sexyy Red". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  24. ^ "Official Independent Album Breakers Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 April 2024.