• Record Label: Domino
  • Release Date: Apr 23, 2013
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. Jun 18, 2013
    80
    The performances all across the album fairly ooze quality and what might be called good taste, from the hushed, tasteful drumming to the gentle piano and acoustic guitar that dominate the album.
  2. May 7, 2013
    52
    What’s most disappointing about the album is how Ryder-Jones has almost completely abandoned taking any sonic risks. His vocal is dulled and rasping throughout, and the songs never blossom like those on If..., seemingly hamstrung by his limited range.
  3. Apr 22, 2013
    80
    Measured, melancholy, and mysterious, Jones' debut as a singer/songwriter is as subtle as it is striking, skillfully marrying the sedate melancholy of Elliott Smith with the sly, darkly comic lyricism of The National.
  4. Mojo
    Apr 9, 2013
    80
    The resulting sings--beautifully built around guitar, piano, drums and strings--are as their psycho-geography would suggest, intimate autobiographies, about ruined relationships. [May 2013, p.88]
  5. Q Magazine
    Apr 9, 2013
    80
    This follow-up takes on a conventional band set-up, but it's as impressive, offering a crisply original take on the classic singer-songwriter approach. [May 2013, p.109]
  6. Apr 9, 2013
    80
    An intimate and very British release to cherish and hold close; it also happens to be one of the year’s best so far.
  7. Apr 8, 2013
    70
    While his vocal delivery sounds as though he’s having to force each word out through cracked lips at the end of a long night, the accompanying music fits perfectly.
  8. Uncut
    Apr 8, 2013
    80
    The results are extraordinary. [May 2013, p.76]
  9. A Bad Wind is a meticulously crafted album.
  10. 80
    There's a disarming openness to the lyrics and a warmth to the arrangements that make this an album that rewards repeated listening.
  11. Apr 8, 2013
    70
    There’s more than enough here to establish Ryder-Jones as a serious solo artist--all it needs is one more notch on the self-confidence dial, and that potential could translate into astounding results.
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Nov 23, 2015
    9
    Bill Ryder-Jones is possibly one of the most underrated songwriters and musicians of this generation, one who has been, up until this point,Bill Ryder-Jones is possibly one of the most underrated songwriters and musicians of this generation, one who has been, up until this point, relegated to relative obscurity, and it is this fact that makes A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart (and its predecessor, If...) all the more special of a listening experience. You really feel that you're at the grassroots level of discovering something truly astounding; a man who deals with his frailty and introversion through the strength of his music. This is not an album of singles, but one that needs to be taken as a whole to maximize its appreciation. From Hanging Song to A Bad Wind pt 2. it is a very worthwhile journey into the mind of a truly great emerging artist; one you will absolutely enjoy if left open to the experience. Full Review »