Exclaim's Scores

  • Music
Select another publication »
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
view
per page
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Isles
    The formula certainly has its merits though, and Bicep bring them to the fore better than most on Isles, and all with an appealingly late-night, cosmopolitan flair, where ghostly fragments of Hindi, Turkish pop or Bulgarian choirs are just as likely to hover among the neon synths as the usual breathy trance sirens. It gives the album a bustling, urban energy that very much works in its favour, even if its style might slightly outweigh its substance sometimes.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Unusual Sounds: The Hidden History of Library Music
    If you're looking for a de facto greatest hits of library music, Unusual Sounds is here to provide just that.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Surrender Your Poppy Field
    Surrender Your Poppy Field is another solid entry in the Guided By Voices canon, and one that fans or curious onlookers that want a newer entry point into the group shouldn't miss.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    World Wide Pop
    This is an album that throws everything at the wall, and most of it sticks. Best enjoyed in the present.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Total Strife Forever
    Although Doyle's vocal melodies lack focus at times, Total Strife Forever possesses enough left-turns to satisfy the most adventurous electronic music fans.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Deforming Lobes [Live]
    At their best, the band use these chances to explore in moments of pure creativity. At their worst, they meander aimlessly, the live music equivalent of listening in on a conversation that was never really that interesting to begin with.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Hole in My Head
    While “Tacos and Toast” is a cozy, country delight about a relaxing Saturday that develops a sharper edge as it moves along, some of Hole in My Head’s more low key tunes fail to match even the too-slick immediacy of its louder rock songs. That said, the record’s showstopper is “Give Up the Ghost.”
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Sunset Violent
    On The Sunset Violent, Mount Kimbie throw things at the wall and see what sticks — those flung with high velocity make the most impact.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Many Levels of Laughter
    Many Levels of Laughter might not have the drugged out vibe that most psych enthusiasts search for, but J Fernandez's versatility makes him one of the most exciting new artists around.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Peacock Pools
    Several moments on Peacock Pools rank among the most emotionally resonant in McBean's monumental catalogue.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Lonely Planet
    Lonely Planet is a pleasing collection of well-crafted, often beautiful sketches, and while they may not always end up anywhere specific, you'll always enjoy the journey nonetheless.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Printer's Devil
    With their songs, Ratboys document an ongoing search for stability amid a feeling of unstoppable motion and upheaval — whether that means finding a shoulder to lean on, a memory to relive, or a place that really feels like yours. But if being Ratboys is as much fun as "Alien With a Sleep Mask On" sounds, that's some good company to have along for the ride.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Jomsviking
    While longtime fans might be a bit thrown off by some of the more melodic traditional metal elements throughout Jomsviking, the music is well suited to both the concept's narrative and a natural evolution of Amon Amarth's more well known style.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Southsiders
    It's a tried, tested and true formula that has allowed these two humble cats from the land where Kirby Puckett smacked homers to do this for so long.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, Pt. 2
    Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost — Part 2 is at once a satisfying and boundary-pushing listen from a band that sound hungry over a decade into their career.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Why Love Now
    Why Love Now shows Pissed Jeans' songwriting reaching new peaks of awareness and focus, all the while remaining true to their brand of dissonant punk.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Route To The Harmonium
    It's surprising how solitary The Route to the Harmonium comes off--save for a few busy, spoken word tracks that seem to stick out like a sore thumb. But The Route to the Harmonium seems to be James Yorkston's attempt to precisely stick out amongst the crowded field of folksy singer songwriters, and he wears it (on his sleeve) very well.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Our Pleasure
    The evolution can sometimes be clunky, like on "A-Ok" and "People Are Pets," when Thomson's vocal venom and the band's brash tendencies clash in some ways with the songs' brighter moods. But with "Leash" and "Bolt Cutters," they find a softer side that works quite well; each is lifted by a nicely harmonized chorus, and beneath the blown-out speakers is timeless songwriting that could be stripped down to the bones and still stand on its own.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Life in the Dark
    The prevalent mood of Life In The Dark is rainy day music, obliquely referencing dark times in America through often-satirical character songs.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Atlas
    It's amiable, deceptively dense and, ultimately, rewarding.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    It's a New Day Tonight
    Recording at Daptone studio has given the fledgling singer-songwriter some welcome vitality, boosting up the mid-range; its live-to-tape setup gives an immediacy to Rault's insouciant meld of psychedelic harmonies and willowy melodies.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Midnight
    In spite of its occasional faults, Chura's distinct vocals are captivating throughout Midnight. Stef Chura lets her voice crack, crease, and crumble however it wants, pairing vocal fry with vulnerable vibrato. Her voice matches Midnight's offerings perfectly, walking the line between visceral passion and an exhausted shrug.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Ology
    Ology's idiosyncrasies and emotional exhibitionism make for a genuinely honest, captivating listen.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Nothing's Real
    A neon sugar rush that occasionally fizzles out with filler tracks, Nothing's Real ultimately leaves a lasting impression.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Young Romance
    For all these hits, there are more than a few tracks that slide by without making an impression. While Lauber's work often transcends the sum of its competent if unremarkable parts, things can sound a bit rote and unimaginative when they don't.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Powerhouse
    Given how commanding Powerhouse comes off thematically, there are unfortunately moments that simply don't work musically. ... But for its few flaws, Powerhouse is nonetheless rewarding, as Rostron has never sounded so raw and inventive, leaving listeners with the imperfect must-hear album of 2018.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Ambitions
    His sixth album, Ambitions, continues to refine this style, offering up a tighter, more focused version of his sometimes sprawling tendencies. Although some may miss his more esoteric touches, this feels like the natural evolution.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Blank Face LP
    Overall, Blank Face LP has enough meat to warrant several satisfying helpings.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Abandoned
    It's a diverse mixture of sounds delivered in a cohesive and well-arranged package.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Invite the Light
    The theme of perseverance resonates strongly on the album, and the imperfections and vulnerabilities in his vocals help to encapsulate the artistic progression.
Page: