Around - Tom Verlaine
Metascore
64 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 14
  2. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. 80
    It's in essence a wordless, monochrome Television. [May 2006, p.104]
  2. 80
    Spiky, lyrical, quiveringly pretty. [May 2006, p.100]
  3. Around is a bit spotty but when it works, it really works well.
  4. Around is low-key, yes, but revealed to be full of those cries and swoops, flutters and chimes that are unmistakebly Verlaine, and weirdly engaging.
  5. Whilst Around is hardly groundbreaking stuff – Verlaine's retro equipment preferences automatically predicate a retro feel – it is a genuinely unforced unfurling of a reclusive talent and a worthy companion piece to Warm and Cool.
  6. A beautifully realised collection, Around is remarkably ego-free -- perhaps too much so. [#266, p.67]
  7. If the record is somewhat frustrating as an intensive listen, it works stunningly as music to have on when you are doing something.
  8. Too many of the songs are flimsy and fragmentary, never shaping into anything substantial and coming across like incidental music.
  9. Sounds like the work of a man touting for soundtracks. [May 2006, p.131]
  10. For every piece that sounds like aimless noodling, there are keepers like the strutting "Wheel Broke," the guitar-only "Mountain," the Tortoise-style "Balcony" and the absolutely gorgeous "Eighty Eights."
  11. At its worst, Around is as random as its title, featuring indulgent noodling, song sketches and intros more than actual songs. [#13, p.89]
  12. Most will find this album unnecessary, even if it's not entirely inconsequential.
  13. Mostly Americana and mostly unremarkable. [29 Apr 2006, p.37]
User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. jacksonc
    9
    I initially thought this guy went out of bread. But after few listening I realised that's awsome stuff. This man throwed away the jacket he used to wear so well, let the guitar speak, let the dove fly on the north (East Anglia). Full Review »