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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    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Random Access Memories
    This is the album on which Daft Punk are truly and convincingly "human after all." And on this toweringly grand achievement, they've never sounded better.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Sing to the Moon
    It's a solid album from Mvula, but "beguiling potential" only begins to describe the musical authority this debut merely alludes to.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Crawling Up the Stairs
    With Crawling Up the Stairs, the masks are off for the world to hear.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Silver Wilkinson
    The addition of synths and steady, solid backbeats, mixed in with the natural and live elements Silver Wilkinson rides on, gives the album tangibility worth grasping.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Limits of Desire
    The only trouble is that nearly every track captures the same sense of John Hughes-worthy nostalgia, with no cut standing out above the rest.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Cloud Room, Glass Room
    With Cloud Room, Glass Room, Pan American's original recipe feels slightly new–and-improved.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Modern Vampires of the City
    While cathartic moments of release abound, for the most part, Rostam Batmanglij and co-producer Ariel Reichstadt opt for understated beauty.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Ways We Separate
    On The Ways We Separate, Beacon manage to craft one of the most compelling and authentic-sounding albums of the year, and all it took was the courage to cool it with the R&B part.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Nacirema Dream
    You can tell he genuinely attempted to deliver a well-rounded record. However, there's not enough innovation to interest casual fans in the project.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    13 Degrees of Reality
    Though initially intimidating, 13 Degrees Of Reality's murky, dub-inspired sound and paranoid aura get under the skin after repeated listens.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Head in the Dirt
    Head in the Dirt definitely bears all the hallmarks of an Auerbach production--fuzz, funk and stadium-ready choruses--and often it's difficult to tell whether El Khatib is merely serving as Auerbach's stand-in. But the catchiness of his songwriting ultimately wins the day.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    American Kid
    If it can be said that Griffin has been toiling in the shadow of Emmylou Harris, then American Kid is the long-overdue moment that puts the full range of her talent on display.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Hokey Fright
    It's evident that the two were having a good time recording Hokey Fright, and though the album isn't always successful, it's encouraging to see creative individuals ignore genre boundaries in order to bridge gaps.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Strange Pleasures
    His whimsically removed approach worked out quite well for Strange Pleasures.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Weird Work
    On a surface level, these tracks form a more tempered piece of work, but multiple listens unveil layers of sound that make Weird Work the most fittingly titled album of the year.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Volume 3
    The production is clean and the tunes, as mentioned, sweet, but this is a sugary confection that's bound to get lost in the candy store.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Monomania
    It's an intense, sometimes violent, occasionally beautiful rock'n'roll record that once again proves the unpredictability and reliability of Deerhunter.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Silence Yourself
    The album doesn't quite match their punishing live show, but neither does it betray their purpose or message: to fiercely silence the white noise of psychosocial oppression. It is one missive they convey without ambiguity.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Excavation
    Excavation is a brilliant piece of work, one best enjoyed actively with a premium set of headphones, in solitude.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Black on Blonde
    While the disc does eventually find its footing, the clash between clearly artistic and commercial endeavours makes for an uneven and somewhat jarring listen.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    MCII
    Cronin offers new experiments on MCII, but errs just enough on the side of caution to create a fantastic pop record.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Gordian
    He sets ideas down, leaves them to move about, interact and then finally imposes his considerable intuition for the dance floor to form a convincing sonic drama.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Beautiful Death Machine
    There's no doubt that, technically speaking, Swollen Members are better now than they've ever been, but a decade-and-a-half in, they need to find new material.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    In Technicolor
    In Technicolor keeps this young duo striving to sound youthful and adventurous.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Live by the Code
    Undoubtedly this album will get a cursory listen by fans of hardcore, while gaining a special place amongst those whom embrace and follow its tenets.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Everybody Loves Sausages
    A sense of glee infuses every weird noise and sludgy riff.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tender is the Night
    This brilliant light on the country's folk music scene has never sounded better.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    To Dust
    Not enough to likely attain crossover appeal, but definitely hitting a sweet and soulful spot, Alice isn't Adele, but she doesn't aspire to be.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Thr!!!er
    On THR!!!ER, !!! have finally found a happy medium between playful and goofy, epic and bloated, tongue-in-cheek and just plain chic.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    New History Warfare, Vol. 3: To See More Light
    To See More Light is a masterpiece that organically and coherently blends Stetson's avant-garde playing and dark, complex themes with accessible and compelling compositions that bring a ray of hope not just for the characters in his underlying narrative, but for the future of music.
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