AllMusic's Scores

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For 18,280 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 63% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 32% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.5 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 74
Highest review score: 100 The Marshall Mathers LP
Lowest review score: 20 Graffiti
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15,329 out of 18280
  2. Mixed: 2,925 out of 18280
  3. Negative: 26 out of 18280
18280 music reviews
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    • 88 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Black America Again
    All that's here, dark or bright, is vital.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Stripped
    For all its emphasis on the past, Stripped sounds like a step forward.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Drive North
    The music represents a brave move forward. The lyrics, however, are not so innovative.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Goodbye Terrible Youth
    It also exhibits a sleeker sound than the notably rough-hewn debut, with McClure having invested in "a laptop and some decent microphones." Thankfully, these changes don't erode the outfit's free-spirited charisma.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Lodestar
    The album isn't a comeback but a continuum, and a welcome return from a true oracle of traditional song.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    FLOTUS
    Two decades on, Lambchop are not only still able to surprise listeners, they're doing some of their best work at the same time, and FLOTUS is an unexpected triumph.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    This House Is Not for Sale
    Bon Jovi and Shanks may not have done much to freshen up the band's sound--they don't take any mid-2010s musical trends into consideration--but that simmering defiance does mean this is the band's liveliest album in years.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Until the Hunter
    Seven years is a long time to wait between albums, but if that's how long it takes to make the album as good as this is, then the wait was worth it.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Eternally Even
    Those seeking the wacky thrills of Regions of Light and Sound of God might be surprised--or even put off at first--but closer listening reveals the poignant and provocative Eternally Even as a stronger, deeper album.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Beyond the Fleeting Gales
    It's a bit of a mess at times, but there's no denying that Crying's sense of fun is a major part of their appeal.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Lady Wood
    Songs like these and "Keep It Simple" make the most of Lo's big voice and personality on an album that, despite its provocative title, often feels more straightforward than Queen of the Clouds did.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Clear Shot
    Fortunately, for every formless track, there are two more like the brilliantly buoyant "Dream Orchestrator," a glimpse of 21st century psych-pop at its finest. Moments like this make Clear Shot TOY's most ambitious and rewarding album yet.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Dissociation
    Dissociation is an impressive album and a perfect endpoint to a very noisy and varied body of work.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Redemption & Ruin
    Redemption & Ruin is a fine covers album: it not only illuminates and adds new dimensions to these songs, but it unmistakably reflects the Devil Makes Three's musical persona, making it a welcome addition to their catalog.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Primitives
    On the ambient side, tracks often play into one another with quiet transitions, making single-track play potentially abrupt.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Burn Something Beautiful
    An album full of potent atmosphere, dirty guitars, and emotional honesty, Burn Something Beautiful ranks with Escovedo's best and most adventurous work, and both fans and curious neophytes owe it to themselves to give it a listen.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Cosmic Hallelujah
    The nifty thing about Cosmic Hallelujah is that it plays as if it's a passion project: Chesney is determined to connect with his times without abandoning himself, and the result is one of his best records.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Heaven Is for Quitters
    So although introspection may be on full display, it feels more like a celebration of life--a post-realization that it's a mix of highs and lows.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Beyond Now
    Because of their association with Bowie, the quartet's Beyond Now will get attention from a wider range of music fans than a jazz album normally would. But this record warrants attention on its own merits because it showcases the exciting, genre-blurring sound of a sophisticated band coming into its own.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Babes Never Die
    Though they rock convincingly, there's something missing on Babes Never Die; they've become a more focused, accomplished band, but it's at a price.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Third World Pyramid
    The moody astral tones of opener "Good Mourning" get the album off to a slow start, but in general there are plenty of standouts scattered throughout Third World Pyramid that could stand up to BJM's best work.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Parachutes
    Leaps beyond predecessor Stomachaches, Parachutes benefits from its creator's inner turmoil, providing as much emotional support to Iero as it does to listeners with similar struggles.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Two Vines
    Two Vines may not be the group's masterpiece, but it is their most consistent album yet. Their mastery of modern pop sounds, ability to craft melodies that have a timeless quality, and the real connection they provide to people who want their frivolous pop music to have some depth and meaning, is impressive.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Honeymoon on Mars
    Honeymoon on Mars isn't up to the level of the Pop Group's finest recordings, but it's still punk/funk agit-prop that's fearless and unafraid to strike, and if anything, their brand of troublemaking is more deeply needed now than ever before.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Confessions
    Confessions turns out to be as charming as it sounds on paper; at times it's even profound.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Strands
    The album is highly focused and engrossing, and continues Hauschildt's run of nearly flawless albums.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Soft Hair
    There are clever parts strewn throughout and some of the more ambient instrumental tracks like "i.v." and "l.i.v." are quite nice, but overall, the songs themselves don't have quite enough going for them to support the album's quirky intentions.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Eastside Bulldog
    Eastside Bulldog doesn't sound like a typical Todd Snider album, but it's very much a product of his irreverent wit, and if you're looking for some tunes to turn up the party in the 30 minutes before last call, this could be just what you need.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Mapping the Rendezvous
    Mapping the Rendezvous might not appease those fans still waiting for the return of St. Jude, but eight years after their debut, the Courteeners have grown up and streamlined their sound, resulting in a tight, energetic blast of dance-rock.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dreamless
    A few songs sound nothing like Crocodiles, like the rollicking Latin-inspired ballad "Alita" and the cheerful '60s pop/rocker "Not Even in Your Dreams," but it still works thanks to the focused songwriting and the care they put into the sound. That at least half the songs are among their most powerful and poppiest to date ("Telepathic Lover" chief among them) doesn't hurt, either.
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