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I Thought I Was Better Than You

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I Thought I Was Better Than You
Studio album by
Baxter Dury
Released2 June 2023
Studio
  • Hoxa
  • Deptford Beat Cabin
GenreHip-hop[1][2]
Length27:27
Label
Producer
Baxter Dury chronology
The Night Chancers
(2020) 		I Thought I Was Better Than You
(2023) 		Allbarone
(2025)
Singles from I Thought I Was Better Than You
  1. "Aylesbury Boy"
    Released: 7 March 2023[3]
  2. "Leon"
    Released: 5 April 2023[4]
  3. "Celebrate Me"
    Released: 2 May 2023[5]

I Thought I Was Better Than You is the seventh studio album by English musician Baxter Dury. It was produced by Paul White together with Dury and was released through Heavenly Recordings on 2 June 2023.[6][7] It was Dury's first album since his 2021 memoir Chaise Longue.[8]

Promotion and singles

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Alongside the announcement for the album, the lead single, "Aylesbury Boy", was released on 7 March 2023. Featuring the vocalist JGrrey, the song was also accompanied by a music video directed by Noel Paul.[3] The second single "Leon", which also features JGrrey,[5] was released on 5 April 2023, and according to Dury, the song is a semi-autobiographical story about himself and a former classmate.[4] He revealed the album's third and final single "Celebrate Me" on 2 May 2023.[5]

Release

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I Thought I Was Better Than You was released on 2 June 2023.[9][6] The album debuted and peaked at no. 41 on the UK Albums Chart, Dury's highest position to date.[10]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[11]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Arts Desk[12]
Buzz[13]
Classic Rock8/10[14]
DIY[9]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[7]
Loud and Quiet8/10[6]
Mojo[2]
Uncut8/10[15]

I Thought I Was Better Than You received a score of 81/100 on the review aggregator website Metacritic based on 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."[11]

In a five star review for The Arts Desk, Kathryn Reilly said that despite the relatively short running time of the album, it does not lack "in emotional insight.... Here we have the characteristic all-consuming melancholy that oozes from Baxter Dury but without the menace of Prince of Tears.[12] Reviewing the album for Mojo, Andrew Perry lauded I Thought... as "Baxter's third cracking album in a row, a consistency which eluded even papa Ian."[2] Tim Sendra in a review for AllMusic praised Dury's stylistic shift towards "hip-hop and R&B" while noting that "he and White make it work without lapsing into rip-off territory."[1]

Zara Hedderman of Loud and Quiet said in a four star review that I Thought... "serves as a companion piece to his 2021 memoir, Chaise Longue; the two share characters, and musically it complements the text very well."[6] The Line of Best Fit's Janne Oinonen came to a similar conclusion, adding "Dury’s talents require no piggybacking on anyone else’s fame: this is the real deal."[7]

Accolades

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Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Rough Trade UK Albums of the Year 2023 7 [16]
Under the Radar Top 100 Albums of 2023 96 [17]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Baxter Dury and Kosmo Dury, except where noted.

I Thought I Was Better Than You track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."So Much Money" 2:37
2."Aylesbury Boy" (feat. JGrrey) 3:31
3."Celebrate Me" 3:17
4."Leon" (feat. JGrrey) 2:48
5."Crashes"Baxter Dury3:08
6."Sincere"Baxter Dury1:03
7."Pale White Nissan" (feat. JGrrey[a])
2:56
8."Shadow"
2:06
9."Crowded Rooms" 3:09
10."Glows" 2:52
Total length:27:27

Personnel

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Credits are adapted from the I Thought I Was Better Than You LP.[18]

  • Baxter Dury – vocals (except track 6), synths (except 3, 9), piano (1, 6, 9), strings (4, 9), bass (5, 7), drum programming (6)
  • Madeleine Hart – vocals (except 2, 8–9)
  • Paul White – drum programming (1–2, 4–5, 7), synths (4, 7, 9), backing track (8)
  • Kosmo Dury – bass (3–4, 6), guitars (3–4, 10), strings (1, 3), piano (2), synths (3), vocals (3), flute (10)
  • Billy Fuller – bass (1–2, 4, 9)
  • JGrrey – vocals (2, 4, 9)
  • Marley Mackie – bass (1)
  • Eska – vocals (8)
  • Psymun – backing track (8)

Production and design

  • Paul White, Baxter Dury – production
  • Jimmy Hogarth – extra production on "So Much Money"
  • David Wrench – mixing
  • Matt Colton – mastering
  • Tom Beard – photography
  • Louise Mason – design

Charts

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Chart (2023) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[10] 10
French Albums (SNEP)[19] 200
UK Albums (OCC)[10] 41
UK Albums Chart Update (OCC)[10] 17
UK Albums Sales (OCC)[10] 11
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[10] 5

Notes

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  1. ^ "Pale White Nissan" contains piano and guitar samples from Long Season by Fishmans.[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Sendra, Tim. "I Thought I Was Better Than You – Baxter Dury | AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Perry, Andrew (July 2023). "Baxter Dury – I Thought I Was Better Than You". Mojo. p. 88.
  3. ^ a b Kenneally, Cerys (7 March 2023). "Baxter Dury announces new album with JGrrey collaboration 'Aylesbury Boy'". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  4. ^ a b Redfern, Mark (5 April 2023). "Baxter Dury Shares New Song 'Leon'". Under the Radar. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Kelly, Tyler Damara (2 May 2023). "Baxter Dury unveils new single 'Celebrate Me'". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d Hedderman, Zara (30 May 2023). "Baxter Dury – I Thought I Was Better Than You". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Oinonen, Janne (30 May 2023). "Baxter Dury: I Thought I Was Better Than You". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  8. ^ Spencer, Neil (1 August 2021). "Chaise Longue by Baxter Dury review – teenage kicks with the Blockheads". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  9. ^ a b Martin, Bella (31 May 2023). "Baxter Dury – I Thought I Was Better Than You". DIY. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "Baxter Dury | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  11. ^ a b "I Thought I Was Better Than You by Baxter Dury". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  12. ^ a b Reilly, Kathryn (1 June 2023). "Album: Baxter Dury – I Thought I Was Better Than You". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  13. ^ Munday, India (9 June 2023). "Baxter Dury confronts his nepotism baby roots in I Thought I Was Better Than You". Buzz. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  14. ^ Marszalek, Julian (July 2023). "Baxter Dury – I Thought I Was Better Than You". Classic Rock. No. 315. p. 87. ISSN 1464-7834.
  15. ^ Dylanwray, Daniel (July 2023). "Baxter Dury – I Thought I Was Better Than You". Uncut. p. 27.
  16. ^ "Albums of the Year 2023 | Rough Trade UK". Rough Trade. 14 November 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  17. ^ Redfern, Mark (23 December 2023). "Under the Radar's Top 100 Albums of 2023 Part 2". Under the Radar. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  18. ^ a b Dury, Baxter (2023). I Thought I Was Better Than You (LP notes). Heavenly Recordings. HVNLP214C.
  19. ^ "Lescharts.com – Baxter Dury – I Thought I Was Better Than You". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
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