The Greater Wings

The Greater Wings is the third studio album by American folk singer-songwriter Julie Byrne, released on July 7, 2023, on Ghostly International. The album focuses on grief, including the death of musical collaborator and romantic partner Eric Littmann and has received acclaim from critics.

Recording and release

Byrne began composing this album in 2018, shortly after the release of Not Even Happiness and started recording in late 2020. She initially recorded it in a number of sessions across the United States, between Byrne touring and moving. Producer for these sessions Eric Littman died suddenly in mid-2021, interrupting the recordings and leading to Byrne writing songs to process her grief. When Ghostly International paired her with Alex Somers, she was able to complete the recording process. She also expanded her instrumental palette by building on her earlier guitar-based compositions with synthesizer, harp and string accompaniment.
This album was promoted with three singles and was supported by a tour of the United Kingdom and United States.

Reception

Editors at AnyDecentMusic? rated this album an 8.3 out of 10, based on 15 reviews.
Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Marcy Donelson writing that "while grief and heartache are constant undertones here, they are often outshone by emotions like gratitude and anticipation". Andrew Sacher of BrooklynVegan stated that while "death is a topic that people have written songs about for centuries", this work "is inextricably linked to grief on a level that even many of the most devastating death songs are not" and that "it feels like a triumph and an act of resilience that it even exists at all, let alone sounds this powerful". A brief review in The Fader states that Byrne "offers a bold and masterful take on the singer-songwriter canon". Writing for The Line of Best Fit, Janne Oinonen rated this release a 9 out of 10, calling it, "an intimate yet expansive masterpiece rooted in loss and grief", also opining that "Byrne's writing allows for different interpretations". In Paste, Eric R. Danton gave this release an 8.1 out of 10, noting that the album has various moods and that Byrne makes "specific feeling universal" and these moods become "the artfully woven tapestry of her music"; the publication chose it as one of the 10 best albums of July 2023. Editors at Pitchfork named this Best New Music of the week, with critic Marc Hogan scoring it an 8.5 out of 10 for "glimpsing the sublime" in moments of vulnerability. Alex Brent of PopMatters rated this release a 9 out of 10, calling it "otherwordly" and Byrne's "best work yet" and sums up that it is "sublime and difficult to fault". The publishers of Stereogum also chose this as Album of the Week, with critic Ryan Leas writing that the music has "an intimate sense of grandeur" with "songs that are soul-crushingly beautiful" on "a gentle, often hushed album".
At The Arts Desk, Kieron Tyler rated this release 4 out of 5 stars, writing that the album initially seems "weightless" but the lyrics show that Byrne is a "a folk-inclined singer-songwriter of rare intensity". Matthew Neale of Clash Music gave The Greater Wings a 9 out of 10, calling it "a stunning experience" exploring grief and legacy. In The Guardian, Ben Beaumont-Thomas gave this album 5 out of 5 stars, calling it "a stunning study of love and loss" and concludes that "Byrne's album is ultimately as singular as the woman singing it, and as unforgettable as a departed friend". Ed Power of Hot Press rated this release an 8 out of 10, writing that the songs have "a haunting quality" and praises "the architecture of the record" for being "both brittle and effervescent". Mojos Andrew Male rated The Greater Wings 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a "love letter and elegy and encompasses the deeply held emotions of both". Another four-star review came from Steven Johnson of musicOMH, who calls this "by far her strongest release to date". Jonathan Wright of The Quietus stated that Byrne shows "a keen understanding of musical dynamics and a willingness to take risks" among many folktronica acts. Writing for The Skinny, Jamie Pettinger gave this album 4 out of 5 stars for being "a sonically patient, cinematic and hopeful record" that "essentially grabs you and pulls you down into Byrne's slowly breathing world of all-encompassing grief". In Uncut, The Greater Wings received 4.5 out of 5 stars from Sharon O'Connell who praised Byrne's musical palette: "alongside finger-picked guitar and voice are a harp, strings, piano and analogue synths, which bear the songs aloft, despite their weighty emotions".

Outlet	Listing	Rank
AllMusic	AllMusic Best of 2023
AllMusic	Favorite Singer-Songwriter Albums of 2023
BrooklynVegan	BrooklynVegans Top 55 Albums of 2023
BrooklynVegan	10 Great Folk Albums from 2023
Exclaim!	Albums of the Year 2023	10
Exclaim!	Exclaim!s 50 Best Albums of 2023	27
The Fader	The 50 Best Albums of 2023	19
Gorilla vs. Bear	Gorilla vs. Bears Albums of 2023	28
The Houston Chronicle	Andrew Dansby's 10 best alternative albums of 2023
Irish Independent	The best international albums of 2023	17
Mojo	Mojos Top 75 Albums of 2023	10
musicOMH	musicOMHs Top 50 Albums Of 2023	24
El País	The best music albums of 2023	17
Paste	The 50 Best Albums of 2023	6
Pitchfork	The 50 Best Albums of 2023	21
Pitchfork	The 37 Best Rock Albums of 2023
Stereogum	The 50 Best Albums of 2023	44
Uncut	Uncuts Top 75 Albums of 2023	9
Under the Radar	Under the Radars Top 100 Albums of 2023	70

In 2024, The Greater Wings was nominated for Best Folk Record at the Libera Awards.

Track listing

All songs written by Julie Byrne, except where noted.

"The Greater Wings" – 3:25
"Portrait of a Clear Day" – 3:21
"Moonless" – 3:46
"Summer Glass" – 4:20
"Summer's End" – 2:56
"Lightning Comes Up from the Ground" – 4:00
"Flare" – 3:48
"Conversation Is a Flowstate" – 3:38
"Hope's Return" – 4:05
"Death Is the Diamond" – 5:09

Personnel

"The Greater Wings"

Julie Byrne – guitar, vocals
Jake Falby – strings
Nadia Hulett – backing vocals
Eric Littmann – Korg Minilogue synthesizer
Trayer Tryon – guitar

"Portrait of a Clear Day"

Julie Byrne – guitar, vocals
Marilu Donovan – harp
Jake Falby – strings
Alex Somers – backing vocals

"Moonless"

Julie Byrne – piano, vocals
Marilu Donovan – harp
Jake Falby – strings
Eric Littmann – piano

"Summer Glass"

Julie Byrne – vocals
Marilu Donovan – harp
Jake Falby – strings, Aelita synthesizer
Eric Littmann – piano, Prophet Rev 4 synthesizer
Alex Somers – strings, Paraphonic synthesizer

"Summer's End"

Julie Byrne – guitar, vocals
Marilu Donovan – harp
Eric Littmann – Minilogue synthesizer

"Lightning Comes Up from the Ground"

Julie Byrne – guitar, vocals
Eli Crews – standup bass
Jake Falby – strings

"Flare"

Julie Byrne – guitar, vocals
Marilu Donovan – harp
Jake Falby – strings
Jefre Cantu Ledesma – Modular synthesizer
Eric Littmann – Minilogue synthesizer
Alex Somers – arrangement

"Conversation Is a Flowstate"

Julie Byrne – vocals
Eric Littmann – Minilogue synthesizer
Alex Somers – arrangement

"Hope's Return"

Julie Byrne – vocals
Jake Falby – bowed guitar
Nadia Hulett – backing vocals
Jefre Cantu Ledesma – Modular synthesizer
Alex Somers – bowed guitar

"Death Is the Diamond"

Julie Byrne – piano, vocals
Jake Falby – piano, opening strings

Technical personnel

Eli Crews – additional engineering
Taylor Deupree – mastering at 12K Mastering
Jake Falby – production
Ikhoor Studio – design
Rafael Anton Irisarri – additional recording
Eric Littmann – production
Alex Somers – mixing, production
Tonje Thilesen – photography

Charts

The Greater Wings was Julie Byrne's first domestic chart appearance, debuting at 90 on Billboards Top Current Album Sales with 1,000 downloads sold in its first week.

Chart	Peak
UK Album Sales	10
UK Physical Albums	10
US Top Current Album Sales	90