Alpinisms


Alpinisms is the debut studio album by American band School of Seven Bells. It was originally released on Ghostly International on October 28, 2008, and re-released on Vagrant Records on July 14, 2009. The deluxe edition with bonus tracks was released on October 13, 2009. The album peaked at number 17 on the UK Independent Albums Chart.

Background

In 2004, Alejandra Deheza and her twin sister Claudia met Benjamin Curtis when they were on tour with Interpol. In 2007, they formed School of Seven Bells and started making music together. The group's debut studio album, whose working title was Wired for Light, was officially titled Alpinisms.

Critical reception

Eric Harvey of Pitchfork said, "Throughout Alpinisms, the group finds a perfect middle ground between the indie realms of tribal and choral, layering electronic flourishes without letting them overwhelm the arrangements." M. R. Newmark of PopMatters commented that "School of Seven Bells hit the sweet spot with enough frequency to make Alpinisms worthwhile, and though not every experiment works, it should give those who have been following these musicians around some satisfaction to realize that this is the sort of album they've been waiting so long to create." Lukas Suveg of Tiny Mix Tapes stated, "Although this final version could have featured more diverse song selections, Alpinisms is an undoubtedly singular album, setting the bar quite high for this burgeoning trio."

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.
School of Seven Bells
  • Benjamin Curtis – music, recording, mixing
  • Alejandra Deheza – music, recording, mixing
  • Claudia Deheza – music, recording, mixing
Additional musicians
Technical personnel