Exclaim's Scores

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For 5,105 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: 4,324 out of 5105
  2. Mixed: 753 out of 5105
  3. Negative: 28 out of 5105
5105 music reviews
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    • 82 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    The Waiting Room
    The combination of rich layered instrumentation, carefully orchestrated strings and Stuart Staples' evocative vocals give feelings of loss and loneliness a cinematic grandeur, yet their consistently strong recordings never lapse into sentimental excess. That is a balancing act few can manage, and the group pull it off yet again here.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Adore Life
    With this album, they've proven that they're a band with substance, staying power and the ability to question everything--and that's worth a lot.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Jet Plane And Oxbow
    The sense of velocity and flight, paired with Meiburg's dramatic vocals, delivered with Bowie-like flair here, making Jet Plane and Oxbow a natural progression for Shearwater, and a nice departure from their typical offerings.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    A Coliseum Complex Museum
    Though unlikely to win legions of new fans, this is another impeccably crafted psychedelic rock record sure to please fans of the genre.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Night Thoughts
    Suede establish and uphold the album's gravitas with the type of symphonic grandiosity we've come to anticipate from them.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Not to Disappear
    At no point does any of the growth feel forced. Daughter could have been forgiven for producing another album like their debut, but they took a brave step in embracing innovation. The beautiful Not to Disappear is their reward, and ours.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Slaves Beyond Death
    Black Breath don't quite stand out like they used to, so while this is still a very solid album, the band would have been wise to perhaps make a louder, more out-there statement in order to establish themselves as leaders of the genre.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Blackstar
    With Blackstar, Bowie has made a record that fits comfortably within that legacy while reasserting himself as an artist that continuously makes challenging and rewarding music.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Leave Me Alone
    It’s contagious; every song sounds like a party
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    808s & Dark Grapes, Vol. 3
    Bringing a higher degree of polish to the table than past bedroom recordings, the duo also show off an impressive palette of sounds on their dozen beats.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Southern Surreal
    On the spooky, very unorthodox The Southern Surreal, Legendary Shack Shakers have successfully brewed styles to create an album that is undeniably fascinating.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude
    The weight of Darkest Before Dawn doesn't simply rest on Pusha T's lyrical weight (literal and figuratively), but also his ability to tap into the strengths of his producers, like Boi-1da's thunderous drums, Kanye West's soulful grandeur or Timbaland's unorthodox layering.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Alberta Cross
    Alberta Cross' familiar '70s rock soundscape is lush and relaxed--ideal for the self-reflection that's fostered by long drives, Sunday afternoons and quiet dinner conversations with friends.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Delusion Moon
    The songs are more interesting and less formulaic, akin to the approaches of Q and Not U and No Knife.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Purple
    This is a must-hear. Baroness are back, and they sound as good as ever.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tell Me I'm Pretty
    With the release of Melophobia in 2013, listeners saw Cage create a new identity; Tell Me I'm Pretty takes that change further by exploring new avenues and soundscapes, and it's better for it.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    A New Place 2 Drown
    As a follow-up to 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, ANPTD lacks the charm that made his 2013 record amiable. This new work finds Marshall revealing himself through the sound of his combined musical sensibilities and artistry.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    A Folk Set Apart
    A Folk Set Apart demonstrates not just his punk rock side, but all of the many facets McCombs has shown over the years. It would be an odd place to start your voyage of discovery, but then odd is kind of McCombs' middle name--so wander in.
    • 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.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Cool Uncle
    Eclectic, soulful and refreshing, Cool Uncle is a must-hear.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Right On!
    Her solo album is indicative of her strength alone, but it also highlights her importance as a member of Warpaint.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    The Ties That Bind: The River Collection [Box Set]
    On one hand, it's an endlessly engaging artifact for music dorks interested in an education straight from the source; on the other hand, it simply overflows with some of the best, and most enjoyable rock 'n' roll of all time.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    A Head Full of Dreams
    A Head Full of Dreams might have been a poptimist masterpiece. Instead, it's just another Coldplay album, with all the baggage--both positive and negative--that entails.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Kannon
    Kannon is Sunn O)))'s most sparse offering in years, but the experiment in meditative metal minimalism is more than capable of shooting listeners towards a higher plane of consciousness.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Rivers and Streams
    Indeed, Melnyk's quick fingers imbue his music with depth that, if explored, reveals harmonies within harmonies.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Ty-Rex [Reissue]
    The record has an unfinished, ramshackle quality to it, almost as if Segall recorded it on a whim, but it's still explosive--nothing seems preordained or fussed over.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Beyond Belief
    McGuire's reputation doesn't need any further solidification at this point, but Beyond Belief is another worthy instalment in his hugely respectable catalogue.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Free TC
    Though a bit of a slog at points, what could have easily been a 16-track collection of Griffin's ambition becoming his downfall, is a worthwhile look at the multifaceted nature of his musical brain. It's worth sticking around for.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Fever 121614, Live in Japan
    With a runtime that clocks in at just under 40 minutes and very little banter found in between tracks, Fever 121614 doubles as a great starting point into Deerhoof's extensive back catalogue and a showcase of the band's live strengths, all in one thrilling listen.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Monastic Living [EP]
    Although both fans and newcomers alike would benefit from a more substantial, cohesive project, it's enough for now.
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