The Blackened Air

The Blackened Air
Studio album by
Nina Nastasia
Released April 9, 2002
Recorded 2001
Genre Alternative rock, folk, chamber music
Length 43:45
Label Touch and Go Records
Producer Steve Albini
Nina Nastasia chronology
Dogs
(2000) 		The Blackened Air
(2002) 		Run to Ruin
(2003)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic
CMJ New Music Report (favorable)
Entertainment Weekly A−
The Guardian
Pitchfork 7.8/10
The Village Voice (choice cut)

The Blackened Air is the second album by American singer-songwriter Nina Nastasia. It was released in 2002 by Touch and Go Records. The album was recorded almost completely live, with the band set up in a semi-circle in one corner of the studio, over a six-day period in 2001 at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago. The final track, "That's All There Is", was held over from sessions for her debut, Dogs.

The album's cover was painted by Nastasia's father Jim, and was inspired by the album track "Ocean".

Track listing

All songs written by Nina Nastasia.

  1. "Run, All You…" – 1:39
  2. "I Go with Him" – 1:54
  3. "This Is What It Is" – 4:17
  4. "Oh, My Stars" – 3:08
  5. "All for You" – 1:27
  6. "So Little" – 3:27
  7. "Desert Fly" – 2:03
  8. "Ugly Face" – 4:10
  9. "In the Graveyard" – 3:12
  10. "Ocean" – 5:59
  11. "Rosemary" – 1:49
  12. "The Same Day" – 2:15
  13. "Been So Long" – 1:29
  14. "The Very Next Day" – 0:33
  15. "Little Angel" – 1:57
  16. "That's All There Is" – 4:26

Credits and personnel

Musicians
  • Nina Nastasia – guitar, vocals
  • Jay Bellerose – drums
  • Joshua Carlebach – accordion
  • Stephen Day – cello
  • Gerry Leonard – guitar, mandolin
  • Gonzalo Munoz – saw
  • Dave Richards – bass
  • Dylan Willemsa – violin
  • Peter Yanowitz – drums on "That's All There Is"
Production
  • Steve Albini – engineering
  • Kennan Gudjonsson – artwork, mastering, package design
  • Steve Rooke – mastering