Follow the Light (Molly Nilsson album)

Follow the Light
Studio album by
Molly Nilsson
Released7 June 2010 (2010-06-07)
Recorded2009–2010
StudioLighthouse Studios, Berlin
GenreSynth-pop
Length28:53
Label
  • Dark Skies Association
ProducerMolly Nilsson
Molly Nilsson chronology
Europa
(2009) 		Follow the Light
(2010) 		History
(2011)
Singles from Follow the Light
  1. "Truth"
    Released: 13 November 2009
  2. "Last Forever"
    Released: 28 January 2011
  3. "A Song They Won't Be Playing on the Radio"
    Released: 4 May 2011
  4. "The Closest We'll Ever Get to Heaven"
    Released: 7 September 2011

Follow the Light is the third studio album by Swedish singer-songwriter Molly Nilsson, released on 7 June 2010.

Background

Regarding Follow the Light, Nilsson said that she was "a little bit disillusioned and confused about what [she] was going to do" after her previous album Europa (2009) had not sold as well as expected.[1] In 2022, Nilsson looked back fondly on the album, saying: "I’m very critical of almost everything I do, but when I look back on that album, I do think it’s a really fun one. I don’t think there’s one bad song on there."[1]

Themes

Memory has been cited as a central topic on Follow the Light, specifically on the songs "The Closest We'll Ever Get to Heaven" and "I'm Still Wearing His Jacket".[1]

Release

Follow the Light was originally self-released through Nilsson's label Dark Skies Association on CD on 7 June 2010. After the start of Nilsson's cooperation with Night School Records, the album was reissued on CD and released on vinyl in January 2017.[2] It was then released as a digital download on 3 February 2017.[3] A second vinyl repressing followed on 23 February 2019.[4][5]

Promotion

A short "infomercial" video for the album was released by Dark Skies Association on 8 August 2010.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Norman Records[8]

Robin Smith, in a positive review for Norman Records, called Follow the Light a "delight to listen to" and commended its musical cohesiveness.[8] In another positive review, Tim Sendra of AllMusic considered the album a "wonderfully intimate document of outsider art", while praising Nilsson's unique lyrics and musical evolution when compared with prior works.[7]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Molly Nilsson.

Follow the Light track listing
No.TitleLength
1."The Closest We'll Ever Get to Heaven"3:04
2."Meanwhile in Berlin"3:20
3."Never O'Clock"4:18
4."Last Forever"3:00
5."Truth"3:18
6."I Hope You Sleep at Night"1:16
7."I'm Still Wearing His Jacket"4:06
8."Hello Loneliness"2:02
9."A Song They Won't Be Playing on the Radio"4:28
Total length:28:53

References

  1. ^ a b c Blair, Ed (24 January 2022). "Where to Start Exploring the Dazzling World of Molly Nilsson". Bandcamp. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  2. ^ "'Follow the light, to the other side of the night…'". Dark Skies Association. 12 January 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Molly Nilsson - Follow the Light (2017, 320kbps, File)". Discogs. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Molly Nilsson - Follow the Light (2019, Clear Vinyl, Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Follow the Light - Night School Records". Night School Records. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  6. ^ Dark Skies Association (8 August 2010). "D.S.A. infomercial: FOLLOW THE LIGHT". YouTube. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b Sendra, Tim. "Follow the Light Review by Tim Sendra". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b Smith, Robin (7 February 2017). "Molly Nilsson - Follow the Light Reviews". Norman Records. Retrieved 3 October 2023.