A Weekend In The City
by Bloc Party
  • Record Label: Vice
  • Release Date: Feb 6, 2007
Metascore
65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. AllMusic
    80
    This album isn't as brash or immediate as the band's earlier work, but its gradual move from alienation to connection and hope is just as bold as Silent Alarm, and possibly even more resonant.
  2. Pitchfork
    75
    When A Weekend in the City comes bursting out at you with a gaggle of second-album upgrades-- new tricks, new scope, new arrangements-- the bulk of them sound like good ideas: They've been executed by hard-working professionals.
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    The real achievement of 'A Weekend In The City' is its path to this conclusion, pulling hard-won moments of contentment from a maelstrom of anger and confusion.
  5. musicOMH.com
    90
    How good is A Weekend In The City? At times, it's brilliant: bold, forthright and honest.
  6. Under The Radar
    80
    It's a given that some people will miss the raucous Bloc Party, but there are enough in-your-face moments and hidden gems to keep A Weekend In The City on regular rotation. [#16, p.90]
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  7. Drowned In Sound
    90
    A Weekend In The City is the aural adaptation, a digital manifestation, of what it’s like to be a twenty-something in Britain, today. It’s dirty, dishevelled, unsure and paranoid; fearful, easily distracted, boisterous and ashamed; reckless, wild, nervous and terrified; graceful, thought-provoking, clumsy and contradictory. And it’s very nearly perfect.
  8. The A.V. Club
    100
    It's smart, strange, just different enough from its predecessor, and, eventually, absolutely stunning.
  9. Entertainment Weekly
    67
    Too often, the music on A Weekend in the City is less memorable than the ambitious subject matter.
  10. Blender
    70
    At Bloc Party’s best, music and message collide with astounding force.
  11. Urb
    70
    A post-electronica, post-rave production that jettisons genres and cherishes uncut creativity. [Jan/Feb 2007, p.77]
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  12. Lost At Sea
    85
    A Weekend in the City showcases what all the band's initial buzz was about, but twists and filters what might have been expected, leaving them open to praise for different reasons.
  13. Vibe
    70
    On Weekend, the group's clearly into its '90s phase, and enjoying it. [Feb 2007, p.124]
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Most Discussed Album of 2007
88
#88 Most Shared Album of 2007

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 320 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 211 out of 320
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 320
  3. Negative: 72 out of 320
  1. altmex
    Mar 25, 2021
    4
    Thanks to "Song for Clay" and "Hunting for Witches", this album is not entirely horrible, but the rest of it is bad, plain and simple. TheThanks to "Song for Clay" and "Hunting for Witches", this album is not entirely horrible, but the rest of it is bad, plain and simple. The lyrics are cringy, the vibes are strange. I've genuinely tried to like this album many times but as soon as track #3 starts, I feel genuine desire to experience silence rather than this record. If you were attracted by Silent Alarm, like I was, this is a disappointment.… Full Review »
  2. NobodyDream
    Feb 20, 2021
    8
    An amazing album after all but in my opinion with songs like "Hunting For Withches" or "Flux" the feeling of the album to be some melancholicAn amazing album after all but in my opinion with songs like "Hunting For Withches" or "Flux" the feeling of the album to be some melancholic and sadnnes seems to be overshadowed but NOT making it worst, only mixing feeling, which some may find confusing, normal or terrible. But for me it's perfect in the way it is. The feeling of leaving things behind, to understand life, to overthink memories; that's what "A Weekend In The City" means to me a travel to the past. And yeah the rating is quite low, is not the best album of the world but not as bad as they say… Full Review »
  3. BouchetSmith
    Mar 2, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. It's everything Silent Alarm wanted to be. A huge step forward, Bloc Party have perfected their craft, the music sounds sleeker, and so much more melodic. It feels like theyr are trying to follow in Radiohead's footsteps by incorporating electronic sounds and beats into the mix. The album also feels very cohesive, it has a distinct eerie and alien atmosphere throughout. The only issue are some of the lyrics, which can be very cringey, almost like theyr were written by a teenager.
    8.7    … Full Review »
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