Head Above the Water
{{Use British English|date=July 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Head Above the Water
| type = studio
| artist = Brigid Mae Power
| cover = Head Above the Water.jpg
| alt =A blue-tinted photo of Power
| released = {{Start date|2020|06|05|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio = The Green Door, Dunfanaghy, Ireland
| genre =
| length = 46:33
| label = Fire
| producer = {{hlist|Brigid Mae Power|Alasdair Roberts|Peter Broderick}}
| prev_title = The Two Worlds
| prev_year = 2018
| next_title =Burning Your Lights
| next_year =2021
}}
{{Music ratings
| MC = 82/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/head-above-the-water/brigid-mae-power|title=Metacritic Review|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=18 July 2020}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/head-above-the-water-mw0003365216|title=AllMusic Review|publisher=AllMusic|last=Donelson|first=Marcy|access-date=18 July 2020}}
| rev2 = Clash
| rev2score = 7/10{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/brigid-mae-power-head-above-the-water|title=Clash Magazine Review|work=Clash|last=Church|first=Sophie|date=8 June 2020|access-date=19 July 2020}}
| rev3 = The Line of Best Fit
| rev3score = 8/10{{cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/brigid-mae-power-head-above-the-water-album-review|title=Brigid Mae Power asserts herself through a chorus of song styles|work=The Line of Best Fit|last=Honeybourne|first=Ray|date=12 June 2020|access-date=19 July 2020}}
| rev4 = Mojo
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal|url=https://archive.org/details/mojo-july-2020/page/80/mode/2up|title=Mojo Magazine Review|page=80|last=Mulvey|first=John|issue=July 2020|journal=Mojo|access-date=19 July 2020}}
| rev5 = MusicOMH
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/brigid-mae-power-head-above-the-water|title=MusicOMH Review|work=MusicOMH|last=Johnson|first=Steven|date=5 June 2020|access-date=19 July 2020}}
| rev6 = Pitchfork
| rev6score = 7.8/10{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/brigid-mae-power-head-above-the-water/|title=Pitchfork Review|website=Pitchfork|last=Thomson|first=Graeme|date=4 June 2020}}
| rev7 = The Observer
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/07/brigid-mae-power-head-above-the-water-review-quotidian-magic|title=Brigid Mae Power: Head Above the Water review – quotidian magic|work=The Observer|last=Empire|first=Kitty|author-link=Kitty Empire|date=7 June 2020|access-date=19 July 2020}}
| noprose = yes
}}
Head Above the Water is the third studio album by Irish singer-songwriter Brigid Mae Power. It was released on 5 June 2020 under Fire Records.{{cite web|url=https://thevinylfactory.com/news/brigid-mae-power-new-album-head-above-the-water-vinyl/|title=Singer/Songwriter Brigid Mae Power Announces New Album|work=The Vinyl Factory|last=Rugoff|first=Lazlo|date=27 February 2020|access-date=19 July 2020}}
The first single from the album "Wedding of a Friend" was released on 7 April 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/brigid-mae-power-shares-new-single-tells-us-what-shes-listening-to-more-during-covid-19-isolation/|title=Brigid Mae Power Shares New Single|website=BrooklynVegan|last=Pearis|first=Bill|date=7 April 2020|access-date=19 July 2020}}
Critical reception
{{expand section|date=June 2023}}
Head Above the Water was met with "universal acclaim" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 82, based on 8 reviews. Aggregator Album of the Year gave the album a 79 out of 100 based on a critical consensus of 9 reviews.{{cite web|url=https://www.albumoftheyear.org/album/227839-brigid-mae-power-head-above-the-water.php|title=Album of the Year Review|website=Album of the Year|access-date=18 July 2020}} AnyDecentMusic? gave the release 7.6 out of 10.
Track listing
{{Tracklist
|headline =Head Above the Water track listing
|title1=On a City Night
|length1=5:09
|title2=Wearing Red That Eve
|length2=3:33
|title3=Wedding of a Friend
|length3=4:39
|title4=Not Yours to Own
|length4=3:25
|title5=I Was Named After You
|length5=6:06
|title6=We Weren't Sure
|length6=4:10
|title7=You Have a Quiet Power
|length7=4:47
|title8=I Had to Keep My Circle Small
|length8=5:18
|title9=The Blacksmith
|length9=5:28
|title10=Head Above the Water
|length10=3:58
}}
Personnel
- Brigid Mae Power – lead vocals, producer
- Peter Broderick – producer
- Liam Chapman – drums
- Brian MacGloinn – violin, vocals
- Brian Pyle – mastering
- Alasdair Roberts – producer
- Samuel Smith – engineer
References
{{reflist}}
{{Brigid Mae Power}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Fire Records (UK) albums
Category:Brigid Mae Power albums
{{2020s-album-stub}}