Metascore
70

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 15
  2. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. Mojo
    Mar 21, 2014
    60
    The truth is, her lion's mane voice is best suited to expressing thick-browed emotions like paranoia or picking at the carcass of a long dead relationship. [Apr 2014, p.94]
  2. Mar 20, 2014
    60
    The Classic is a flawed piece of work, no doubt; overly cluttered and in sore need of reining in at times, it suffers for the hubris of its title. But when Wasser hits the sweet spot, as she does on 'Ask Me', 'Get Direct' and its ebullient centrepiece, she hits it with conviction.
  3. Mar 11, 2014
    60
    Whether or not The Classic finds that audience, it’s comforting to know that an artist like Joan As Policewoman is still out there to counterbalance the auto-tuned pop tartlets of the music business.
  4. 60
    It’s not an easy listen and moments, notably the faux-soul of ‘Shame’, can grate, but this is a fascinating and rich record.
  5. Mar 7, 2014
    60
    Her fifth album is full of the kind of stylish, brassy fare that made huge stars of Amy Winehouse and Plan B. However, it often sounds more like a calculated stab at broader appeal, rather than coming from anywhere deep emotionally.
  6. Mar 7, 2014
    60
    An uplifting and varied listening experience, if only some of the other tracks didn't have a habit of passing you by.
  7. 60
    The real problem with The Classic is it just can’t often enough avoid the pitfalls of mediocrity, whether pastiche grooves, lackluster songwriting, or Joan’s own vocal limitations.
  8. Mar 7, 2014
    60
    Although Wasser has perhaps sounded better in the past and too many of the songs stretch past their welcome, The Classic is a welcome addition to Joan As Police Woman's repertoire and a recommended addition to any album collection due to its impressive ability to surprise and innovate as it moves forward.
  9. Mar 24, 2014
    50
    While there are plenty of technical elements to recommend it, The Classic just lacks that indefinable quality that would make you return to it repeatedly.
  10. Mar 13, 2014
    50
    No matter how much fun it appears to be for Wasser to try on all these different hats, developing a stronger focus on soul--or doo-wop, or girl groups, or R&B--would improve the impact considerably.

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