Imperfect Circle [Translucent Yellow] [B&N Exclusive]

by Hootie & the Blowfish

Overview

A lot happened to Hootie & the Blowfish between 2005's Looking for Lucky and 2019, but most of it can be boiled down to this: Darius Rucker became a country star in 2008. He had his first Country Airplay that year with "Don't Think I Don't Think About It," then five years later, he had a crossover smash with a cover of Old Crow Medicine Show's "Wagon Wheel," thereby cementing his commercial viability outside of the confines of Hootie & the Blowfish. The separation wasn't acrimonious. The group got together occasionally to play charity shows or to bid adieu to David Letterman, but they didn't officially reunite until their debut album, Cracked Rear View, reached its 25th anniversary in 2019. To celebrate, they launched a tour and recorded a brand-new album called Imperfect Circle. Working with producers Jeff Trott and Frank Rogers (the latter penned and helmed some early solo hits for Rucker), Hootie manage to strike a nice blend between the group's signature college rock singalongs and Rucker's slick, cheerful solo work. The surface of Imperfect Circle is every bit as slick as a big-budget project coming out of the Music City -- not for nothing is this released on Capitol Nashville -- but the band doesn't take any left turns into honky tonks, not even when they record "Hold On," a song co-written by Chris Stapleton. Instead, they ease into the sunny slipstream that lies between country and roots rock, relying on happy and comfortable hooks that make the 13 songs on Imperfect Circle feel instantly familiar. Such coziness was latent on Cracked Rear View and turned into Darius Rucker's calling card as he carved out a career in Nashville, so it suits the middle-aged Hootie & the Blowfish quite well; they prefer to laugh about the good old days instead of trying to re-live them. This friendliness lends itself to a collection of songs that are resolutely sturdy, designed to sound more charming over time, and the inherent warmth of Imperfect Circle is reason enough to give the tunes a chance to grow. After all, it offers a mighty good time: it's a reunion that conjures the spirit of the past without succumbing to nostalgia. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	11/22/2019
Label:	Barnes Noble Consign
UPC:	0602508323072
Rank:	3321

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Hootie & the Blowfish   Primary Artist
Lucie Silvas   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Patrick Warren   Strings
Sheryl Crow   Vocals (Background)
Ian Fitchuk   Piano,Congas,Mellotron,Wurlitzer
Frank Rogers   Guitar (Baritone)
Dean Felber   Bass,Clapping,Moog Bass,Bass (Vocal),Vocals (Background)
Derek George   Guitar (Acoustic)
Julian King   Keyboards,Percussion
Jim Sonefeld   Drums,Clapping,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Matt Rollings   Piano,Mellotron,Wurlitzer
Michael Webb   Piano,Mellotron,Wurlitzer
Jeff Trott   Strings,Accordion,Keyboards,Mellotron,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Mark Bryan   Piano,Bouzouki,Clapping,Mandolin,Keyboards,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Darius Rucker   Vocals,Clapping
Gary Greene   Percussion
David Dorn   Keyboards
Mark Sterbank   Sax (Tenor)
Charlton Singleton   Trumpet
Eric Paslay   Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Gavin Smith   Trombone
Adam Doleac   Vocals (Background)
Dean Ferber   Moog Bass,Bass (Vocal)

Technical Credits

Lars Fox   Editing
Frank Rogers   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording
Justin Niebank   Mixing,Engineer
Hootie & the Blowfish   Composer
Julian King   Mixing,Engineer,Producer,Recording
Peter Buck   Composer
Jim Beavers   Composer
Mike Mills   Composer
Michael Brauer   Mixing
Michael Stipe   Composer
James Slater   Composer
Brian David Willis   Editing
Lowell Reynolds   Assistant Engineer
Buckley Miller   Engineer,Recording,Programming
David Ryan Harris   Composer
John King   Composer
Jeff Trott   Composer,Producer
Zach Kale   Composer
Bill Berry   Composer
Brian Willis   Editing
Wendy Stamberger   Cover Photo,Art Direction
Chris Stapleton   Composer
Scott Johnson   Production Assistant
Cliff Audretch   Production Assistant
Karen Naff   Art Producer
Joe LaPorta   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Todd Owyoung   Photography
Chris August   Composer
Eric Paslay   Composer
Justin Nation   Producer
Brian Wright   A&R
Ed Sheeran   Composer
Chris Owyoung   Photography
Tofer Brown   Composer
Joel Crouse   Composer
Sean R. Badum   Assistant Engineer
Bryce Roberts   Assistant Engineer
Andrew DeRoberts   Composer
Elliott Elsey   Engineer,Vocal Engineer
Kyle Rife   Composer
Walshy Fire   Remix Engineer
Adam Doleac   Composer
Sarah Marie Burke   A&R
Fernando Reyes   Mixing Assistant
Kera Jackson   Art Producer
Ashton Glasser   Grooming