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Truant (album)

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TruANT
Studio album by
Alien Ant Farm
ReleasedAugust 19, 2003
RecordedFebruary – April 2003
StudioConway (Hollywood, California)
Genre
Length40:43
LabelDreamWorks
ProducerDean DeLeo, Robert DeLeo
Alien Ant Farm chronology
Anthology
(2001) 		TruANT
(2003) 		Up in the Attic
(2006)
Singles from Truant
  1. "These Days"
    Released: July 31, 2003
  2. "Glow"
    Released: September 9, 2003

Truant (styled as truANT) is the third studio album by American rock band Alien Ant Farm. It was released on August 19, 2003 by DreamWorks Records. The producers of the album were Stone Temple Pilots' guitarist and bassist Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo.[4] "These Days" was released to radio on July 1, 2003.[5] "Glow" was released to radio on September 9, 2003.[5]

The music video for track "These Days" was filmed on a rooftop across the street from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. The surprise video shoot was shot during the 2003 BET Awards while numerous hip hop artists and rappers were arriving on the red carpet before the awards show. The video catches the reaction from many artists, including Nelly, Snoop Dogg, and Lil' Kim.

The album art is based on the classic Pee Chee brand school folder, featuring the faces of the band members.

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic63/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Blender[8]
Drowned in Sound[9]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[10]
IGN9.5/10[3]
PopMatters[11]
Rolling Stone[1]
Spin[12]
USA Today[2]
Yahoo! Music[13]

Truant was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, the album received an average score of 63, based on ten reviews.[6]

Christina Fuoco of AllMusic awarded it four and a half out of five stars,[7] while Dave Doray of IGN gave it a 9 out of 10. Doray compared the vocals to Incubus and noted that "the lighter songs on the album are equally as powerful as the heavier ones."[14] Spin's Sean Richardson had a more mixed review in August 2003, giving it a 2.5 out of 5 rating. He wrote that the band "use pop metal as a springboard for some eclectic experimentation", adding that "the album feels unfocused, and this time, Alien Ant Farm don’t have a novelty hit up their sleeve. Maybe another Jacko tribute is in order; given TruANT‘s slightly dated feel, how about 'Remember the Time'?".[12] Alternative Press had another mixed review, commenting that it "sounds like a teenage Faith No More at their first practice."[15] BBC reviewer Kate Lawrence similarly claimed in 2003 that "much of the album" was reminiscent of Faith No More, writing "given that Faith No More also erred on the irreverent side of rock, it seems fitting that they should be considered influences for AAF. Mitchell and co. once admitted that they basically 'like to have a good time and be goofy'." She added that "[their] cheeky charm is still very much in evidence in what is a very consistent album."[16] The Chicago Tribune had a mixed review in August 2003. They wrote, "on Alien Ant Farm’s truANT, the group's follow-up to its 2001 smash debut Anthology, the proto-alt-metal-lite sound gets the occasional spell with swatches of salsa ('Tia Lupe'), The Police ('Never Meant') and Faith No More (the vocal hook in 'Rubber Mallet' is lifted straight from 'Falling to Pieces')", adding that "[it's] nice to see Alien Ant Farm branching out, only it’s too bad none of it’s all that riveting."[17]

Commercial response

[edit]

"These Days" appeared on several Billboard component charts: number 17 on Active rock,[18] number 29 on Alternative Airplay,[19] number 38 on Mainstream Rock Songs,[20] and number 40 on Heritage Rock.[21]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Alien Ant Farm

No.TitleLength
1."1000 Days"3:07
2."Drifting Apart"2:54
3."Quiet"3:01
4."Glow"3:17
5."These Days" (new version; originally recorded for Greatest Hits)3:06
6."Sarah Wynn"3:24
7."Never Meant"3:06
8."Goodbye"4:06
9."Tia Lupé"4:01
10."Rubber Mallet"3:09
11."S.S. Recognize" (new version; originally recorded for Greatest Hits)3:51
12."Hope"3:40
Total length:40:43
UK version bonus track
No.TitleLength
13."Words"2:42

Personnel

[edit]

Alien Ant Farm

  • Dryden Vera Mitchell – lead and background vocals, acoustic guitar (4)
  • Terence Corso – guitar, slide guitar (2, 5, 8), background vocals (9)
  • Tye Zamora – bass, acoustic piano (7), kalimba (7), background vocals (1, 4, 5, 11, 12)
  • Mike Cosgrove – drums

Technical personnel

  • DeLeo Brothers (Robert and Dean) – producers
  • Brendan O'Brien – mixing
  • Dave Schiffman – engineer
  • Andrew Scheps – Pro Tools engineer, additional engineering
  • Seth Waldman – assistant engineer
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Steve Rosenblatt – production coordination
  • Tamara Linder – art direction, design

Additional musicians

  • David Campbell – string arranger (12)
  • Suzie Katayama – contractor, leader, and cello (12)
  • Joel Derouin – violin (12)
  • Peter Kent – violin (12)
  • John Wittenberg – violin (12)
  • Eve Butler – violin (12)
  • Norm Hughes – violin (12)
  • Darius Campo – violin (12)
  • Mark Robertson – violin (12)
  • Larry Corbett – cello (12)
  • Dan Smith – cello (12)
  • Andrew Scheps – trumpet (7, 9)
  • Lenny Castro – percussion (1–4, 6, 7, 9, 12)
  • Otmaro Ruiz – acoustic piano (9)
  • Robert DeLeo – organ (7), background vocals (4, 9)
  • Jair Neciosup – background vocals (9)

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Truant
Chart (2003–04) Peak
position
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[22] 26
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 71
Scottish Albums (OCC)[24] 64
UK Albums (OCC)[25] 68
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[26] 10
US Billboard 200[27] 42

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Hoard, Christian (2003-08-27). "Alien Ant Farm: TruANT : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-01-08. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
  2. ^ a b c Gundersen, Edna (2003-08-25). "Alien Ant Farm, TruANT". USA Today. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  3. ^ a b Doray, Dave (August 29, 2003). "Alien Ant Farm -truANT". IGN. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  4. ^ "Stone Temple Brothers To Pilot Alien Ant Farm Album". Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
  5. ^ a b "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  6. ^ a b "Critic Reviews for truANT". Metacritic. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  7. ^ a b Allmusic review
  8. ^ Blender review Archived July 14, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Album Review: Alien Ant Farm - truANT". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  10. ^ Greer, Jim (2003-08-22). "truANT Review". Entertainment Weekly. p. 133. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
  11. ^ "Alien Ant Farm: truANT". Retrieved 2 October 2016.
  12. ^ a b Richardson, Sean (2003-08-06). "Alien Ant Farm, 'TruANT' (El Tondi/DreamWorks)". Spin. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
  13. ^ Gennoe, Dan (2003-08-18). "Alien Ant Farm - 'TruANT'". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 2004-08-22. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference ign was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Alternative Press, September 2003, p.116
  16. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/8g63/
  17. ^ https://www.chicagotribune.com/2003/08/20/alien-ant-farmtruantwhen-the-most-distinguishing-thing/
  18. ^ "Alien Ant Farm Chart History (Active Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  19. ^ "Alien Ant Farm Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  20. ^ "Alien Ant Farm Chart History (Mainstream Rock Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  21. ^ "Alien Ant Farm Chart History (Heritage Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  22. ^ "ALIEN ANT FARM - TRUANT (ALBUM)". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  23. ^ "Hitparade: Album Top 100". Swiss Hitparade. September 14, 2003. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  24. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. August 24, 2003. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  25. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. August 24, 2003. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  26. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. August 24, 2003. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  27. ^ "Alien Ant Farm Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. September 6, 2003. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
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