Universal Themes
by Sun Kil Moon
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 40
  3. Negative: 2 out of 40
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  1. Custom_Concerns
    Jun 9, 2015
    5
    I'll preface this by saying that Benji is not only my favorite album of 2014, but one of my favorites of all time. Despite the similar lyrical approach in Universal Themes, the detailed stories are far less poignant this time around. Instead of being about the most significant moments of Kozelek's life, they are rather the small, everyday aspects. While this approach has been successfullyI'll preface this by saying that Benji is not only my favorite album of 2014, but one of my favorites of all time. Despite the similar lyrical approach in Universal Themes, the detailed stories are far less poignant this time around. Instead of being about the most significant moments of Kozelek's life, they are rather the small, everyday aspects. While this approach has been successfully implemented (see: Courtney Barnett), it doesn't work very well here. The instrumentation and songwriting are too incoherent and unfocused to provide a strong backdrop to the lyrics, especially considering the songs are so long. Overall, the album feels more unfocused than it does avant-garde.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Mojo
    Jul 6, 2015
    80
    Aching, poetically quotidian observations permeate Universal Themes. [Aug 2015, p.89]
  2. Q Magazine
    Jul 1, 2015
    80
    Universal themes absorbs and moves far more than it frustrates. [Aug 2015, p.113]
  3. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Jun 22, 2015
    60
    The album is as stuck in time as a delivered text or dead second cousin. The songs remain the same.
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