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Pre-Human Ideas
by
Pre-Human Ideas Image
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 5 Ratings

  • Summary: Phil Elverum rerecorded with MIDI instrumentation and used Auto-Tune to create new sounds from a selection of tracks from his 2012 releases: Clear Moon and Ocean Roar.
  • Record Label: P.W. Elverum & Sun Ltd.
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock, Lo-Fi, Indie Pop, Experimental Rock
  • More Details and Credits »

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Paste Magazine
    Nov 14, 2013
    88
    These pseudo-mashups expand Elverum’s vision to a Cinerama-like depth of field with the picture beautifully warping around the edges. Whatever Elverum’s true intentions with this release, it certainly has a welcome place in his vast and varied discography.
  2. Sputnikmusic
    Nov 14, 2013
    80
    On a very basic level Pre-Human Ideas may appear to be the work of an artist diving headfirst into insanity. But at its core the album is one of the most personal and engaging releases of Mount Eerie’s career.
  3. Under The Radar
    Nov 22, 2013
    80
    Ultimately, Pre-Human Ideas is less a testament to the untapped power of Auto-Tune than further testament to the genius of Elverum himself.
  4. Exclaim
    Nov 14, 2013
    70
    While some results sound a little too much like a Speak and Spell, the compositions largely survive their robotic mutations, some even gaining new generations of melancholy and grayness via their detachment from the world of simple human emotion.
  5. Uncut
    Nov 20, 2013
    70
    The synths and drum machines that supplant those albums' painstaking arrangements highlight robust songwriting underpinning standout "The Place I Live," while new vocal counter-melodies lift Elverum's "O Superman" choir out of the murk. [Dec 2013, p.70]
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  6. Filter
    Nov 21, 2013
    60
    This is another great move by a revered musician, but the delivery isn’t always as exciting as the idea.
  7. Consequence
    Nov 14, 2013
    50
    Certainly there is enough here to delight die-hard fans. But, overall, it’s barely more than a set of curios, which may have been better off released as a free download.

See all 10 Critic Reviews

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