Quicken the Heart

Quicken the Heart is the third studio album by Maxïmo Park.^[1] It was released on 11 May 2009.^[2] It debuted at No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart.

Quicken the Heart
Studio album by Maxïmo Park
Released	11 May 2009
Recorded	October 2008
Studio	Hesby Street, Los Angeles
Genre	Alternative rock, indie rock, post-punk revival
Length	37:30
Label	Warp
Producer	Nick Launay
Maxïmo Park chronology
Our Earthly Pleasures (2007) Quicken the Heart (2009) The National Health (2012)
Singles from Quicken the Heart
"Wraithlike" Released: 24 March 2009 "The Kids Are Sick Again" Released: 4 May 2009 "Questing, Not Coasting" Released: 13 July 2009

Album information

The album is available on vinyl, regular CD, special edition CD and DVD pack and digital download. A T-shirt was also made available with the album. The album was produced by Nick Launay, of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick Cave and Talking Heads production fame.^[3]

The special edition contains the regular CD album along with a DVD titled Monument, which features a 68-minute-long tour-film taken from the band's sold out show at Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena in December 2007, including live performances and exclusive backstage footage. The first 500 special editions purchased through the band's website were sent out signed by one of the band members.

Prior to the album's release, Maxïmo Park released opening track "Wraithlike" as a free download and as a limited edition 7" vinyl single. The vinyl single was limited to 250 copies and was only available at the band's 24 March 2009 free concert in Newcastle.^[4] The first proper single from the album was "The Kids Are Sick Again", released 4 May 2009.^[5] The second single was "Questing, Not Coasting", released on 13 July 2009.^[6]

Reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	61/100^[7]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[8]
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Vault	C−^[9]
Drowned in Sound	6/10^[10]
The Guardian	^[11]
NME	8/10^[12]
The Observer	^[13]
Pitchfork	5.5/10^[14]
Spin	^[15]
State	^[16]

Critical reception for the album was generally mixed. Reviewing the album for Clash magazine, writer Steve Harris commented that "they haven't lost their knack for writing an infectious tune, and the album packs more punch than their previous long-player" and that Maxïmo Park could "become one of the summer's essential bands."^[17] Culturedeluxe also gave a largely positive review to the album.^[18]

Q magazine awarded the album 3 out of 5 stars, and commented that "Once again, Smith's lyrical camera is in macro mode, scrutinising love's tiny details....Smith's eccentricities still elevate Maxïmo Park above the guitar-pop herd."^[19] Paul Smith told Drowned in Sound that "In Another World (You Would've Found Yourself by Now)" is "about feeling self-righteous even though we all have similar primal impulses."^[20][21]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Wraithlike"	Lloyd, Smith	2:29
2.	"The Penultimate Clinch"	Lloyd, Smith	2:36
3.	"The Kids Are Sick Again"	Lloyd, Smith, Wooller	3:04
4.	"A Cloud of Mystery"	Wooller, Smith	3:01
5.	"Calm"	Lloyd, Smith	3:07
6.	"In Another World (You Would've Found Yourself by Now)"	Lloyd, Smith	2:59
7.	"Let's Get Clinical"	Smith, Wooller	3:53
8.	"Roller Disco Dreams"	Smith, Lloyd	3:25
9.	"Tanned"	Smith	3:35
10.	"Questing, Not Coasting"	Lloyd, Smith	3:41
11.	"Overland, West of Suez"	Tiku, Wooller, Lloyd, Smith	2:46
12.	"I Haven't Seen Her in Ages"	Smith, Lloyd	3:00

UK iTunes-only bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Lost Property"	Lloyd, Smith	3:11

Australian edition bonus track

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Tales of the Semi-Detached"	1:57

Monument DVD

• Recorded live at Newcastle Arena, 15 December 2007

1. "Girls Who Play Guitars"
2. "Graffiti"
3. "Our Velocity"
4. "A Fortnight's Time"
5. "Parisian Skies"
6. "I Want You to Stay"
7. "Karaoke Plays"
8. "By the Monument"
9. "The Unshockable"
10. "Limassol"
11. "Books from Boxes"
12. "Acrobat"
13. "Going Missing"

Personnel

• Paul Smith – vocals
• Duncan Lloyd – guitar, backing vocals, bass on track 6
• Archis Tiku – bass guitar
• Lukas Wooller – keyboard, organ
• Tom English – drums

Charts

Chart (2009)	Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[22]	58
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[23]	86
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[24]	95
French Albums (SNEP)^[25]	145
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[26]	13
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[27]	6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[28]	22
UK Albums (OCC)^[29]	6

References

1. "Maximo Park name new album – exclusive". NME. 2 March 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2009.
2. . maximopark.com. 11 March 2009. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
3. "Maximo Park reveal new album tracklisting". NME. 26 March 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
4. "Maxïmo Park – Wraithlike (7") at Discogs". Discogs.com. 24 March 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
5. "New single 'The Kids Are Sick Again' and Album Artwork". maximopark.com. 24 March 2009. Retrieved 26 March 2009.
6. . maximopark.com. 29 May 2009. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
7. "Quicken The Heart by Maxïmo Park". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
8. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r1543347
9. "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Quicken The Heart". Dailyvault.com. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
10. Wale, Dan (15 May 2009). . Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on 5 August 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
11. Rosie Swash (8 May 2009). "Maxïmo Park: Quicken the Heart | Music". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
12. "NME Album Reviews – Album Review : Maximo Park". NME. 15 May 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
13. Sam Wolfson (19 April 2009). "Pop review: Maximo Park, Quicken Than The Heart | Music | The Observer". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
14. Moerder, Adam (13 May 2009). "Maximo Park: Quicken the Heart | Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
15. Modell, Josh. "Maximo Park, 'Quicken the Heart' (Warp)". SPIN.com. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
16. "Maximo Park – Quicken The Heart – Album Review | State Magazine". State.ie. 28 June 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2011.^{[permanent dead link]}
17. "Maximo Park – Quicken The Heart". Clashmusic.com. 16 April 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
18. Culturedeluxe – Album Review – Maximo Park – Quicken the Heart 3 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
19. "(p.128) – 3 stars out of 5". Cduniverse.com. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
20. "In Another World (You Would've Found Yourself By Now)". Songfacts. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
21. . drownedinsound.com. Drowned in Sound. 8 April 2009. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
22. "Austriancharts.at – Maxïmo Park – Quicken the Heart" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
23. "Ultratop.be – Maxïmo Park – Quicken the Heart" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
24. "Dutchcharts.nl – Maxïmo Park – Quicken the Heart" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
25. "Lescharts.com – Maxïmo Park – Quicken the Heart". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
26. "Offiziellecharts.de – Maxïmo Park – Quicken the Heart" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
27. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
28. "Swisscharts.com – Maxïmo Park – Quicken the Heart". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
29. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 June 2020.