The Age of Miracles
Encyclopedia
The Age of Miracles is the tenth studio album released by American music artist Mary Chapin Carpenter
. The album was released on April 27, 2010 on Zoë Records
and was produced by Carpenter and Matt Rollings
.
The Age of Miracles is Carpenter's third album released under the Zoë record label, and is also her first studio album since The Calling
in 2007. The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart and #28 on the Billboard 200
albums chart.
and its aftermath, while the album's seventh track ("Mrs. Hemingway") is about the first wife of author Ernest Hemingway
. She also mentioned that the fifth track "4 June 1989" explains the Tiananmen Square Massacre and its remembrance by Chinese activist Chen Gueng.
The album is generally considered to feature a mix of styles. Cody Miller of PopMatters
found that The Age of Miracles contained mainly a mixture of "uptempo numbers and mournful ballads," and that the release was "classic MCC: sober, insightful, whimsical, and beautiful." However, in contrast, Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine
commented that the album's production never strays too far from the "pedestrian, coffeehouse blend of hushed acoustic strumming." The album reflects its country roots, with Vince Gill
and Alison Krauss
performing background vocals on several songs. However, other tracks, such as the ninth song "What You Look For," sound "electric" according to The 9513 magazine.
Thematically, tracks on The Age of Miracles sound more emotional, according to PopMatters
, who described "The Way I Feel" as having "plenty of room to relive the frustration she displayed so measured and matured on “Passionate Kisses
”." In addition, the track "Iceland" uses metaphors to explain the song's thesis.
The Age of Miracles was also reviewed by Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine
, who only gave the album two out of five stars. Keefe found that although the album was inspired by current events, the material seemed to feel "dull" and "lifeless." Keefe explained his reasoning, saying "Carpenter's early albums balanced her folkier tendencies with inspired elements of contemporary country and pop. But on Miracles, she and co-producer Matt Rollings
rarely stray from a pedestrian, coffeehouse blend of hushed acoustic strumming. Songs like 'We Traveled So Far,' 'I Was a Bird,' and 'I Have a Need for Solitude' run together as though afraid to impose themselves, resulting in an album that seems a great deal longer than it really is." Finally, the album was reviewed by PopMatters
s Cody Miller, who gave the release a six out of ten rating. Miller reported that "The Age Of Miracles confirms once again (not that it was ever in question) that Carpenter is a strong songwriter and a seasoned singer. For every single Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, or Swift rackup, Carpenter should be thanked."
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Mary Chapin Carpenter is an American folk and country music artist. Carpenter spent several years singing in Washington, D.C. clubs before signing in the late 1980s with Columbia Records, who marketed her as a country singer...
. The album was released on April 27, 2010 on Zoë Records
Zoë Records
Zoë Records is an independent record label in the United States. It is a part of the Rounder Records group.Zoë predominantly distributes albums by folk rock and alternative pop artists...
and was produced by Carpenter and Matt Rollings
Matt Rollings
Matt Rollings is an American composer, musician and record producer. He plays piano, organ, and keyboards.Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, he has worked with many artists, not all country...
.
The Age of Miracles is Carpenter's third album released under the Zoë record label, and is also her first studio album since The Calling
The Calling (Mary Chapin Carpenter album)
The Calling is the ninth studio album released from country music singer Mary Chapin Carpenter. It is the follow-up album to her 2004 album, Between Here and Gone. The Calling was released on March 6, 2007 on Zoe Records. Carpenter had previously been on Columbia Nashville, this being her first...
in 2007. The album peaked at #6 on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart and #28 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
albums chart.
Background and content
The Age of Miracles consists of twelve tracks of new material, all of which were written solely by Mary Chapin Carpenter. In a recent interview, Carpenter explained the album's thematic significance. She commented that the album's title track reflects on Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and its aftermath, while the album's seventh track ("Mrs. Hemingway") is about the first wife of author Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
. She also mentioned that the fifth track "4 June 1989" explains the Tiananmen Square Massacre and its remembrance by Chinese activist Chen Gueng.
The album is generally considered to feature a mix of styles. Cody Miller of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
found that The Age of Miracles contained mainly a mixture of "uptempo numbers and mournful ballads," and that the release was "classic MCC: sober, insightful, whimsical, and beautiful." However, in contrast, Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
commented that the album's production never strays too far from the "pedestrian, coffeehouse blend of hushed acoustic strumming." The album reflects its country roots, with Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
and Alison Krauss
Alison Krauss
Alison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
performing background vocals on several songs. However, other tracks, such as the ninth song "What You Look For," sound "electric" according to The 9513 magazine.
Thematically, tracks on The Age of Miracles sound more emotional, according to PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, who described "The Way I Feel" as having "plenty of room to relive the frustration she displayed so measured and matured on “Passionate Kisses
Passionate Kisses
"Passionate Kisses" is a Grammy winning song penned by the American Alt Country performer Lucinda Williams and made famous by the 1993 single version by Mary Chapin Carpenter.-Original Release:...
”." In addition, the track "Iceland" uses metaphors to explain the song's thesis.
Critical reception
The Age of Miracles mainly received positive reviews from music critics and magazines. Mark Deming of Allmusic gave the release four out of five stars, calling the album "literate and thoughtful." Deming later concluded "Mary Chapin Carpenter doesn't sound especially concerned with how much product she'll move on The Age of Miracles; instead, she's made an album that speaks with honesty and clarity about the mysteries of love and fate, and she communicates well enough that it's hard to imagine anyone who has ever thought about the ways life can turn on a dime not being moved by the beauty of this music." The 9513s Jim Caligiuri gave the album three and a half out of five stars, finding that the effort had a "distinct point of view" but was too outspoken and "Folksie." Caligiuri later concluded by saying "Hot young country, or whatever they’re calling it these days, it’s not – but those seeking something with meaning and artistry will find a lot to appreciate in The Age Of Miracles."The Age of Miracles was also reviewed by Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
, who only gave the album two out of five stars. Keefe found that although the album was inspired by current events, the material seemed to feel "dull" and "lifeless." Keefe explained his reasoning, saying "Carpenter's early albums balanced her folkier tendencies with inspired elements of contemporary country and pop. But on Miracles, she and co-producer Matt Rollings
Matt Rollings
Matt Rollings is an American composer, musician and record producer. He plays piano, organ, and keyboards.Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, he has worked with many artists, not all country...
rarely stray from a pedestrian, coffeehouse blend of hushed acoustic strumming. Songs like 'We Traveled So Far,' 'I Was a Bird,' and 'I Have a Need for Solitude' run together as though afraid to impose themselves, resulting in an album that seems a great deal longer than it really is." Finally, the album was reviewed by PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
s Cody Miller, who gave the release a six out of ten rating. Miller reported that "The Age Of Miracles confirms once again (not that it was ever in question) that Carpenter is a strong songwriter and a seasoned singer. For every single Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, or Swift rackup, Carpenter should be thanked."
Track listing
All songs composed by Mary Chapin Carpenter.- "We Traveled So Far" – 4:27
- "Zephyr" – 3:34
- "I Put My Ring Back On" – 2:45
- featuring Vince GillVince GillVincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
- featuring Vince Gill
- "Holding Up the Sky" – 4:48
- "4 June 1989" – 4:47
- "I Was a Bird" – 3:26
- "Mrs. Hemingway" – 5:59
- "I Have a Need for Solitude" – 3:43
- "What You Look For" – 4:08
- "Iceland" – 4:44
- "The Age of Miracles" – 4:32
- "The Way I Feel" – 3:19
- "This Is Home" - 5:35 (iTunes exclusive bonus track)
- "The Edge Of The World" - 5:14 (Amazon exclusive bonus track)
Personnel
- Mary Chapin Carpenter – lead vocals
- Eric Darken – percussion
- Dan Dugmore – 12-string guitar, steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
- Vince GillVince GillVincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
– background vocals (track 3) - Russ KunkelRuss KunkelRussell Kunkel , also known as Russ Kunkel, is an American drummer and producer who has worked as a session musician with a number of well-known artists.Kunkel was born in Pittsburgh, PA...
– drums - Alison KraussAlison KraussAlison Maria Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in...
– background vocals - Duke LevineDuke LevineDuke Levine is an American guitarist known primarily for his rock and country music playing as a session musician. He has recorded and performed with Shawn Colvin, Lucy Kaplansky, Bill Morrissey, Jonatha Brooke, John Gorka, Jeanie Stahl, Ellis Paul, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Slaid Cleaves and many...
– acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Matt RollingsMatt RollingsMatt Rollings is an American composer, musician and record producer. He plays piano, organ, and keyboards.Known mainly for playing in Lyle Lovett's Large Band, he has worked with many artists, not all country...
– b-3 organ, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Glenn WorfGlenn WorfGlenn Worf is one of the premier Nashville session bassists. He was born in Dayton, Ohio but grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and has concentrated on the bass guitar since he was thirteen. He majored in music at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Inevitably his talents forced him to abandon the...
– bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
Sales chart positions
Album| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
28 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Folk Albums Folk Albums Folk Albums is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the top selling "current releases by traditional folk artists, as well as appropriate titles by acoustic-based singer-songwriters" in the United States. The chart debuted on the issue dated December 5, 2009... |
1 |
| Canadian Top Country Albums | 37 |