- Critic score
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- By date
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Entertainment WeeklyGorgeous, grotto-fabulous chamber pop. [14 May 2004, p.71]
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Absent Friends isn't my favorite Divine Comedy record (Fin de Siecle, actually), but it is an excellent record, and one that seems more likely to appeal to non-fans than his more ostentatious outings.
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Its pretty much all fantastic.
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It's quite something - all the more given that he's now a one-man operation - and merits attention as much for its ludicrousness as anything.
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Under The RadarIf you appreciate intelligent and literate lyrics, and are not put off by theatrical orchestration in your pop songs, then this is as good a Divine Comedy album as any to immerse yourself in the considerable talents of Neil Hannon. [#7]
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While he's still as self-absorbed as he's always been, shifting tenses has loosened Hannon up and in turn inspired one of the best albums he's made to date.
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By the time "Our Mutual Friend"'s symphonic percussion and hammering cellos reach their crashing apex, the album begins to feel a little like the fourth consecutive hour at a well-stocked party full of musical theater majors.
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FilterWhile Hannon's aesthetic/literary weltanschauung is rather haughty, it succeeds by sheer force of intellect and style. [#11, p.95]
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MagnetHis deft handling of the pop-song idiom makes even these smaller-scale songs soar. [#64, p.89]
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Patchy at best.
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Pleasant but unmoving.
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BlenderHis wisest and warmest record yet. [#27, p.136]
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MojoHis songwriting has rarely sounded so acute. [Apr 2004, p.109]
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It ranks high among his finest albums.
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UncutThe best record he's made since 1996's Casanova, it's one of those rare instances when an artist retraces their steps and successfully locates what made them interesting in the first place. [May 2004, p.102]
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Q MagazineAnother beautifully scored Divine Comedy album that sounds a bit like Scott Walker and a lot like the last one. [May 2004, p.102]
User score distribution:
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Positive: 18 out of 19
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Mixed: 0 out of 19
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Negative: 1 out of 19
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allisonmFeb 7, 2005came across this very late but love love it..
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JesseSOct 25, 2004
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asJul 8, 2004