Census Designated

Census Designated is the second studio album by the American musician Jane Remover. It was released by DeadAir Records on October 20, 2023, as the follow up to their debut album Frailty in 2021. The following year, they came out as a trans woman and changed their stage name as they worked on Census Designated. The material on the album was inspired by horror movies, the music of the singer-songwriter Ethel Cain, and an incident where they almost died while on a road trip through a blizzard. It was written in a variety of locations, including Remover's house, at school, and on the road while touring with Brakence. Going through numerous revisions, the tracks were recorded in both Remover's house in New Jersey and at Studio North in Philadelphia; the album was entirely produced by Remover themself. Census Designated is a concept album in the shoegaze and post-rock genres; its story takes place over the course of one night, from sunset to dusk. It presents Auto-Tuned vocals that address themes of desperation, isolation, and rejection. Throughout its recording process, Remover wanted to distance themselves from the labels that were given to their previous work. Its artwork was photographed by Brendon Burton and was chosen as the cover art to represent Census Designated's overarching coming-of-age theme. The album was promoted with four singles and a tour across North America with Quannnic. The album received positive reviews from publications; Paste and Pitchfork included the single "Census Designated" in their best songs of the year lists. The album charted on the North American College and Community Radio Chart (NACC).