Checkmate Savage

Checkmate Savage is the debut studio album by Scottish indie rock band The Phantom Band, released on 26 January 2009 through Chemikal Underground Records to critical acclaim.^[12]

Checkmate Savage
Studio album by The Phantom Band
Released	26 January 2009
Recorded	Chem 19, Blantyre
Genre	Indie,[1] folk,[1] pop,[1] blues,[1] post-rock[1] folktronica,[2] krautrock[2]
Length	55:01
Label	Chemikal Underground
Producer	Paul Savage
The Phantom Band chronology
Checkmate Savage (2009) The Wants (2010)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
Drowned in Sound	(7/10)[4]
The Guardian	[5]
The List	[1]
Mojo	[6]
NME	(8/10)[7]
Pitchfork	(7.3/10)[8]
Q	[9]
Scotland on Sunday	[10]
The Times	[11]

The album was produced by Paul Savage, formerly of The Delgados.

On 25 January 2019 Chemikal Underground released a deluxe double vinyl gatefold edition of the album to celebrate its 10th anniversary.^[13]

Title

According to the band, the album's title refers to: "over-population, dwindling natural resources and the yawning void within every one of us caused by society's unnatural social contracts, and mass sexual repression, means one thing: it's checkmate for the human animal."^[14]

Accolades

In December 2009, Checkmate Savage entered The Skinny's "Scottish Albums of the Decade" list at #28.^[15]

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
The Skinny	Scotland	Scottish Albums of the Decade	2009	28[15]

The album placed at number 17 in MOJO magazine's top 50 albums of 2009.^{[citation needed]}

In January 2010 the album was given the inaugural "Soundcheck Award" for album of 2009 by Radioeins and Der Tagesspiegel in Berlin.^[16]

Track listing

1. "The Howling" - 6:35
2. "Burial Sounds" - 4:47
3. "Folk Song Oblivion - 4:14
4. "Crocodile" - 7:42
5. "Halfhound" - 4:11
6. "Left Hand Wave" - 5:40
7. "Island" - 8:51
8. "Throwing Bones" - 5:01
9. "The Whole is on My Side" - 7:53

Personnel

• Duncan Marquiss – guitar, vocals, percussion, fx, artwork
• Gerry Hart – bass, vocals, percussion, fx, artwork
• Andy Wake – synthesizers, vocals, samples, percussion, fx, artwork
• Rick Anthony – guitar, vocals, percussion, fx, artwork
• Damien Tonner – drums, percussion, fx, artwork
• James SK Wān – bamboo flute
• Greg Sinclair – guitar, pedals/fx, percussion, artwork
• Paul Savage – producer
• Jamie Savage – engineer
• Kenny MacLeod – mastering
• Christopher O'Donnell – flexatone ("Throwing Bones")
• Aztext – design

References

1. The List review
2. Chris McCall, Chris (21 April 2016). "Emma Pollock on Record Labels and Solo Careers". The Skinny. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
3. Raggett, Ned. "Review: Checkmate Savage". Allmusic. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
4. "Drowned in Sound review". Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
5. "The Phantom Band: Checkmate Savage". The Guardian. 23 January 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017.
6. [Feb. Mojo review]
7. [24 NME review]
8. Pitchfork Media review
9. [Feb. Q review]
10. Scotland on Sunday review
11. The Times review^{[dead link]}
12. "Chemikal Underground Records - Glasgow, Scotland". Chemikal.co.uk. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
13. Chemikal Underground. "Checkmate Savage". Retrieved 15 February 2019.
14. Archived January 29, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
15. The Skinny, Dec 2009, pg 10
16. "Musikpreis: The Phantom Band gewinnt Soundcheck Award - Pop - Kultur - Tagesspiegel" (in German). Tagesspiegel.de. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2012.