Weirdo (Emma-Jean Thackray album)
| Weirdo | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 25 April 2025 | |||
| Studio |
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| Length | 57:41 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Emma-Jean Thackray | |||
| Emma-Jean Thackray chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Weirdo | ||||
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Weirdo is the second studio album by English jazz musician Emma-Jean Thackray. It was released on 25 April 2025 by Brownswood Recordings and Parlophone, in CD, LP and digital formats.[2]
Background
Released four years after Thackray's 2021 debut album, Yellow, Weirdo consists of nineteen songs with a total runtime of fifty-seven minutes and forty-one seconds.[3] The album focuses on themes such as mental health, depression and grief,[4] and incorporates elements of contemporary soul, rock, jazz, funk, and hip-hop.[3][5] Thackray commenced the writing process for the album in 2022 and recorded it in her home studio in South London.[3] She described the songs as "a grief diary" following the death of her partner in January 2023. The album was announced in January 2025, alongside the release of its first single, "Wanna Die",[6] with a music video directed by Thackray and Nick Suchak.[2] The album reached No 3 in the UK Jazz and Blues Album Chart in May 2025.[7]
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 85/100[8] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [9] |
| Clash | 9/10[5] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[3] |
| Mojo | [10] |
| musicOMH | [11] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[12] |
| Record Collector | [13] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B[14] |
| Uncut | 8/10[15] |
John Murphy of MusicOMH referred to Weirdo as "an album born of grief that is unafraid to take risks and, in so doing, underlines a huge talent," rating it four out of five.[11] The Line of Best Fit assigned the album a rating of eight out of ten and described it as "a total triumph" that "presents a potentially overwhelming spread of sound" and is "musically eclectically inspired, thematically deep and profound."[3] Clash noted, "one of Weirdo's most immediately obvious qualities is its collection of relentlessly light-on-its-feet and funky music," rating it nine out of ten.[5] Andy Cowan of Mojo remarked, "these 19 diaristic tracks (their titles a sequence of red flags) temper spilled thoughts and raw emotion with lush musicality, jazz harmonies and singalong grooves," giving it a rating of four stars.[10] The Guardian opined, "But for all its stark imagery and bleak themes, Weirdo is 'about wanting to live'."[16]
Accolades
On 10 September 2025, Weirdo was announced as one of 12 nominees for the 2025 Mercury Prize.[17]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Emma-Jean Thackray; "Black Hole" written with Reggie Watts and "It's Okay" written with Kassa Overall.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Something Wrong with Your Mind" | 0:31 |
| 2. | "Weirdo" | 4:39 |
| 3. | "Stay" | 4:23 |
| 4. | "Let Me Sleep" | 4:55 |
| 5. | "Please Leave Me Alone" | 0:47 |
| 6. | "Save Me" | 4:51 |
| 7. | "Maybe Nowhere" | 5:14 |
| 8. | "What Is the Point" | 1:47 |
| 9. | "Black Hole" (featuring Reggie Watts) | 4:12 |
| 10. | "In Your Mind" | 0:50 |
| 11. | "Tofu" | 2:13 |
| 12. | "Fried Rice" | 1:06 |
| 13. | "Where'd You Go" | 4:43 |
| 14. | "Wanna Die" | 2:41 |
| 15. | "Staring at the Wall" | 2:06 |
| 16. | "I Don't Recognise My Hands" | 1:08 |
| 17. | "It's Okay" (featuring Kassa Overall) | 3:31 |
| 18. | "Remedy" | 3:35 |
| 19. | "Thank You for the Day" | 4:29 |
| Total length: | 57:41 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[1]
- Emma-Jean Thackray – lead vocals, synthesisers, backing vocals, production, mixing, recording, arrangements (all tracks); drums (tracks 1–13, 16–18), bass guitar (1–3, 5–11, 13, 14, 17, 18), electric guitar (1–3, 6–11, 13, 15, 17, 18), Rhodes (1–3, 5, 7–19), piano (2, 4, 6, 7), percussion (4, 6, 9, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19), trumpet (4, 8, 13–15); trombone, flugel (4, 8, 14, 15); euphonium (4), congas (6), drum programming (9, 14, 15, 19), tuba (10, 16), guitar (17), art direction, layout
- Daddy Kev – mastering
- Reggie Watts – vocals (track 9)
- Kassa Overall – drums, vocals (track 17)
- Madam Zajj – photography
- Helen Asher – hair, makeup
- Danny Byrne – typeface, layout
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[18] | 67 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[19] | 12 |
References
- ^ a b Emma-Jean Thackray (25 April 2025). Weirdo (Media notes). Brownswood Recordings, Parlophone.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (28 January 2025). "Emma-Jean Thackray Announces New Album Weirdo". Clash. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Oinonen, Janne (23 April 2025). "Emma-Jean Thackray: Weirdo review – triumphant grief". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Hutchinson, Kate (22 April 2025). "UK jazz star Emma-Jean Thackray: 'I had the word weirdo thrust upon me. So I'm reclaiming it'". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c Morgan, Tom (24 April 2025). "Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo". Clash. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Weirdo, by Emma-Jean Thackray".
- ^ "Emma-Jean Thackray". Official Charts.
- ^ "Reviews for Weirdo by Emma-Jean Thackray". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ Kellman, Andy (25 April 2025). "Weirdo - Emma-Jean Thackray". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ a b Cowan, Andy. "Mojo Magazine: June 2025 issue". Mojo. p. 86. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ a b Murphy, John (25 April 2025). "Emma-Jean Thackray – Weirdo". MusicOMH. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Garner, Sadie Sartini (1 May 2025). "Weirdo - Emma-Jean Thackray". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ It becomes quickly apparent that Weirdo is a more personal record - gut-punchingly so, at times - but for all the pain that inspired it, it feels like a celebration too. [Jun 2025, p.105]
- ^ Hull, Tom. "Grade List: Emma-jean Thackray". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ it's a densely layered, frictional set that matches emotional heft and musical invention in equal and impressive measure. [May 2025, p.39]
- ^ Hutchinson, Kate (22 April 2025). "UK jazz star Emma-Jean Thackray: 'I had the word weirdo thrust upon me. So I'm reclaiming it'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Snapes, Laura (10 September 2025). "CMAT, Pulp and PinkPantheress among Mercury prize shortlist light on new names". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 September 2025. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2025.