Volume 1 (BNQT album)

Volume 1 is the debut studio album by indie super-group BNQT, led by Eric Pulido (Midlake) with Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses), Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand), Fran Healy (Travis) and Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), backed by the other members of Midlake. Each member wrote and sang on two tracks each. It was released on 28 April 2017.[1]

Volume 1
Studio album by BNQT
Released	28 April 2017
Studio	Redwood Studios (Denton, Texas)
Genre	Indie rock[1] soft rock glam rock[2]
Length	42:39
Label	Dualtone Bella Union
Producer	BNQT

Background

The concept came to Pulido whilst he was touring Midlake’s 2013 album Antiphon. Pulido wanted to gather a number of contrasting yet complementary artists he’d befriended or shared the stage with and establish an environment in which they could collaborate. Pulido said “That’s what art is about for me, creating with other people that you love and appreciate.”

Due to members being spread around the world, recordings were either done through travel to Denton or remotely over the internet.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	78/100[3]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
Clash Music	[5]
DIY	[6]
Paste	6.8/10 [7]
Pitchfork	5.8/10[8]
The Guardian	[2]
The Independent	[9]
The Skinny	[10]

Volume 1 received positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, the album received an average critic score of 78, based on 14 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[3] Tim Sendra of Allmusic described it as a "remarkably coherent and listenable album that goes down very smooth, but not without the occasional moment of real emotion or foot-tapping fun".[4] In a five-star review for the Guardian, Jon Dennis praised each member, writing they "All provide great tunes – they write and sing two each – and they entertain rather than indulge in introspection".[2]

In a less favourable review for Pitchfork, Philip Cosores criticises the album for being like "hapless projects that are more fun for the artists involved than for the listeners".[8] Finbarr Bermingham of The Skinny was also critical, writing "In short, this is the least inventive product you could have expected from a bunch of varyingly inventive songwriters. Which is to say, it’s not much good at all."[10]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Restart"	Eric Pulido - Jesse Chandler - Joey McClellan - McKenzie Smith	4:26
2.	"Unlikely Force"	Ben Bridwell	4:06
3.	"100 Million Miles"	Jason Lytle	5:33
4.	"Mind of a Man"	Fran Healy	3:55
5.	"Hey Banana"	Alex Kapranos	3:50
6.	"Real Love"	Pulido - Chandler - McClellan - Smith	3:24
7.	"Failing at Feeling"	Lytle	4:28
8.	"L.A on My Mind"	Healy	3:42
9.	"Tara"	Bridwell	4:12
10.	"Fighting the World"	Kapranos	4:58
Total length:			42:39

Charts

Chart (2017)	Peak position
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[11]	42
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[12]	17

References

1. "Introducing BNQT… | Bella Union". Bellaunion.com. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
2. Dennis, Jon (2017-04-20). "BNQT: Volume 1 review – melodic rock supergroup provide a real feast". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
3. "Reviews and Tracks for Volume 1 by BNQT". Metacritic. 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2017-07-12.
4. "Volume 1 - BNQT | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
5. "BNQT - Volume 1". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
6. "BNQT - Volume 1". Diymag.com. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
7. "BNQT: Volume One Review". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
8. "BNQT: Volume 1 Album Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
9. "Album reviews: Ray Davies, BNQT, Robyn Hitchcock, Mark Lanegan Band and more". The Independent. 2017-04-19. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
10. "BNQT: Volume 1 album review". Theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-20.
11. "BNQT Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
12. "BNQT Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2017.