Composition
"To Build a Home" is a piano ballad[2] that serves as the opening track to its companion album, Ma Fleur,[3] though it serves as the closing track on the Domino-released versions of the album.[4] It features vocals from Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson, who also has writing credits on the song alongside Phil France and Jason Swinscoe of the Cinematic Orchestra. Watson also performed piano for the song.[5] The instrumental begins with about three to four piano chords looped,[6] building up to a more loud and grand point, introducing strings. During this portion of the instrumental, Watson sings over both the piano and strings, eventually climaxing with falsetto vocals.[3] Lyrically, the song deals with Watson wanting to create a house for him and his lover. What happens with the house is unknown, resulting it to be merely metaphorical in place of a resting place for the two.[7]
Release and reception
The song was first released on 29 October 2007 as a 7" vinyl single by Ninja Tune in the United Kingdom. It was backed with a cover version of the song performed by Grey Reverend.[8] A 7" single was also released in the U.S. by the Domino Recording Company's U.S. division, which was backed with "Child Song".[9]
"To Build a Home" had a positive reception from music critics. Critics often saw Watson's vocal performance as a highlight on the song. For The Observer, Stuart Nicholson wrote that "Swinscoe transforms three- and four-chord vamps into something special."[6] Drowned in Sound's Shain Shapiro regarded the vocals as "bellowing [and] haunting", while Tyler Fisher of Sputnikmusic noted that Watson "nearly steals the show".[3] Maggie Fremont of Vulture called it "one of the most emotional songs ever performed."[10]
"To Build a Home" has been used in several different TV shows, including Friday Night Lights, Grey's Anatomy[11] Orange Is the New Black, Criminal Minds, and This Is Us.[12] At the 2018 Winter Olympics, figure skaters Julian Yee and Dmitri Aliev used the song in their respective performances.[13] It was reported in November 2016 that the song had been streamed over 60 million times.[14]
Track listing
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1. | "To Build a Home" (Grey Reverend Version) | |
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1. | "To Build a Home" (edit) | |
References
- 1 2 "Lescharts.com – The Cinematic Orchestra – To Build a Home" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- ↑ Lynskey, Dorian (4 May 2007). "CD: Cinematic Orchestra, Ma Fleur". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- 1 2 3 Fisher, Tyler (4 June 2007). "The Cinematic Orchestra – Ma Fleur (album review)". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- ↑ "Ma Fleur : The Cinematic Orchestra". Domino USA. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- ↑ Ma Fleur (album liner notes). The Cinematic Orchestra. Ninja Tune / Domino. 2007.
- 1 2 Nicholson, Stuart (21 April 2007). "CD: Cinematic Orchestra, Ma Fleur". The Observer. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- ↑ Shapiro, Shain (4 May 2007). "Album Review: The Cinematic Orchestra – Ma Fleur". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- 1 2 "To Build a Home (Versions) by the Cinematic Orchestra". Ninja Tune. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- 1 2 "To Build a Home : The Cinematic Orchestra". Domino USA. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- ↑ Fremont, Maggie (13 March 2018). "The Weepiest Moments in This Is Us Season Two, Ranked". Vulture. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ↑ "Glow in nu-jazz". Delano. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
- ↑ Zellner, Xander (13 February 2018). "The Cinematic Orchestra Rules Top TV Songs Chart for January 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ↑ Rutherford, Kevin (27 February 2018). "Beth Hart, Ida Corr, Cinematic Orchestra & More Skate to Sales Gains in Final Days of Winter Olympics". Billboard.biz. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
- ↑ Richardson, Andy. "Cinematic Orchestra's Jason Swinscoe talks ahead of Birmingham O2 Institute show". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
External links
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- Jason Swinscoe
- Phil France
- Luke Flowers
- Tom Chant
- Nick Ramm
- Stuart McCallum
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