Til the Casket Drops (ZZ Ward album)

Til the Casket Drops
Studio album by
ZZ Ward
ReleasedOctober 16, 2012 (2012-10-16)
GenreBlues rock, hip hop, R&B, soul[1][2][3]
Length44:35
LabelHollywood[4]
Producer
ZZ Ward chronology
Criminal EP
(2012) 		Til the Casket Drops
(2012) 		Love and War
(2015)
Singles from Til the Casket Drops
  1. "Put the Gun Down"
    Released: July 17, 2012
  2. "365 Days"
    Released: May 20, 2013
  3. "Last Love Song"
    Released: February 13, 2014

Til the Casket Drops is the debut studio album by ZZ Ward, released on October 16, 2012.[5][6] The album generated three singles, "Put the Gun Down" which reached number 7 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Songs, "365 Days" which reached number 4, and "Last Love Song" which reached number 15.[7][8]

"Til the Casket Drops" and "Last Love Song" were featured in the television series Pretty Little Liars for promotional advertisement in the series' third[9] and fifth seasons.[10]

Development

[edit]

After Ward was signed in 2011, it took her and Hollywood Records a while to choose a producer, but eventually she settled on Theron "Neff-U" Feemster, who ended up producing half the album.[11] The album was recorded at Ahh Haaa Studios, Hyperion Sound, Rusk Studio, Boardwalk Records, Westlake Recording Studio, Eargasm Studios, and Northern Recording Studios. It was engineered at Fairfax Recordings and Sound City, and mixed at the HotPurplePettngZoo.[12] The theme for the album "is about going to war for someone that you love, which is kind of the theme to the album."[1] Ward blends several genres, such as back-porch blues and hip hop, to develop her style of "Dirty Shine".[2][13] Ward got to work with Ryan Tedder and Brent Kutzle of OneRepublic on the acoustic ballad "Last Love Song", which provides the one quiet moment on gritty, bluesy rock 'n soul album.[3][14][15] The song "Criminal" took organ and piano tunes from Freddie Gibbs "Oil Money", and also features Gibbs on vocals.[16]

Reception

[edit]

Chicago Music Magazine rated the album at five stars[17] and AllMusic rated it at four stars.[5]

Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by ZZ Ward. Additional writers are included below.[12]

No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
1."Til the Casket Drops" Theron "Neff-U" Feemster3:05
2."Put the Gun Down" Feemster2:50
3."Blue Eyes Blind"Ludwig GöranssonGöransson3:26
4."Home" Feemster3:42
5."Cryin Wolf" (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
  • Chuck Bein
  • Jonathan Keller
  • Kendrick Lamar
  • Richard Parry
  • Maceo Vidal-Haymes
Blended Babies4:02
6."Save My Life"Michael Fitzpatrick
  • Fitzpatrick
  • Feemster
3:20
7."Last Love Song" 
3:31
8."Lil Darlin" (featuring The O'Mys)
  • Nick Hennessey
  • Jonathan Keller
  • Richard Parry
  • Maceo Vidal-Haymes
Blended Babies3:34
9."Move Like U Stole It" Feemster3:19
10."Criminal" (featuring Freddie Gibbs)
Blended Babies3:51
11."If I Could Be Her"Julian BunettaFeemster2:50
12."Charlie Ain't Home" 
3:36
13."365 Days" Blended Babies3:29
Total length:44:35[5]

Notes

  • "Charlie Ain't Home" does not appear on the clean version of the album.

Sample credits

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians[12][18]

  • ZZ Ward – vocals, guitars, harmonica, keyboards
  • Thomas Drayton – Bass (track 1, 2, 4, 9, 11)
  • Peter Lee Johnson – violin (track 1)
  • Theron "Neff-U" Feemster – programming (track 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 12), drums (track 6), keyboards, percussion (track 12)
  • Ludwig Göransson – keyboards, guitars, bass, programming (track 3)
  • Maceo Vidal-Haymes – additional vocals (track 5), guitars (track 8)
  • Chuck Bein – guitars (track 5)
  • Jonathan "J.P." Keller – bass (track 5, 8, 10, 13), organ (track 8, 10, 13), piano, programming (track 10), guitars (track 13)
  • Richard "Rich" Parry – live drums (track 5), programming (track 5, 10), piano, keyboards (track 10)
  • Greg Landfair Jr. – live drums, programming (track 5)
  • Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick – piano, strings, bass, drums, programming (track 6)
  • Ryan Tedder – piano, drums, timpani, percussion (track 7)
  • Brent Kutzle – piano, drums, timpani, percussion, cello, viola (track 7)
  • Brian Ray – guitars (track 7)
  • Nick Hennesey – piano (track 8)
  • Reid Muchow – drums (track 8)
  • Carter Lang – bass (track 8)
  • Brendan Joyce – bass (track 10)
  • Ali Shaheed Muhammad – bass, keyboards, percussion, programming (track 12)
  • Erick Walls – guitar (track 12)
  • Blended Babies – programming (track 13)

Production[12][18][19]

  • Kevin Augunas – recording
  • Gavin Paddock – vocal engineering
  • NealHPogue – mixing
  • Jeremiah "J-Hop" Olvera – mix assist
  • James Murray – engineering (track 1, 2)
  • Robert Horn – engineering (track 4, 9, 11)
  • Rob "Kaballah" Kleiner – engineering, vocal recording (track 5, 7, 8, 10, 13)
  • Derek "Mixedbyali" Ali – engineering (track 5)
  • Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick – engineering (track 6)
  • Joe Zook and Jared Rich – engineering (track 7)
  • Brooklyn Fraser – assistant engineering (track 7)
  • Evan "Kidd" Bogart – vocal recording (track 7)
  • Jill Tengan; engineering (track 12)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "ZZ Ward Goes To War". The Grammys. September 3, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Bain, Becky (February 2, 2012). "Popping Up: ZZ Ward". Idolator. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Carlos, Michael (October 2012). "Album Review: ZZ Ward - Til the Casket Drops". The Couch Sessions. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  4. ^ "Till the Casket Drops - ZZ Ward | Releases". AllMusic. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Till the Casket Drops - ZZ Ward". AllMusic. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  6. ^ Blistein, Jon (October 5, 2012). "ZZ Ward Raises Chills on 'Save My Life' – Premiere". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  7. ^ "Official Website for ZZ Ward". Archived from the original on September 7, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  8. ^ "ZZ Ward - Chart History | Adult Alternative Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  9. ^ Tonnesen, Krista (June 2, 2012). "Watch ZZ Ward's Pretty Little Liars-Themed Video for "Til the Casket Drops"". Clevver. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  10. ^ "ZZ Ward Releases Two Versions of "Last Love Song" Video Today to Release 'Pretty Little Liars' Version and Billboard to Premiere Official Video". Clizbeats. April 24, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  11. ^ Zemler, Emily (October 15, 2012). "ZZ Ward Delivers Genre-Bending Debut". BillboardBiz. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d Til the Casket Drops (CD liner). ZZ Ward. United States: Hollywood Records. 2012. D001721492.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ Sarwar, Haiya. "Bathtup moonshine". The Oxonian Review. Archived from the original on November 23, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. ^ Hahne, Jeff (October 16, 2012). "CD review: ZZ Ward's Til the Casket Drops". Creative Loafing. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  15. ^ Lohnes, Liz (October 3, 2012). "ZZ Ward: Til the Casket Drops Review". Blues Rock Review. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  16. ^ Williott, Carl (October 18, 2017). "ZZ Ward & Freddie Gibbs Do "Criminal" Live In The Studio: Idolator Premiere". Idolator. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  17. ^ O'Connel, Erin (January 30, 2014). "ZZ Ward - Til The Casket Drops". Chicago Music Magazine. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  18. ^ a b "Till the Casket Drops - ZZ Ward | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  19. ^ "ZZ Ward - Till the Casket Drops". Discogs. 16 October 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
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