One Plus One Is One
by Badly Drawn Boy
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 13
  3. Negative: 2 out of 13

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  1. angeeright
    Jun 23, 2004
    0
    Really disappointing...shows the steady decline since his debut album has turned into a freefall. Songs for middle aged and cloth eared, not to mention pretentious , music critics.
  2. Alexis
    Sep 21, 2005
    2
    I wanted to like this album, I really did. "Bewilderbeast" is one of my favorite albums, period; but, both compared to his previous work and on its own, "One Plus One" is nothing but a dud. The lyrics are so trite and cliche it's almost unbelievable that anyone could find them appealing - I find myself cringing as I listen to this. The songwriting is good at best, but more often I wanted to like this album, I really did. "Bewilderbeast" is one of my favorite albums, period; but, both compared to his previous work and on its own, "One Plus One" is nothing but a dud. The lyrics are so trite and cliche it's almost unbelievable that anyone could find them appealing - I find myself cringing as I listen to this. The songwriting is good at best, but more often uninspiring and derivative - and the awful lyrics ruin what might otherwise be the few decent songs. I have tried listening to this CD several times in the hope that it might get better, as some reviewers have suggested, but it just doesn't. Disappointing is right.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 23
  3. Negative: 3 out of 23
  1. Billboard
    40
    While there's not necessarily a bad song to be found, Gough is capable of much more than the pretty yet bland compositions that dominate "One Plus One."
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  2. Entertainment Weekly
    50
    A snoozy muddle, dominated by underwritten, over-orchestrated ballads. [6 Aug 2004, p.80]
  3. PopMatters
    50
    Despite some truly inspired songs, One Plus One doesn't have the same dizzying effect as the genre-hopscotching Bewilderbeast or the orchestrated beauty of confident follow-ups About a Boy and Have You Fed the Fish?.
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