Alternative Press' Scores
- Music
For 3,071 reviews, this publication has graded:
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64% higher than the average critic
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3% same as the average critic
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33% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.4 points higher than other critics.
(0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 73
| Highest review score: | LANY | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest review score: | Results May Vary |
Score distribution:
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Positive: 2,331 out of 3071
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Mixed: 695 out of 3071
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Negative: 45 out of 3071
3071
music
reviews
- By Date
- By Critic Score
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- Critic Score
Circa just sound oddly restrained, in a way, and the most enthralling moments don’t feel quite as emotionally resonant or grabbing as the band’s been so capable of in the past, especially with a slower pace down the stretch. That said, an average Circa Survive album is still a cut above most anything out there, and their subtle yet ever-continuing evolution remains a compelling thing. [Oct 2017, p.81]- Alternative Press
- Posted Sep 25, 2017
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Die! Die! Die! craft a rickety balance between cacophony and attractive post-punk melody. [Mar 2008, p.136]- Alternative Press
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Dymphna's genre distinctions are more sophisticated and nuanced. [Dec 2008, p.152]- Alternative Press
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Sure the plot has been done to death and you know what's going to happen; but the personalities involved draw you in like a rubbernecker gawking at a highway accident fromth safety of his car. [Nov 2009, p.105]- Alternative Press
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Even if the energy level flags toward Hysterical's end, it's safe to say welcome back, fellows--all is forgiven. [Oct 2011, p.106]- Alternative Press
Posted Sep 14, 2011 -
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A tastefully echo-bathed, psychocandy-flavored production job by the Raveonetts' Sune Rose Wagner, and you've got a soaring and psychedelic dream-pop stunner that will leave you wondering how being bummed can feel so inanely good. [Sep 2013, p.88]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 8, 2013 -
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A rock record that sounds a lot like Sebadoh with an aspiring guitar hero. [Mar 2003, p.94]- Alternative Press
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Tempos have been ground down to a slow crawl, but as Melvins and Sunn O))) have proven, that tactic just gives a band the chance to prove how heavy they really are. [Jun 2010, p.105]- Alternative Press
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It's certainly a progression for Metric, but it's an evolution whose emotional honesty--and sonic depth--are rewarding and affecting. [Jul 2012, p.94]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 8, 2012 -
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Any way you slice it, Glitterbug lives up to its explosive, playful name. [May 2015, p.102]- Alternative Press
Posted Apr 10, 2015 -
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...ya know? manages to maintain a cohesive sound despite its disjointed source material.- Alternative Press
- Posted May 22, 2012
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No one will argue 5 Seconds Of Summer is high art, but it ultimately works more often than it doesn’t. And, perhaps most important of all, it feels authentic.- Alternative Press
- Posted Jul 2, 2014
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Though slightly dragging and formulaic at times, the melodies and arrangements are strong and memorable, stacking up against Mascis' previous solo releases. [Sep 2014, p.107]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 18, 2014 -
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The mood can at times feel oppressive, but is always rescued by either a devilishly great synth hook or Puciato's baleful vocals and heated lyrics. [Mar 2016, p.102]- Alternative Press
Posted Feb 1, 2016 -
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The pristine third album from UK rhythm junkies Foals is a study in contrasts. [Mar 2013, p.8]- Alternative Press
Posted Feb 6, 2013 -
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The resulting album is, at its best, ambitious and teeming with ideas and, at worst, one heck of a mish-mash of sounds.- Alternative Press
- Posted Oct 8, 2013
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These songs have enough lyrical detail to project some moving pictures onto you mind's eye. [Mar 2015, p.94]- Alternative Press
Posted Feb 12, 2015 -
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It might sound formulaic, if it weren't so gorgeous. [Jun 2009, p.102]- Alternative Press
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Scattershot and immediate, with every track sounding as if it came off the top of his head. [Oct 2001, p.99]- Alternative Press
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Despite its relative palatability, compared with their earlier work, this is a hard album to like--and that's what makes it good. [Jan 2003, p.102]- Alternative Press
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Nobody creates teeth-rottingly sweet indie rock better than Denver's Dressy Bessy. [Sep 2003, p.102]- Alternative Press
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While at times a bit plodding, Sunshine's dizzying musical excursions become more exquisite with each listen. [Dec 2002, p.74]- Alternative Press
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There's a handful of tracks that should have been left on the cutting room floor to slim down the set, but Heart Attack is undoubtedly a step up for Man Overboard. [Jun 2013, p.91]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 20, 2013 -
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Guitarist Lindsey Troy's molten riffage and roaring voice-landing between Karen O and Brody Dalle--are paired perfectly with drummer Julie Edwards' wall-shaking bears on "Your Love's A Lie," which is as (not very) sensitive as this collections gets. [Nov 2013, p.88]- Alternative Press
Posted Oct 1, 2013 -
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Kittenz is stocked with decadent electro-house grooves, slinky synth burbles and Ms. Kittin's glammy, deadpan vocals that sound like Madonna on Quaaludes. [Mar 2002, p.80]- Alternative Press
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"Do I Wanna Know?" and "R U Mine?" are a couple of satisfying stomps anchoring this collection of gold-tinted kiss-offs. [Oct 2013, p.82]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 30, 2013 -
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It's not as abrasive or confrontational as previous efforts, but Worship nevertheless shimmers with a defiantly bleak edge. [Jul 2012, p.90]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 8, 2012 -
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[In Kind undermines the mood of the entire album with a series of acrobatic vocal yelps.] It's a shame, because otherwise this is a record of near-perfect beauty. [Sep 2013, p.88]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 14, 2013 -
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Lonely will buy Hawthorne Heights a few more minutes beyond the 15 they've already received. Here's to hoping they'll use that time to think outside of the box a little more when they write LP3. [Mar 2006, p.119]- Alternative Press
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Madina Lake's return to the scene is reason enough to celebrate, it's just icing on the cake they've delivered their strongest album to date. [Sep 2011, p.107]- Alternative Press
Posted Oct 11, 2011 -
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JXL's enthusiastic proficiency is largely consistent throughout. [Apr 2008, p.162]- Alternative Press
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This is Unwound's Kid A, in that they've turned their back on the rock in favor of something more atmospheric, but even more significantly, they've tossed out all the old recipes and made the future unpredictable. Problem is, they've fixed something that wasn't broken. [Jul 2001, p.85]- Alternative Press
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The Brazilian party inciters still diversify deftly on their fourth full-length, Planta. [Jul 2013, p.100]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 7, 2013 -
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The gloriously retro You Have No Idea is what the last Rapture album should of been [May 2008, p.146]- Alternative Press
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Black Hours [is] loaded with familiar falsetto swoops, cutting middle range and observation mixed with self-reflection. [Jul 2014, p.98]- Alternative Press
Posted May 30, 2014 -
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The Nextwave Sessions lacks the pure aggression of Four’s best moments, but that’s not a slight; this release just showcases yet another side of the U.K.’s most interesting post-punk band.- Alternative Press
- Posted Aug 8, 2013
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Really, Surfer Blood always reminds us so much of the Pixies, and that isn't changing much with Tarot Classics. [Dec 2011, p.124]- Alternative Press
Posted Nov 1, 2011 -
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Aside from a few dud lyrics--rhyming "ointment" with "appointment"--Wreckorder is a worthy debut. [Nov 2010, p.112]- Alternative Press
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The underwhelming title cut underscores the superiority of the first four Black Kids songs, but their transition from MySpace to major label is an overall success. [Sep 2008, p.162]- Alternative Press
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It results in a dense, difficult grower of an album whose bombast slowly becomes charming swagger. [Mar 2012, p.96]- Alternative Press
Posted Feb 16, 2012 -
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Teenager music for people who were teenagers in the '70s. [Apr 2007, p.190]- Alternative Press
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There's not a ton of new ground broken, but The Fire is proof that Senses Fail consistently toe the line between singing and screaming better than most of their peers. [Nov 2010, p.116]- Alternative Press
Posted Oct 29, 2010 -
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The singer continues to exude a sophistication that raises the bar for aggressive rockers who can mature with both grace and continued relevance. [Nov 2011, p.93]- Alternative Press
Posted Oct 13, 2011 -
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The minimalist musical compositions on Situation force the listener to focus on Buck 65's idiosyncratic ingenuity. [Dec 2007, p.187]- Alternative Press
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The problem with this kind of timeless rock 'n' roll is that every city in the U.S. has a band who have mnore or less mastered it. [Feb 2008, p.119]- Alternative Press
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As ever, Martsch prove capable of anthropomorphizing a bent string and imbuing it with more emotion than many bands' vocals and lyrics. [Dec 2009, p.112]- Alternative Press
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A slick, expertly crafted crossover plea that can't quite push Oakenfold past every other beat-happy producer out there. [Aug 2002, p.88]- Alternative Press
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When these Norwegians try to make more conventional haunted soul-diva stuff, it sounds rote by comparison.... But when they follow their own muses, they come up with genius tracks like "Remind Me." [Dec 2002, p.96]- Alternative Press
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Despite being almost numbingly consistent at times, it's his most self-indulgent Catholics album, and it could easily become a favorite of Black's long-time fans. [Oct 2002, p.77]- Alternative Press
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The Red Album is a wonderful jumping-off point for their second wind. [July 2008, p.145]- Alternative Press
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Acoustic without being folksy, poppy without being pandering, and quirky without being annoying. [Oct 2004, p.144]- Alternative Press
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Runners in the Nerved World serves as a transitional record for a band who continue to figure out who they are and what they want to be. [Feb 2015, p.92]- Alternative Press
Posted Jan 22, 2015 -
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While longtime fans might chide the group for losing some of their quirkiness and streamlining their sound, the band's desire to push the boundaries should be commended. [Mar 2012, p.91]- Alternative Press
Posted Feb 16, 2012 -
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It could have easily gone into darker, scarier narratives and/or sonic atmospheres but they shut it down at the near three-minute mark. Unnecessary brevity is a sticking point: Sea Of Cowards' 11 tracks run a little over 35 minutes.- Alternative Press
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- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 20, 2012 -
- Alternative Press
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There's still dead air begging for Wedren to fill it--preferably with stronger melodies and more lingering turns of phrase--but until his old band reform and make a comeback album, Wand is well worth waving.- Alternative Press
- Posted Oct 19, 2011
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A renewed sense of purpose exudes from every song, with an abundance of electronics playing nicely with their roiling guitar rock. [Apr 2017, p.80]- Alternative Press
Posted Mar 9, 2017 -
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Conduit proves that they still have that magic, albeit in a more hit-and-miss manner.- Alternative Press
- Posted Feb 12, 2013
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Ladyfinger (ne)'s second disc finds a sweet spot within the jagged, mathematical riffs to hide wellsprings of melody and harmony. [Apr 2009, p.132]- Alternative Press
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Even songs in White Lies' comfort zone--namely the brooding ballad "Change," which wears its Joy Division influences proudly--feels more confident. Only the cringe-inducing "First Time Caller," whose lyrics riff on the tired "first-time caller/long-time listener" radio phrase, truly drags down Big TV. [Sep 2013, p.94]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 7, 2013 -
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Riotously catchy pop songs that fall somewhere between boisterous pub anthems and artsy bursts of haphazard punk. [Jun 2006, p.190]- Alternative Press
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Mando Diao's balance of updated pop smarts, slick production and stylish vitriol is a winning one. [May 2007, p.159]- Alternative Press
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This quartet's latest work still bellows in and out with the urgency of a boxer's lungs, and new singer Arnold de Boer maintains a strident edge while adding a barely perceptible undercurrent of lightness. Missing is the low end. [Feb 2011, p.87]- Alternative Press
Posted Feb 1, 2011 -
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Exquisitely crafted folk-pop minimalism that whispers with profundity and burrows deep into your heart. [July 2002, p.84]- Alternative Press
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It may not have the continuity or cohesive potency of a Document #8 or City Of Caterpillar, but it's a pleasant rage like few others coming out and, when necessary, clearly shouts what it wants to be heard.- Alternative Press
- Posted Jul 15, 2014
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They’re successfully anthemic on “She Way Out,” like a nerdy, English version of the Gaslight Anthem. But when they try on modern, digitally glitchy production on “Menswear,” by contrast, it feels (ironically, given the track’s title) like they’re struggling in ill-fitting clothes.- Alternative Press
- Posted Sep 4, 2013
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Matsson's third LP is a wide-eyed exercise in water testing, adding counterpoint and pathos to his road-worn sneer and elegiac melodies. [Jul 2012, p.100]- Alternative Press
Posted Jun 8, 2012 -
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There’s a lot to appreciate, whether you like screamo, face-punching hardcore, pop-punk, or some combination of all those sounds and more.- Alternative Press
- Posted Aug 7, 2013
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While minor lulls can be found and their habit of zeroing in on daily life's mundane nuances risks self-parody, this s*** still rips. [Mar 2013, p.92]- Alternative Press
Posted Feb 6, 2013 -
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Fortunately, the androgynous-voiced experimenter went back on threats of scrapping what is by far his most versatile collection. [Nov 2009, p.106]- Alternative Press
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It's songs seem somewhat aimless at times, but Repave is worth the journey for its riving consistency and moments of hook-laden greatness. [Oct 2013, p.94]- Alternative Press
Posted Aug 29, 2013 -
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Posted Feb 2, 2015 -
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The album nods to "Things'" lush, layered pop, while adding hefty shoegaze crunch, kicky new-wave synths and diffracted drone.[Dec 2008, p.148]- Alternative Press
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Farrell's silvery adenoidal baritone scissors through bass-heavy raggamuffin beats, dreamy swells of keyboard-fueled atmosphere and ticklish breakbeats -- and the slapdash aesthetic somehow coheres. [Aug 2001, p.79]- Alternative Press
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It's a bit frustrating that Woodruff is still rehashing the lyrical doom-and-gloom of the band's early work. [Jun 2010, p.105]- Alternative Press
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- Alternative Press
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These sparse, haunting pieces evoke that bedroom-bound-genius mystique many songwriters futilely try to attain. [Sep 2002, p.84]- Alternative Press
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There are a kit if sounds present, but the band manage to make them come together as one. [Jun 2011, p.106]- Alternative Press
Posted May 16, 2011 -
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The live drums and guitars show how the duo's chartbusting sound bears a surprising similarity to modern metal. [Mar 2002, p.86]- Alternative Press
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He tweaks frequencies and shades his queasy bass lines like the Neptunes on a diet of Red Bull and espresso beans. [Jan 2003, p.100]- Alternative Press
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The stitched together samples, drum machine splatters, and foreboding synthesizers come across like the soundtrack to a particularly quick edited and terrifying lo-fi horror flick.- Alternative Press
- Posted Sep 23, 2013
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Eschewing the DJ-friendly club format they perfected on 1999's Remedy, the Jaxx are now writing R&B-flavored pop songs... But their success is hit-and-miss... [Jul 2001, p.60]- Alternative Press
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Lightburn's musings are best met with equal grandeur--such as the low-key but effective sort Missiles usually provides. [Dec 2008, p.138]- Alternative Press
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Sprout is doing a fine job of keeping his legacy untarnished. [Apr 2003, p.73]- Alternative Press
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It avoids the sophomore slump by mixing a little meloody in with the morose--sort of like a down-tuned Pinback for stoners. [Apr 2009, p.108]- Alternative Press
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Tres Cabrones pummels you with no-frills sludgy goodness like "City Dump" and "Stump Farmer," uncomplicated and uncompromising metal.- Alternative Press
Posted Nov 4, 2013 -
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Polymers Are Forever makes the noblest of gestures-confusing the hell out of people who love their culture served to them on a stick while getting their fans psyched for a proper full-length early next year.- Alternative Press
- Posted Nov 29, 2011
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[Makes Me Sick] creates enough slight sonic diversions to give longtime fans something new to enjoy. [May 2017, p.82]- Alternative Press
- Posted Apr 28, 2017
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What could have been a sterling six-track EP is still a solid album to blast until the weather matches its summertime mood. [Feb 2010, p.97]- Alternative Press
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With its background ripped straight from ’80s video games and its foreground featuring rip-roaring guitar, Science And Magic bridges a gap between goofy nostalgia and a welcome adventure. [Jan 2016, p.95]- Alternative Press
- Posted Dec 10, 2015
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- Alternative Press
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Much more songwriter-based than [his] early discs. [Sep 2006, p.230]- Alternative Press
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Although there's no shortage of menace and mystery on her goth and dark wave-inspired full-length, these uneasy, creeped-out feelings seep into the unconsciousness only after repeated listens. [Jan 2016, p.95]- Alternative Press
Posted Dec 10, 2015 -
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Born Under Saturn is an album of ambition, and while the gaffes certainly hold it back, there are enough good ideas crammed in throughout, making the album a worthy trip to a spacey dancehall.- Alternative Press
- Posted May 11, 2015
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All Osborne's vocal and instrumental hallmarks--including enigmatic lyrics and track titles--are in place, so it's not really a departure, but it's also too good to be shrugged off as for Melvins fans only. [Jul 2014, p.100]- Alternative Press
Posted May 30, 2014 -
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Once you get inside this static, it's the ideal place to hang out. [Oct 2009, p.106]- Alternative Press
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Johansson sounds more in her element in this one, starting off strong with the bittersweat bounce of 'Relator.' The only misfire on Break Up is an overly arty rendition of 'I Am The Cosmos' by Chris Bell of Big Star. [Oct 2009, p.115]- Alternative Press
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Amazingly enough, only a few tunes drag or fade into the background--a testament to how strong (and focused) the songwriting is on Submarine. [Jun 2011, p.111]- Alternative Press
Posted May 16, 2011