Buy Now
| Buy on |
|
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
-
Oct 2, 2014As a whole, then, A New Testament is a fantastic record. It’s almost certainly the most consistent LP that Owens has released in either of his incarnations in terms of the quality of his songs as well as stylistically.
-
Oct 1, 2014A New Testament is a charming, compelling and overwhelmingly genuine piece of work from an artist who seems determined to confound expectations.
-
Sep 25, 2014Even when Owens isn’t operating at his peak, his work remains oddly intriguing--there’s a passion and honesty here, an uncompromising desire to follow his own vision.
-
Sep 29, 2014There are some quite serious by-the-numbers clichés of American music here, which might be more problematic if the record weren’t so suffused with a spirit of trust--in idealized relationships, in his favorite musical sources, perhaps in clichés themselves.
-
Sep 25, 2014Overall, A New Testament is an improvement on Lysandre and demonstrates Owens’ ability to adapt to a multitude of different genres.
-
Oct 1, 2014A New Testament makes for a comforting, occasionally gorgeous listen if you can set aside your preconceptions.
-
Sep 30, 2014Though at times a little errant and borderline-satirical, A New Testament succeeds because it showcases backward-facing storytelling and incontrovertibly catchy vintage American music.
-
Sep 29, 2014The New Testament feels mostly like one just-OK thing, easy to enjoy on a pass but much harder to love.
-
Q MagazineOct 3, 2014Ultimately, A New Testament is for converts only. [Nov 2014, p.115]
-
Sep 29, 2014Moments when his former wretchedness is recognisable rescue the album.
-
Sep 26, 2014Lysandre, while far from being reviled, received only a moderately positive response, one that was tainted with apprehension and frustration at its lack of ambition. A New Testament is even less ambitious, yet still enjoyable.
-
Sep 26, 2014Whilst a fun record, there’s only one issue remains, the fact that it’s often hard to connect with something so unabashedly honest.
-
Sep 25, 2014They’re perfectly produced but less captivating than the moments of emotional specificity.
-
MojoSep 23, 2014Sweet, but not quite satisfying. [Oct 2014, p.90]
-
Sep 23, 2014It’s hugely to Owens’ credit that he’s turned his hand at a slew of different styles in assured fashion to date, but neither this album nor Lysandre really hold the universal pop appeal of Girls’ output, either.
-
Nov 20, 2014Without the flair for the unexpected that Owens made his reputation with, A New Testament feels like a counter intuitive statement for a songwriter whose known for having such a distinctive personality.
-
Sep 30, 2014For all its talk of hearts and affection, A New Testament barely has a pulse.
-
Sep 29, 2014It seems like he missed an opportunity here to really put his well-earned gravitas into a genre that would be ripe for it. That the rather mundane and conservative A New Testament is the end result of his country explorations is a bit of a shame.
-
UncutSep 23, 2014Owens has never been afraid to comet to terms with his troubled past, but here those stories are slathered in such cliched schmaltz that it's hard to empathise. [Oct 2014, p.76]
-
Sep 23, 2014This isn't so much a bad record as a boring one. [Sep/Oct 2014, p.78]