Sex & Food
by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. The Observer (UK)
    Apr 9, 2018
    60
    Sonic derangement figures on this accomplished, disjointed record.
  2. DIY Magazine
    Apr 6, 2018
    60
    This more paired-back approach isn’t always successful, mind: certain parts of Sex & Food--a bit like inviting whipped cream into the bedroom--seem like a really good idea at the start, but turn into a bit of a sloppy mess along the way.
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    Apr 4, 2018
    60
    Sex & Food comes with a handful of missteps, like the forgettable ‘Not In Love Were Just High’ and ‘This Doomsday’ in the album’s final third. But by and large, it sees UMO pushing their sound impressively, bending the rule book as crudely as they can before the spine break
  5. Exclaim
    Apr 3, 2018
    60
    While Sex & Food is a disjointed effort with Nielson's usual ingenuity wavering at times, fans will undoubtedly find favourites in certain tracks. It's an anxious, up-and-down affair, with moments of reward sprinkled within its lethargic haze.
  6. Q Magazine
    Mar 29, 2018
    60
    Sex & Food is more grounded, focusing on such concerns as the state of the world. Yet it's all wrapped in warped, layered music as complex as the mess we're in. [May 2018, p.114]
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 40
  3. Negative: 1 out of 40
  1. JCSS
    Apr 6, 2018
    10
    A classic UMO album. A summery album! Favourite song: Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays.
  2. sanserif
    Apr 6, 2018
    10
    I've been sort of obsessed with this album.. probably my favorite band at the moment. The songwriting is really beautiful-- it's very fun andI've been sort of obsessed with this album.. probably my favorite band at the moment. The songwriting is really beautiful-- it's very fun and catchy but also challenging and unexpected. The production and sounds are so creative and unique. In my head it sort of sounds like if Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead and Stevie Wonder had a baby.

    I've been sort of a moderate fan of Unknown Mortal Orchestra since the beginning, but this album really came together brilliantly and drew me in... to the point where I'm starting to really appreciate their previous albums as well.    … Full Review »
  3. BroteinSupreme
    Apr 21, 2018
    7
    Sex & Food is like a mellow version of Tame Impala's "Currents" that, based on the title, I would imagine you ideally make love or pasta whileSex & Food is like a mellow version of Tame Impala's "Currents" that, based on the title, I would imagine you ideally make love or pasta while listening to. This album has some very interesting ups and downs, the acoustic folk interlude from Hunnybee to American Guilt is very strange, called Chronos Feasts on His Children, it doesn't really usher in the distorted guitars very well--there's no consistent mood throughout the album, it'll shift sharply from ballads to electronica and from there to folk and from there to R&B. And it's not necessarily a bad thing though I feel that's one of the things holding this record back. Sex & Food could have taken a far more organized direction and sounded just as good, while being more accessible to a new audience. Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh on the album comparing it so closely with Currents, but Sex & Food doesn't exactly venture into uncharted water. There are still some amazing songs though: American Guilt, the guitar just makes me want to jam. I love the woodsy sound of This Doomsday as well as how dark and gloomy the song is, almost like a fusion of Radiohead's "In Rainbows" with "Moon And Antarctica" era Modest Mouse. Any way you decide to cut the cake, it's par for the course--a very claustrophobic and cathartic effort from UMO, and regardless of some of the issues I have with the track order and some of the less-than-smooth transitions, I still think this is a great listen.… Full Review »
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