Exclaim's Scores

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For 5,096 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 57% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 38% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Music review score: 75
Highest review score: 100 Vol.II
Lowest review score: 10 California Son
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4,315 out of 5096
  2. Mixed: 753 out of 5096
  3. Negative: 28 out of 5096
5096 music reviews
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    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Day of the Dead
    If you're a longtime fan of the source material, you're bound to find some stuff here to amuse and intrigue you, but you'll still likely see this as a collection of throwaways, of generally inferior covers of your favourite songs. But if you don't know the Dead from a ham sandwich, you may well hear tunes on this collection that turn you toward exploring that chaotic, marvellous, maddening, singular American band.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Spooky Action at a Distance
    Spooky Action At A Distance is a sprawling pop album beaming with the kind of confidence none of us, likely even Pundt, expected. Some surprises are worth waiting six years for.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Surfing Strange
    Surfing Strange feels like a transitional album, as the group look to define themselves with their artistic voice, rather than those of their influences.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Individ
    Although not as strong as Visiter, Individ comes off as a spiritual partner to their 2008 breakthrough, showing the duo working quite well in comfortable surroundings.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Utilitarian
    With their traditional sound mixing well with some new elements, Utilitarian marks the next chapter in Napalm Death's impressive career.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Cheetah [EP]
    Aphex Twin has made a good move here by giving a similar feel throughout the EP, but instead of having a few so-so tracks alienated by a standout one, the entire release ends up being fine but unremarkable, especially when pitted against the behemoths of his back catalogue.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Dream of Delphi
    While it can be embarrassingly earnest at times, impressively, the music never comes across as self-conscious or unsure. As always, Khan is unapologetically herself, and we're welcome to come along for the ride if we'd like. I'm happy I did.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    No Shame
    No Shame is exactly what it says it is--an album where all is revealed, even the unpleasant parts.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Little Heater
    The arrival of Little Heater, only Irwin's second solo album, is therefore a notable event, and nothing about it disappoints.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Shields: B-Sides
    This eight-song set provides a bit of insight into the evolution of Grizzly Bear's ever-ripening sound.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Dreams Worth More Than Money
    Dreams Worth More Than Money overflows with sonic effervescence, drawing you into the snake pit that is the mainstream hip-hop industry, with all the opulent trappings therein. Tight production support ingenious raps that continue to push the envelope of the street anthem narrative.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    But You Cain't Use My Phone [Mixtape]
    But You Caint Use My Phone is a fantastic collection of songs, and while Badu has dubbed the release a mixtape, it's as strong, cohesive and consistent as any proper soul LP put out in recent memory.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    III
    Those who prefer the more straightforward and rousing fare the two have released outside this project should be advised that III is definitely more ethereal drift than shooting star. Longtime fans will know what to expect, however, and while it's more of the same perhaps, it's arguably the best iteration yet.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Only Up
    What Only Up suggests at its core is an opportunity to unite Toronto's hitherto fragmented music scene; rave music, hip-hop and bands can coexist, rebuild the scene anew and have a hell of a good time doing it.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Parastrophics
    As songs pulse and glow bright in the most dynamic of ways, it's almost bittersweet to see Mouse on Mars sounding so comfortable delivering house music, losing a bit of their identity with each passing beat.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    K.T.S.E.
    K.T.S.E. is a strong start with an anticlimactic finish. With a bit of additional time and effort, it could have been so much more.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Hold It In
    No one ever accused the Melvins of being boring--despite calling the record Hold It In, it's overflowing with ideas and creativity.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Swimmin' Time
    Swimmin' Time is every bit as good as its predecessor. Indeed, it offers several songs that leave much of what they've previously recorded in the dust.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    10 Summers
    While 10 Summers delivers everything we'd expect from DJ Mustard, it definitely doesn't challenge his artistic growth.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sees the Light
    While her debut featured plenty of catchy tunes, Sees the Light captures Goodman in a far more confident mode, showcasing her wit and personality.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Hymnal
    An album about religion that's not at all religious, Benoît Pioulard refuses to come off as descriptive or thematic, making Hymnal an example of a mood piece that's designed to be affecting, but never static.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Good Thing
    Leon Bridges' sophomore record rings as an endorsement of his range. And that's a great thing for Good Thing, which tempers its pop-radio ambitions with unique bends on the age-old love song in this super-tight, 35-minute ride.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Your Favorite Toy
    On Your Favorite Toy, it's all loud and all fast all the time. (One notable exception is "If You Only Knew," a relatively straightforward rock song that nonetheless stands out thanks to an excellent hook.) Compounding this problem is the fact that Grohl remains a frustratingly boring lyricist.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Serpentine Path
    Their no-frills approach to doom is dark and incredibly heavy, but deliciously uncompromising. While it takes a few tracks for the band to shine through, it is worth the wait.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Uncut Gems [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]
    Utilizing a variety of different sound palettes, from glossy synths to pounding drums and chanting voices, Lopatin uses the Uncut Gems score to give the listener effective moments of tension, dreamlike airiness and triumph, all in equal measure, making the listening a journey all in itself.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    No One Dances Quite Like My Brothers
    Vår exhibit an ambition to spiral as far as possible down into some dark abyss while maintaining a constant impression of strange beauty.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tough Love
    Tough Love is a tour de force album, one that nails heartache with sophistication and class.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ataraxia/Taraxis [EP]
    Each song on Ataraxia/Taraxis is diverse, with moments of melodious prog-rock, powerful riffs and hazy ambience; however, there's also cohesion to the EP that makes it feel expansive and utterly epic.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Verdonkermaan
    While many black metal albums attempt to approximate the sound that might issue from the depths of hell, Verdonkermaan actually comes close. Terrible and fascinating.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    A Different Arrangement
    The album is not without its bright spots, as much of the Brooklyn duo's soundscapes waver somewhere between engaging and downright daring.
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