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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    • 88 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    American Band
    They have both found, on their eleventh album (and best since the early 2000s), a renewed purpose and direction in this time of existential crisis for America.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Three
    Three's high points come when some of the pop veneer is pulled back to let more raw, real feeling through. Overall, it's a solid record that should draw a wider audience to Phantogram's music.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Rheia
    There is eloquence to this anguish, and it is an awful and lovely thing.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Human Energy
    Stewart's reliance on familiar 'intro/build-up/drop' production structures can at times run repetitive, but his own subtle guitar playing, hyperactive synth pads, mallets and bells make the songs anything but predictable.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Altar
    This sophomore effort builds off her debut, but loses the plot in a mass of electronic blackness and vague grievances.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Nothing More to Say
    This mining of the best of days gone by, without falling blindly into nostalgia, makes the Frightnrs' approach a perfect fit for Daptone's retro roster.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always
    There are moments of suffering, self-pity and, eventually, redemption throughout the nine tracks, and although there are some missteps, Luke Winslow-King's I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always is admirable in its undertaking, and definitely worth the listen.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Kodama
    Alcest strive for balance once more here, and for the most part, they achieve it.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    A Seat at the Table
    A Seat demands a careful listen, and rewards it richly. This is Solange's strongest album to date.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    RR7349
    It's an album that never repeats itself, offering up a work that plays out more like a multi-chaptered book than some simple '80s homage that's jumped the shark.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Atrocity Exhibition
    Overall, Atrocity Exhibition is chewy and eclectic, a rich experience that reveals a new surprise with each listen. Years from now, there will still be goodies to unpack.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Eusa
    Taken as a whole, though, EUSA is luminous, a grand gesture made up of the kind of small, gorgeous moments that will remind listeners of home--wherever that may be.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Low Teens
    If Every Time I Die's consistency hasn't impressed you these past few LPs, Buckley's bout of unbridled emotion on Low Teens certainly should.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Head Carrier
    Head Carrier sounds far more restrained and lifeless than it should be.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Blood Bitch
    Blood Bitch won't reward casual listeners, but it offers plenty to those who want to get a little lost.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    I Had a Dream That You Were Mine
    Hamilton + Rostam synthesizes two distinct musicians for a sound that's ultimately greater than the sum of its parts.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    22, A Million
    It's an emphatic step forward, a gorgeous album that, rather than running from it, reflects our fractured world back at us.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Feature Magnetic
    Unfortunately, Keith is treated to some friendly fire here, as most of his cohorts outshine him.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Healing Component
    THC is filled with indications that it's a labour of love, in every way. Single "Spread Love" feels like the main objective of the record. With help of BADBADNOTGOOD, theMind, Noname and others, the album comes together with live instrumentation and smooth production.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Pretty Years
    This record's varied influences are held together by the mastery of both D'Agostino's songwriting and Congleton's production. It's unpredictable but immensely rewarding.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Physicalist
    With Physicalist, Forma have issued a gorgeous statement that extends beyond being a culmination of their previous work. This LP is an example of a collective approaching its zenith.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Must Be Free
    While there's room to reflect on things like dynamics and vocal mixing (Perry's ancient cackle sometimes gets blurred, patios aside), and while Perry is one of the best mixologists in history, Must Be Free is not his best.
    • 85 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Fires Within Fires
    For those who've held on for the ride and enjoyed the band's descent into the heart of darkness, it'll be a welcome addition to your already massive collection of the band's many gems.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Psi
    While ψ certainly isn't for everyone, it's nonetheless an important album that strives to get us to think outside the boom box.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    ArtScience
    At this point, Glasper, along with bassist Derrick Hodge, saxophonist Casey Benjamin, and drummer Mark Colenburg, are a well-oiled musical machine. As the Robert Glasper Experience, the quartet embrace jazz as they steer the genre into exciting directions.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Mount Ninji and Da Nice Time Kid
    All in all, there's ample material on here for fans, even if Mount Ninji lacks a lot of the bite that made albums like Ten$ion and Donker Mag so fresh and exhilarating.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ape In Pink Marble
    The album is riddled with feeling, and there is an adamant sense of joy.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Care
    His ability to make sonically adventurous, emotionally rich pop has made him a perpetually welcome presence in a crowded field and made Care another triumph.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Heads Up
    Often working separately as they balanced various side projects, the recording sessions for Heads Up have resulted in an eclectic, nuanced collection of songs.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings
    A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings might not be an earth-shattering departure from last year's full-length debut The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us, but it's a loud and beautifully fun ode to young outsiders falling in love, getting fucked up and revelling in their weirdness--and that's advice as good as any.
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