Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 24
  2. Negative: 0 out of 24
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  1. Sep 21, 2016
    90
    Often working separately as they balanced various side projects, the recording sessions for Heads Up have resulted in an eclectic, nuanced collection of songs.
  2. Sep 19, 2016
    90
    At 52 minutes, it is no longer than your standard album, and yet it has seemingly bottomless depths and wide-open horizons that reward the listener with the possibilities of unending exploration. The fact that it can never be fully known makes it all the more revelatory.
  3. Nov 22, 2016
    80
    Heads Up could easily pick things up right where the band left off, as it elaborates upon the Warpaint dreampop while bringing in purposeful elements of dance-pop and post-rock.
  4. Mojo
    Sep 27, 2016
    80
    The understated widescreen desolation of their eponymous second album marked a breakthrough for Warpaint, their artfully washed-out funk-punk making more sense than ever. The follow-up, Heads Up balances that downbeat vibe with more upbeat, poppy elements, creating a tension that's electric. [Nov 2016, p.91]
  5. Sep 26, 2016
    80
    Warpaint are at the very top of their game, showcasing a full understanding of their sound and the tools needed to get the best out of it. Heads Up is more of a sideways swerve for the band as opposed to a notable shift.
  6. Sep 22, 2016
    80
    Many shades of grey and fragments of sound have gone into Heads Up, which is much greater than the sum of its parts.
  7. Sep 22, 2016
    80
    Heads Up proves that the quick turnaround suits them; instead of seeming rushed, the album feels spontaneous and fearless.
  8. Sep 22, 2016
    80
    This time, the fiery furnace powering their new record comes from slashing open every membrane; letting ideas wildly collide like supercharged, excitable atoms. Brushstrokes and processes are all over this record.
  9. 80
    More adventurous and free-spirited than the Warpaint of before, but retaining the laid-back DNA at their core. For once, Warpaint sound like they’re having fun--and it suits them.
  10. 80
    It’s a journey through their journey, and of influences and styles we’ve all known and loved. But it has all the joy of something completely new, pulled together at the seams lovingly and beautifully into a patchwork that, at first, may feel like clash or confusion but in time feels full of strength.
  11. Sep 23, 2016
    75
    The band has become more adept at bringing its love of body music to the forefront and melding it with experimental impulses.
  12. 75
    Even in ending on a starkly depressing note, Heads Up is a strong, evocative record that solidifies Warpaint as one of the genre’s most creative and entertaining.
  13. Sep 22, 2016
    75
    With so many co-existing styles, what could have been a disjointed listen is reigned in thanks to intelligent songwriting, contemporary production, and, most importantly, an intensity that elevates everything with impenetrable confidence and cool.
  14. Sep 23, 2016
    70
    Warpaint are nothing if not ambitious, which is doubly proved on Heads Up.
  15. Sep 23, 2016
    70
    Their third full length brings out the inchoate danceability in their sound more than ever, steeped in the band's recent R&B and hip-hop listening.
  16. Sep 19, 2016
    70
    At this stage Warpaint still have their boots in two camps: the icy cool of their indie heritage and the open-hearted joy of the kind of music they clearly want to make. As the album progresses the vibrancy that decorates its first half starts to brown.
  17. Sep 29, 2016
    67
    The album as a whole is more suited for seated, solitary brooding than for anything as lively as moving your body.
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 36 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 36
  2. Negative: 4 out of 36
  1. Oct 15, 2016
    7
    Альбом менее гитарно ориентирован, на самом деле, группа заслуживает похвалы за расширение звуковой палитры с помощью синтезаторов,Альбом менее гитарно ориентирован, на самом деле, группа заслуживает похвалы за расширение звуковой палитры с помощью синтезаторов, электронных барабанов и других новшеств. Все это можно назвать "более зрелым" Warpaint. Читать далее http://muztravel.by/news/861-warpaint-podnyat-golovy-i-slushat.html Full Review »
  2. Sep 25, 2016
    2
    They slipped right off the radar on this one for me in this obvious punt for commercial pop success. They have traded their distinctive heavyThey slipped right off the radar on this one for me in this obvious punt for commercial pop success. They have traded their distinctive heavy dream-pop for simple and formulaic dance music. Ask Cat Power where that gets you. Full Review »
  3. Jan 12, 2017
    8
    Very solid album, despite it sounding the most different from what Warpaint is known for making. I am still disappointed that Warpaint has yetVery solid album, despite it sounding the most different from what Warpaint is known for making. I am still disappointed that Warpaint has yet to write a true concept album; this is another series of songs that fit somewhat randomly together. There are more songs on this album I like individually than when compared with the self-titled LP "Warpaint" released back in 2014. They do not necessarily surpass their greatness as shown on, "The Fool," but at least match it, but in a different direction than we've heard before. I am, and will always be, a die hard Warpaint fan, but hope that will strive to make a true concept album sooner than later. Full Review »