Enter the Kingdom

Enter the Kingdom

Studio album by

Frontier Ruckus

Released

February 17, 2017

Language

Sitcom Universe, Loose Music (Europe)

Frontier Ruckus chronology

Sitcom Afterlife
(2014)

Enter the Kingdom
(2017)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Aesthetica	(favorable)^[1]
AllMusic	^[2]
American Songwriter	^[3]
Daily Express	^[4]
Glide	^[5]
Mojo	^[6]
Morning Star	^[7]
NARC Magazine	^[8]
Uncut	^[9]
Vice (Robert Christgau)	^[10]

Enter the Kingdom is the fifth full-length studio album by Frontier Ruckus. Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee with former Wilco and Uncle Tupelo drummer Ken Coomer, it marked the first Frontier Ruckus album produced outside of the band's home state of Michigan. Rolling Stone announced the album in late 2016 and premiered a music video for the debut single "27 Dollars."^[11]

Reception

With a more deliberate and polished production, Enter the Kingdom was met by a critical response ranging from laudatory to mixed. Thematically, the record was described in an interview with the Detroit Free Press as addressing economic hardship in songwriter Matthew Milia's immediate family and the disillusionment of childhood.^[12] These heavy lyrical elements were juxtaposed with frequent power pop song structures and the lush string arrangements of Zachary Nichols. British art magazine Aesthetica saw the album as "a swaying invitation into the suburban American household, offering a dreamy glance back into a past forgotten life."^[13] Much notice was given to the precision of Milia's rhyme schemes, with legendary rock critic Robert Christgau commenting, "Somebody marry this winsome sad sack, whose increasingly plausible rhymes now include open-ibuprofen, gauche-precocious-neurosis, salad on the tennis court-valid passport, speckled melanin-freckled up your skin, and the very sexy errands-gerunds."^[14] Mojo went on to say, "Well-educated, literary-inclined American songwriters are hardly thin on the ground, but Frontier Ruckus' Matthew Milia's poetic inclination always sets him apart.”^[15]

Paste released the upbeat single "Positively Freaking," showcasing the understated and melodic accompaniment of founding banjoist David Jones.^[16] Some fans of the rawer, more unhinged Americana from the band's earlier albums expressed disappointment in the new direction—including Uncut, who had championed the band's 2013 double-album Eternity of Dimming.^[17] Contrarily, AllMusic commended Ken Coomer's production and commented, "There's a warmth and personality in these performances that's honest and winning...and if this batch of songs sounds a bit more artful than much of Frontier Ruckus' back catalog, "If You Can" is beautiful and striking in its simplicity, with just a guitar, Milia's voice, and the sound of rainfall bringing an evocative depth to the tune." They went on to call Frontier Ruckus one of the best things to come out of Michigan since Faygo Redpop.^[18]

Vocalist Anna Burch joined Milia for an interview with NPR's Michigan Radio detailing her signature role in the band's sound since their debut album. A video for "Our Flowers Are Still Burning" featured Burch prominently, waking in the morning following the aftermath of a party.^[19]^[20] For the subsequent European and American release tours in support of Enter the Kingdom, Burch had officially returned to being the band's permanent bass player as well.

In July 2017, Milia spoke with Billboard about taking time off from touring to work on a new Frontier Ruckus album, his upcoming solo album, and the music video for "Enter the Kingdom", which premiered on their site.^[21]