All At Once - The Airborne Toxic Event
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Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 12 Ratings

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 18
  2. Negative: 1 out of 18
  1. Apr 28, 2011
    80
    It's clear that All at Once is a record of big sounds, bigger themes and enormous – and entirely achieved – ambitions. A crushing classic.
  2. May 16, 2011
    60
    Jollett's weighty musing are all but neutered by his determination to cover all musical bases but, as an alt-rock starter-kit, it's just about perfect. [May 2011, p.109]
  3. Jun 2, 2011
    60
    All at Once is every bit as self-important as its predecessor, but its anxieties can sometimes feel rote and stretched beyond recognition.
  4. 30
    Shocker! The long-awaited (it says here) follow-up to a sublimely average debut is another half-arsed muppet show executed with the charisma of a terminally ill sloth.

See all 18 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. 10
    I have no idea how this album has got so bad reviews, to me it is close to be a masterpiece. ^^ The writing is the most essential, Mikel Jollet is truly a great songwriter in my opinion. The lyrics on songs such as The Graveyard Near the House and All At Once are amazing. Somehow this band just gets to my emotions more than many other bands. It might not be a completely original album, I have to agree on that, but the songs are insanely good and the lyrics are great. The album contains songs, which all deal with difficulties that adults can go through or worry about. Hollow relationships, growing old, war etc. It seems like Mikel Jollet has written his thoughts on his own life and on some global issues and written them down into an album. My favourites on this album is the anti-die-without-purpose song The kids are ready to die, the truly beautiful lovesong, The Graveyard Near the House and the epic All At Once, which is just a great song about growing old. 10/10 is nothing less than what I can give this fantastic album, which deserves way better reviews than it has received. Expand
  2. All At Once, my first listen through was a shock. But then again, so was the first album. The Airborne Toxic Event is a band that really engages you to the album, to each song on the album too, and so it requires several listen throughs. After so, I realized this album, contrary to what others thought, was actually an amazing follow-up to their previous; it had moved me in ways that I hadn't felt since the EP and it's kept me moving since. Seeing them live back in September, it really had me excited for this album. And it really did deliver. However, two songs that least impressed me was Welcome to Your Wedding Day, and Strange Girl; both songs are fast and not as good as previous faster songs were (Missy, Gasoline). Welcome sounds like an Arcade Fire-esque thrasher and I know that they can do something better than that. But the message behind it at least garners a few more listens. As for Strange Girl, it just feels off. I would have put this song on the third album, to be honest. It really doesn't fit between Half of Something Else and All I Ever Wanted.

    Regardless of that, All At Once is still a phenomenal release will be getting a lot of playtime on my iPhone. Good work guys, it's one helluva disk.
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  3. This album is amazing - the first handful of times you listen. And then it slides down to "just pretty good." I think the singer has a particularly nice voice, he sings passionately and it makes you want to join in. Expand

See all 4 User Reviews