Madison (album)

Madison is the second studio by American band Sloppy Jane. It was released on November 5, 2021 by Saddest Factory and Dead Oceans. The album features a 21-piece orchestra recorded 200 feet below the earth in Lost World Caverns.^[1][3] It was preceded by two singles, "Party Anthem" and "Jesus and Your Living Room Floor".^[4]

Madison
Studio album by Sloppy Jane
Released	November 5, 2021 (2021-11-05)
Recorded	October 2019 (2019-10)
Studio	Lost World Caverns
Genre	Chamber pop[1] orchestral pop[2] avant-garde[1]
Length	48:46
Label	Saddest Factory Dead Oceans
Producer	Haley Dahl Mika Lungulov Klotz Al Nardo Jack Wetmore
Sloppy Jane chronology
Willow (2018) Madison (2021)
Singles from Madison
"Party Anthem" Released: September 9, 2021 "Jesus and Your Living Room Floor" Released: October 6, 2021

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Pitchfork	7.5/10[1]

Madison was listed as the 44th best album of 2021 by Gorilla vs. Bear.^[5]

Background

Haley Dahl first conceived of the album in 2017 and it took her two years touring over thirty caves to find the right acoustics for the project.^[6] It is a concept album revolving around "exploring fantasy relationships".^[3] Recorded in Lost World Caverns in West Virginia, the album was originally intended to be recorded on the Great Stalacpipe Organ, but Dahl could not receive permission to use it, so she recorded in a different cave.^[7] While the performers played in the cave, engineer Ryan Howe had to record the album in a car 90 feet above, since the humidity of the cavern would ruin the sound equipment.^[1] The entirety of the album was recorded over a two-week period in October 2019, with sessions lasting from 3 P.M. to dawn.^[6]

Track listing

Madison track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Overture"	3:44
2.	"Party Anthem"	3:21
3.	"Jesus and Your Living Room Floor"	7:49
4.	"Judy's Bedroom"	2:25
5.	"Bianca Castafiore"	1:32
6.	"Lullaby Formica"	4:28
7.	"Madison"	6:18
8.	"Wilt"	3:18
9.	"Wonderama"	2:37
10.	"The Constable"	9:34
11.	"Epilogue"	3:58
Total length:		48:46

All tracks are written by Haley Dahl, except for tracks 2 and 8 written by Dahl and Bailey Wollowitz

Personnel

Credits taken from Discogs.

Musicians

• Haley Dahl – vocals, bass, guitar, piano, conductor
• Claudius Agrippa – violin
• Sean Brennan – cello
• Maria Caputo – additional conductor
• Wesley Coleman – viola
• Lily Desmond – violin
• Lindsay Dobbs – trombone
• Joshua Gerrard – viola
• Jake Hardwick – trumpet
• Odetta Hartman – violin
• Huxley Kuhlmann – violin
• Abby Lim-Kimmberg – harp
• Kira McSpice – cello
• Al Nardo – electric guitar, xylophone
• Victor Pacek – tuba
• Lily Rothman – flute
• Joseph Sutkwoski – guitar
• Von Kolk – flute
• Jack Wetmore – bass, guitar
• Bailey Wollowitz – drums, percussion, slide guitar
• Choir:
  • Haley Dahl
  • Veronica Bianqui
  • Lily Desmond
  • Nicolette Miller
  • Al Nardo
  • Lily Rothman
  • Von Kolk
  • Bailey Wollowitz

Technical

• Haley Dahl – producer
• Sean Brennan – additional production, musical direction, score editor
• Maria Caputo – piano tuner
• Ryan Howe – engineer
• Joel Jerome – engineer
• Mika Lungulov-Klotz – producer
• Al Nardo – producer
• Ruben Radlauer – engineer
• Lily Rothman – additional production
• Hayden Ticehurst – assistant engineer
• Jack Wetmore – producer, assistant engineer
• Bailey Wollowitz – additional production

Artwork

• Mika Lungulov-Klotz – cover art and sleeve photo
• Walter Wlodarczyk – sleeve photo

References

1. Moreland, Quinn (November 23, 2021). "Sloppy Jane: Madison Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
2. Wang, Stephanee (November 9, 2021). "SLOPPY JANE ON ALBUM 'MADISON,' HER GOTH PAST & ASTROLOGY". Nylon. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
3. Donelson, Marcy. "Madison - Sloppy Jane Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
4. Farrell, Margaret (September 9, 2021). "Sloppy Jane Releases "Party Anthem," Signs to Phoebe Bridgers' Saddest Factory Records". Retrieved December 21, 2021.
5. "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2021". Gorilla vs. Bear. December 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
6. Dowling, Danielle (2021-11-09). "My Journey Into the Dark With a Punk Rock Orchestra". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
7. "Meet the Musical Polymath From Brooklyn Who Wants to Eat Her Favorite Suit". Vogue. 2019-08-09. Retrieved 2021-12-20.