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Club Meds
by
Club Meds Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

  • Artist(s): Blacksmith
  • Summary: Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Mangan returns as Dan Mangan + Blacksmith for his fourth overall full-length album and it was produced by Colin Stewart.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Drowned In Sound
    Jan 7, 2015
    80
    It’s a pleasure to hear a group take a step forward on a record of reflection and insight, and whilst it may lack a visceral thrill for some and needs to be approached with a careful ear, many will appreciate the nuance, engagement and depth it offers.
  2. CMJ
    Jan 16, 2015
    80
    The sedation blurs the transition of space and time, and Mangan skillfully plays with the passing of each to create unexpected pacing that adds to the overall feel, giving the album moments that range from subdued melancholy to impassioned rock.
  3. Uncut
    Jan 7, 2015
    80
    This is all very impressive stuff. [Feb 2015, p.80]
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  4. Exclaim
    Jan 12, 2015
    80
    Aside from this titanic single, Club Meds is an album of subtle pleasures that's more likely to creep under your skin than hit you over the head.
  5. AllMusic
    Jan 13, 2015
    80
    By maintaining a more or less accessible alt-pop center, Mangan and company have given themselves free reign to fill in the edges with whatever they see fit, which they do with gusto throughout Club Meds' perfectly acceptable 45-minute runtime, which is something that only happens when a band, not an individual, is firing on all cylinders.
  6. The 405
    Jan 7, 2015
    75
    Club Meds is deliberately dense and cluttered and at times confusing. The fact that it manages to be beautiful and intriguing at the same time is quite a feat.
  7. NOW Magazine
    Jan 7, 2015
    60
    Mangan's emotive voice is as assured as ever, and his socially conscious lyrics penetrate. Add in a stark, disillusioned tone and sluggish tempos and it makes for an overly serious listen.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. Anatole
    Feb 25, 2015
    10
    Amazing album, rich and full of surprise. Excellent control on the mood of the songs, an emotional landscape to discover. Excellent sound ansAmazing album, rich and full of surprise. Excellent control on the mood of the songs, an emotional landscape to discover. Excellent sound ans playing, full of references but very well integrated.… Expand
  2. soundstruck
    Jan 18, 2015
    9
    Acoustically complex music production backing Managan's wonderful songwriting. Melodically pleasing; is an album that will grow on you. HighlyAcoustically complex music production backing Managan's wonderful songwriting. Melodically pleasing; is an album that will grow on you. Highly recommended.… Expand
  4. Custom_Concerns
    Jan 19, 2015
    6
    The production and instrumentation is very impressive - leaps and bounds ahead of anything Dan Mangan has done before. The album itself, inThe production and instrumentation is very impressive - leaps and bounds ahead of anything Dan Mangan has done before. The album itself, in terms of songwriting, is hit and miss. There are standouts, like the two singles, Vessel and Mouthpiece, but many songs follow the same dreary and monotonous structure. Dynamics are not handled particularly well, as most of the songs are around the same level of intensity. This makes for an album that sounds nice, but gets old quickly.… Expand
  5. andrewster
    Feb 10, 2015
    1
    Overblown, pompous, and heartless. Regardless of how much Mangan spruces up his paper-thin songs, or lets talented backing musicians prop himOverblown, pompous, and heartless. Regardless of how much Mangan spruces up his paper-thin songs, or lets talented backing musicians prop him up, this guy just makes Mumford & Sons sound positively hardcore in comparison.… Expand

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