{"product_id":"superchunk-what-a-time-to-be-alive","title":"Superchunk - What a Time to Be Alive","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncluded in:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/entertainment\/music\/sc-ent-best-albums-of-2018-greg-kot-1209-story.html\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChicago Tribune's Best rock and rap albums of 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#4)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/articles\/2018\/11\/the-50-best-albums-of-2018.html\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaste's Best Albums of 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#26)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-lists\/50-best-albums-2018-764071\/superchunk-what-a-times-to-be-alive-764145\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRolling Stone's Best Albums of 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#29)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.esquire.com\/entertainment\/music\/g15948963\/best-songs-2018\/\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEsquire's Best Songs of 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (\"What a Time to Be Alive\")\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/culture\/2018\/12\/best-albums-2018-cardi-b-black-panther-robyn.html\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSlate's Best Albums of 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.pastemagazine.com\/articles\/2018\/12\/the-50-best-songs-of-2018.html?p=2\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaste's Best Songs of 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#37 \"Erasure\")\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bittersoutherner.com\/best-southern-albums-of-2018\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBitter Southerner's Best Southern Albums of 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#10)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.slantmagazine.com\/features\/article\/the-25-best-albums-of-2018\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSlant's Best Albums of 2018\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e (#21)\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe urgency of current events after the demoralizing 2016 election gave Mac, Laura, Jim, and Jon of Superchunk the momentum to make something new sooner than later. “It would be strange to be in a band, at least our band, and make a record that completely ignored the surrounding circumstances that we live in and that our kids are going to grow up in.” Enter \u003ci\u003eWhat a Time to Be Alive\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/superchunk\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSuperchunk\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e’s first album in over four years. It’s a record, says Mac, “about a pretty dire and depressing situation but hopefully not a record that is dire and depressing to listen to.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndeed, like so much of Superchunk’s music in the band’s nearly three decades together, the songs on \u003ci\u003eWhat a Time to Be Alive\u003c\/i\u003e meet rage and anxiety head-on with the catharsis and exhilaration of loud punk fire and vulnerable pop energy. Like 2013’s \u003ca href=\"\/products\/superchunk-i-hate-music\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eI Hate Music\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e, which focused on death, loss, and the role of music in an aging life, this new record brings spirit to the frontlines of pain—it’s as defiant as it is despairing, as much a call to arms as a throwing up of hands.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten almost entirely between November 2016 and February 2017, \u003ci\u003eWhat a Time to Be Alive\u003c\/i\u003e was recorded and mixed by Beau Sorenson, who also worked on \u003ci\u003eI Hate Music\u003c\/i\u003e. The record also features more guest backing vocalists than any previous Superchunk album, including Sabrina Ellis (\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/a-giant-dog\"\u003eA Giant Dog\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/sweet-spirit\"\u003eSweet Spirit\u003c\/a\u003e), Katie Crutchfield (\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/waxahatchee\"\u003eWaxahatchee\u003c\/a\u003e), Stephin Merritt (\u003ca href=\"\/collections\/the-magnetic-fields\"\u003eThe Magnetic Fields\u003c\/a\u003e), Skylar Gudasz, and David Bazan.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll formats of \u003ci\u003eWhat a Time to Be Alive\u003c\/i\u003e feature artwork by \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/superchunk\"\u003eSuperchunk\u003c\/a\u003e’s own \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/mac-mccaughan\"\u003eMac McCaughan\u003c\/a\u003e and Laura Ballance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"merge records","offers":[{"title":"LP (Black)","offer_id":52996576903479,"sku":"MRG620LP","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":52996576936247,"sku":"MRG620CD","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Download","offer_id":52739213164855,"sku":"MRG620digital","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0966\/3935\/3143\/files\/b2af8c7e05ae4acd53053cc06746b01293e943ba_15a2908142f889e240b092d11077ad364622665e_medium_jpg.jpg?v=1789600400","url":"https:\/\/mergerecords.com\/products\/superchunk-what-a-time-to-be-alive","provider":"Merge Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}