Jake Shears (album)

Jake Shears is the self-titled debut solo album by Jake Shears, released on August 10, 2018.[1] "Creep City" serves as the album's lead single.

Jake Shears
Studio album by Jake Shears
Released	August 10, 2018
Genre	Pop rock funk dance rock glam rock
Length	45:08
Label	Freida Jean Records (Absolute UK)
Producer	Jake Shears Kevin Ratterman John Hume (co-production tracks 2, 3 and 10)

Recording and composition

The album was recorded in Louisville with Kevin Ratterman, as well as members of My Morning Jacket.[1]

Promotion

"Creep City" serves as the album's lead single.[2] The music video was directed by Mac Boucher.[1]

The second single was "Sad Song Backwards", which lyrics deal with face depression doing joyful things. It was accompanied by a lyric video, that Shears declared he made himself.[3]

"Big Bushy Moustache" was released as the third single. Its video was directed by Mac Boucher too, and consists on Shears strutting in New Orleans, urging other men to join him in the celebration of facial hair. It features a cameo by Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme (who had previously collaborated with Scissor Sisters on the promotion of 2010 Magic Hour).

"Everything I Ever Need" was released as the fourth single, with a video (also directed by Boucher) inspired by Elton John and Freddie Mercury.

Shears toured the album in the United States and will support Kylie Minogue touring Australia in 2019.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	78/100[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Albumism	[5]
AllMusic	[6]
The Guardian	[7]
MusicOMH	[8]
NME	[9]

Jake Shears received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 78 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[4] Aggregator Album of the Year gave the release a 75 out of 100 based on a critical consensus of 12 reviews.[10]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Introduction"	0:25
2.	"Good Friends"	3:30
3.	"Big Bushy Mustache"	3:35
4.	"Sad Song Backwards"	4:17
5.	"Everything I'll Ever Need"	4:05
6.	"All for What"	4:35
7.	"S.O.B."	3:51
8.	"Creep City"	3:25
9.	"The Bruiser"	5:38
10.	"Clothes Off"	3:50
11.	"Palace in the Sky"	4:08
12.	"Mississippi Delta (I'm Your Man)"	3:49

B-Sides Tracklist

B-Sides EP was released in 2019, a year after the album.[11]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Whatever it Takes"	3:52
2.	"Fit Ain't One Thing"	3:37
3.	"Arrington Fields"	5:42

Charts

Chart (2018)	Peak position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[12]	17
UK Albums (OCC)[13]	20
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[14]	4

References

1. "Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears announces self-titled solo album, shares "Creep City": Stream". Consequence of Sound. May 27, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
2. "Jake Shears goes solo with "Creep City"". The FADER. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
3. Youtt, Henry (25 July 2018). "Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears Gets Crafty For DIY 'Sad Song Backwards' Lyric Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
4. "Reviews for Jake Shears by Jake Shears". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
5. Itkowsky, Liz. "Jake Shears' Solo Dancing Shoes Fit Him Remarkably Well on Refreshing, Eponymous Debut". Albumism. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
6. Phares, Heather. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
7. Aroesti, Rachel (August 10, 2018). "Jake Shears review – dirty pop with its makeup running". The Guardian. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
8. Devlin, Ben (August 22, 2018). "MusicOMH Review". MusicOMH. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
9. Levine, Nick (August 7, 2018). "NME Review". NME. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
11. "B-Sides". Spotify. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
12. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
13. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
14. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 19, 2018.