At Swim
{{Short description | Lisa Hannigan's third studio album}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox album
| name = At Swim
| type = studio
| artist = Lisa Hannigan
| cover = Lisahanniganatswim.png
| alt =
| released = 19 August 2016
| recorded = Hudson, New York
Dublin, Ireland
| studio =
| genre = Indie folk
| length = 39:39
| label = Hoop Recordings (Ireland)
Pias (Worldwide)
| producer = Aaron Dessner, Lisa Hannigan
| prev_title = Passenger
| prev_year = 2011
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{Singles
| name = At Swim
| type = studio
| single1 = Prayer for the Dying
| single1date = 9 June 2016
| single2 = Fall
| single2date = 9 July 2016
| single3 = Ora
| single3date = 16 August 2016
}}
}}
At Swim is the third studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan. The album was released worldwide on 19 August 2016, through Hoop Recordings and Play It Again Sam.{{cite web|url=http://irishmusicfeed.tumblr.com/post/145615350364/music-news-lisa-hannigan-reveals-new-song|title=irish music feed – .Music News: Lisa Hannigan Reveals New Song +...|publisher=irishmusicfeed.tumblr.com|accessdate=12 June 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.ie/music/news/Lisa-Hannigan-announces-new-album-At-Swim-hear-lead-track-Prayer-for-the-Dying-now/381856.htm|title=MusicNews | Lisa Hannigan announces new album 'At Swim' – hear lead track 'Prayer for the Dying' now |date=9 June 2016 |publisher=entertainment.ie|accessdate=12 June 2016}}
==Background==
Hannigan had been touring for more than two years with her 2011 album Passenger. She had imagined she would start writing new songs while touring, but "the words," she said, "just dried up."{{Cite news|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/lisa-hannigan-i-started-to-really-lose-sight-of-what-the-point-of-me-was-1.2743825|title=Lisa Hannigan: 'I started to really lose sight of what the point of me was'|newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=19 August 2016}} Hannigan decided to leave Dublin and travelled to Paris where she resided for a number of months.{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/lisa-hannigan-interview-i-had-to-do-something-different-i-wanted-to-feel-unnerved-a3318551.html|title=Lisa Hannigan: 'I had to do something different, to feel unnerved'|date=12 August 2016|access-date=19 August 2016}} She then travelled onwards to London in an effort to overcome a period of writer's block and hoping her new adventure would inspire her to begin songwriting again. However, she failed to come up with any new material before returning to Dublin. Hannigan decided to leave Dublin and move to London more permanently. Here, she began creating new material and began putting down demos, but struggled with songwriting.
Her songwriting was finally encouraged by an unsolicited e-mail from Aaron Dessner of The National.{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-bialas/stroke-of-luck-how-lisa-h_b_11300038.html|title=Stroke of Luck? How Lisa Hannigan Got Back in the Swim of Things|last=Bialas|first=Michael|date=2 August 2016|website=HuffPost|access-date=19 August 2016}} Dessner requested Hannigan and himself should work on her new material, both artists met in Copenhagen over a weekend in an effort to come up with some ideas for the new album with particular focus on the album's theme and sound.{{Citation|title=Lisa Hannigan MUSIC MONTH|url=https://soundcloud.com/irishtimes-lifestyle/lisa-hannigan-music-month|accessdate=19 August 2016}} They would both later meet up again at Lismore Castle and Cork City to tie down the album's identity.
Dessner soon became the producer of the album, sending her music and lyrics by email. Hannigan finally went to Hudson in upstate New York to begin recording.
The work of Irish poet Seamus Heaney inspired her songwriting, to the point that one of his poems Anahorish appears on the album. Themes of friendship, bereavement, homesickness and a new life in a vast city such as London have all inspired the album songs.
During the recording of the album Hannigan found herself split between Dublin and London, before some of the recording moved onto New York City.
Singles
Both "Prayer for the Dying"{{cite web|url=http://www.playitagainsam.net/news/2569/lisa_hannigan_is_back_with_new_track_prayer_for_the_dying_and_a_new_album_out_this_year|title=Play It Again Sam :: News :: Lisa Hannigan Is Back With New Track 'prayer for the Dying' And A New Album Out This Year|publisher=playitagainsam.net|accessdate=12 June 2016}} and "Ora" have been used in promos. NPR Music debuted "Prayer for the Dying" on 8 June.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2016/06/08/480506347/song-premiere-lisa-hannigan-prayer-for-the-dying|title=Song Premiere, Lisa Hannigan, 'Prayer for the Dying' : All Songs Considered : NPR|publisher=NPR|accessdate=12 June 2016}} The single was made available on iTunes and Spotify on 9 June 2016.
"Fall" is the first commercial single release revealed on 9 July 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://thelastmixedtape.com/2016/07/06/watch-lisa-hannigan-releases-video-for-fall/|title=Watch {{!}} Lisa Hannigan releases video for 'Fall'|date=6 July 2016|website=The Last Mixed Tape|access-date=19 August 2016}}{{Cite news|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/07/06/lisa-hannigan-dances-solo-in-her-new-fall-video-exclusive/|title=Lisa Hannigan Dances Solo in Her New 'Fall' Video (Exclusive)|last=Ayers|first=Mike|newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=6 July 2016 |access-date=19 August 2016}} A video for the single also appeared online the same day.{{Citation|last=LisaHanniganVEVO|title=Lisa Hannigan – Fall (Official Video)|date=6 July 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYubEn15eH4|accessdate=19 August 2016}}
"Ora" was released on 16 August 2016 as a download. A music video for the song premiered online a day earlier. The video was directed by Jamie Hannigan and Lisa Hannigan.
Formats
The album was released as a download on iTunes, with pre-orders beginning on 9 June 2016. "Prayer for the Dying" became an instant download upon pre-ordering.{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/at-swim/id1113688338|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918170204/https://itunes.apple.com/ie/album/at-swim/id1113688338|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 September 2016|title=At Swim by Lisa Hannigan on iTunes|publisher=iTunes Store|accessdate=12 June 2016}} It was also released on CD and vinyl.
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| MC = 80/100{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/at-swim/lisa-hannigan |title= Critic Reviews for at Swim |year=2016|accessdate=29 August 2016|publisher=Metacritic}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |first=James |last= Monger |title=At Swim – Lisa Hannigan – AllMusic |website= AllMusic |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/at-swim-mw0002944738|accessdate=29 August 2016}}
| rev2 = Consequence of Sound
| rev2score = B{{cite web|last= Schaults| first=Janine | title=Lisa Hannigan – At Swim| url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/album-review-lisa-hannigan-at-swim/|publisher=Consequence of Sound|accessdate=29 August 2016|date=18 August 2016}}
| rev3 = The Daily Telegraph
| rev4 = Exclaim!
| rev4score = 7/10{{cite web | url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/lisa_hannigan-at_swim | title=Lisa Hannigan – At Swim | work=Exclaim! | date=17 August 2016 | accessdate=17 August 2016 | author=Stanley, Laura}}
| rev5 = The Guardian
}}
Writing for Exclaim!, Laura Stanley praised the album, calling it "a dream you won't want to wake up from".
Tour
In the lead up to the album's release Lisa Hannigan confirmed a summer 2016 tour of Ireland.{{cite web|url=http://www.songkick.com/artists/671521-lisa-hannigan|title=Lisa Hannigan Tickets, Tour Dates 2016 & Concerts |publisher=songkick.com|accessdate=12 June 2016}}
A European tour was confirmed for autumn 2016 with dates in Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France and the Netherlands.{{Cite web|url=http://lisahannigan.ie/tour.html|title=Lisa Hannigan {{!}} TOUR|website=lisahannigan.ie|access-date=19 August 2016}} She also confirmed a date for US festival Eaux Claires on 12 August.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = At Swim track listing
| title1 = Fall
| writer1 = Lisa Hannigan, Joe Henry
| length1 = 3:00
| title2 = Prayer for the Dying
| writer2 = Hannigan
| length2 = 4:35
| title3 = Snow
| writer3 = Hannigan
| length3 = 3:39
| title4 = Lo
| writer4 = Aaron Dessner, Hannigan
| length4 = 3:54
| title5 = Undertow
| writer5 = Iain Archer, Hannigan
| length5 = 3:24
| title6 = Ora
| writer6 = Dessner, Hannigan
| length6 = 2:50
| title7 = We, the Drowned
| writer7 = Hannigan
| length7 = 4:00
| title8 = Anahorish
| writer8 = Hannigan, Seamus Heaney
| length8 = 1:51
| title9 = Tender
| writer9 = Hannigan
| length9 = 3:58
| title10 = Funeral Suit
| writer10 = Hannigan
| length10 = 4:01
| title11 = Barton
| writer11 = Dessner, Hannigan
| length11 = 4:27
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for At Swim ! scope="col"| Chart (2016) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Flanders|50|artist=Lisa Hannigan|album=At Swim|rowheader=true|accessdate=26 August 2016}} |
| {{album chart|Wallonia|71|artist=Lisa Hannigan|album=At Swim|rowheader=true|accessdate=26 August 2016}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|31|artist=Lisa Hannigan|album=At Swim|rowheader=true|accessdate=26 August 2016}} |
| {{album chart|Ireland|1|year=2016|week=34|rowheader=true|accessdate=27 August 2016}} |
| scope="row"| New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/albums/2016-09-23|title=NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=29 August 2016|access-date=26 August 2016}}
| 7 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Scotland|23|date=26 August 2016|rowheader=true|accessdate=27 August 2016}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|72|artist=Lisa Hannigan|album=At Swim|rowheader=true|accessdate=31 August 2016}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|24|date=26 August 2016|rowheader=true|accessdate=27 August 2016}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardFolk|12|artist=Lisa Hannigan|rowheader=true|accessdate=November 27, 2020}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardHeatseekers|8|artist=Lisa Hannigan|rowheader=true|accessdate=November 27, 2020}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardIndependent|29|artist=Lisa Hannigan|rowheader=true|accessdate=November 27, 2020}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRock|38|artist=Lisa Hannigan|rowheader=true|accessdate=November 27, 2020}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Lisa Hannigan}}
{{Authority control}}