When the Distance Is Blue
| When the Distance Is Blue | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 21, 2025 | |||
| Length | 37:57 | |||
| Label | International Anthem | |||
| Macie Stewart chronology | ||||
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| Singles from When the Distance Is Blue | ||||
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When the Distance Is Blue is the second studio album by American multi-instrumentalist Macie Stewart. It was released on March 21, 2025, via International Anthem.[1]
Background
[edit]Preceded by Stewart's debut Mouth Full of Glass in 2022, When the Distance Is Blue is noted as an instrumental album composed with field recordings, piano, and strings, including violin, viola and cello.[2] The album title is derived from an essay by Rebecca Solnit titled The Blue of Distance.[3]
"Spring Becomes You, Spring Becomes New", the lead single of the album, was released on February 4, 2025.[4]
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Pitchfork | 7.4/10[3] |
| Record Collector | [2] |
Paul Bowler of Record Collector rated the album four stars and described several songs from the album including "Murmuration/Memorization", "Spring Becomes You, Spring Becomes New", and "Disintegration" as consisting of "rich atmosphere", "gamelan-like piano", "richly cinematic soundscapes."[2]
When the Distance Is Blue received a rating of four stars from AllMusic, whose reviewer noted, the album "gently, quietly, and poignantly travels through bardos – the spaces between – not seeking resolution, but a name for the composer's unanswered longing, and ours."[1]
Pitchfork gave the album a score of 7.4 out of ten, describing it as "an eight-part suite of improvisational chamber ambient, tinted by the limpid colors of an in-between space, peering across absence without attempting to resolve or subdue it."[3]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Forget How to Remember My Dreams" | 6:06 |
| 2. | "Tsukiji" | 0:45 |
| 3. | "Murmuration/Memorization" | 7:13 |
| 4. | "Spring Becomes You, Spring Becomes New" | 6:42 |
| 5. | "Stariwell (Before And After)" | 6:51 |
| 6. | "What Fills You Up Won't Leave an Empty Cup" | 3:37 |
| 7. | "In Between" | 1:19 |
| 8. | "Disintegration" | 5:24 |
| Total length: | 37:57 | |
Personnel
[edit]Credits for When the Distance Is Blue adapted from AllMusic.[1]
- Macie Stewart – composer, field recording, photography, piano, prepared piano, violin, vocals
- Lia Kohl – cello
- Whitney Johnson – viola
- Zach Moore – double bass
- David Allen – mastering
- Aaron Denton – layout design
- Dave Vettraino – engineer, mixing, photography
- Shannon Marks – photography
- Zander Raymond – artwork, design
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Jurek, Thom. "When the Distance Is Blue – Macie Stewart". AllMusic. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c Bowler, Paul (June 2025). "When the Distance Is Blue". Record Collector. No. 571. p. 105. ISSN 0261-250X.
- ^ a b c Eleanor, Aly (April 11, 2025). "Macie Stewart: When the Distance Is Blue". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Abby (February 4, 2025). "Macie Stewart Shares "Spring Becomes You, Spring Becomes New" From New Album: Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved July 7, 2025.